SAN CRISTÓBAL, Dominican Republic (March 8, 2022) – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team defeated Haiti 6-0 to advance to the semifinals of the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. Six different players scored for the USA as defender Emily Mason, midfielder Talia DellaPeruta and forwards Alyssa Thompson, Simone Jackson, Avery Patterson and Michelle Cooper each contributed a goal.
With the win – the USA’s fifth of the tournament -- the young Americans advance to face Puerto Rico in the tournament semifinals on Thursday, March 10 at 3 p.m. ET. The winner will clinch an automatic berth to the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. The game will be a rematch after the teams faced off in the group stage on Feb. 27, a 7-0 victory for the USA.
Against a Haiti team aggressively defending in a low block, the USA struck early as Mason opened the scoring with a header from six yards out to finish a well-placed corner kick from midfielder Olivia Moultrie in the eighth minute. The goal would be the lone tally in the first half as Haiti valiantly withstood the Americans’ relentless attack, but the U.S. would score five in the second half to put together another dominant performance.
Thompson made it 2-0 just five minutes after the break and the USA came close to adding another just six minutes later, but Cooper struck her penalty attempt wide of the goal after she was taken down inside the box to earn the spot kick.
The miss was only a momentary setback as Jackson added her goal in the 68th minute, this time off a pristine long ball behind the defense from center back Lilly Reale. The U.S. scored again in the 78th after DellaPeruta kept her composure to convert from the penalty spot despite a four-minute delay between the initial call and a completed VAR check to confirm the foul.
In the 87th, another brilliant long ball from Reale kick-started an attacking sequence which culminated in Patterson’s goal from three yards out. A great cross from Missimo on the right flank and a relentless effort from forward Trinity Byars kept the ball alive inside the box before Patterson finished it off. The USA added its closing statement in the third minute of stoppage time when Byars sent in a low cross for Patterson inside the box. The forward got a touch on the ball to set up Cooper for her goal.
The entire U.S. team wore black armbands in remembrance of Katie Meyer, the former U.S. Youth National Team player and Stanford goalkeeper who passed away last week.
Follow the U-20 WNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com as well as U.S. Soccer Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
USA – Emily Mason (Olivia Moultrie), 8th minute: Moultrie took a corner kick from the right side and sailed her cross to the far post where Mason rose to win the header and place the ball into the net from six yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, HAI 0
USA – Alyssa Thompson (Michelle Cooper), 50th minute: Cooper forced a turnover in the attacking half and played a quick ball through to Thompson, who raced in on goal and finished low with her right foot past the sliding goalkeeper from 10 yards out. USA 2, HAI 0
USA – Simone Jackson (Lilly Reale), 68th minute: Reale played wonderful long-ball from midfield, finding Jackson on the run to beat the back line. The forward finished calmly on her first touch from 12 yards out. USA 3, HAI 0
USA – Talia DellaPeruta (Penalty Kick), 78th minute: After Alyssa Thompson was brought down inside the goal box while shielding the ball with her back to goal, DellaPeruta stepped up to the penalty spot following a long VAR check and her powerful strike added an insurance goal for the USA as it solidified its semifinal berth. USA 4, HAI 0
USA – Avery Patterson, 87th minute: Defender Lilly Reale played another lovely long ball across the field to find midfielder Alexis Missimo on the right flank. From there, Missimo sent a low cross into the box intended for forward Trinity Byars. Byars crashed into a defender and her shot was blocked, but the ball rolled to Patterson and she buried it into the open net from two yards out. USA 5, HAI 0
USA – Michelle Cooper (Avery Patterson), 90+3rd minute: Forward Trinity Byars collected the ball on the right flank on a quick counterattack and sent a low cross into the box. Patterson got a touch on it to find Cooper, who finished from seven yards out to cap the scoring. USA 6, HAI 0
Match: United States Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Haiti
Date: March 8, 2022
Competition: Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship - Quarterfinal
Venue: Estadio Panamericano; San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
Attendance: 360
Kickoff: 4 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET)
Weather: 75 degrees, cloudy, rainy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 5 6
HAI 0 0 0
USA – Emily Mason (Olivia Moultrie) 8th minute
USA – Alyssa Thompson (Michelle Cooper) 50
USA – Simone Jackson (Lilly Reale) 68
USA – Talia DellaPeruta (Penalty Kick) 78
USA – Avery Patterson 87
USA – Michelle Cooper (Avery Patterson) 90+3
Lineups:
USA: 1-Mia Justus; 2-Laney Rouse (3-Ayo Oke, 90+2), 4-Emily Mason, 5-Lilly Reale (14-Lauren Flynn, 90+1), 13-Samar Guidry; 10-Alexis Missimo (6-Emily Colton, 90+2), 8-Olivia Moultrie, 20-Talia DellaPeruta; 7-Simone Jackson (16-Avery Patterson, 73), 9-Michelle Cooper (Capt.), 11-Alyssa Thompson (18-Trinity Byars, 82)
Substitutes not used: 12-Neeku Purcell, 15-Aidan McConnell
Head coach: Tracey Kevins
HAI: 1-Madelina Fleuriot; 9-Florsie Joseph, 3-Rose France, 2-Estericove Joseph (Capt.), 13-Maudeline Moryl, 4-Jenny Flore Desmarattes (15-Rose-Bertude Rosinvil, 58); 14-Gaelle Dumas, 19-Mirlene Dorce, 7-Rose Alya Marcellus (17-Betina Petit Frere, 90+5); 11-Valentina Ornis, 10-Dayana Pierre (20-Chloe Joseph, 58)
Substitutes not used: 3-Milan Pierre, 5-Meghane St-Cyr, 6-Tabita Joseph, 8-Alcide Whithmila Pierre, 12-Nahomie Ambroise, 16-Mariline Guerrier, 18-Noa Ganthier
Stats Summary: USA / HAI
Shots: 19 / 4
Shots on Goal: 10 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 14 / 7
Offside: 7 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Alexis Missimo (Caution) 70th minute
HAI -- Valentina Ornis (Caution) 86
Officials:
Referee: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
1st Assistant Referee: Ivett Santiago (CUB)
2nd Assistant Referee: Carissa Douglas (TRI)
4th Official: Crystal Sobers (TRI)
VAR: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
AVAR 1: Jassett Kerr-Wilson (JAM)