Brace from 15-Year-Old Nimfasha Berchimas Boosts USA to 3-1 Win vs. Korea Republic in FIFA U-17 World Cup Opener

JAKARTA, Indonesia (Nov. 12, 2023) – Fifteen-year-old forward Nimfasha Berchimas bagged a brace and midfielder Cruz Medina added another to boost the U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team to a 3-1 victory against Korea Republic in its opening match of the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Berchimas, the USA’s youngest player, opened the scoring in the seventh minute, becoming the youngest U.S. player since Freddy Adu in 2003 to score at this tournament. While Korea pulled one back in the 35th, Medina finished off the rebound of another Berchimas shot to put the U.S. ahead for good in the 49th minute and Berchimas bagged his brace in the 73rd to secure three points for the U.S. to start the tournament. 

The victory puts the USA in strong standing in Group E after the opening matchday. Next up, the U.S. will take on Burkina Faso on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 4 a.m. ET (FS1, Universo). Les Etalons fell 3-0 to France in the first Group E match of the day. The top two teams in each of the six groups, as well as the four best third-place teams, advance to the knockout stage of the competition.

From the opening whistle, the game featured back-and-forth action. On Korea’s first foray forward in the fifth minute, forward Myeongjun Kim took a hard-hit shot that ricocheted off the post before it was swallowed up by U.S. goalkeeper Adam Beaudry.

The USA struck first two minutes later with an impressive finish from Berchimas. Korea defender Minwoo Kang deflected a cross into the box that fell to the Charlotte FC youngster, who drove a soaring shot home just under the crossbar.

The youngest player on the U.S. World Cup squad at just 15 years old, the Charlotte FC forward became the youngest to score at this tournament for the red, white and blue since Freddy Adu netted a hat trickc against Korea Republic in the USA’s Finland 2003 opener. Berchimas ranks as the U-17 MYNT’s fourth-youngest scorer ever at this competition. 

Korea Republic responded with urgency after conceding early and Beaudry was called into action several times. The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper did well to hold the U.S. advantage during a difficult stretch of pressure, making a close-range save in the 16th and another in the 24^th.

One of the Taegeuk Warriors’ most menacing chances came in the 33rd, as midfielder Minhyeok Yang sliced through several U.S. defenders before firing a shot from the top of the box that rattled off the top of the post. It served as a warning shot as Korea equalized two minutes later after a number of close calls were defused by Beaudry and the U.S. defense. While the Reds’ initial shot from the top of the box was saved, Kim pounced on the rebound and sent it to the back of the net.

The U.S. could breach the Korean goal for the rest of the first half, as a 25th-minute strike from David Vazquez was deflected by Korea goalkeeper Seongmin Hong and another dangerous look from Keyrol Figueroa in the sixth minute of stoppage time was also batted away.

The USA got the second half off to a strong start with Medina’s 49th-minute goal. After Berchimas drove into the box and had his shot saved, the San Jose Earthquakes midfielder was there for the rebound and ripped a leaping shot to the right post.

Medina nearly had a brace just a few minutes later. Vazquez whipped a cross into the box in the 54th minute and Medina struck an on-target shot that was deflected by Hong. The rebound fell achingly close to Medina, but the Korea defense did well to muscle him out of the way. Moments later, a quick transition for the Taegeuk Warriors saw Beaudry make another impressive save, diving to swallow up a ball from Yang driving down the left wing.

Berchimas put the game out of reach in the 73rd. Slicing into the box from the right wing, Korea tried to dispossess him but a bad touch left the ball at the top of the arc. There, he sent a hard-rolling shot to the left post for his second goal of the day, becoming the second youngest player to record a multi-goal game at the U-17 World Cup and fifth-ever to do so.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Nimfasha Berchimas, 7th minute: After sparking a bit of early danger on the wing, the 15-year-old Berchimas opened the scoring for the U.S. Right back Aiden Harangi sent a hard-rolling cross into the box and Korea defender Minwoo Kang got a foot on it, but it fell to Berchimas near the penalty spot. The Charlotte FC forward hit a driving shot just under the crossbar for the game’s opening goal. USA 1, KOR 0

KOR – Myeongjun Kim, 37th minute: While the U.S. defense and goalkeeper Adam Beaudry did well to handle several waves of pressure from the Taegeuk Warriors, they broke through in the 37th. Midfielder Minhyeok Yang drove the ball forward down the left side before ripping a shot from the top of the box. Beaudry dove to his right to make the stop, but Kim pounced on the rebound to level the score. USA 1, KOR 1

USA – Cruz Medina, 49th minute: Making some space in the box, Berchimas took a shot from seven yards out that Korea goalkeeper Seongmin Hong deflected with his leg. The rebound fell to Medina just beyond the penalty spot, where he took a touch before ripping a bouncing shot to the right post to retake the lead. USA 2, KOR 1

USA – Nimfasha Berchimas, 73rd minute: Midfielder Pedro Soma played Berchimas on the run down the right wing. The 15-year-old cut into the top right corner of the box and made some shifty moves around the defense before a Korean player attempted to poke the ball out. It fell to Berchimas at the arc and he fell as he sent a shot to the left post to put the game on ice.  USA 3, KOR 1

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• The USA improves to 2-1-0 vs. Korea Republic and 7-7-2 against Asian competition at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
• Berchimas is the fourth-youngest player to score for the U.S. at this tournament (15 years, 267 days), behind Freddy Adu (14 years, 76 days; three goals vs. Korea Republic in 2003), Imad Baba (15 years, 91 days; one goal vs. Brazil in 1989) and Jason Moore (15 years, 148 days; one goal vs. Qatar in 1993).
• The Charlotte FC forward’s brace made him the fifth player to put together a multi-goal game for the USA at the U-17 World Cup following Judah Cooks (three goals vs. Qatar in 1993), Taylor Twellman (two goals vs. Austria in 1997), Adu (three goals vs. Korea Republic in 2003) and Tim Weah (three goals vs. Paraguay in 2017)
• He's the second-youngest player to score multiple goals in a single game, behind Adu’s 2003 effort.
• Berchimas’ two goals were his third and fourth U-17 goals in his fifth appearance. He also bagged a brace in the USA’s come-from-behind victory against Ukraine on Sept. 6, his debut with the U-17s.
• Medina’s goal was his seventh of the U-17 cycle, good for second on the team.
• Medina and midfielder Paulo Rudisill made their cycle-leading 19th appearances.
• Goalkeeper Duran Ferree served the one-game suspension he was given after being sent off during February’s Concacaf U-17 Championship Final and will be eligible for selection vs. Burkina Faso.

-U.S. UNDER-17 MEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Men’s Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team vs. Korea Republic
Date: Nov. 12, 2023
Competition: 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup – Group E
Venue: Jakarta International Stadium; Jakarta, Indonesia
Attendance: 4,317
Kickoff: 7 a.m. ET (7 p.m. local)
Weather: 82 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary:      1          2          F
KOR                                1          0          1
USA                                1          2          3

USA – Nimfasha Berchimas                 7^th minute
KOR – Meyongjun Kim                         35
USA – Cruz Medina                              49       
USA – Nimfasha Berchimas              73

Lineups:
USA: 1-Adam Beaudry; 18-Aiden Harangi, 15-Noahkai Banks, 4-Tyler Hall (Capt.) (5-Stuart Hawkins 86), 2-Oscar Verhoeven; 8-Pedro Soma, 14-Taha Habroune, 10-Cruz Medina (19-Paulo Rudisill, 69); 7-Nimfasha Berchimas (20-Bryce Jamison 78), 17-Keyrol Figueroa (9-Micah Burton, 78), 11-David Vazquez (13-Peyton Miller, 69)
Substitutes not used: 21-Zackory Campagnolo, 3-Tahir Reid-Brown, 6-Matthew Corcoran, 16-Santi Morales
Not eligible: 12-Duran Ferree
Head coach: Gonzalo Segares

KOR: 18-Seongmin Hong; 4-Minwoo Kang, 5-Minjun You, 6-Jehoon Cha (16-Hyunsub Lim, 76), 7-Doyong Yoon (14-Hyunmin Kim, 76), 8-Inwoo Back, 9-Myeongjun Kim (Capt.) (13-Gaon Baek, 71), 10-Taeho Jin, 11-Minhyeok Yang, 12-Seongho Bae, 15-Jeonghyeok Seo
Substitutes not used: 1-Gyungjun Lee, 21-Gyujeong Woo, 2-Suro Lee, 3-Changwoo Lee, 17-Seokjin Han, 19-Eunchong Hwang, 20-Yugeon Kim
Head coach: Sunghwan Byun

Stats Summary: KOR / USA
Shots: 24 / 8
Shots on Goal: 7 / 7
Saves: 4 / 6
Corner Kicks: 9 / 0
Fouls: 12 / 14
Offside: 0 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
KOR - Minjun You (Caution)                   11^th minute
USA – David Vazquez (Caution)           45+1
KOR – Inwoo Back (Caution)                45+1
USA - Aiden Harangi (Caution)            52
USA – Micah Burton (Caution)            90+2
USA - Noahkai Banks (Caution)          90+9

Officials:
Referee: Morten Krogh (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen (DEN)
Fourth Official: Aprisman Aranda (IDN)
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo (ITA)
AVAR1: Rob Dieperink (NED)