U.S. Women’s CP National Team Falls to Australia 6-2 in Women’s World Cup Final
Cassidy Leake and Kaia Spencer Register First Half Goals for USA in Runner-Up Finish
SALOU, Spain (Nov. 19, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s CP National Team got off to a hot start in the Women’s World Cup Final against Australia but ultimately fell 6-2 in a rematch of the 2022 final on Tuesday.
Captain Cassidy Leake opened the scoring for the USA in the fourth minute. Leake picked up an Australia turnover in her own half and then dribbled through the middle of the pitch before she stopped, took a slight cut to her right and fired past Katelyn Smith.
Kaia Spencer then doubled the team’s lead in the sixth minute. After an attempted Australia shot rolled harmlessly to goalkeeper Leah Glaser, she rolled the ball out to Catarina Guimaraes to begin the attack. Guimaraes dribbled the ball up the pitch before pushing it left for Spencer. Spencer took a left-footed shot on her first touch and the ball bounced off the inside of the near post before settling into the far-right side of the net to make it 2-0, USA.
Australian goalkeeper and captain Katelyn Smith made a couple of saves to keep the deficit to two and scored a goal herself in the 17th minute, to cut the lead and help Australia go into the half down 2-1.
In the second half, Smith scored two more goals of her own in the 30th and 33rd minute to give Australia a lead it would never relinquish. Georgia Beikoff added to Australia’s total with a brace and Annmarie De Uriate tallied a goal of her own.
With the result, the USA finished as runner-up at the 2024 IFCPF Women’s CP World Cup an moves to 9W-2L-1D overall.
- U.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: U.S. Women’s CP National Team vs. Australia
Date: Nov. 19, 2024
Competition: Women’s World Cup – Final
Venue: Futbal Salou-Field 13; Salou, Spain
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. local (8:30 a.m. ET)
Weather:
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| AUS | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| USA – Cassidy Leake | 4th minute |
| USA – Kaia Spencer (Catarina Guimaraes) | 6 |
| AUS – Katelyn Smith | 17 |
| AUS – Katelyn Smith | 30 |
| AUS – Katelyn Smith (penalty kick) | 33 |
| AUS – Georgia Beikoff | 38 |
| AUS – Annmarie De Uriarte | 46 |
| AUS – Georgia Beikoff | 49 |
Lineups:
USA: 9-Leah Glaser; 2-Cassidy Leake (capt.) (3, Annie Wickett, 26, 6-Isabella Stankunas, 48), 7-Catarina Guimaraes, 8-Kaia Spencer (4-Michelle Cross, 48), 10-Jesslyn Kuhnel.
Substitutes not used: 1-Rebecca Ostrander, 5-Joey Martin
Head coach: Tricia Taliafero
AUS: 6-Katelyn Smith (capt.) ; 3-Tahlia Blanshard (4-Bec Jones, 42), 7-Eloise Northam, 8-Annmarie De Uriarte, 10-Georgia Beikoff (1-Carly Salmon, 50)
Substitutes not used: 2-Trinity McPhie, 5-Lainee Harrison, 9-Rae Anderson
Head coach: Kelly Stirton
Misconduct Summary:
none
Officials:
Referee: Shu Ting Yang (TPE)