U.S. Under-20 WNT Downs Puerto Rico 3-1 in Second Match of 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship and Qualifies for 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
Right Back Kate Scott Scores and Adds An Assist; Forward Mary Long Scores Twice
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica(June 1, 2025) – The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team dominated Puerto Rico to win 3-1 in its second Group A match at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. The win guaranteed the USA a top-two finish in the group and the berth to the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup that goes along with it. The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be held from September 5–27 next year in Poland.
The USA will finish group play on June 3 against Costa Rica (4 p.m. ET on FS2) with a win or a tie clinching first place in the group.
U.S. head coach Carrie Kveton made nine changes to the starting XI from the USA’s 8-0 opening game win over Guyana – center back Abby Mills and forward Mya Townes were the only holdovers -- but it mattered little. The USA scored in the fourth minute and never looked back, dominating the match while out-shooting Puerto Rico 24-3 overall and 8-1 in shots on goal.
The first goal came from a somewhat unlikely source, right back Kate Scott. The ball was worked well from the left to the right and Townes fed Scott with a square pass just above the right side of the penalty area. A sliding Puerto Rico defender could not quite get her toe on the ball, and it rolled to Scott, who took a great prep touch and smashed her shot from just outside the penalty box into the left side of the net for the early goal. It was Scott’s first goal at the U-20 level. She also had one goal at the U-17 level.
Puerto Rico’s only chance of the first half came in the sixth minute when a long ball behind the U.S. defense led to some confusion between goalkeeper Keally Titmuss and Scott, who smashed into each other as Titmuss raced out of her net, leaving an open goal for Puerto Rico striker Susana Roberts. Scott recovered and threw her body to the groundblock Roberts’ initial shot and then Roberts sent her second chance over an open net.
Forward Mary Long then doubled the lead in the 24th minute when she timed her run to stay onside by a slim margin and raced in on goal off a through ball from Scott. Long held off her defender and finished under duress from six yards out as she tumbled to the ground to make it 2-0.
Long scored her second goal in the 65th minute when she ran onto a pass from halftime substitute Linda Ullmark and shot from just above the right side of the penalty area. She used as much finesse as power to roll her shot off the left post and in from 18 yards out. The two goals were the first at the U-20 international level for Long, who scored three times at the U-17 international level.
Puerto Rico pulled one back in the 67th minute as University of Arizona striker Aurora Gaines ran onto a poor back pass by the U.S. defense and fought off three U.S. defenders on a mazy dribbling run to slot home from six yards out.
Additional Notes:
- After 15 players earned their first U-20 caps in the first game against Guyana, five players earned their first U-20 international caps in this match: Kealey Titmuss, Kate Scott, Kennedy Ring, Mary Long and Chloe Rickets.
- Aven Alverez earned her team-leading fourth U-20 international cap when she came on in the 84th minute.
- Scott, who hails from Pennsylvania, captained the U.S. U-20s for the first time.
-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team vs. Puerto Rico
Date: June 1, 2025
Competition: Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship
Venue: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto; Alajuela, Costa Rica
Attendance: 79
Kickoff: 11 a.m. local (1 p.m. ET)
Weather: 77 degrees and cloudy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| PUR | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| USA – Katie Scott (Mya Townes | 4th minute |
| USA – Mary Long (Katie Scott) | 24 |
| USA – Mary Long (Linda Ullmark) | 65 |
| PUR – Aurora Gaines | 67 |
Lineups:
USA: 12-Kealey Titmuss; 2-Kate Scott (Capt.) (15-Leena Powell, 61), 5-Bella Ayscue, 4-Abby Mills, 14-Emma Johnson; 16-Kennedy Ring (17-Edra Bello, 73), 13-Peyton McGovern, 18-Ashlyn Puerta (10-Linda Ullmark, 46); 20-Mya Townes (3-Aven Alvarez, 84), 19-Mary Long, 7-Chloe Ricketts (6-Grace Restovich, 62)
Substitutes Not Used: 1-Caroline Birkel, 8-Kennedy Fuller, 9-Izzy Engle, 11-Sealey Strawn, 21-Sonoma Kasica
Heas Coach: Carrie Kveton
PUR: 18-Alondra Iriarte; 3-Estafania Gonzalez, 4-Lauryn Smith (20-Gabriella Garnett, 46), 19-Susana Roberts (13-Aurora Gaines, 46), 21-Camila Adame; 10-Maliya Maldonado (8-Sarah Martinez, 61), 11-Marilia Nieves-Melchor (Capt.) (14-Evangelina Arocho, 84), 17-Jayla Walton; 6-Ashley McMahon, 9-Olivia Bevilacqua (2-Payton Quinones, 46), 16-Gemma Gillespie
Substitutes Not Used: 7-Giselle Falcon, 12-Trishelle Lopez, 15-Analisse Cheema
Head Coach: Nate Gonzalez
Stats Summary: USA / PUR
Shots: 24 / 3
Shots on Goal: 8 / 1
Saves: 0 / 4
Corner Kicks: 4 / 0
Fouls: 3 / 12
Offside: 0 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Dilia Bradley (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Delia Roxana Vega Recinos (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Shirly Baten (GUA)
Fourth Official: Shandor Wilkinson (SKN)