U-23 WNT Opens La Manga Tournament with 1-0 Win Against Sweden

LA MANGA, Spain (April 5, 2019) – The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team defeated Sweden 1-0 in its opening game of the 2019 Women’s International U-23 La Manga Tournament as forward Hailie Mace scored the lone goal of the match in the 32nd minute. It was Mace’s first international goal at the U-23 level.

The USA will also face the U-23 squads from France on April 7 and finish with Italy on April 9. England and Norway are the other two teams in the six-country friendly competition where every team will play three matches.

U.S. head coach Mark Carr brought a mixed squad of U-23 and U-20 aged players. The 20-player roster features 14 collegiate players, four players currently playing professionally in Europe and two youth club players in forwards Payton Linnehan and Jordan Canniff, both of whom were members of the USA’s 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team.

Players born on or after January 1, 1996 (the age cut-off for this year’s U.S. U-23 WNT) are age-eligible for this competition. The U.S. roster features two players born in 1996, four born in 1997, six born in 1998 and three born in 1999. The remaining five players – Canniff, Linnehan and forward Summer Yates, goalkeeper Meagan McClelland and defender Ella Shamburger  -- all born in 2000 and 2001 – are members of the USA’s current U-20 Women’s National Team player pool.

Two players on the roster have spent time with the senior U.S. WNT in goalkeeper Casey Murphy and Mace, who was a member of the USA’s 2018 Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifying squad as a defender and has earned three senior team caps.

-U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team vs. Sweden
Date: April 5, 2019
Competition: 2019 Women’s International U-23 La Manga Tournament
Venue: La Manga Club; La Manga, Spain
Weather: 60 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                            1          0          1
SWE                            0          0          0                     

USA – Hailie Mace (Meg Brandt)       32nd minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Casey Murphy, 2-Julia Ashley (20-Tara McKeown, 76), 5-Alana Cook (capt.), 3-Malia Berkely, 4-Alyssa Malonson (13-Yazmeen Ryan, 62), 6-Taylor Otto, 23-Brianne Folds (16-Samantha Coffey, 46), 8-Meg Brandt, 14-Civana Kuhlmann (17-Payton Linnehan, 70), 9-Hailie Mace, 19-Jordan Canniff (11-Summer Yates, 70)
Subs Not Used: 3-Malia Berkely, 4-Alyssa Malonson, 7-Abigail Kim, 10-Kelcie Hedge, 12-Meagan McClelland, 21-Ella Shamburger
Head Coach: Mark Carr

SWE: 1-Emma Holmgren, 2-Ronja Aronsson, 4-Josefin Rybrink, 3-Emma Pennsater, 5-Lota Okvist, 6-Ebba Wieder (capt.), 16-Ellen Lofqvist (8-Hanna Bennison, 65), 10-Loroeta Kullashi (22-Ebba Hed, 81), 11-Tove Almqvist, 9-Rebecka Blomqvist (19-Emma Westin, 65), 17-Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (20-Michelle de Jongh, 46)
Subs Not Used: 7-Wilm Ohman, 12-Matilda Haglund, 13-Matilda Plan, 14-Linnea Selberg, 15-Nathalie Hoff Persson, 18-Alexandra Jonasson, 21-Moa Ohman, 23-Amanda Nilden
Head Coach: Ulf Kristiansson

Statistical Summary: USA / SWE
Shots: 3 / 9
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 2 / 5
Fouls: 6 / 7
Offside: 5 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Sarah Fatemeh Zangeneh
Assistant Referee: Elisabeth Thoresen
Assistant Referee: Line Cathrine Nymoen