U-16 USGNT Drops 2-1 Decision to Spain in UEFA Development Tournament Opener
Ally Lemos Scores for USA, Which Will also Face Host England and Denmark
BURTON UPON TRENT, England (Feb. 19, 2019) – The U.S. Under-16 Girls’ National Team fell to Spain, 2-1, to open the UEFA Development Tournament being played at St. George’s Park, England’s National Training Center.
The USA will also face England on Feb. 21 and finish tournament play vs. Denmark on Feb. 24.
These are the first matches of the year for the U-16 GNT, and tournament rules dictate that each player on the roster is required to play at least 90 minutes over the three matches.
In the match, Spain scored early as Julia Bartel collected a loose ball just outside the penalty box and launched a rocket to the upper left corner to give her country a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
Spain doubled its lead in the 39th minute after the ball bounced off a few players inside the penalty area after a Spain corner kick and it rolled to Lucia Moral who was outside the box on the left side. She crossed it back into the middle, and Siliva Lloris headed the ball down into the right corner of goal.
The USA pulled a goal back in the 86th minute when forward Tyler Isgrig crossed into the box from the left side and forward Lumi Kostmayer headed it towards goal. The shot deflected off the crossbar and fell to midfielder Ally Lemos, who took a few touches inside the box and finished on the ground into the lower right corner from just outside the six-yard box.
The evenly played match saw the USA out-shot Spain 10-9, but the Americans could not create an equalizer in the dying minutes.
Spain is a rising power in Europe, having won the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay and finishing second at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.
U-16 Girls’ National Team Match Report
Match: United States U-16 Girl’s National Team vs. Spain U-16 Girl’s National Team
Date: February 19, 2020
Competition: UEFA Development Tournament
Venue: Pitch #5 – St. George’s Park; Burton upon Trent, England