U.S. U-17 Women’s Youth National Team Routs Canada 5-0 to Take Top Spot in Group B at 2024 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship in Mexico

TOLUCA, Mexico (Feb. 6, 2024) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team rolled over Canada 5-0 in dominant fashion to claim the top spot in Group B at the 2024 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship as five different players found the net.

The USA’s two professional players, San Diego Wave FC midfielder Melanie Barcenas and KC Current forward Alex Pfieffer bagged the first two goals, with Pfieffer’s 50th-minute tally kicking off a run of three tallies in a nine-minute span in the second half to put the game out of reach. Midfielder Y-Lan Nguyen put an exclamation point on things in the 73^rd minute with her first international goal, boosting the U.S. to tie its biggest margin of victory ever against Canada at the Concacaf U-17 Championship over seven meetings all-time.

With the victory, the USA will face Group A runner-up Haiti in the semifinal round on Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. ET (FS2) for a berth to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, and a spot in the championship match. Canada will face host Mexico, the Group A winner, in the other semifinal on Feb. 9 (4 p.m. ET). The U.S. is seeking its third-straight Concacaf title at this age level and sixth overall.

The U.S. totally dominated the match, knocking the ball at pace around and through the Canadian defense, creating danger up the middle, down the wings, on shots from outside and on set plays.

The young Americans limited Canada to one shot and none on goal while piling up a 30-1 shot advantage against its northern neighbor. Barcenas converted the USA’s first attempt of the game in the ninth minute, scoring an impressive strike from outside the penalty area after a give-and-go with midfielder Kennedy Fuller. As one of first two professional players ever to represent a U.S. U-17 WYNT at World Cup qualifying, Barcenas’ goal came in her 10th U-17 international appearance, the most on the squad after she also participated in the previous U-17 cycle.

The U-17s had numerous chances to double their advantage in the following few minutes. A nice exchange from forward Rylee McLanahan to Barcenas in the box nearly led to an own goal from Canadian defender Ines Nourani and on the ensuing corner kick, two headers went off the crossbar in succession before Canada managed to clear.

Another barrage of U.S. chances came just after the half-hour mark. Defender Katie Scott and midfielder Ainsley McCammon launched shots from distance in the 33rd and 34th minutes, respectively, before Fuller ripped a shot from outside the box in the 36th. Canada goalkeeper Noelle Henning made an impressive leaping save to get a finger on the ball and tip it away. The corner kick that followed saw the U.S. hit the crossbar yet again, this time off the head of center back Jordyn Hardeman.

Outside backs Katie Scott and Daya King, along Hardeman and her center back partner Kiara Gilmore, kept the Canada forwards on lock down and the floodgates finally opened for the American attack after the break. As Canada tried to play out of the back in the 50th minute, forward Leena Powell pounced on a misplayed ball and sent it into the box for Pfeiffer, who was able to redirect the ball into the left corner from close range past the sprawling Henning.

In the 57th, Pfeiffer ripped a shot from the corner of the box and while Henning made a diving save, Powell pounced on the rounded to pound the ball into the net as two defenders closed on her. Another goal from close range came in the 59th as Henning bobbled a shot from outside the box and Fuller was able to slide her shot home.

Nguyen netted her first international goal in just her second game with the U.S. U-17s to cap off the scoring in the 73rd minute.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Melanie Barcenas (Kennedy Fuller), 9th minute: About 30 yards from the goal, Barcenas played the ball past a defender to Fuller just outside the top of the arc. Fuller controlled the ball before playing quickly back to the San Diego Wave FC midfielder, who one-timed a rocket to the top left corner of the net past the leaping Canadian goalkeeper. USA 1, CAN 0

USA – Alex Pfeiffer (Leena Powell), 50th minute: Capitalizing on an error forced by Leena Powell while Canada attempted to play out of the back, Powell then took possession and sent it into the box for Pfeiffer, who was able to block the ball into the net from close range for the game’s second goal and her fourth of the tournament. USA 2, CAN 0

USA – Leena Powell, 57th minute: Melanie Barcenas played to Pfeiffer at the corner of the six-yard box and while Canada goalkeeper Noelle Henning was there to make a diving save, Powell was well-positioned to pounce on the rebound. She got to the ball just before two Canadian defenders and finished from close range. USA 3, CAN 0

USA – Kennedy Fuller, 59th minute: The U.S. capitalized on another Canadian mistake for Fuller’s team-leading sixth goal of the tournament. Henning wasn’t able to hold onto a ball on a shot sent in from outside the box and Fuller was there to hit knock home the rebound. USA 4, CAN 0

USA – Y-Lan Nguyen (Ainsley McCammon), 73rd minute: McCammon played to Nguyen on the just to the left of the center channel and it slide past the Canada back line. Nguyen dribbled into the box before calmy sending a shot at a difficult angle just inside the right post. It marked her first international goal in just her second U-17 appearance. USA 5, CAN 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The U.S. improves to 6-0-1 vs. Canada all-time at the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship. The five-goal margin of victory matches the USA’s best-ever, a 5-0 win in the 2016 semifinals.
• Midfielder Kennedy Fuller is currently tied with Haiti’s Lourdijina Etienne with six goals each in the tournament’s Golden Boot race. Forward Alex Pfieffer and Canada’s Annabelle Chukwu are tied for third with four goals each. 
• Midfielder Melanie Barcenas and Y-Lan Nguyen plus forward Lenna Powell all netted their first goals of the tournament and first career U-17 international goals. Pfeiffer’s goal was her seventh at the U-17 level and Fuller’s was her sixth, all in this tournament.
• Canada made a concussion sub in the first half, which gave the USA the chance to make a sixth sub.
• U.S. head coach Katie Schoepfer did so when back-up goalkeeper Franky “Wicki” Dunlap came on the 84^th minute, which meant that all 21 players on the U.S. roster saw action during group play in Toluca.

-U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team Match Report-

Match: United States Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Canada
Date: Feb. 6, 2024
Competition: Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship
Venue: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, A.C. – Field 2; Toluca, Mexico
Attendance: 150
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT)
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                             1          4          5                                             
CAN                             0          0          0         

USA – Melanie Barcenas (Kennedy Fuller)               9^th minute
USA – Alex Pfeiffer (Leena Powell)                         50
USA – Leena Powell                                                    57
USA – Kennedy Fuller                                                 59
USA – Y-Lan Nguyen (Ainsley McCammon)           73

Lineups:
USA: 1-Molly Vapensky (12-Franky Dunlap, 84); 13-Katie Scott, 2-Jordyn Hardeman, 5-Kiara Gilmore, 15-Daya King; 6-Ainsley McCammon, 10-Kennedy Fuller (Capt.) (8-Riley Cross, 76), 11-Melanie Barcenas (19-Y-Lan Nguyen, 61); 18-Rylee McLanahan (14-Leena Powell, 46), 20-Mya Townes (9-Carrie Helfrich, 61), 17-Alex Pfeiffer (7-Kimmi Ascanio, 71)
Substitutes not used: 3-Lexi Coughlin, 4-Trinity Armstrong, 16-Jocelyn Travers, 21-Kennedy Zorn
Head Coach: Katie Schoepfer

CAN: 1-Noelle Henning (Capt.); 2-Ines Nourani (5-Reese Kay, 60), 15-Bridget Mutipula, 13-Victoria Rocci (3-Mya Angus, 41); 16-Emily Wong (8-Olivia Chisholm, 72), 14-Maree-Anne Van Doesburg, 6-Keira Martin, 7-Nikolina Istocki (11-Isabelle Chukwu, 77); 17-Adriana Bianchin, 12-Kaylee Hunter (10-Liana Tarasco, 46); 19-Alyssa McLeod (9-Annabelle Chukwu, 77)
Substitutes not used: 4-Juliette Perreault, 18-Olivia Busby, 20-Teegan Melenhorst, 21-Khadijah Cisse
Head coach: Emma Humphries  

Stats Summary: USA / CAN
Shots: 30 / 1
Shots on Goal: 12 / 0
Saves: 0 / 7
Corner Kicks: 10 / 0
Fouls: 3 / 4
Offside: 3 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Amairany Garcia (Mexico)
1^st Assistant Referee: Elva Gutierrez (Mexico)
2^nd Assistant Referee: Aranza Quero (Mexico)
4^th Official: Deily Gomez (Costa Rica)