ALICANTE, Spain (Feb. 26, 2025) – The U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team drew host Spain 1-1 through regulation time and then won a dramatic nine-round penalty kick shootout to end the trip on a high note.
The USA lost to the Netherlands, 2-1, in its first match and to England, 2-0, in its second.
The USA scored its goal in the 21st minute when forward Izzy Engleput pressure on a clearance from Spain goalkeeper, won the ball, and had an open goal in which to convert her shot.
Spain tied the game in the 29th off a corner kick that bounced off the body of Ines Derrien for an unfortunate own goal.
The teams then battled through the rest of the 90 minutes without a goal and the match went to penalty kicks. Remarkably, each team made their first eight kicks and then Reese Klein, an alternate on the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team, converted her team’s ninth kick. U.S. goalkeeper Caroline Birkel, who was a back-up on that 2024 WWC Team, and was one round away from taking a spot kick herself, turned away Spain’s ninth attempt to give the USA the PK shootout win.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006, are age-eligible for this U-19 WNT cycle, and the 2006 birth year will form the core of the team that will attempt to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. This group players – all born in 2006 -- will transition to the U.S. U-20s in August of this year.
Match: United States U-19 Women's National Team vs. Spain U-19 Women’s National Team
Date: February 26, 2025
Competition: L’Albir U-19 Women’s International Tournament.
Venue: Estadio Olimpic Camilo Cano; Alicante, Spain
Weather: 59 degrees, windy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F | PK |
| USA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| ESP | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| USA – Izzy Engle | 21st minute |
| ESP – Own Goal (Ines Derrien) | 29 |
Penalty Kicks Summary:
USA: Munson (Scored), Derrien (Scored), O’Donnell (Scored), Croone (Scored), Robinson (Scored), Mills (Scored), Joseph (Scored), Villarreal (Scored), Klein (Scored)
ESP: Celia (Scored), Cristina (Scored), Lorena (Scored), Daniela (Scored), Alba (Scored), Elena (Scored), Amaya (Scored), Martina (Scored), Emma (Saved)
Lineups:
USA: 1-Caroline Birkel, 3-Aven Alvarez (20-Paloma Daubert, 46), 15-Reese Klein, 4-Abby Mills, 5-Elizabeth Boamah (2-Hope Munson, 36), 6-Grace Restovich (Capt.) (14-Avery Robinson, 67), 19-Ines Derrien, 10-Addison Halpern (17-Lily Joseph, 67), 11-Miri O’Donnell, 9-Izzy Engle (13-Kara Croone, 46), 16-Ava McDonald (18-Emily Graham, 46) (7-Amalia Villarreal, 55)
Subs not used: 12-Keegan Smith
Head Coach: Carrie Kveton
ESP: 23-Ziara Vega Uribarri, 5-Amaya Garcia Gomez, 7-Noemi Bejarano Beltran, 12-Aicha Camara, 24-Aiara Agirrezabala Azkue, 10-Cristina Libran Quiroga (Capt.), 14-Daniela Arques Lazaro, 16-Clares Serrajordi Diaz, 9-Maria Luisa Gacia Antolin, 11-Daniela Agote Aguirre, 20-Paula Comendador Prado
Subs not used: N/A
Head Coach: Javier Lerga
Stats Summary: USA / ESP
Shots: 4 / 9
Shots on Goal: 1 / 4
Saves: 3 / 0
Corner Kicks: 2 / 6
Fouls: 2 / 3
Offside: 0 / 2
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Miri O’Donnell (Caution) 43rd
USA -- Avery Robinson (Caution) N/A