SOSNOWIEC, Poland (Sept.12, 2026) – With a berth to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on the line in its final Group D match, the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team put on a spectacular performance to roll past New Zealand, 9-0, and qualify for tournament’s Round of 16.
U.S. captain and Bay FC midfielder Kennedy Fuller bagged a hat trick, the sixth three-goal performance for a U.S. player in FIFA U-19/U-20 Women’s World Cup history – with her third coming from the penalty spot – while Washington Huskie forward Alex Buck tallied twice, bringing her World Cup total to three as well. Houston Dash midfielder Linda Ullmark, Chicago Stars forward Micayla Johnson, Seattle Reign FC forward Emeri Adames and UNC forward Sealey Strawn, who came on in the second half, each bagged individual goals.
The 9-0 victory set a record for the largest margin of victory ever for a U.S. team at a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, surpassing the 7-0 win over Paraguay in 2024 in Colombia.
The USA will advance as one of four best third-place teams but must wait until the conclusion of group play tomorrow to solidify its knockout round opponent.
U.S. head coach Vicky Jepson made two changes to the starting XI that drew with Japan on Sept. 9, giving UNC defender Hope Munson and Stanford’s Y-Lan Nguyen their first starts of the tournament. Nguyen played in the midfield in place of Seattle Reign FC’s Ainsley McCammon, who was held out due to a minor injury. Both players excelled and the Americans showed no letdown, scoring twice in the first six minutes while keeping the pressure on New Zealand for the entire 90 minutes. The USA out-shot New Zealand, a team that had lost 2-1 to group runners-up Japan and 3-0 to group winner Italy, by 41-1 margin. The USA’s expected goals total was a remarkable 8.94.
In need of a win and goals to guarantee advancement, the United States got on the board in just the fourth minute. Adames sent a lofty cross into the box which New Zealand goalkeeper Brooke Neary got a hand to but punched to the feet of Munson at the top of the penalty box. Munson dribbled hard to the endline and crossed on the ground to Buck, who finished first-time from close range for her second goal in as many games. She would get a second later in the match.
With the Kiwis under immense pressure, the U.S. doubled the lead in the sixth minute. New Zealand tried to clear the ball but again it got only as far at the top of the box. Fuller came running onto the poorly cleared ball, corralled it and dribbled through several New Zealand players before ripping a left-footed a shot back across the goal mouth and into the lower right corner. A full-stretch dive from Neary was not enough to get a hand on the ball.
The USA continued to batter the New Zealand goal, sending in dangerous crosses from Adames on the left and Chicago Stars forward Micayla Johnson on the right. Johnson in particular terrorized the left side of the Kiwi defense and could have scored a couple more herself.
After three shots on goal and five shots total through the 38th minute, Johnson got her goal. Working well with Munson all afternoon, the pair found each other again as Munson crossed to Johnson at the top right corner of the six-yard box. Johnson took a looping shot that forced an impressive save from Neary. The ball almost dropped in the goal, but a New Zealand defender was able to clear it. Unfortunately for the Kiwis, it hit Adames in her midsection and rebounded in the air back to Johnson near the right post, and she headed home from close range.
It was the second goal of this World Cup for Johnson and the second consecutive World Cup in which she has scored more than one goal after scoring twice in 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. would bury one more opportunity just before halftime. In the 43rd minute Munson was again the creator, dribbling around a defender on the right side of the penalty area. From the endline, she cut a pass back to Ullmark, who used a soft, redirected touch to send the ball off the left post and slowly over the goal line for her first World Cup goal. It was Munson's second official assist on the day, but she also played a big part in the USA’s third and seventh goals.
The U.S. maintained intense pressure through the first 10 minutes of the second half but would not get another goal until the 58th minute, and then it was two goals in two minutes, both involving Adames. Y-Lan Nguyen sent a long diagonal ball up to Adames on the left, and she took off down the flank with Buck moving with her the whole way. Adames took a definitive touch to push past the retreating defenders and crossed on the ground to anBuck, who split two defenders and redirected the ball into the goal to make it 5-0. It earned her a first World Cup brace after scoring her first World Cup goal in the 2-2 draw vs. Japan on Sept. 9.
Adames would rush up the left side for the 60th minute goal as well. Fuller played a similar ball to Adames as the one that started the last scoring opportunity. This time, Adames corralled it and surveyed the field before playing it up the line to Ullmark who laid back to Adames on the run at the top left corner of the box. Adames swept in, scooped the ball up with her left foot and shot to the far post for her first U-20 World Cup goal after picking up four assists in seven games at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and startring both games so far here in Poland.
Fuller proved queen of the second ball on the afternoon and turned another one into her second goal of the match, this one coming in the 83rd minute. Munson helped to create again as she organized a give-and-go withNotre Dame forward Lily Joseph. Munson ran onto the leading ball from Joseph and with one touch, crossed to second half substitute Nyanya Touray, who got a touch on it, but Neary made another impressive save. Fuller came running onto the rebound and shot into the wide-open left side of the goal to tie the U.S. record for most goals in a U-20 Women’s World Cup match.
Strawn, who played the better part of two seasons in the USL Super League for the Dallas Trinity, wouldn’t settle for a tied record, and the 73rd minute sub got a goal of her own in the 87th minute. Fuller sent the ball to Strawn on the run up the left flank, and she laid it off Touray, who plays her college soccer at Florida State. Touray took two touches and used her back heel to send it back to Strawn running into the box. She took one touch and then struck with her right foot to score back at the back post again.
The icing on top of the cake was Fuller scoring a hat trick to close out the match. Touray broke through the New Zealand back line Neary dove to make the save but caught Touray on the foot instead. The referee sent the U.S. to the penalty spot and Fuller stepped up to bury it to make it 9-0.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA – Alex Buck (Hope Munson),4thminute: Emeri Adames sent a lofty cross into the box which New Zealand goalkeeper Brooke Neary punched to the feet of Munson. Munson dribbled hard to the endline and crossed the ball back to an unmarked Buck in the six-yard box. Buck finished with her first touch from three yards out. USA 1, NZL 0
USA – Kennedy Fuller, 7th minute: The U.S. forced another poor clearance from New Zealand that only made it to the top of the Kiwis’ box. Fuller came running onto it and dribbled through several New Zealand players into the left side of the box before taking a well-struck left-footed shot and burying the ball inside the far post. USA 2, NZL 0
USA – Micayla Johnson (Emeri Adames),38thminute: Munson crossed to Johnson at the top right corner of the six-yard box. Johnson took a looping shot that forced an impressive save from Neary and a New Zealand defender was able to clear it. The attempted clear hit Adames and rebounded back to Johnson near the right post. She headed home from close range. USA 3, NZL 0
USA – Linda Ullmark (Hope Munson), 43rd minute: Munson created yet another opportunity, dribbling around a defender on the right side of the penalty area. From the endline, she cut a pass back to Ullmark, who used a soft redirected touch to send the ball off the left post and slowly over the goal line for her first World Cup goal. USA 4, NZL 0
USA – Alex Buck (Emeri Adames),58th minute: Y-Lan Nguyen sent a long diagonal ball up to Adames, who took off with down the left flank. Adames took a definitive touch to push past her marking defenders and crossed to an unmarked Buck who redirected the ball into the goal. USA 5, NZL 0
USA – Emeri Adames (Linda Ullmark), 60th minute: Kennedy Fuller played a similar ball to Adames as the one that started the last scoring opportunity. This time, corralled it and surveyed the field before playing it up the line to Ullmark who stepped over to her left, cut back to her right and laid it off to Adames on the run at the top left corner of the box. Adames swept in, scooped the ball up with her left foot and shot across the goal. USA 6, NZL 0
USA – Kennedy Fuller, 83rd minute: Hope Munson helped to create again as she organized a give-and-go with Notre Dame forward Lily Joseph. Munson ran onto the leading ball from Joseph and with one touch, crossed to Touray who took a shot, but Neary made another impressive save. Fuller came running onto the rebound and shot into the wide-open left side of the goal. USA 7, NZL 0
USA – Sealey Strawn (Nyanya Touray), 87th minute: Fuller sent the ball to Strawn on the run up the left flank. Strawn laid it off to Touray, who took two touches and used her back heel to send it back to Strawn running into the box. She took one touch and struck with her right foot to send the ball inside the back post. USA 8, NZL 0
USA – Kennedy Fuller (Penalty Kick), 90+2nd minute: Nyanya Touray won a penalty kick for the U.S. after the New Zealand goalkeeper caught her ankle in an attempt to save the breakaway. Fuller stepped to the spot and buried the final U.S. goal of the night. USA 9, NZL 0 FINAL
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Match: United States Under-20 Women’s National Team vs. New Zealand Under-20 Women’s National Team
Date: Sept. 12, 2026
Competition: 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup – Group D
Venue: Arena Sosnowiec; Sosnowiec, Poland
Attendance: 375
Kickoff: 3 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET)
Weather: 61 degrees, cloudy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| NZL | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA – Alex Buck (Hope Munson) | 4th minute |
| USA – Kennedy Fuller | 6 |
| USA – Micayla Johnson (Emeri Adames) | 38 |
| USA – Linda Ullmark (Hope Munson) | 43 |
| USA – Alex Buck (Emeri Adamas) | 58 |
| USA – Emeri Adames (Linda Ullmark) | 60 |
| USA – Kennedy Fuller | 83 |
| USA – Sealey Strawn (Nyanya Touray) | 87 |
| USA – Kennedy Fuller (Penalty Kick) | 90+2 |
Lineups:
USA: 1-Caroline Birkel; 14-Hope Munson, 5-Lizzie Boamah, 4-Ella Bard, 3-Emma Johnson (2-Aven Alvarez, 73); 8-Kennedy Fuller (Capt.), 16-Y-Lan Nguyen, 10-Linda Ullmark (13-Katie Scott, 73); 17-Micayla Johnson (19-Sealey Strawn, 73), 9-Alex Buck (18-Nyanya Touray, 63), 11-Emeri Adames (20-Lily Joseph, 63)
Substitutes not used: 7-Audrey McKeen,12-EvanO'Steen,21-KealeyTitmuss
Did Not Dress: 6-Ainsley McCammon, 15-Pearl Cecil
Head coach: Vicky Jepson
NZL: 1-Brooke Neary; 13-Freya Des Fountain 5-Alyssha Eglinton, 4-Charli Dunn, 17-Grace Duncan (2-Penny Brill, 79); 6-Daisy Brazendale, 14-Mikaela Bangalan (16-Amber De Wit, 65), 7-Grace Bartlett (18-Poppy O'Brien, 66), 8-Charlotte Mortlock, 11-Emily Lyon (9-Pia Vlok, 46); 20-Laura Bennett (19-Lily Brazendale, 46)
Substitutes not used: 3-Mackenzie Greene, 10-Zoe Benson, 12-Scarlett Gray, 15-Charley March, 21-Nienke Holland
Head coach: Callum Holmes
Stats Summary: USA / NZL
Shots: 41 / 1
Shots on Goal: 21 / 0
Saves: 0 / 12
Corner Kicks: 11 / 0
Fouls: 12 / 8
Offside: 5 / 1
| Misconduct Summary | |
| NZL – Grace Bartlett (Caution) | 51st minute |
| NZL – Brooke Neary (Caution) | 90+1 |
Officials:
Referee: Anahi Fernandez (URU)
AR1: Daiana Fernandez (URU)
AR2: Belen Clavijo (URU)
Fourth Official: Marta Huerta (ESP)
VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal (CHI)
Asst. VAR: Salima Mukansanga (RWA)