Uswnt u20

[Unregistered]

Guess some of you didn't watch the game. Take a look at this clip and come back and tell us Korea played the beautiful game.

https://twitter.com/caitlinmurr/stat...14855709773824

Also the PK that game Korea the initial lead was an absolute joke.

USA was outclassed out played and out shot.
Facts are facts 27 -6 on shots
Time of possession was clearly 90-10
Connected passes

The forwards for USA did not touch ball

[Unregistered]

Did watch the game. Officiating was horrible. Korea's play was very regimented and I thought unimaginative. Hardly what I would want the US to emulate but I guess if you like robots playing under the fear of death then you liked what you saw from Korea.

You think they played like robots because?? Oh I see no over the top balls or kick and run tactics. Of course your right.

[Unregistered]

Did watch the game. Officiating was horrible. Korea's play was very regimented and I thought unimaginative. Hardly what I would want the US to emulate but I guess if you like robots playing under the fear of death then you liked what you saw from Korea.

They would beat our men's team.

[Unregistered]

http://www.soccerwire.com/news/nt/in...cup-semifinal/


PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team fell 2-1 in overtime to Korea DPR in the semifinals of the 2016 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

“I think you saw why Korea DPR made the semifinal and why the growth of the game in their country has propelled them to so much success,” said U.S. head coach Michelle French. “I thought the first 90 minutes we did well enough to be in the game. It’s an extremely disappointing feeling for those players right now who left every bit of energy and every piece of their heart out on the field today.”

The USA will now face the loser of the France-Japan semifinal in the third-place match on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the National Football Stadium (1 a.m. ET on FS1 and telemundo.com).

“Now we’re at a point where we have to turn around and refocus because we have an opportunity to earn a medal,” said French. “Our players need to realize that. Their job isn’t done and they’re going to have every opportunity against whoever our opponent is [in the third place match] to come out and show why we deserve to be in the final four.”

The U.S. team played an excellent first 30 minutes, putting together some quality possession coupled with some excellent defense pressure that created danger in the Korea DPR defensive third. U.S. captain Mallory Pugh had two good looks at goal, albeit from a tight angle, and cut the first one just past the left post while Korea DPR goalkeeper Kim Myong Sun made a kick save on the second.

The Koreans got the first goal in the 51st minute, which came from the penalty spot after U.S. midfielder Katie Cousins was whistled for a handball while blocking a shot. Jon So Yon converted her spot kick into the lower right corner as U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy jumped the other way.

As the game wore on, the technically savvy and organized Korea DPR team had the lion’s share of the possession and shots, but the Americans kept fighting, and as they’d done all tournament, got a goal when they needed one.

French sent on attackers Ally Watt, Kelcie Hedge and Jessie Scarpa between the 66th and 78th minutes, but it was a defender who would get the tying score.

As the game entered the 89th minute, Scarpa cut back on her defender from the left wing and sent a cross into the penalty area for Pugh. She took a hard touch and it bounced off a defender, then off Pugh, before a Korea defender made a poor clearance. Natalie Jacobs came flying through to hit an athletic left-footed, first-time volley that looped into the right side of the net to tie the game.

Due to the cooling break and several injuries in the stifling heat, seven minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of the match that saw some wild end-to-end play. The USA was forced to play the last four minutes of stoppage time with 10 players after Watt had to go out injured and the Americans had already made their three allowed substitutes in regulation. Watt went down hard in the 81st minute as she was violently decked from behind by Korean defender. She tried to continue, but could not, and the USA lost its fastest player for the overtime period.

After the USA dodged a few quality scoring chances from Korea DPR in second half stoppage time, French was able to utilize the new rule allowing for a fourth sub in overtime and sent on Courtney Peterson for Watt.

Korea DPR wasted no time going ahead, however, creating a very nice goal less than a minute into the first overtime. The USA tried to push for a second equalizer and battled with tremendous heart until to the end, but a clearly fatigued U.S. team could not find the net again.

“I said it all tournament, I couldn’t be more proud,” said French. “Again you find a way to get the goal at the end. We never gave up, I think in the end, the 4 o’clock games that we had (in the heat) and the possession that Korea DPR had, it just started to add up and you could see our players start to fatigue a little bit. That’s 100 percent to be expected, so great game for Korea DPR and best of luck to them in the final.”

U.S. defender Maddie Elliston cleared a ball off the goal line after Murphy made a fantastic point blank save in the 109th minute to keep the USA in the game, but it was not to be.

Murphy had an excellent game in goal, making several fine saves over the course of the 120 minutes while controlling the air her penalty box as well.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
PRK – Jon So Yon (penalty kick), 50th minute: Korea DPR started the half strong and earned a penalty kick after Katie Cousins was called for a handball while sliding to block a shot in right side of the penalty box. The ball initially hit her leg, but deflected up her body and ricocheted off her arm. Jon So Yon calmly sent her kick into the lower right corner as U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy guessed the other way. USA 0, PRK 1

USA – Natalie Jacobs, 89th minute: With the seconds ticking away in regulation, Jessie Scarpa cut back on her defender from the left flank and sent a cross into the penalty area for Pugh, who took a hard touch to goal in the middle of the penalty area. The ball bounced off a defender, and then Pugh, and then another defender made a poor clearance. Jacobs came flying through to hit an athletic left-footed, first-time volley into the right side of the net to tie the game. USA 1, PRK 1

PRK – Ri Hyang Sim (Sung Hyang Sim), 91st minute: As the first overtime began, Korea DPR wasted little time going ahead, scoring just 48 seconds after the restart on an excellent build up. The play started on a dead ball after the USA was called for offside. Korea DPR played the ball to the left and then up the middle. A series of passes then got the ball into the right side of the penalty area to Ri Hyang Sim whohad an uncontested shot from inside the six-yard box and she stuffed her shot into the near post past charging U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy for the game winner. USA 1, PRK 2 FINAL

Additional Notes:
•The loss was the first in overtime for the USA in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
•The USA has lost just four matches in regulation time in its history in the tournament, spanning eight competitions. Three of the losses were to Germany and one to China PR during group play in 2008 when the USA had already clinched first place in the group.
•The USA defeated Korea DPR 2-1 in overtime during the quarterfinals at the 2012 U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Japan and lost to them in penalty kicks in the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals in Canada.
•The USA has played in the third-place game of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on two other occasions, defeating Brazil in 2004 and losing in penalty kicks to Brazil in 2008.
•Natalie Jacobs got her first start of the tournament at right back. Ellie Jean, who had played right back in the four previous games, moved into right midfield and ran with fury until she was taking off in the 71st minute for Kelcie Hedge.
•The goal for Natalie Jacobs was just her second at the U-20 level in 20 caps.
•Courtney Petersen played the entire overtime in her first action since the opening match of the tournament against France.
•The USA has given up five goals in the tournament, four off set plays. Korea DPR’s game-winner was the first goal given up from the run of play.

-U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team vs. Korea DPR U-20 Women’s National Team
Date: Nov. 29, 2016
Competition: 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup – Semifinal
Venue: Sir John Guise Stadium; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Kickoff: 1 a.m. ET
Attendance: 5,037
Weather: 90 degrees; Partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 ET1 ET2 F
USA 0 1 0 0 1
PRK 0 1 1 0 2

PRK – Jon So Yon (penalty kick) 51st minute
USA – Natalie Jacobs 89
PRK – Ri Hyang Sim (Sung Hyang Sim) 91

Lineups:
USA: 1-Casey Murphy; 19-Natalie Jacobs, 6-Taylor Otto, 3-Kaleigh Riehl, 5-Madeline Elliston; 14-Ellie Jean (17-Kelcie Hedge, 71), 10-Emily Ogle, 20-Katie Cousins (15-Jessie Scarpa, 78), 9-Mallory Pugh (capt.), 16-Emily Fox (11-Ally Watt, 66 (8-Courtney Petersen, 91)), 18-Ashley Sanchez
Subs Not Used: 2-Parker Roberts, 4-Sabrina Flores, 7-Savannah DeMelo, 12-Rose Chandler, 13-Marley Canales, 21-Brooke Heinsohn
Head Coach: Michelle French

PRK: 1-Kim Myong Sun; 3-U Sol Gyong, 5-Choe Sol Gyong (capt.), 12-Jon So Yon, 16-Ri Un Yong; 9-Ri Hyang Sim, 11-Kim Phyong Hwa (15-An Song Ok, 95), 17-Kim Un Hwa (2-Sung Hyang Sim, 66), 19-Ju Hyo Sim; 6-Wi Jong Sim (8-Choe Un Hwa, 75), 20-Kim So Hyang, (7-Ri Kyong Hyang, 75)
Subs Not Used: 4-Chae Kyong Mi, 10-Ri Un Sim, 13-Son Ok Ju, 14-Kim Jong Sim, 18-Rim Yong Hwa, 21-Ok Kum Ju
Head Coach: Hwang Yongbong

Stats Summary: USA / PRK
Shots: 7 / 25
Shots on Goal: 2 / 7
Saves: 5 / 1
Corner Kicks: 9 / 8
Fouls: 15 / 12
Offside: 2 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
PRK – Wi Jong Sim (caution) 69th minute
PRK – Ju Hyo Sim (caution) 105+2
PRK – Choe Un Hwa (caution) 108
PRK – Kim Myong Sun (caution) 119

Officials:
Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (HUN)
Asst. Ref: Katalin Torok (HUN)
Asst. Ref: Svetlana Bilic (SRB)
4th Official: Finau Vulivuli (FIJ)

Player of the Match: Casey Murphy

Why bother posting this?

[Unregistered]

Couldn't agree more. If anyone watched the match and still feels like the US is on a better track to sustain their place in the game than other countries are in closing the gap, they're delusional (and evidently have been for a while).

North ****ing Korea outclassed us, it's not even debatable. Worse, I wasn't really surprised, I expected it.

It was South Korea, not North Korea!!

[Unregistered]

It was South Korea, not North Korea!!

you right and i'm wrong!

[Unregistered]

It was South Korea, not North Korea!!

DPR of Korea is NORTH Korea, not SOUTH Korea.

[Unregistered]

DPR of Korea is NORTH Korea, not SOUTH Korea.

Problems with Americans today. History keeps repeating itself. Time to hit the books. Lmao

[Unregistered]

It was South Korea, not North Korea!!

Oops!!

(I'm never ****ing wrong)

[Unregistered]

Duh it was communist North Korea

[Unregistered]

Duh it was communist North Korea

I fear for the girls from the NK team. Had they lost to the US, it might be very bad for them back home.

[Unregistered]

I fear for the girls from the NK team. Had they lost to the US, it might be very bad for them back home.

Another aspect of international sports that often doesn't get talked about. Did anyone happen to catch all the human rights stories about Chinese gymnasts during the Olympics? The environments some of these other countries put their athletes into in pursuit of world competition isn't exactly the most nurturing. I'm not so sure that the US would ever want to replicate the Korean training program even if they lost to them consistently.

[Unregistered]

The U20 WNT program's worrying struggles

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/colle...ggles_aid41107

Article Written by Will Parchman
Published: November 30, 2016

For a second World Cup in a row, the U20 WNT fell short of expectation.

While it may seem strange to pin the disappointment label on a run to a World Cup semifinal, the U20 WNT created these expectations out of its own past at the competition. Nobody’s won the tournament more than the U.S., which has three U20 Women’s World Cup titles and the most recent in 2012. So when one of the most talented U20 teams we’ve ever seen falls before even reaching the final game, it’s fair to ask some questions.

Chief among them is whether the program is headed in the right direction.

The North Korean U20 WNT is nothing to shake a stick at, of course. It’s one of just three nations to have won this tournament at all (the Germans are the other), and it was clear they were well-drilled and technically able. You don’t get to this stage without being quality.

But should the U.S., with the unmatched resources at its disposal in the girls development game, expect more than two knockout flameouts in a row?

The end of this cycle brings us to a fresh two-year churn with new opportunities ahead. Here’s a look at three areas begging for immediate improvement.

Lack of competition provides difficult hurdles

Take a look at the results table of this U20 WNT cycle stretching back to 2014, and you’ll see a lot of mismatched competition. A whopping 12 games this cycle were decided by at least three goals one direction or the other, and it was rare to see much in the way of evenly matched competition. The U.S. blew out teams like Venezuela, Honduras, Haiti and New Guinea, while being blown out by Japan and Bayern Munich.

There wasn’t nearly enough in the middle range. The La Manga tournament in March provided a rare respite in this category, as the U.S. fought through three difficult battles against Sweden (1-1), England (1-0 win) and Norway (2-1 win). It was a formative moment, but it was also brief. There simply aren’t enough competitions like that in the U20 women’s game to provide enough experience in those types of games.

Because by the time the U.S. has reached the World Cup in each of its last two iterations, it’s looked utterly unprepared to deal with the competition. In four of its five games through the semifinal in Papua New Guinea, the U.S. was outplayed considerably.

Part of this is scheduling, but part of it is through no fault of the U.S.’s. The women’s game simply doesn’t have the sheer volume of quality teams that the men’s game does, especially at the U20 level. Scheduling even opponents is difficult. Even so, you would’ve hoped to have seen France, Germany or perhaps another power worked into the schedule. There simply weren’t enough.

The other side of this equation belongs on ECNL’s shoulders. The league is wildly mismatched, with a number of clubs running through entire seasons relatively unchallenged. Goal differentials for some teams regularly approach 100. Whether or not U.S. Soccer’s coming Development Academy can balance that out, players simply aren’t challenged at home enough.

Concerning lack of game-defining skill

It’s almost hard to believe that just four years ago, the U.S. was a force at this level. Despite losing its only group game to Germany in 2012, the U.S. rebounded by dropping North Korea in the quarters, shutting out Nigeria 2-0 in the semis and returning the favor with a Kealia Ohai winner against Germany in a 1-0 win in the final.

Whatever its faults, the U.S. prided itself on being an exceedingly difficult team to play in knockout matches. It smothered attacks and made good use of the ones it generated itself. Where has that team gone?

Perhaps the most depressing stat to emerge from the U.S. performance at the 2016 U20 World Cup was the shots figure. To say nothing about the lack of general possession, the U.S. was out-shot 76-35 in its five games (not including the pointless third-place game).

- Out-shot 25-7 against North Korea
- Out-shot 15-4 against Mexico
- Out-shot 14-8 against Ghana
- Out-shot 17-3 against France

The only game in which the U.S. won the shots edge was against New Zealand (13-5), a team with a qualifying road so easy that it won one of its Oceania games 26-0. And that was with the twin powers of Ashley Sanchez and Mallory Pugh, the most potent one-two combination in the history of the U20 program.

The problem was behind them. The U.S. frequently scrambled to the wings without a true creator, coach Michelle French often asking Pugh to drop in to facilitate in between frantic pushes down the flanks by Emily Fox and Ellie Jean. Emily Ogle, who wore the No. 10 shirt and paired with the excellent Katie Cousins, was often overwhelmed by her duties and couldn’t find space or time to generate any sort of central traction. Why Marley Canales, a more comfortable No. 10, was not given a single opportunity is even less clear. In the end, the U.S. largely played long ball and cut out the middle of the field with the deepest pool of available girls talent on earth.

This led to a fraction of the possession a few shots on target, two of the surest indicators of success at game’s end. It wasn’t nearly good enough, and hard questions should be asked of French, who’s staring at her third cycle now with little to show.

More time, more problems

The fact is, French invited more pressure onto her shoulders by the federation’s decision to force its U20 college players to redshirt the 2016 season to participate. This made the U20 team a de facto club team, removing all the distractions of college soccer and placing the focus firmly on this tournament over the last four months. It only increased the expectations considering this team had five games and two camps in the two months leading up to the event.

Of course it didn’t remove all the distractions. Pugh played in the Olympics this summer with the full team and missed some time rehabbing an injury. And Sanchez was run ragged this fall, only getting a few weeks between the U17 World Cup in Jordan in which she featured and the U20 edition a month and a half later. It was no surprise she looked exhausted by the end of the latter tournament.

But outside that, the team’s college players were otherwise free of distraction and the wear-and-tear of the college game. It was supposed to make the team more dangerous, but it looked like more of the same.

Some college players refused to forfeit their college campaigns for the cause - Stanford the most notable - but one has to wonder if U.S. Soccer didn’t create some enmity between itself and those college programs who had to make do without their best players players considering the end product. Penn State was ravaged by U20 call-ups, and UCLA had to defer the Pugh/Canales era to 2017. Pugh seems likely to join the Bruins next fall, but if she surprises everyone and goes pro? Expect fireworks.

It should be said that even had they not redshirted they’d still have missed the NCAA tourney due to the World Cup, but who knows what having them for at least part of the season would’ve done? It’d certainly have impacted seeding.

In any case, the relationship between clubs (in this case college programs) and the national team has always been fraught. Making it more tense only upped the ante.

[Unregistered]

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/colle...ggles_aid41107

Article Written by Will Parchman
Published: November 30, 2016

For a second World Cup in a row, the U20 WNT fell short of expectation.

While it may seem strange to pin the disappointment label on a run to a World Cup semifinal, the U20 WNT created these expectations out of its own past at the competition. Nobody’s won the tournament more than the U.S., which has three U20 Women’s World Cup titles and the most recent in 2012. So when one of the most talented U20 teams we’ve ever seen falls before even reaching the final game, it’s fair to ask some questions.

Chief among them is whether the program is headed in the right direction.

The North Korean U20 WNT is nothing to shake a stick at, of course. It’s one of just three nations to have won this tournament at all (the Germans are the other), and it was clear they were well-drilled and technically able. You don’t get to this stage without being quality.

But should the U.S., with the unmatched resources at its disposal in the girls development game, expect more than two knockout flameouts in a row?

The end of this cycle brings us to a fresh two-year churn with new opportunities ahead. Here’s a look at three areas begging for immediate improvement.

Lack of competition provides difficult hurdles

Take a look at the results table of this U20 WNT cycle stretching back to 2014, and you’ll see a lot of mismatched competition. A whopping 12 games this cycle were decided by at least three goals one direction or the other, and it was rare to see much in the way of evenly matched competition. The U.S. blew out teams like Venezuela, Honduras, Haiti and New Guinea, while being blown out by Japan and Bayern Munich.

There wasn’t nearly enough in the middle range. The La Manga tournament in March provided a rare respite in this category, as the U.S. fought through three difficult battles against Sweden (1-1), England (1-0 win) and Norway (2-1 win). It was a formative moment, but it was also brief. There simply aren’t enough competitions like that in the U20 women’s game to provide enough experience in those types of games.

Because by the time the U.S. has reached the World Cup in each of its last two iterations, it’s looked utterly unprepared to deal with the competition. In four of its five games through the semifinal in Papua New Guinea, the U.S. was outplayed considerably.

Part of this is scheduling, but part of it is through no fault of the U.S.’s. The women’s game simply doesn’t have the sheer volume of quality teams that the men’s game does, especially at the U20 level. Scheduling even opponents is difficult. Even so, you would’ve hoped to have seen France, Germany or perhaps another power worked into the schedule. There simply weren’t enough.

The other side of this equation belongs on ECNL’s shoulders. The league is wildly mismatched, with a number of clubs running through entire seasons relatively unchallenged. Goal differentials for some teams regularly approach 100. Whether or not U.S. Soccer’s coming Development Academy can balance that out, players simply aren’t challenged at home enough.

Concerning lack of game-defining skill

It’s almost hard to believe that just four years ago, the U.S. was a force at this level. Despite losing its only group game to Germany in 2012, the U.S. rebounded by dropping North Korea in the quarters, shutting out Nigeria 2-0 in the semis and returning the favor with a Kealia Ohai winner against Germany in a 1-0 win in the final.

Whatever its faults, the U.S. prided itself on being an exceedingly difficult team to play in knockout matches. It smothered attacks and made good use of the ones it generated itself. Where has that team gone?

Perhaps the most depressing stat to emerge from the U.S. performance at the 2016 U20 World Cup was the shots figure. To say nothing about the lack of general possession, the U.S. was out-shot 76-35 in its five games (not including the pointless third-place game).

- Out-shot 25-7 against North Korea
- Out-shot 15-4 against Mexico
- Out-shot 14-8 against Ghana
- Out-shot 17-3 against France

The only game in which the U.S. won the shots edge was against New Zealand (13-5), a team with a qualifying road so easy that it won one of its Oceania games 26-0. And that was with the twin powers of Ashley Sanchez and Mallory Pugh, the most potent one-two combination in the history of the U20 program.

The problem was behind them. The U.S. frequently scrambled to the wings without a true creator, coach Michelle French often asking Pugh to drop in to facilitate in between frantic pushes down the flanks by Emily Fox and Ellie Jean. Emily Ogle, who wore the No. 10 shirt and paired with the excellent Katie Cousins, was often overwhelmed by her duties and couldn’t find space or time to generate any sort of central traction. Why Marley Canales, a more comfortable No. 10, was not given a single opportunity is even less clear. In the end, the U.S. largely played long ball and cut out the middle of the field with the deepest pool of available girls talent on earth.

This led to a fraction of the possession a few shots on target, two of the surest indicators of success at game’s end. It wasn’t nearly good enough, and hard questions should be asked of French, who’s staring at her third cycle now with little to show.

More time, more problems

The fact is, French invited more pressure onto her shoulders by the federation’s decision to force its U20 college players to redshirt the 2016 season to participate. This made the U20 team a de facto club team, removing all the distractions of college soccer and placing the focus firmly on this tournament over the last four months. It only increased the expectations considering this team had five games and two camps in the two months leading up to the event.

Of course it didn’t remove all the distractions. Pugh played in the Olympics this summer with the full team and missed some time rehabbing an injury. And Sanchez was run ragged this fall, only getting a few weeks between the U17 World Cup in Jordan in which she featured and the U20 edition a month and a half later. It was no surprise she looked exhausted by the end of the latter tournament.

But outside that, the team’s college players were otherwise free of distraction and the wear-and-tear of the college game. It was supposed to make the team more dangerous, but it looked like more of the same.

Some college players refused to forfeit their college campaigns for the cause - Stanford the most notable - but one has to wonder if U.S. Soccer didn’t create some enmity between itself and those college programs who had to make do without their best players players considering the end product. Penn State was ravaged by U20 call-ups, and UCLA had to defer the Pugh/Canales era to 2017. Pugh seems likely to join the Bruins next fall, but if she surprises everyone and goes pro? Expect fireworks.

It should be said that even had they not redshirted they’d still have missed the NCAA tourney due to the World Cup, but who knows what having them for at least part of the season would’ve done? It’d certainly have impacted seeding.

In any case, the relationship between clubs (in this case college programs) and the national team has always been fraught. Making it more tense only upped the ante.

Great piece - thanks for posting.

[Unregistered]

This excerpt (and thesis) stood out. Worthy of debate.

There simply aren’t enough competitions like that in the U20 women’s game to provide enough experience in those types of games.

Because by the time the U.S. has reached the World Cup in each of its last two iterations, it’s looked utterly unprepared to deal with the competition. In four of its five games through the semifinal in Papua New Guinea, the U.S. was outplayed considerably.

Part of this is scheduling, but part of it is through no fault of the U.S.’s. The women’s game simply doesn’t have the sheer volume of quality teams that the men’s game does, especially at the U20 level. Scheduling even opponents is difficult. Even so, you would’ve hoped to have seen France, Germany or perhaps another power worked into the schedule. There simply weren’t enough.

The other side of this equation belongs on ECNL’s shoulders. The league is wildly mismatched, with a number of clubs running through entire seasons relatively unchallenged. Goal differentials for some teams regularly approach 100. Whether or not U.S. Soccer’s coming Development Academy can balance that out, players simply aren’t challenged at home enough.

I agree with the comment concerning ECNL. I don't really believe GDAP will fix anything at all (I'm happy to admit I was wrong if it comes to that).

I disagree to some extent with this cause and effect as presented. Ill-prepared and scheduling problems? Sure, I buy that. No fault of their own? No.