The U.S. is out of the 2018 U17 Women’s World Cup. USA lost 4-0 to Germany on Wednesday in a must-win fixture from the final game of Group C at the youth international championship event.
It was the end of a quick spell in Uruguay for head coach Mark Carr’s group. USA won the opening game against Cameroon, but lost the next two games against Korea DPR and Germany and finished last in the group with a minus five goal differential.
Wednesday’s game did have some highlights from the US perspective. The attacking trio orchestrated the best half of the tournament so far in the opening stanza. There was fluidity and choreographed runs. There were stretches when the USA looked like they were going to run away with the game handily. However, none of the attacking trio was able to get the ball past Germany goalkeeper Wiebke Willebrandt, the posts, or a last-second save off the line from a Germany defender.
Germany made the most of their chances with two goals in each half from some clinical finishing and composure in front of the net. The efficiency of the German front three made for an embarrassing scoreline in USA’s final game from the 2018 U17 Women’s World Cup, even though the USA probably played their best game of the competition.
In the end, it felt like a repetitive showing for U.S. at the marquee international level. The early exit continues a disappointing spell for USA at the Youth Women’s World Cup level. Despite the full team's success, the USA has not made the final of a youth World Cup since 2012.
