The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team wrapped up a triumphant stretch at the Concacaf Championship on Sunday, beating Mexico 4-1 to win the title.
During the seven games in the Dominican Republic, head coach Laura Harvey pushed all the right buttons. While it’s truly difficult to get a read on the team as a whole, given the uneven nature of the opposition, the numbers are impressive. The team scored 44 goals, conceding just once. Harvey rotated players in impressive fashion, as each player save for Sophia Smith (who was battling a knock) played at least 155 minutes. Harvey had the team trying to build from the back at times, although the physical dominance of the United States meant that they could just go direct.
It will be interesting to see how the group translates to the international level at this year’s World Cup. A very athletic front line, led primarily by UCLA’s Mia Fishel and soon-to-be Washington State forward Trinity Rodman, created all kinds of problems for the opposing defenses. The format of the competition, where most games were played with just one day off, was handled with ease.
Qualification is obviously a credit to Harvey and the entire team, especially in the dominant circumstances. However, here’s a look at five players from the team that played significant roles in the triumph.
