The first test is out of the way for the United States Women’s U-20 National Team, and they passed with flying colors. The group they were in may not have been ‘group of death’ levels of difficult, but having to open up play against the defending champions is no easy task. Not only did we watch as the squad got through the group without too much drama, we also got to see a few of the young stars have breakout performances, continuing to build their future cases for the senior team.
Dazzling Defenders
Until the explosion of goals in their group stage finale against Paraguay, it was a defensive display for the U.S. throughout group stage. After giving up an early goal to Spain in match one, the USWNT U-20s locked in and shut down everyone they’ve faced, even Spain. Despite that goal, the defending champs only managed seven shots, with four on target. The total was by far Spain’s lowest throughout the group stage while it would be the most the USA gave up to any opponent so far.
Two big reasons for the defense looking so stout are defenders Gisele Thompson and Jordyn Bugg. It should be no surprise to anyone who’s been following the sport to know how well Gisele is performing this World Cup. The standout defender has already gotten to the doorstep of the senior team having trained in camp with them before, but she seems to have taken her game to that next level. What has really stood out this tournament for Thompson has been two-fold. She has been a lot more confident in attack. No longer does she seem to really solely on raw ability and speed, so has looked a lot more precise and purposeful with where and how she moves. Getting herself space, but also creating space for others. She was even able to find the back of the net for the first time in a World Cup in the rout of Paraguay. In addition, she has been a lot more willing to get her feet into tackles, not being reckless, but unafraid to mix it up and do the dirty work as a defender.
Speaking of dirty work, that brings us to a player a lot of you may not know about, defender Jordyn Bugg. To say the 18-year-old has had a breakthrough tournament almost feels like a massive understatement. The defender, who recently signed for NWSL side Seattle Reign not a month ago, has been a true force in the backline for the USA throughout the group stage, logging a full 90 minutes in every match played so far. She’s a defender who absolutely will stick her feet in, get physical with attackers, but is incredibly smart about where and when to do her work. Given how she plays, it should come as no surprise who her mentor was, none other than the current best defender on the planet, Naomi Girma. In a recent interview with official US National Team media, Bugg credited her time training with the San Diego Wave, in particular the tutelage under Naomi Girma during 2023. NWSL fans should learn the name now, because it wont be long before everyone beings to wonder just how Seattle managed such a steal with the young Jordyn Bugg.
Riding Momentum
In our first Future Stars article, we talked about midfielder Emeri Adames, who had by ar one of the coolest moments in NWSL history, when she scored on her heroes retirement night, hitting her iconic celebration in front of Megan Rapinoe. It was an incredible moment, and one hell of an introduction into the NWSL for the young midfielder. Well, it would appear as though Adames has taken that momentum into the World Cup, having had a record performance up to this point. After putting together a couple of really solid shifts in the opening two matches, Adames really went crazy in the team’s big win over Paraguay to close out the group stage. Adames tied the U.S. record for most assists in a single match in the U-20 WWC. Having assisted on three of the first four goals for the USA, Adames tied a record held by USWNT legend, Heather O’Reilly. O’Reilly also holds the record for most total assists for the tournament, with seven. Something to watch for as Emeri and company look to keep their journey going with a win in the Round of 16, tonight.
Honorable Mention
While the aforementioned have been players that have been consistent throughout the first few matches of the tournament, we can’t let a hat trick pass us by without giving flowers. As you can tell by now, the win over Paraguay was a vibe, with just about everyone getting in on the party, none more so than forward Pietra Tordin. After scoring two quick goals in the opening 15 minutes, Tordin secured her hat trick in the 67th minute, putting her alongside the likes of Savannah DeMelo and Sydney Leroux, making her the fifth for USA to have a hat trick in a FIFA World Cup at the U-20 level. It was most definitely a breakout match for Tordin, who will need more of that to help lift the team past rivals Mexico, in the Round of 16.
Next Match: Mexico
The Round of 16 gets real spicy, real fast for USA, as they get set to take on rivals, Mexico. Their Concacaf counterparts also come into this tournament with plenty to prove, as they continue to show a strong future ahead for the Mexicans. However, a win tonight not only gives USA even more bragging rights over their neighbors in footy, but could show the world just how deep the talent runs here.
