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1st FIFA Under-19 Women’s World Championship Canada 2002

Championnat du Monde de Football Feminin U-19 de la FIFA

NEWS

First FIFA World Cup finals match for under 19's won by USA

Commentary by Colin A. Aldis

Match 1: Group C: USA v ENGLAND, Victoria, 17-08-02

In 1991, FIFA organized the first World Cup finals for senior players, in China. Some 11 years later, it was the turn of the Under 19 teams to compete for the world crown, starting with USA (the first senior champions) playing England.

In one of the most English of Canadian cities, Victoria, British Columbia and in the Centennial Stadium on the campus of the University of Victoria, which hosted the 1994 Commonwealth Games,

on a pleasant warm afternoon.

USA took a while to hit top form, but then struck 3 times in 7 first half minutes. Although England responded with a goal early in the second half, USA went on to record a comfortable 5-1 win.

USA dominated much of the early stages, and England keeper Toni-Anne Wayne did well to block a shot from USA captain Lindsay Tarpley. The warnings signs for England were shown again in the 8th minute, when Heather O’Reilly went clear on the right, and cut the ball back to Amy Steadman, in the danger zone, just outside the goal area, but ‘gunner’ Leanne Champ did brilliantly to block two successive shots. USA keeper Ashlyn Harris had just a couple

of saves to make, the first a high catch from a cross from the right by Alex Scott, and then a shot from Katy Ward.

The opening goal came from a break on the right by Heather O’Reilly, again getting close to the goal-line, to cut the ball back, low into the danger zone, and Lindsay Tarpley was in position to tap it home from 6 metres. The second arrived just two minutes later, in almost identical fashion, again Heather O’Reilly getting to the goal-line on the right, and the low cross found Leslie Osborne at the far post, and she easily slotted the ball

home from close range. England responded with a low shot from 25 metres by Katy Ward, which went directly to Ashlyn Harris. The third goal for USA also came from an attack on the right, but this time the ball into the danger zone went back to Heather O’Reilly, and she managed to hit a low shot through a group of players, and

just inside the left post. In stoppage time, there was the best chance of a goal for England, with Ellen Maggs going clear on the right, but under pressure, she could only strike a rising shot wide of the right post.

England brought on Shelly Cox for the second half, to try and give some support to club team-mate Corinne Yorston on the left. Amazingly, the England reply was a break on the right, after Alex Scott won possession just outside the USA penalty area, and played the ball wide to her Arsenal team-mate Ellen Maggs. She managed to get around the defence, and a low cross found Katy Ward in the danger zone, and she tapped the ball home from close range, 3-1.

USA responded with a series of shots and corners, and Toni-Anne Wayne tipped a fierce shot from Lindsay Tarpley over the bar.

In the 63rd minute, USA surprisingly took off Leslie Osborne, but within 30 seaconds it was 4-1, as again Heather O’Reilly produced the cross, this time from the left, to allow Kelly Wilson to tap the ball home from close range at the far post. USA kept control of the play, and added another with a stunning shot from close to the penalty spot by Kelly Wilson, which flew over the England keeper and into the roof of the net. England tried a couple of shots from distance, which went wide, and only went close to a second goal when a free kick from the left was flicked backwards by the head of defender Keeley Dowling, but the ball hit the bar and bounced clear.

So USA were off to a comfortable start, while England must re-group for their match against Chinese Taipei, who are arguably the weakest team in the group.