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

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Game

The early part of the game was end-to-end as Denmark worked its tactical plan well, getting eight players behind the ball before launching counter attacks through Jensen and Herping. The Danes attacked with speed through the midfield and put pressure on the USA's three-woman back line, but Jill Oakes, Rachel Buehler and Jessica Ballweg put the breaks on every Danish charge. Oakes had a particularly solid match in the center of the defense, winning almost every challenge she entered.

Tarpley created the second U.S. goal in the 23rd minute, taking a high ball down off her chest in midfield and penetrating to goal before striking a left-footed spinner that looked as if it might sail over Andersen. The Danish goalkeeper made a great save diving backwards to swat the ball down, but gave up a bad rebound and O'Reilly pounced on the ball, pounding in a half-volley from one yard out past the fallen Andersen.

O'Reilly almost got another in the 42nd minute when her shot from 25 yards out hit the crossbar, but Denmark would not get to the break unscathed, as the U.S. scored two goals in five minutes at the end of the half. One minute after O'Reilly hit woodwork, she took a pass from Tarpley and drove into the left side of the penalty area, froze a defender with a stop-and-go move, then dribbled at Andersen, drawing the goalkeeper out of her net. O'Reilly then toed a perfect square pass to Wilson, who slid to bury the ball from five yards out into the open net.

O'Reilly and Wilson were not done as in the 2nd minute of stoppage time the two combined again as O'Reilly sent a chip over the Danish defense. Wilson got her body in front of Ellen Larsen and bent the ball under the charging Andersen with the outside her right foot and into the net from 14 yards out. Leone put in defender Keeley Dowling for Manya Makoski at halftime and switched to a lineup featuring four backs, which made it tougher for Denmark to counter attack, but Jensen still ran at the U.S. the entire second half.

Tarpley got her goal in the 56th minute as Leslie Osborne sent a high ball back into the penalty area after a cleared corner kick. The ball bounced and Tarpley beat Andersen to it, nodding in a header from six yards out, but got a slap across the neck from the goalkeeper as the two collided. It was the U.S. captain's fourth goal of the tournament.

The final U.S. goal came in the 68th minute as O'Reilly played Tarpley in the middle of the field about 40 yards from the goal. On the dribble, the ball ran away from Tarpley, but she got close enough to slide and slip ball through to Wilson. With a defender on her hip, Wilson dribbled into the penalty area and skidded a shot under Andersen with her left foot from 14 yards out to complete her hat trick. With seven goals, Wilson is the second leading scorer in the tournament behind Christine Sinclair, who has 10 based on her five-goal explosion against England today.

Denmark had two chances in the waning minutes of the game as Jensen made a thundering run down the right flank in the 85th minute, but was forced off the ball by Oakes and Fletcher. With just second left, Jensen won a ball in the USA's defensive third and cracked a swerving drive at Harris, but the 16-year-old U.S. goalkeeper made a great catch to snare the shot.

Post game quotes    

U.S. Head Coach Tracey Leone

Denmark is a great team. They are so well organized defensively and with players like Rasmussen, Jensen and Herping in their attack, it always a scary game. They really are an exceptional team in that they are great at what they do, but it was helpful to get an early goal. Anytime you can get a goal within the first 15 minutes, it's a little bit of a confidence booster.

Jill Oakes is such a steady center back, you just feel so secure with her back there, and having Ballweg and Buehler along side of her, it's quite a tidy back line. In the second half, we put Keeley Dowling back there and Kendall Fletcher and both also played very well. Once you get down to last eight teams, it's an all-out war. Now we're down to four and the ante is being upped even more. Germany is an excellent team and I know it's going to be a great final four.

Heather O'Reilly (four goals and six assists in the tournament.

Hard work up top pays off. A defense will eventually make mistakes or maybe kick the ball out bounds and get you throw-ins in their end. You just have to keep digging away and hope things will happen.

Other

USA picked up its first caution of the tournament.

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