BRADENTON, Fla. (June 10, 2018) - The U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team qualified for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay with a 3-2 win against Haiti in the 2018 Concacaf Women's U-17 Championship semifinal thanks to a pair of goals scored in under a minute at the beginning of the second half, by midfielder Mia Fishel and forward Sunshine Fontes.
The win also earned the USA a berth in the tournament's championship game on Tuesday, June 12 where the young Americans will face Mexico for the regional title. Mexico earned its berth to Uruguay by defeating Canada, 2-1, in the other semifinal earlier in the day.
Canada will face Haiti in the Third-Place Match on June 12 for the region's third and final World Cup spot. Haiti defeated Canada in the Third-Place Match of the Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship last January to earn its first Women's World Cup berth at any level.
Haiti, which put on a fine display of gritty and organized defense combined with a few dangerous counter attacks and opportunistic long-range shots, took a surprise lead early in the first half via a long-distance free kick by Melchie Dumonay, who also scored a late tally to pull her team to within one with seconds left.
Fontes, scorer of two of the USA's goals, equalized for the young Americans just after the half-hour mark. Fishel and Fontes then put the game away with goals less than a minute apart inside the opening five minutes of the second half in what was an overall dominant display from the U.S., which had 73% of the possession.
Up Next: The USA will face Mexico on Tuesday, June 12 at 4:30 p.m. ET on go90.com and UDN.
Social: Twitter (@ussoccerynt), Instagram (@ussoccerynt)
Goal Scoring Rundown:
HAI - Melchie Dumonay, 13th minute: Haiti sent a long free kick up the field that led to winning another free kick just outside of 30 yards from the goal. Dumonay took the kick and sent a strong shot that dipped into the left side of the net as U.S. goalkeeper Angelina Anderson was unable to get across the goal mouth in time. USA 0, HAI 1
USA - Sunshine Fontes, 32nd minute: Samantha Meza served a cross from the left flank into the penalty box where a Haiti defender tried to clear, but instead knock the ball into the path of Fontes, who smacked a one-time shot from 10 yards out into the lower right corner to tie the game. USA 1, HAI 1 [ WATCH ]
USA - Mia Fishel, 49th minute: The USA took the lead as Fishel dealt a crafty move inside the box, flicking a hard pass over her defender with her heel, then swiveling around her to follow the ball. A second Haiti defender attempted to head the ball clear but didn't get enough on it and the ball fell to Fishel, who volleyed a point-blank shot down into the middle of the goal to give the USA a lead it would not relinquish. USA 2, HAI 1 [ WATCH ]
USA - Sunshine Fontes (Reilyn Turner), 50th minute: Samantha Meza did well to separate from her defender on the left wing in order to send a cross-field pass to the top of the Haiti penalty box. Reilyn Turner then headed down a perfect pass into the path of Fontes who let the ball run across her before firing a first time shot from the top of the six-yard box past charging Haiti goalkeeper Madelina Fleuriot for what turned out to be the game-winner. USA 3, HAI 1 [ WATCH ]
HAI - Melchie Dumonay (Angeline Gustave), 90+2: In the waning moments of the match, a long Haiti pass upfield turned into a footrace between Dumonay and the U.S. defense. With U.S. defender Kennedy Wesley on her hip, the powerful Dumonay drove into the right side of the box and from a tight angle, fired her shot between U.S. goalkeeper Angelina Anderson and the near post to give her team momentarily life, but the final whistle below about 30 seconds after the kickoff. USA 3, HAI 2 FINAL
Additional Notes:
The USA was captained by defender Kennedy Wesley, who is the fourth player to captain the team in its four games so far at the tournament. Angelina Anderson was captain vs. Costa Rica, Mia Fishel vs. Bermuda and Kate Wiesner vs. Canada.
Sunshine Fontes scored her second brace of the tournament; she previously scored two in the USA's 10-1 win vs. Bermuda. Her four goals have tied her for the lead in the tournament's Golden Boot race.
Reilyn Turner continued her good run of form since joining the roster last week due to an injury, and provided a quality assist on Fontes game-winning goal. Turner has recorded a goal or assist in all three games she has played with the U-17s (two of which saw her come on as a second-half substitute).
U.S. head coach Mark Carr made four changes from the XI that started versus Canada: Michela Agresti came in for Natalia Staude, the only player to start all three group games; Samantha Kroeger came in at left wing, with Kate Wiesner dropping to left back in place of Makenna Morris; Mia Fishel came in for Croix Bethune and Maya Doms was in for Hannah Bebar.
Carr used all three allowed subs in the game, sending on Turner for Samantha Kroeger at halftime, Astrid Wheeler for Mia Fishel in the 65 th minute and Diana Ordoñez for Sunshine Fontes in the 81st.
- U.S. U-17 Women's National Team Match Report -
Match: U.S. U-17 Women's National Team vs. Haiti U-17 WNT
Date: June 10, 2018
Competition: 2018 Concacaf U-17 Women's Championship; Semifinal
Venue: IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.
Kickoff: 5 p.m. ET
Attendance: 377
Weather: 90 degrees; sunny
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 2 3
HAI 1 1 2
HAI - Melchie Dumonay 13th minute
USA - Sunshine Fontes 32
USA - Mia Fishel 49
USA - Sunshine Fontes (Reilyn Turner) 50
HAI - Melchie Dumonay (Angeline Gustave) 90+2
Lineups:
USA: 1-Angelina Anderson; 4-Talia DellaPeruta, 5-Kennedy Wesley (capt.), 19-Michela Agresti, 3-Kate Wiesner; 20-Sophia Jones, 11-Maya Doms, 10-Mia Fishel (6-Astrid Wheeler, 65); 7-Samantha Meza, 18-Sunshine Fontes (8-Diana Ordoñez, 81), 13-Samantha Kroeger (23-Reilyn Turner, 46)
Substitutes not used: 12-Julia Dohle, 2-Makenna Morris, 14-Smith Hunter, 15-Natlia Staude, 17-Hannah Bebar
Head Coach: Mark Carr
HAI: 1-Madelina Fleuriot; 2-Dougenie Joseph, 4-Ruthny Mathurin, 6-Angeline Gustave, 7-Abaina Louis, 10-Melchie Dumonay (capt.), 13-Rachelle Caremus, 14-Betina Petit (8-Dieunika Jean Baptiste, 88), 15-Danielle Etienne (5-Estericove Joseph, 78), 19-Milan Pierre (3-Nancy Lindor, 54), 20-Flero Surpris
Substitutes not used: 12-Nahomie Ambroise, 9-Vladine Mervilus, 11-Elisabeth Brivil, 17-Maille Jean, 18-Beurnengy Adrien, 21-Isabelle Bernier
Head Coach: Fiorda Charles
Stats Summary: USA / HAI
Shots: 15 / 7
Shots on Goal: 7 / 4
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 4 / 3
Fouls: 10 / 8
Offside: 0 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
HAI - Melchie Dumonay (caution) 59th minute
Officials:
Referee: Marienela Araya (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Snedden (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Dee-an Foster (CAY)
4th Official: Mirian León (SLV)
U.S. Soccer Woman of the Match: Samantha Meza
