USA Advances to Semifinals of 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia with Epic Penalty Shootout Win over Germany after Scoring Two Goals in Second Half Stoppage Time

CALI, Colombia (Sept. 15, 2024) – Trailing Germany by two and about two minutes from elimination, the U.S. U- 20 Women’s Youth National Team conjured a comeback for the ages and went on to win an unforgettable FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal in penalty kicks, 3-1, after a 2-2 draw over 120-minutes that was closer to 130 with all the added time, and those were previous minutes that the USA would dearly need.

Two stoppage-time goals in under 90 seconds, by substitute Jordynn Dudley and captain Ally Sentnor, rescued the USA at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero. Sentnor then converted the Americans’ opening penalty and there was no denying them from there as goalkeeper Teagan Wy made one save and the U-20s advanced to the World Cup’s last four for the first time since 2016. The U.S. will meet Korea DPR, the reigning Asian champions, on Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Pascual Guerrero for a place in the Sept. 22 World Cup Final in Bogotá.

The Cali quarterfinal marked the eighth meeting between the USA and Germany, women’s soccer’s most decorated nations, at a FIFA U-20 World Cup. This one, the first since a group-stage encounter in 2014, will be long remembered.

U.S. coach Tracey Kevins’ initial lineup featured one first-time World Cup starter. Orlando Pride rookie Ally Lemos was deployed in center midfield in place of Claire Hutton, who started each of the USA’s first four matches but was unavailable for the quarterfinal while in concussion protocol. The other noteworthy change was in back, where Stanford’s Elise Evans returned to central defense after starting the tournament opener against Spain. She replaced Heather Gilchrist. Evans was rock solid in the back with Jordyn Bugg, as was Gilchrist when she came on in overtime.

In the end, the substitutes would have their say.

The highlight of the first half was furnished by Wy, who has played every minute of this World Cup and is one of two Americans, along with Sentnor, who was on the team at the 2022 event in Costa Rica. Wy made a save-of-the-tournament quality play in the 17th minute when she leaped to right and got her right hand to a high, blistering 20-yard strike from Germany’s Sophie Nachtigall. Wy then swatted the ensuing corner kick away for good measure.

The Americans took a few minutes to get going but were bolder and increasingly on the front foot as the match progressed, while the energetic Sentnor was everywhere in the attacking third. She took eight shots in regulation. But the go-ahead goal remained elusive.

In the 41st, Sentnor forced a save from Germany’s Rebecca Adamczyk, after which the U.S. requested a video review of a potential foul on striker Pietra Tordin during the build-up. But referee Oh Hyeonjeong somehow ruled that clear contact from Germany’s Tomke Schneider on Tordin’s ankle didn’t warrant a penalty kick. Amazingly, a clear penalty kick foul on Dahlien was also waved way by Oh near the end of the match, but the USA was out of challenges – teams get two per game if they are not successful – and couldn’t request a review.

Germany opened the scoring against the run of play in the 61st. U.S. right back Gisele Thompson lunged to reach a loose ball in the penalty area, Germany’s Loreen Bender went down and Oh blew her whistle. Following another video review, Oh awarded the penalty and winger Cora Zicai left Wy with no chance on a perfect penalty to the upper left corner. It was her third goal of the tournament.

The USA attacked with heart and fervor in search of an equalizer, but when Bender scored following a counterattack in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, the match– and the Americans’ World Cup –appeared over.

Then Kevins’ super subs helped turn the tide.

Dudley, the Florida State star who scored the overtime winner against Mexico in the Round of 16 match, gave the USA hope in the 98th minute (the fourth official had indicated eight minutes of added time). Lemos launched a high ball from midfield that Dudley was able to corral as she stormed between two German defenders. Dudley skillfully set up her shot then slid the ball past Adamczyk into the lower left corner.

The U.S. players wrestled the ball away from the Germany players and out of the net to speed up the kick-off and they would need every second. Less than 90 seconds later, the amazing Americans were level. Another sub, the speedy Maddie Dahlien, dribbled through the right side of the penalty area and with pure will, beat her defender before cutting a cross that ricocheted off the bottom of a defender’s foot and bounced up toward the near post. The relentless Sentnor, who’d come so close so many times, finally got the goal she deserved, beating Adamczyk to the ball and knocking it with her right know, through the legs of defender Jella Veitm and into the net. It was the captain’s third of the World Cup.

Both sides were clearly fatigued during the 30 minutes of overtime, so penalty kicks would decide it. The U-20s previously had contested four shootouts in their World Cup history and agonizingly lost all four, most recently to North Korea in a 2014 quarterfinal round. So it made sense to let the veteran Sentnor get the U.S. started, and she delivered a perfect opener. Germany’s Paulina Platner then missed wide left, and captain Vanessa Diehm hit the woodwork. Riley Jackson and Leah Klenke were clutch for the USA, burying their kicks, and when Wy denied Alara Sehitler — with a right-handed save that echoed her first half stunner — the improbable comeback was complete.

Yet, it still wasn’t over. Yet another video review was required to check whether Wy’s clinching save was legal. Her foot was on the line. This one finally went the Americans’ way.

The USA ended up outshooting Germany 21-18, but the German wingers were talented and dangerous. Full credit goes outside backs Savy King and Thompson, and late Klenke, who all did a fine job of keeping them from getting behind the U.S. defense.

The Sept. 18 semifinal between the USA and North Korea will mark the fifth time the countries have met at the U-20 Women’s World Cup. Each occurred in the knockout stage. The Koreans won a 2016 semifinal in extra time and that 2014 quarterfinal on penalties. The U.S. was victorious in the 2012 quarterfinals (also in extra time) and the 2008 World Cup Final, 2-1, thanks to goals by future senior team stars Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan.

The other semifinal, which will take place later on Sept. 18 in Cali, will feature the Netherlands, which defeated Colombia in penalty kicks in front of a massive sold-out crowd as Pascual Guererro Stadium, and Japan, with sent reigning champions Spain home with a deserved 1-0 win.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

GER — Cora Zicai (Penalty Kick), 61st minute: The referee whistled U.S. right back Gisele Thompson for a foul on Loreen Bender and Zicai sent the ensuing penalty kick into the upper left corner of the U.S. net. USA 0, GER 1

GER — Loreen Bender (Lisa Baum), 90+2nd minute: U.S. goalie Teagan Wy came out to deny a breakaway by Sophie Nachtigall, but Baum picked up the rebound and crossed it to Bender for an easy finish into the empty net. USA 0, GER 2

USA — Jordynn Dudley (Ally Lemos), 90+8th minute: A high, hopeful ball from midfield by Ally Lemos sailed into Dudley’s path, and she did the rest, racing between two German defenders, taking a couple touches and sliding a shot past the goalie from about six yards. USA 1, GER 2

USA — Ally Sentnor, 90+9th minute: Less than 90 seconds after Dudley’s goal, the U.S. equalized as Dahlien dribbled toward the endline and hit a cross that deflected off the foot of a German defender. Sentnor beat goalkeeper Rebecca Adamczyk to the ball at the near post and knocked it in with her right knee. USA 2, GER 2

Additional Notes

• Ally Sentnor scored her third goal of the World Cup and 12th of her U-20 career. She also had a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, giving her four World Cup goals for her career.
• Jordynn Dudley’s goal was her second of the World Cup, second off the bench, and fifth U-20 tally in 12 appearances. Dudley missed the USA final two group games while in concussion protocol.
• The USA has made the semifinals despite not having at least five age-eligible players who could have made a major impact in this tournament, those being Angel City FC forward Alyssa Thompson and Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who were not released by their clubs, San Diego Wave FC attacking Jaedyn Shaw (who was on the Olympic Team) and midfielder Lauren Martinho and winger Onekya Gamero, who are both recovering from ACL injuries. Alyssa Thompson, Moultrie and Shaw all played in the 2022 FIFA U-20 WWC in Costa Rica.
• With yellow cards erased after the quarterfinals, the USA will not have any player suspended for the semifinal.

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Germany
Date: Sept. 15, 2024
Competition: 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup – Quarterfinal
Venue: Estadio Pascual Guerrero; Cali, Colombia
Attendance: 3,500
Kickoff: 8 p.m. local (9 p.m. ET)
Weather: 74 degrees, warm

Penalty Kicks
USA — Sentnor (Scored), Klenke (Scored), Jackson (Scored)
GER — Veit (Scored), Platner (Missed), Diehm (Missed), Sehitler (Saved)

Lineups:
USA: 1-Teagan Wy; 2-Gisele Thompson (3-Leah Klenke, 63), 5-Elise Evans (7-Giana Riley, 89), 4-Jordyn Bugg, 3-Savy King; 10-Ally Lemos (15-Heather Gilchrist, 97), 16-Riley Jackson, 18-Yuna McCormack (14-Taylor Suarez, 74); 9-Ally Sentnor (Capt.), 19-Pietra Tordin (8-Jordynn Dudley, 63), 11-Emeri Adames (17-Maddie Dahlien, 74)
Substitutes not used: 6-Claire Hutton, 12-Mackenzie Gress, 20-Addison Halpern, 21-Caroline Birkel
Head coach: Tracey Kevins

GER: 1-Rebecca Adamczyk; 20-Laura Gloning, 5-Vanessa Diehm (Capt.), 4-Jella Veit, 15-Tomke Schneider; 17-Alara Sehitler, 8-Sofie Zdebel (16-Paulina Platner, 78), 10-Sophie Machtigall (18-Sarah Ernst, 112); 19-Loreen Bender, 9-Marie Steiner (11-Lisa Baum, 86), 7-Cora Zicai (3-Mathilde Janzen, 91)
Substitutes not used: 2-Miriam Hils, 6-Sara Ritter, 12-Kiara Beck, 13-Nia Szenk, 14-Alina Axtmann, 21-Lina Von Schrader
Head coach: Kathrin Peter

Stats Summary: USA / GER
Shots: 21 / 18
Shots on Goal: 6 / 8
Saves: 6 / 4
Corner Kicks: 5 / 5
Fouls: 2 / 2
Offside: 17 / 13

Misconduct Summary:
GER — Cora Zicai (Caution) 7th minute
USA – Ally Lemos (Caution) 75
GER — Paulina Platner (Caution) 113

Officials:
Referee: Oh Hyeonjeong (KOR)
AR1: Kim Kyoungmin (KOR)
AR2: Vicentia Amedome (TOG)
4th Official: Linda Schmid (SUI)