With the group stages now over, the USA Under-17 women’s team gears up for a high-stakes quarterfinal face-off against Flamingos of Nigeria, the Group A leaders, on Saturday, October 26, in Santiago de los Caballeros.
This matchup brings back memories of their intense quarterfinal clash at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
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In that game, the USA dominated possession and fired 27 shots to Nigeria’s eight but struggled with accuracy, ending regular time at 1-1. Heartbreakingly, Nigeria triumphed in the penalty shootout, winning 4-3 and ending the USA’s tournament run.
This time around, the USA finished second in Group B with two wins and one loss, trailing behind defending champions Spain, while Nigeria swept through Group A with three wins and a solid nine points.
The Nigerian Flamingos were impressive in the group stage, bagging nine goals and conceding only one.
Mary Long Is confident on Beating Flamingos
US forward Mary Long has acknowledged Nigeria’s strength, noting that their opponents are skilled and disciplined.
Yet, she believes her team has what it takes to turn the tables in this anticipated rematch.
With both teams motivated, the battle at the CFC Stadium promises to be a thrilling showdown as the USA seeks to advance and Nigeria aims to continue its undefeated run.
“This is a super talented group of girls and it’s been fun so far in the tournament. We continue to work hard and play well as a team,” she told US Soccer
.“Nigeria is a good team, scored a lot of goals in this tournament, but I think we are ready if we stick to the game plan like we always do.”
