AFTER WINNING OPENING GAME, U.S. U-17 WNT FACES TOUGH TEST AGAINST CHINA PR AT 2025 FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP IN MOROCCO
U.S. U-17 WNT FACES CHINA WITH OPPORTUNITY TO JUMP TO THE TOP OF GROUP C AT 2025 FIFA U-17 WWC: The U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team quickly turns the page following a dominating 3-0 win over Ecuador in itsFIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup opener and is set for a battle with China PR on Tuesday, Oct. 21 (Noon ET; FS2). China PR currently sits at the top of the group thanks to its 5-0 win over Norway in their first match. The USA will finish the group stage against Norway on Friday, Oct. 24 at Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 3) in Salé (9 a.m. ET; FS2). Fans can follow the U-17 WNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter/X (@USYNT) and Instagram (@USYNT). For all the tournament results, go FIFA.com.
USA STARTS STRONG AT 2025 FIFA U-17 WWC: The U.S. began its FIFA U-17 World Cup with an impressive 3-0 win over Ecuador. Three different players making their World Cup debuts notched tallies for the USA: defender Meila Brewer, midfielder Nyanya Touray and forward Lauren Malsom. The U.S. scored first in the 19th minute when Scottie Antonucci bent an inswinger into the penalty box and Brewer weaved through goalmouth traffic to smash her header into the net from five yards out. The USA doubled the lead in the 41st minute when a Maddie DiMaria shot was saved and the rebound fell to the feet of Touray, who calmly buried her opportunity. Malsom finished the U.S. scoring just before halftime, beating the keeper from just beyond the penalty spot to make it 3-0.
24 TEAMS, ONE CHAMPION: This will be the first FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup to feature 24 nations as the tournament expands from the 16 teams that have competed for this trophy since its inception in 2008. It also marks the first competition since FIFA made this tournament an annual affair and awarded the honor of hosting the first five – including this tournament – to Morocco.
The 24 participating nations were drawn into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group, plus the four best third-place finishers, will advance to the Round of 16 – a newly instituted knockout round for this tournament -- meaning it will now take seven matches to lift the trophy. The Round of 16 matches will be held on Oct. 28 and 29 with the Quarterfinals to be played on Nov. 1 and 2, from which the winners will advance to the Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The Third-Place Match and World Cup Final will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Rabat.
Matches will take place at just two venues: the Football Academy Mohammed VI in Salé, which will utilize three game pitches at the venue, and the Olympic Stadium Annex Sports Complex Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which holds 21,000. The two venues are only about 13 miles apart.
2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
Group C – USA Schedule
|
Date
|
Match
|
Kickoff (ET)
|
Venue; City
|
Broadcast
|
|
Oct. 21
|
USA vs. China
|
Noon
|
Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 3); Salé
|
FS2
|
|
Oct. 24
|
USA vs. Norway
|
9 a.m.
|
Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 3); Salé
|
FS2
|
Group C Results
Oct. 18
USA 3, Ecuador 0
China 5, Norway 0
Oct. 21
USA vs. China
Ecuador vs. Norway
Oct. 24
USA vs. Norway
China vs. Ecuador
Group C Standings
|
TEAM
|
GP
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
PTS
|
|
China
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
+5
|
3
|
|
USA
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
|
Ecuador
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
-3
|
0
|
|
Norway
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
-5
|
0
|
WATCH FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TUBI AND FOX SPORTS: All of the matches of the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup will be broadcast on the Fox Sports family of networks or on Tubi. The USA’s remaining two group games will be on FS2. Fans can also watch the final two group matches on FoxSports.com with the corresponding authentication.
2008s AND 2009s SHINE HEADING INTO TOURNAMENT: Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008, are age-eligible for this World Cup. U.S. U-17 WNT coach Kate Schoepfer chose 16 players born in 2008, four born in 2009 and one, Mak Whitham, born in 2010. Fourteen players will be 17 years old at the start of the World Cup and six will be 16. Whitham, who will be 15, as well as the four players born in 2009, are age-eligible for next year’s 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
WORLD CUP VETERANS: Scottie Antonucci, Micayla Johnson, Jaiden Rodriguez and goalkeeper Evan O’Steen are the only players on the roster who also played in the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup when the USA took third, its best finish since the inaugural tournament in 2008. O’Steen won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper in that tournament despite being just 16 years old.
2025 U.S. Under-17 Women’s World Cup Team Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; U-17 Caps/Goals):
Goalkeepers (3): Ella McNeal (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Manchester, Mo.; 0), Evan O'Steen (Florida State; Grapevine, Texas; 11), Peyton Trayer (Slammers FC HB Koge; Aliso Viejo, Calif.; 6)
Defenders (6): Meila Brewer (UCLA; Overland Park, Kan.; 6/1), Pearl Cecil (Virginia; Encinitas, Calif.; 11/1), Natalie Chudowsky (New York SC; Westport, Conn.; 6/1), Cali O'Neill (North Carolina Courage Academy; Durham, N.C.; 5/0), Olivia Robinson (STA; Scotch Plains, N.J.; 1/0), Sydney Schmidt (North Carolina Courage; St. Johns, Fla.; 10/1)
Midfielders (6): Scottie Antonucci (Legends FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; 9/1), Riley Kennedy (UNC; Holly Springs, N.C.; 5/1), Jaiden Rodriguez (USC; San Diego, Calif.; 16/3), Chloe Sadler (La Roca FC; Hyde Park, Utah; 11/1), Anastasia Showler-Little (Players Development Academy; Boonton, N.J.; 3/0), Nyanya Touray (Florida State; Silver Spring, Md.; 9/5)
Forwards (6): Maddie DiMaria (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Fenton, Mo.; 1/0), Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars; Troy, Mich.; 14/7), Elayna Kocher (Penn Fusion SA; Allentown, Pa.; 5/0), Lauren Malsom (UNC; Marietta, Ga.; 6/2), KK Ream (Utah Royals; Herriman, Utah; 3/0), Mak Whitham (Gotham FC; Granite Bay, Calif.; 2/1)
ROSTER NOTES:
- Three of the U.S. starters – goalkeeper Evan O’Steen, midfielder Scottie Antonucci and forward Micayla Johnson – played in the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
- Of the USA’s four professional players, two were in the starting lineup vs. Ecuador: Johnson and outside back Sydney Schmidt, who signed with the North Carolina Courage just a few days ago but has yet to play in a professional match.
- The USA starting lineup featured seven college players, two professionals and two youth club players.
- Defender Natalie Chudowsky came into the game for Meila Brewer at halftime while midfielders Jaiden Rodriguez and Chloe Sadler came on in the 62nd minute, making it a second FIFA U-17 WWC for Rodriguez. Forward KK Ream came on in the 70th and defender Olvia Robinson came on in the 77th as U.S. head coach Katie Schoepfer made all five allowed subs.
- Center back Pearl Cecil captained the USA in what was the first-ever World Cup match for 10 U.S. players.
- Scottie Antonucci and Jaiden Rodriguez both picked up yellow cards for the USA. One more caution for either before the quarterfinal round would result in a one-game suspension.
- Two players earned their first U-17 WNT caps: Maddie DiMaria, who started the match, and Olivia Robinson, who came on as a sub.
- The USA had 3.89 expected goals in this match while Ecuador had 0.39.
- The U.S. improved to 4W-2L-1D in FIFA U-17 WWC openers. It was also the fourth time the USA notched a clean sheet in a World Cup opener.
- The USA also maintained its unbeaten streak against South American teams at the FIFA U-17 WWC. The U.S. is now 4W-0L-1D all time.
U-17 WNT VS. CHINA
- The USA has never faced China PR in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
- China PR has never made it out of the group stage at the FIFA U-17 WWC.
- In lieu of a qualifying tournament for the 2025 FIFA U-17 WWC, the Asian Football Confederation selected four countries to qualify for the tournament: China, Japan, Korea Republic and Korea DPR. The teams were nominated based on the results of the last three editions of the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup: Thailand 2017, Thailand 2019, and Indonesia 2024.
2025 CHINA PR FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB)
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Ziqi Niu, 12-Xinzhi Li , 13-Yaxin You
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Yuying Chen , 3-Yuanqi He , 4-Yuxuan Yang , 5-Yu Song , 14-Yajie Zhou, 15-Xinlin Cai
MIDFIELDERS (6): 6-Ruilin Chen , 8-Tiannzhen Yu, 16-Xiaotang Xu, 17-Yijie Zeng, 18-Kecan Zhang , 20-Lijuan Song
FORWARDS (6): 7-Yue Xu, 9-Qinyi Huang, 10-Xinyi Zhou, 11-Junji Chen, 19-Zhenzhu Fang, 21- Qixian Li
|
