Sydney Leroux and Zakiya Bywaters fire up team USA at the U-20 Women’s World Cup
UCLA junior forward Sydney Leroux, right, has led team USA with four goals in five games at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Dresden, Germany.
By Daily Bruin Staff
July 18, 2010 10:06 p.m.
After a rather lethargic debut at the 2010 Under-20 FIFA World Cup, the U-20 U.S. Women’s National Team made a splash this Saturday, thanks in large part to a pair of players who herald from Westwood.
Junior forward Sydney Leroux recorded a hat trick, while sophomore midfielder Zakiya Bywaters netted a goal of her own to help the U.S. rout Switzerland 5-0 in its second group D match at the Rudolf-Harbig Stadium in Dresden, Germany.
It was a dramatic offensive outburst considering the Americans had to come from behind to settle for a 1-1 tie against Ghana on Wednesday, the first match of the tournament for both teams.
“It was huge,” U.S. coach Jillian Ellis said in a press conference after her team’s decisive victory Saturday. “(On Friday) we had a very good day. We had some good meetings and talked about the fact that this team has a lot of talent, we just needed to catch fire. To score five (goals) is tremendous and it was a good emotional boost.”
With her team already up 1-0, Leroux began her field day with a goal in the 23rd minute. Two minutes later, Bywaters scored on a left-footed shot from six yards out to extend the lead and record her first tournament goal.
Leroux then continued the surge after halftime. In the 52nd minute, she spun away from her defender with the ball in her possession at midfield and sprinted toward the post on a breakaway, firing the ball into the net after faking a shot to thwart Swiss goalkeeper Nathalie Schwery.
In the 76th minute, Leroux intercepted a pass and charged ahead, going one-on-one against Schwery again but this time fooling the goalkeeper with a stutter-step to score her third goal of the evening.
“Our team is so much more composed,” Leroux said Saturday. “Our confidence is back up now. We lost it a little in the Ghana game especially when we were down 1-0 in the first minutes. Ghana reminded us what we are playing for.”
The USA will next square off against Korea Republic on Wednesday. With the South Koreans currently sitting atop the Group D standings, the Americans, who are in second, need either a win or a tie to advance to the quarterfinals. With a win, the USA would win the group title outright.
Compiled by Min Kang, Bruin Sports senior staff.
