U.S. Under-20 Women’s World Cup team eliminated by Nigeria
Rising junior forward Sydney Leroux looks to attack in a match against Switzerland on July 17. The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team was eliminated from the U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 4-2 loss against Nigeria on Sunday.
By Min Kang
July 26, 2010 2:54 p.m.
Just like that, UCLA’s Sydney Leroux and the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team’s run through the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup has come to a halt.
After allowing the equalizer on a free kick with just 11 minutes left in regulation, the USA fell to Nigeria 4-2 in penalty kicks on Sunday, abruptly ending its once-hopeful campaign in Germany.
“I think the players battled hard,” U.S. and UCLA coach Jill Ellis said in a press conference after the match. “To create chances late in the overtime period showed that, mentally, they were committed to the entire game. Nigeria was hunting for a goal, and there was only so long that we could sustain it. I thought their goal was a special one, but for the most part, we limited their chances.”
Nigeria scored on all four of its kicks, while the Americans converted on just two of their four tries, the last one an attempt by Leroux that sailed over the top of the post.
The elimination loss came on the heels of a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Korea Republic just four days prior.
With her team in need of a win or a tie to stay alive on Wednesday, the junior forward out of UCLA and captain of the U.S. team delivered yet again.
In the 21st minute, U.S. defender Amber Brooks intercepted the ball and directed a well-placed pass to Leroux, who burst past two defenders just as she approached the penalty box and nudged the ball past South Korean goalkeeper Moon So Ri and into the net.
It was the junior forward’s fifth goal of the 2010 tournament, a statistic that would have likely increased had the USA not lost on Sunday.
Overall, Leroux has recorded a record-tying 10 goals in U-20 Women’s World Cup play, dating back to her performance in the 2008 World Cup in Chile.
Incidentally, the USA won the championship two years ago with a 2-1 win over Korea DPR. Ellis was the head coach at the time, while Leroux earned the Golden Shoe Award as the tournament’s top scorer.
Compiled by Min Kang, Bruin Sports senior staff.
