MIAMI – The Round of 16 opens the knockout stage of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup with four encounters on Wednesday, including the three Concacaf nations still alive in the trophy hunt.
The winners in the Round of 16 will advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday. At least one nation from the region is assured a spot in the quarterfinals as Mexico and the United States go head-to-head for a place in the next round.
Mexico vs. United States
Mexico and the United States meet for a spot among the last eight when the two Concacaf rivals meet at Estadio Nemesio Camacho 'El Campin' in Bogotá, Colombia.
The two will meet for a second time in the quarterfinal stage after matching up at Papua New Guinea 2016. The U.S. won 2-1 in their only previous meeting in the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The two nations know each other well, facing off for a fifth time in the U-20 category, with the USYNT coming on top with an overall record of 3W-1D-0L.
Mexico arrives with a 1-1-1 record in the group stage to finish second in Group A behind hosts Colombia. Mexico played to a 2-2 draw in its opening game against Cameroon, won 2-nil against Australia, and fell 1-nil against Colombia. Alice Soto was one of the most influential players for Mexico when it came to controlling the midfield.
The United States recovered from a rocky start, losing 1-nil against the defending champions Spain. The Stars and Stripes managed to turn things around with a 2-nil win against Morocco and revved up its offense in a 7-nil victory against Paraguay. The U.S. earned a 2-0-1 record to advance as the second-place team from Group C. With a hat-trick, Pietra Tordin is the U.S. player with the most goals in the campaign.
Canada vs. Spain
Canada will meet Spain, the 2022 tournament winners, at Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia.
Canada earned four points to emerge as the third-place team in Group B. After drawing 3-3 with France, Canada won 9-nil against Fiji before falling 2-nil against Brazil. Annabelle Chukwu is one of the game-changers for Canada, scoring four goals so far.
Spain finished first in Group C due to a three-match winning streak. The reigning champions defeated the USA 1-nil, Paraguay 2-nil, and Morocco 2-nil. One of their star players is Jone Amezaga, who scored twice in the group stage and leads La Roja in scoring.
The path to the #U20WWC Final is set. 🔐
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) September 9, 2024
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