The United States failed to advance from the group stage of the U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time after a 2-2 draw with Spain on Monday in Léhon, France.
With Japan’s victory over Paraguay in the simultaneous Group C match, the U.S. needed a victory over Spain to stay alive — and set up a three-way tie atop the group on 6 points — in addition to favorable goal differential — which it would have had over Spain with a win. A late two-goal rally from the Americans wasn’t enough.
Spain scored twice in the first half off a pair of errors from the Americans. First came Jaelin Howell’s mis-clearance inside her own 18-yard box, which gave the ball to Spain’s Patricia Guijarro for the opening tally in the sixth minute.
#U20TD REVIVE el gol de @SeFutbol en los pies de Patricia Guijarro y se ponen arriba en el marcador. ESP 1-0 USA pic.twitter.com/JAGXhIbHf2
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) August 13, 2018
Minutes before halftime, Spain had their second goal after U.S. goalkeeper Laurel Ivory saw Lucía García’s close-range shot spill straight through her hands.
#U20TD Lucía García aumenta la ventada de @SeFutbol. REVIVE el gol acá… pic.twitter.com/J6Nh8PYaxP
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) August 13, 2018
The U.S. turned on the pressure late, scoring twice in a four-minute span and pinning Spain back for the final 10 minutes of the match. Sophia Smith scored directly off a beautiful free kick in the 83rd minute, and Savannah DeMelo’s 87th-minute shot took a kind deflection to wrong-foot Spanish goalkeeper Catalina Coll.
#U20TD REVIVE el gol de Estados Unidos, descuenta con un golazo de tiro libre de Sophia Smith pic.twitter.com/SJs9klZbcY
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) August 13, 2018
#U20TD Savannah Demelo de Estados Unidos lo empata y se pone bueno el encuentro. pic.twitter.com/eTV0VsjTiz
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) August 13, 2018
But the Americans couldn’t find a third goal, and the 2-2 final meant they had to settle for third in the group. Reigning U-19 European champions Spain went through atop the group on 7 points, while Japan — which beat the U.S. in the 2016 U-20 third-place match — finished second on 6 points.