The United States lost its opening match at the U20 Women‘s World Cup on Sunday in Lódź, Poland, falling 2-1 to Italy, a result that leaves the Americans in an early hole in a difficult group.
The victory was Italy’s first at a U20 Women’s World Cup after group-stage exits in two prior appearances.
The U.S. next plays Japan on Wednesday in a game where the Americans will likely need to take points to advance to the knockout stage. Japan, one of the top teams in the world, defeated New Zealand 2-1 in the other Group D match on Sunday.
Defensive errors cost the United States in Sunday’s opener.
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Giada Pellegrino Cimo scored the game-winning goal in the 59th minute after U.S. defender Ella Bard was dispossessed on the wing, and the ensuing cross went through the hands of U.S. goalkeeper Caroline Birkel. Pellegrino Cimo tapped the ball into the net after the ball dropped to her.
Forward Micayla Johnson opened the scoring for the United States in the 18th minute when she got on the end of a cross from Emeri Adames at the back post for an empty-net tap-in.
Italy equalized five minutes before halftime. The Italians won a series of duels, beginning with one deep in their own half, and hit the U.S. in transition. Paola Fadda finished the play after Birkel initially made a save.
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The U.S. pushed for an equalizer late and appeared to have one in stoppage time when Sealey Strawn found the net on a rebound after captain Kennedy Fuller’s shot hit the post, but Strawn was called offside. The video review showed a fine margin, with Strawn deemed narrowly offside.
Italy had only previously appeared in two editions of the U20 Women’s World Cup and secured two draws total. Italy last qualified for the tournament in 2012 — the last time that the three-time champion U.S. won the event.
United States senior national team head coach Emma Hayes told ESPN last month that she is deeply concerned about the lack of American development at the youth international level.
“When I speak about this subject, I am sending a warning sign that I am worried,” Hayes told ESPN. “I am massively worried about the direction for and the lack of all of those experiences for American players.”
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Hayes said she believes that the U20 Women’s World Cup is a crucial part of players’ development. She credited Spain‘s success at the youth level as a major reason the team won the 2023 senior World Cup and why Spain is currently the No. 1 team in the world.
The U.S. (along with other top teams like England) is without several top U20 players who are fully professional. The U20 World Cup is not in a FIFA international window, and clubs are not required to release players for the tournament.
Several U20 eligible players are key contributors to NWSL teams that are in the homestretch of playoff battles. Among the age-eligible players missing from the United States’s World Cup roster are midfielders Claire Hutton and Kimmi Ascanio, defender Jordynn Bugg and forward Alex Pfeiffer. OL Lyonnes midfielder Lily Yohannes is also absent from the World Cup squad.
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Several professional players, including Fuller, joined the U20 squad late after competing for their NWSL teams last weekend. Despite the absences, seven of the 11 starters for the U.S. play professionally in the NWSL.
U.S. U20 head coach Vicky Jepson expressed frustration with the absences prior to the tournament. Jepson said that she and U.S. Soccer “want to try and avoid players being stuck in the middle,” but that the situation was out of their control.
“I worked with players for 10 months and prepared them for a World Cup and they’re not released,” Jepson said. “That is upsetting for me because of the athlete that misses out.”
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The U.S. plays reigning Asian champions Japan on Wednesday — a team it hasn’t beaten in three all-time meetings at the U20 Women’s World Cup. Japan finished runners-up two years ago and has finished no lower than third in the past five tournaments in which it has played (Japan missed the 2014 edition).
The U.S. will finish group play on Saturday against New Zealand.
Sixteen of 24 teams will advance to the round of 16, meaning four of the six third-place teams will advance.
