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Another day, another piece of evidence to file into the women’s soccer folder titled: “The World Is Catching Up With The USWNT.”
It takes a lot of time and energy to figure out how the heck the Nations League works each time it comes around, so we won’t fault you for not knowing that the U-17 Women’s World Cup is currently underway in Uruguay. The best of the best American high schoolers were sent to South America to get the job done. Their first task was to get past a loaded Group C, which featured Germany, North Korea and Cameroon.
A daunting field to say the least, but still, the U.S. was expected to emerge from the gauntlet. These are the future members of the reigning world champions after all. No worries, right? Wrong.
Things started off as planned for the U.S. as the team cruised to a 3-0 victory against Cameroon in its opening match. However, the good times stopped rolling right then and there.
The Americans were handed a 3-0 thumping from North Korea in their second match. Heading into the final game against Germany, the U.S. found itself in a win or go home scenario, and the order proved to be too tall to fill for the youngsters.
A German goal in the fourth minute set the tone for the rest of the game as the European powerhouse clinched a 4-0 win and the U.S. finished with only 10 players after a player was shown a red.
The result means that not only has the U.S. failed to qualify for the knockout stages, they've finished last in their group, having scored three goals while conceding seven; a surprising and early end to the tournament for the U.S.
USWNT U-17s Photo: @ussoccer_ynt | Twitter
This disappointing showing follows on the heels of the U-20 USWNT’s failure to get out of its World Cup group for the first time ever earlier this year. Like that August embarrassment, today’s loss will, rightfully so, send a wave of shock and frustration through U.S. Soccer and its fan base. It’s a failure not of the players but of the system.
In recent years, the federation, coaches and others within the greater organization have struggled to problem-solve both the stunted growth of its youth development and adapt to the new challenges of stronger youth national teams around the world.
The current senior USWNT, arguably the strongest we’ve seen in a decade, has been flying high in 2018. However, it seems its only a matter of time before these flaws in the youth system translate to and catch up with the senior side. The USWNT has never been ranked below No. 2 in the world in its entire existence but, following logic, could their days in the ivory tower be numbered?
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