The United States was expected to kick off its campaign in the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India on Tuesday with a date against the host nation at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, according to CONCACAF.
“For the US, it marks the start of their fifth U17 Women’s World Cup and, no doubt, they will be looking to take the next step after failing to advance past the group stage in their previous appearance in 2018,” CONCACAF said.
“Many of the faces that made up the US squad that took home a first-place finish in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship last May will be on the field on Tuesday,” it added.
CONCACAF said that includes 2022 CWU17 Best Player Award winner Riley Jackson and CWU17 Best Goalkeeper Victoria Safradin.
Jackson played in five matches for the U.S. in the CWU17, scoring two goals, while Safradin was anchor in net for the US, registering three clean sheets, including the 3-0 semifinal win over Canada, CONCACAF said.
It said the match will be the first ever U17 Women’s World Cup match for India.
“But, despite their lack of experience on that front, India will surely be bolstered by a buoyant home crowd, which will make for a stiff challenge for the US in their tournament opener,” CONCACAF said.
