CALI, Colombia (Sept. 18, 2024) – The U.S. U- 20 Women’s Youth National Team will play for the bronze medal at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after falling to Korea DPR, 1-0, in the first semifinal. After winning two dramatic overtime matches (plus a penalty kick shootout) in the knockout stage, the resilient Americans ran up against a fresher North Korean side that had breezed through the 24-team tournament.
Contesting its first U-20 semifinal since 2016, when it also lost to Korea DPR, the USA gave the reigning Asian champions a genuine game on a warm night at Estadio Pascual Guerrero. The Koreans had won each of its five previous World Cup matches in 90 minutes while outscoring its opponents by a 23-4 margin. It faced its stiffest challenge in the USA.
North Korea was on the front foot early and pulled ahead midway through the first half. But the U.S. recovered and created a few chances of its own, forcing the Koreans to defend through significant stretches of the second half. The goal never came, however, leaving the Americans to refocus on bronze while North Korea aims to lift the U-20 WWC trophy for a third time.
The U.S. will meet the loser of the Japan-Netherlands semifinal in the Third-Place Match on Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. ET at the Estadio El Campín in the Colombian capital of Bogotá. It’ll mark the fourth time the U-20s will compete for the bronze medal at this tournament. The USA won it in 2004 and settled for fourth place in 2006 and 2016. After…
