U17 WNT Dominates India in World Cup Opener

by Tom Hindle

October 11, 2022

The ball sat up kindly for Melina Rebimbas, rising slightly off the turf as she swung her leg towards it. Her strike was appropriately clean, barreling into the top corner beyond the reach of India goalkeeper Anjali Munda. It was also the fourth of eight goals for the US U17 WNT as it battered India to open play at the U17 Women’s World Cup.

The US found the net early and often to beat India. Rebimbas led the way with a brace, while six other scorers rounded out the day in a 8-0 win. But the calmness of the performance, the ease of play, really stood out. Though the US was expected to beat the host and World Cup debutant, it went about business methodically, starting the competition with the kind of performance that suggested it might be there until the very end.

Head coach Natalia Astrain put out her strongest lineup Tuesday morning, opting for nine of the same starters that won the Concacaf Championship in May. And that experience showed. Onyeka Gamero and Taylor Suarez were dominant on the wings, Charlotte Kohler controlled play from the midfield, while Rebimbas always seemed to be in the right area to apply the finishing touch.

It was her striker’s instincts that got the game going. Riley Jackson floated the ball into the box, and Rebimbas dutifully hooked it into the goal on the volley to open the lead inside 10 minutes. The second and third came shortly after, with Charlotte Kohler and Onyeka Gamero finding the back of the net — with the latter reaping the rewards of her own pressing quality to win the ball and slot it past the keeper.

With a 3-0 lead established, the offense started to flow. Gamero and Suarez often found themselves isolated against India’s outside backs — and showed little hesitation in attacking. The duo were a blur of quick pushes and dropped shoulders, serving a steady supply of crosses into the box.

And it was their play that created space for others. The relentless running dragged defenders out of possession, affording Rebimbas time to strike an emphatic half volley into the top corner for the fourth. And by the time the US took a 5-0 lead — with Gisele Thompson scoring her first career goal — the game had settled into a steady groove.

Astrain shuffled her lineup in the second half, introducing a stream of new faces as the lead continued to grow. Ella Emri rose to knock a header into the net off a corner. Suarez added another in the 60th minute, slotting a penalty into the bottom corner after Kohler was hacked down in the box. Mia Bhuta scored the emphatic eighth, blasting the ball into the top corner from 30 yards out, a fine way to cap off a successful opening match for the US.

So, the US was comfortable in its World Cup opener. There were quality passages of play and emphatic finishes. And although Astrain’s side will undoubtedly face more difficult matchups in the weeks to come, the early signs are promising as the team chases its first ever U17 World Cup win.

US Lineup:

Victoria Safradin, Gisele Thompson (Nicola Fraser, 46), Cameron Roller (Jordyn Bugg, 46), Ella Emri (Emeri Adames, 75), Savannah King; Riley Jackson (Mia Bhuta, 46), Charlotte Kohler (Ella Sanchez, 82), Lauren Martinho, Onyeka Gamero, Melina Rebimbas, Taylor Suarez