U.S. U20s roll to 7-0 win over Puerto Rico

by Travis Clark

February 27, 2022

Another impressive offensive display from the U.S. U20 WNT led to a 7-0 win against Puerto Rico.

Four goals in the first half from North Carolina's Avery Patterson -- including a 24-minute hat trick -- paved the way for the comfortable win. Alexis Missimo, Emily Mason and Andrea Kitahata added three goals in the second half.

Patterson ensured a fast start for the second straight game. Missimo played Ayooluwapo Oke into space on the right hand side, and her cross found the head of Patterson in the sixth minute.

Alyssa Thompson helped to engineer the second, as she picked out Patterson with a nicely-placed ball, who one-timed it for her second goal of the game. North Carolina teammate Emily Colton assisted Patterson's third, slipping in a ball for her college teammate behind the Puerto Rico back line. Patterson rounded the goalkeeper to secure her hat trick in the 24th minute. In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Patterson added another when Talia DellaPeruta played her in with a direct ball over the top.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Patterson returned the favor to Missimo, as the Texas midfielder grabbed her first, lashing home a shot from 10 yards out in the penalty box.

Substitute Andrea Kitahata was involved in the final two goals. First, she setup Mason's tally, playing a part in a training ground set piece routine to make it 6-0. She then scored the seventh goal, finishing a short cross from Emily Colton to make it two wins in two games for the U.S. U20s.

Starting Lineup: Neeku Purcell; Elaine Rouse, Lilly Reale, Lauren Flynn, Ayooluwapo Oke; Talia DellaPeruta, Emily Colton, Alexis Missimo; Avery Patterson, Michelle Cooper, Alyssa Thompson

Subs: Andrea Kitahata, Trinity Byars, Simone Jackson

Related Topics: Atlantic Coast, Big 12