Matchday 2 - Player of the Match

The day's action opened at Alajuela Morera Soto Stadium in slightly cooler weather conditions than on matchday 1, as Ghana took on the USA. As on matchday 1, the Technical Study Group took a close look at today's top performers. You can follow the action on FIFA+, which is streaming every FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ in 100 territories across the planet.

This was a match USA dominated, but Ghana showed early on that they could be dangerous on the counter-attack with their pacy forwards. 

The USA took the lead after just 12 minutes, when Michelle Cooper scored at the back post from Laney Rouse's cross. With just over half an hour gone, Ghana were reduced to ten players after Jacqueline Owusu was sent off for a mistimed challenge, and six minutes later Alyssa Thompson doubled the USA’s lead to send them in at half-time with a 2-0 advantage. Ally Sentnor, on as a half-time substitute for Cooper, made it 3-0 shortly after her introduction, timing her run perfectly to get on the end of a superb line-breaking pass from Olivia Moultrie. 

Sixteen-year-old Moultrie was very impressive in this game, displaying high levels of game intelligence, awareness and vision. Her movement on and off the ball was dynamic, displaying a consistent ability to break lines. However, it was her distribution of the ball that really stood out for our Technical Study Group.

Anja Mittag noted, “She wanted to be involved the whole time and was involved all the time. She showed great capacity to find solutions in tight areas and her ability to break the lines with defence-splitting passes was quite incredible for a player her age."

“And for a player who is only 16, she showed great maturity and leadership, constantly talking to players around her whenever there was a break in play and discussing solutions. She played in the pockets and was always moving and always looking for the ball. She was very impressive and was our Player of the Match,” Mittag added.

Next up was the clash between reigning U-20 champions Japan and the Netherlands. 

Japan once again displayed the intricate passing style that was so impressive on their route to glory in 2018. The speed and tempo with which they move the ball, the collective and individual awareness their players demonstrate, and their co-ordinated, aggressive pressing as a team make them very difficult to play against.

Their first-half dominance was reflected in their 1-0 half-time lead, which came courtesy of a really well-crafted goal. A series of line-breaking passes in the central channel finally led to Maika Hamano playing an exquisite through ball for Yuzuki Yamamato, who made no mistake with her finish.

Tactical adjustments for the second half saw the Netherlands make more of an impact on the game, but Japan were increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack, with Maika Hamano particularly influential in dictating Japan’s build-up play. As a result of this influential performance, she was chosen by our Technical Study Group as Player of the Match.

“Hamano was really outstanding in this game. She’s not very tall but she uses her body so well to protect the ball. She is constantly scanning the pitch, checking her shoulders, and makes really good decisions,” commented Anja Mittag.

“She is constantly moving, pressing, making forward runs, and when she has the ball, she has amazing vision and times her forward passes brilliantly. She has the ability to change a game,” she added.

The opening game of Group C was played in extremely difficult weather conditions. Torrential rain and a thunderstorm affected the quality of the first half, with both teams finding it difficult to establish any rhythm. The weather continued to deteriorate, eventually resulting in play being suspended in the 21^st minute. After a one-hour delay, and tremendous work from the ground staff, the game could finally be restarted. 

It was a tight match and both teams struggled to break the deadlock. However, with just five minutes of normal time remaining, the Nigerian team found a way through when striker Flourish Sabastine latched on to an excellent through ball from Mercy Idoko and produced a perfectly executed left-foot finish to score the winning goal. That finish secured the Player of the Match award from our Technical Study Group, as Mónica Veraga explained:

“Sometimes in a game like this, you need a player to step up and produce the moment of magic. Sabastine did exactly this. She worked hard during the game and was fully committed to her role for her team in every moment of the game,” said Veraga.

“When the chance came, she took it, and she made the difference. It was her only shot in the game and she scored it.”

After the previous game had to be suspended because of the weather, the match between Canada and Korea Republic kicked off 30 minutes later than originally planned.

The game proved an intriguing contest, with both teams playing with quite styles. Canada looked to build play through the thirds, whereas Korea Republic preferred a more direct route, opting to kick long from their goal-kicks. 

For long spells the game was very evenly matched, but two goals, both from corners, proved to be the difference between the sides. The first was an own goal, scored when the unfortunate Brooklyn Courtnell deflected the ball into her own net. Within minutes Korea Republic doubled their lead, courtesy of Mun Hayeon’s strong header at the back post from another corner.

However, it was the performance of Garam Chun that stood out for Mónica Veraga of our Technical Study Group. “She was involved in all of their attacking play and almost all of the chances that Korea Republic created. Her team-mates were always looking to get her involved and wanted to play to her at every opportunity,” commented Veraga.

“Garum Chun is a very technical player and can use both feet which makes her difficult to defend against. She can go on the outside and cut inside which makes her unpredictable. We also liked how she was always active to support other team-mates when they were in possession and when she did defend, she did it well.