The group stage at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco is done, and the knockout bracket has a few surprises in it. Kenya and Venezuela both reached the Round of 16 as two of the four best third-place teams, and the United States, after a 3-2 loss to China, will play Spain on Thursday, Oct. 29.
China Beat the U.S. 3-2 for First in Group E
The Americans outshot China 20-12 on Oct. 25 in Salé but put only four shots on goal, per the U.S. Soccer match report. Liu Yuxi scored in the 7th and 81st minutes and Zhao Jiayi added a goal in the 71st. Maddie DiMaria scored in the 69th, her 11th goal of the tournament, and Isa Ortiz scored deep in stoppage time.
The U.S. finished second in the group at 2-1 after beating Samoa 17-0 and Kenya 6-1. Spain won all three Group F games. SoccerWire lists the Spain game for 2 p.m. ET.
Kenya and Venezuela Among the Best Third-Place Teams
Four of the six third-place teams moved on: Poland, host Morocco, Venezuela and Kenya. Kenya, which lost to the U.S. in the group, gets Group D winner Japan. Venezuela plays Germany, which won all three games in Group A. Canada and Australia went out.
U-17 Women's World Cup Round of 16 Schedule
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Argentina vs. Ghana, Germany vs. Venezuela, North Korea vs. Morocco, Brazil vs. Poland
- Thursday, Oct. 29: China vs. France, Nigeria vs. Mexico, Japan vs. Kenya, Spain vs. United States
All eight games are in Salé, and the final is Nov. 7. More soccer on our women's soccer page.
