USA U-20 Women Advance to the Knockout Stage After Dominant 9-0 Victory

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team is heading to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after producing one of the most dominant performances of the tournament, defeating New Zealand 9-0 on Saturday in Sosnowiec.

After a difficult opening to the competition, the Americans left no doubt in their final group-stage match. Nine goals from seven different players turned a tense group-stage situation into a statement victory, with Kennedy Fuller leading the way with a hat trick.

Fuller scored twice before completing her hat trick from the penalty spot in stoppage time, while Alex Buck added a brace. Micayla Johnson, Linda Ullmark, Emeri Adames and Sealey Strawn also found the net as the U.S. produced its highest-scoring performance of the tournament.

The tournament could hardly have begun in a more frustrating way.

The U.S. opened Group D against Italy on September 6 and suffered a 2-1 defeat, leaving the Americans without any points heading into their second match. The loss immediately put pressure on the team to respond against Japan, one of the strongest sides in the competition.

It meant that the margin for error had become extremely small. With only three group-stage matches, the U.S. needed a result against Japan before facing New Zealand in its final game.

The response came three days later.

The U.S. played Japan to a 2-2 draw, twice taking the lead but ultimately being forced to settle for a point. Ainsley McCammon and Alex Buck scored for the Americans, while Japan answered both times. 

Despite the missed opportunities, the performance represented a significant improvement from the opening loss. The U.S. created enough chances to win the match, including two breakaways that were stopped by Japan goalkeeper Uruha Iwasaki, but could not turn its pressure into three points.

What followed was exactly the kind of response the U.S. needed.

The Americans scored twice inside the opening six minutes through Alex Buck and Kennedy Fuller, and never allowed New Zealand back into the match. By halftime, the score was already 4-0, and the U.S. added five more goals after the break.

Fuller was at the center of it all.

The Bay FC midfielder scored in the sixth minute, added another in the 83rd, and completed her hat trick from the penalty spot in the 92nd minute. Buck also scored twice, while Adames contributed a goal and two assists. Hope Munson also recorded two assists in the rout. 

For Fuller, the performance adds another major moment to an already important tournament. Her three goals against New Zealand brought her tournament total to three, matching Buck as the team’s leading scorers.

The transformation over three matches is perhaps the most encouraging part of the campaign so far. The U.S. scored only three goals in its first two games before exploding for nine against New Zealand, finishing the group stage with 12 goals — more than every team in the competition except Spain at that point. 

Now the tournament enters a completely different phase. The group-stage struggles no longer matter as much as the opportunity in front of this young American team: a place in the knockout rounds, momentum on its side and a group of attackers — led by Fuller after her hat trick — playing with growing confidence.