Panama City, Friday 9 March 2012.– The United States qualified for the U-20 Women's World Cup for the sixth straight time, beating Mexico 4-0 on Friday in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship.
The result moves the Americans, who have outscored their opponents 22-0 at the CONCACAF finals, within one win of their second straight title and third overall.
Julie Johnston, Morgan Brian and Lindsey Horan all tallied first-half goals, and Kealia Ohai added an impressive 81st-minute strike to send the United States to a comfortable win and a Sunday final against either Canada or Panama.
Mexico will have another chance to qualify for a fourth straight World Cup and fifth overall when it faces the loser from Friday's second semifinal between Canada and Panama in Sunday's third-place game immediately before the championship match.
The United States dominated from the start, repeatedly creating chances and taking the lead in the 12th minute. Kathie Stengel worked her way to the left byline and chipped a ball from the edge of the goal box that Mexico keeper Cecilia Santiago was able to get her fingertips to.
But the ball continued to the back post where Johnston let it bounce once before finishing into the roof of the net for her third goal of the tournament.
Besides a weak shot wide by Yamile Franco in the fourth minute, Mexico wasn't able to produce much for most of the first half. It enjoyed some sustained possession after about 30 minutes, but at most could generate a corner that Natalia Gomez-Junco put over the goal in the 32nd.
Brian doubled the American advantage in the 37th, driving a right-footed free kick from 25 meters over the wall and into the upper right corner leaving Santiago flat-footed.
A little over a minute later, Horan put the Americans well in control, creating space for herself with a deft backheel, dribbling to the edge of the arc and hitting another right-footed drive into the upper right corner.
It was her fourth goal in as many games, tying her for the tournament lead with teammate Maya Hayes and Gomez-Junco.
The United States maintained its domination throughout the second half, getting eight more shots including two off the crossbar in the 48th and 91st minutes.
Ohai completed the one-sided affair by taking a simple ball wide from Stengel at the left corner of the box, taking a touch inside and striking a right-footed shot into the far upper corner.
Mexico had to play the final 13 minutes with only 10 after Briana Lopez was carried off the field with a left knee injury. She was later diagnosed with a second-degree strain, seeming caused when she landed badly after challenging for a ball at midfield.
Mexico had made all three substitutions and were forced to complete the game with a numerical disadvantage.
The victory for the United States was the third in as many meetings with Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF championship.
*With information from the CONCACAF
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