FC Dallas academy duo Samar Guidry and Diana Ordonez are headed for Spain’s famed La Manga resort as the US U-19 WNT takes part in a 12-team tournament.
The US will contest a group with England, the Netherlands, and Sweden at the home of the Spanish national teams in early March. The likes of Germany and France await in the knockout stages.
Ordonez bagged 15 goals and four assists in her freshman year at the University of Virginia, and was part of December’s U-20 roster for the Nike Friendlies as a number of the regulars were called up to a senior national team talent identification camp. Ordonez was also named Rookie of the Year among all schools in the state of Virginia, and made the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman XI.
Guidry, who has committed to join Ordonez’s Cavaliers this year, has 11 goals from 18 games with Matt Grubb’s FC Dallas U-18/19 side this season. That should be noted those 11 goals came as a defender.
Concacaf Update
The final round of the group stage begins today in the Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship. The tournament, which serves as the qualifier for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, will decide which two nations join hosts Costa Rica and Panama as the Concacaf representatives in August.
Solar’s Samantha Meza scored off the bench for the USA in their opening 9-0 win over Cuba, and followed that up with a start in a 4-0 win over the host nation, the Dominican Republic. The Yanks are assured a place in the knockout round regardless of the result of their game with Honduras at 5pm. Assuming a win, Laura Harvey’s side will take on St. Lucia in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Reyna Reyes is also headed to the knockout rounds as Mexico sit atop Group D with two wins. The FC Dallas product, currently plying her trade at Alabama, started in both a 2-1 win over Puerto Rico and a 4-0 win over Nicaragua. Reyes picked up an assist in that last game. Mexico’s final group game against Guyana is tomorrow at 5pm, and will be broadcast on TUDN. A win will pair El Tri up with Grenada in the knockout phase.
Belerica Oquendo’s Puerto Rico are winless but not out of the competition yet. The TCU midfielder started against Mexico but was not on the roster as Puerto Rico fell 2-1 to Guyana. No reason for the absence was given, although injury would be the safe assumption. Las Boricuas play Nicaragua with the third and final spot in the Round of 16 up for grabs. A draw would be enough for Puerto Rico to advance on goal difference. That game takes place tomorrow at 2pm with Trinidad & Tobago the most likely opponents on Sunday.