U.S. Women’s CP National Team Falls 3-1 to Australia in Second Match of 2024 IFCPF Women’s CP World Cup

SALOU, Spain (Nov. 16, 2024) – In a rematch of the 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup Final, the U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team fell 3-1 to Australia in its second match of the 2024 IFCPF Women’s World Cup on Saturday. Forward Isabella Stankunas scored the lone U.S. goal in her World Cup debut.

U.S. CP WNT head coach Tricia Taliaferro made one change to the lineup from Friday’s 9-2 win against Ireland, inserting Stankunas in place of Cassidy Leake.

Australia having the better of play early on, forcing U.S. goalkeeper Leah Glaser into action twice in quick succession. In the fourth minute, the U.S. had trouble clearing a corner kick and the ball fell for Annmarie De Uriarte on the doorstep, but Glaser was there to pounce. Seconds later, Georgia Belkoff received the ball at midfield and put a driven effort back at goal that Glaser smothered.

Stankunas was active following the early danger. A sixth-minute corner deflected back to her at the top of the box and her low, right-footed effort slid just past the left post. She made amends 30 seconds later however, picking up a loose ball at midfield before powering a low shot inside the left post to give the USA a 1-0 lead.

Australia got back on the front foot and equalized five minutes later. Advancing the ball up the right, Georgia Beikoff found space down the flank before threading a pass for Tahlia Blanschard whose first-time effort from the top of the penalty area beat Glaser inside the left post.

Glaser continued to shine for the U.S. in goal. In the 20th minute, she did well to get her left hand out to deny De Uriarte from close range. Seconds later, De Uriarte broke back into the box, but Glaser was quick off her line to put the ball out for a corner kick.

Despite some fantastic goalkeeping, Australia took the lead in the 22nd minute when Belkoff won the ball on the right before rocketing her effort into the top left corner.

The Paramatildas nearly got a third before the break, as a two-on-one situation saw Belkoff slide the ball to De Uriarte at the left post, but Glaser again smothered it to keep the U.S. deficit at one goal going into halftime.

Talliaferro made two changes to start the second half, inserting Leake and Kaia Spencer to try to claw back into the match. In the 32nd minute, Leake made a great threaded pass out of the back that found Jesslyn Kuhnel on the doorstep, but her redirected shot was parried out for a corner by substitute Australia keeper Carly Salmon.

A minute after the near equalizer, Australia took a two-goal lead when Eloise Northam latched on to a ball down the left. Taking it in stride, Northam hit a low, driven effort that navigated through traffic and tucked inside the right post to make it 3-1.

Despite the deficit, the U.S. kept searching. In the 36th minute, Leake supplied Spencer on the left, but her tight-angled shot was well saved by Smith. A minute later, Spencer threaded the ball forward for Kuhnel who turned and fired a low shot that Salmon was again equal to.

In the 44th minute Catarina Guimaraes got off another quick shot from close range, but Salmon denied it. Three minutes later, substitute Annie Wickett broke through midfield and found Guimaraes on the left, but she put her chance right at Salmon.

The result marks the U.S. CP WNT’s first-ever loss, moving its all-time record to 7W-1L-1D. The USA is 1W-1L-0D at the 2024 IFCPF World Cup and will look to get back to winning ways when it faces Denmark in its third of four group stage matches on Sunday, Nov. 17 (5 a.m. ET; IFCPF YouTube Channel).

-U.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Women’s CP National Team vs. Australia
Date: Nov. 16, 2024
Competition: 2024 IFCPF Women’s World Cup – Group Stage
Venue: Mediterranean Sports Complex; Salou, Spain
Attendance: 100
Kickoff: 2:15 p.m. local (8:15 a.m. ET)
Weather: 64 degrees, cloudy

Lineups:
USA: 9-Leah Glaser (1-Rebecca Ostrander, 42); 4-Michelle Cross (2-Cassidy Leake, 26, 3-Annie Wickett, 42)), 6-Isabella Stankunas (8-Kaia Spencer, 26), 7–Catarina Guimaraes, 10-Jesslyn Kuhnel (Capt.) (5–Joey Martin, 42)
Substitutes not used: none
Head coach: Tricia Taliaferro

AUS: 6-Katelyn Smith (Capt.) (1-Carly Salmon, 26, 2-Trinity McPhie 50+4); 3-Tahlia Blanschard (4-Bec Jones 37), 7-Eloise Northam, 8-Annmarie De Uriarte, 10-Georgia Beikoff
Substitutes not used: 5-Lainee Harrison, 9-Rae Anderson
Head coach: Kelly Stirton

Stats Summary: USA / AUS
Shots: X / X
Shots on Goal: X / X
Saves: X / X
Corner Kicks: X / X
Fouls: X / X

Misconduct Summary:
none

Officials:
Referee: Shu Thing Yang (TPE)
AR1: N/A
AR2: N/A
Fourth Official: N/A