Team USA head coach Katie Schepfer says she will aim for perfection ahead of Saturday’s 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match against Nigeria at Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros. Sports Extra reported.
The coach made this observation after his team defeated South Korea 5-0 in their final Group A match on Tuesday.
“I think there are still some things we have to clear to take us to the next level and get even better. But we looked very good against a very good opponent, so it’s up to the players. It’s a credit to us,” she said. Remarks at the post-match press conference quoted by FIFA.com.
After losing 3-1 to Spain in their first match, the Americans defeated Colombia 2-0 and South Korea 5-0, setting up a quarterfinal rematch with the Flamingos at India 2022. This time, Nigeria won in a close match. Penalty shootout.
Nigeria were one of the few teams to finish the group stage with a 100 percent record, defeating New Zealand in the first game, Ecuador in the second 4-1 and Ecuador 4-0, and defeating the Dominican Republic 1-1 on Wednesday. I broke it with 0. The contest, held in the morning, drew a record crowd of 13,535, making it the most-attended soccer match of any Dominican national team.
The Flamingos, who had been noted for their goal-scoring ability, surprisingly piled up the score against the hosts, who were looking to make amends for their previous two massacres at the hands of New Zealand and Ecuador.
Despite the narrow victory, Nigeria’s coach Bankole Olowokere was satisfied with the perfect run, saying: I am happy for myself, my team and Nigeria as a whole. We knew we had to manage our energy and fitness in this game. They are young girls with a lot of games on their plate, so we had to slow down. ”
Nigeria finished third in the last tournament in India and will be hoping to go all the way this time as well, but they will have to be wary of the phenomenal talent of Kennedy Fuller. In the match against Korea, he made the biggest impact by roaming the midfield like a colossus, scoring goals, and calmly controlling the center of the park.
