By

Eniola Olatunji

The United State of America on Saturday night got the 2024 world U20 women’s cup Bronze Medal on a platter of Gold from an own goal gifted one minute to the end of Extra time that  is 119th minute.

Substitute Midfielder, Nayomi Buikema of Netherlands who came in for K. Thomas in the 89th minute buckled under severe pressure to gift the goal via what in football is called an own goal. 

It became the second time in a row Netherlands would lose Bronze medal having lost to Brazil 1-4 in the last tournament.

It also became the second time USA would win Bronze having won it in 2004 beating Brazil but also lost it twice to Brazil in 2006 and Japan in 2016.

The Orange Girls wept inconsolably over this vital error but stats showed it was expected from the 17-1 corner kicks against the Dutch who had 11-26 shots at goal in a 3-9 shots on target where USA frustrated the Orange girls with 528-474 passes stringed around them.

Both teams had played 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes as Thompson connected Ally Sentnor to open goals score board in the 10th minute for USA which was her 3rd goal in the tournament having scored Mexico and Paraguay.

The equalizer came from Robine Lacroix for Netherlands who scored in the 26th minute from Stoit assist making her second goal in the tournament having scored against Argentina.

The only time USA and Netherlands probably met in a competition was at the 2022 women’s world cup in group D on 14th August before a crowd of 2,652 at Jose with Ref Kim Yu-jeong of South Korea in charge and the Dutch beat USA 3-0.

They met in friendly matches on 18th February 2004 Ned 1 USA 0; on 3rd March 2010 it was Ned 2 USA 1; on 5th June 2015 it was USA 4 Ned 3 and on 7th October 2016 there was the highest scores of Ned 5 USA 3 when that match was 0-0 at half time.

Netherlands had beaten Costa Rica 2-0; drew 3-3 with Argentina and lost 0-2 to North Korea at the group Stages; supervised the exit of France with a 2-1 victory at the Round of 16 games and then halted host nation, Power Puff Girls of Columbia via penalty shootout 3-0 after 2-2 of Extra Time; she lost the semifinal to Japan 0-2 scoring 9 goals and conceding 10. 

Netherlands is in her 2nd appearance at the age group tournament and in 2022 the Dutch girls lost the Bronze Medal to Brazil 1-4 in San Jose.

USA lost to Spain by a lone goal; defeated Morocco 2-0 and beat Paraguay 7-0 at the group games; she edged out Mexico 3-2 in the Round of 16 games and introduced virus into the German Machine equalizing 2-2 with two late goal and winning Germany 3-1 on penalties in the quarterfinals: lost 0-1 to North Korea in the semifinal thereby scoring 14 goals and conceding 6.

The USA are in their 10th appearances and has won the title thrice in 2002 Maiden Games in Canada where she beat Canada by a lone goal; Chile 2008 where she beat North Korea 2-1 and Japan 2012 where  she beat Germany by a lone goal.

She lost the Bronze to Japan by a lone goal at Papua New Guinea 2016 also lost the Bronze at Russia 2006 to Brazil 6-5 on penalties after a goalless Extra time and won Bronze at Thailand 2004 beating Brazil 3-0. 

The grand finale is on Sunday 22nd September also at 2200 hours playing at Bogota with Ref Maria Sole Ferrieri of Italy in charge between two lady giants.

North Korea that is in their 4th final in 9 appearances winning twice in Russia 2006 and Papua New Guinea in 2016 and a Silver at Chile 2008.

Japan in their 3rd final in a row within 7 appearances won the title once hosting in France 2018 with Silver at the last games in Costa Rica when she lost 1-3 to Japan.