This is part 1 of a pair of articles that will be looking at the future of the women’s youth national teams.
With the U20 Women’s World Cup beginning this week in Papua New Guinea, all eyes will be on the U.S. team to perform better than the U17s, who failed to make it past the group stage of their own World Cup in Jordan earlier this fall.
Michelle French’s squad won’t have it easy. Just a glance at the other teams in their group illustrates the growth that’s occurred in women’s soccer development worldwide the last few years.