Four-Goal Second Half Lifts U.S. U-17 Women Past Norway

The U.S Under-17 Women’s National Team defeated Norway 5-0 to win Group C at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. It was the second time the USA has won its group at this tournament (with 2022 in India being the other) but the first time the U.S. U-17s have won all three group games. 

Three National Women’s Soccer League players scored goals as forwards KK Ream (Utah Royals), Ellie Kocher and Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars) and midfielder Mak Whitham (Gotham FC) each tallied their first goals of the tournament while Nyanya Touray came off the bench to score her fourth.

The USA will now face the third-place team from Group A, B or F on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 11:30 a.m. ET on FS2.

The USA has scored 13 goals in group play in this tournament, matching its record for most goals during the group stage at the FIFA U-17 WWC, which was set in India in 2022, but that group stage included an 8-0 win over India.

U.S. head coach Katie Schoepfer made six changes to the starting XI from the second group match, a 5-2 win over China PR that clinched a berth in the Round of 16 with one match — this one against Norway — remaining. Schoepfer kept the same back line and changed five of the six midfielders/forwards, and the USA scored five goals in a game for the second time in the tournament.

Goalkeeper Peyton Trayer got the nod in the nets for the USA after Evan O’Steen had started the first two matches. Trayer earned her first World Cup shutout. 

Norway, needing a win to have any chance of advancing in a tournament that sends four third-place teams to the knockout round, fell far short. It took the USA just under six minutes to score as Ream dribbled into the left side of the penalty area, made a bit of space for herself to shoot and smacked her left-footed shot off the right post and in from 16 yards out. For Ream, the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history when she tallied on Aug. 29 for the Utah Royals at 16 years and 52 days old, it was her first goal of this tournament. It was also the USA’s fastest goal yet of the tournament.

The USA doubled its lead in the 49th minute and effectively put the game away as the young Americans were even more dominant in the second half. Midfielder Scottie Antonucci played a ball to Kocher just above the penalty box on the right. Kocher beat Norway defender Lea Ellingsen with a quick cut to her right as she dribbled into the penalty area and then struck her shot on the ground inside the left post from just above the corner of the six-yard box. It was Kocher’s first goal of the tournament as well.

Midfielder Nyanya Touray entered the match in the 61st minute and made an immediate impact, scoring in the 63rd. The goal came as Ream got around the defense into the left side of the penalty area and cut a pass back to Touray, who perfectly timed her run and finished with the inside of her right foot from 10 yards out. The goal momentarily tied Touray for the lead in the Golden Boot race with four goals so far in the tournament, and she of course leads the USA in scoring.

The USA made it two goals in a two-minute span when a nice attack down the right side saw Johnson, who came on in the 62nd minute, cross from the right side to Ream, who sent a header on goal. Norway goalkeeper Sara Holte, who came on at halftime, saved the shot but spilled the ball right at the feet of Whitham, who smashed the rebound into the net from close range to make it 4-0 in the 64th.

The USA finished the scoring in the 80th minute and this time it was Johnson. She played a give-and-go with substitute Lauren Malsom in the right side of the penalty box and then rolled her shot off the left post and in from about 16 yards out.

Trayer was called into action in the 30th minute as Norway forward Christina Herseth got behind the U.S. defense into the left side of the penalty area drove a high shot at goal. Trayer pushed the ball away, but the rebound fell to another Norway attacker and Trayer had to save that shot with a dive to her left.

The USA utilized the Video Support System in the 38th minute, asking for a penalty kick review as Celia Halvorsen bundled into outside back Sydney Schmidt in the right side of the penalty area as both battled for a cross. After video review, the referee denied the request.

Whitham had two good chances to score inside the final five minutes of the first half. In the 42nd minute she intercepted a back pass deep inside the penalty box, but she was in close quarters with the Norway goalkeeper Maria Kroken, who stole the ball off her feet. In the 45th minute, Schmidt made a great dribbling run, advanced the ball 40 yards down the left side and played Ream on the wing. Ream crossed to Whitham inside the six-yard box, but the USA’s youngest player at 15 years of age put her close range shot over the bar. Whitham would get her goal later in the game.

Norway exited its first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup without scoring a goal.