Jarrett, Spaanstra Named To U.S. Roster For 2020 Concacaf U-20 Championship
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Rebecca Jarrett (Washington Township, N.J.) and Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich), sophomores on the Virginia women’s soccer team, will represent the United States at the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic from Feb. 22 – March 8.
United States head coach Laura Harvey announced the selections to the 20-player roster on Thursday (Feb. 13).
Jarrett and Spaanstra helped the Cavaliers post a 17-2-3 record this past season on the way to the finals of the ACC Championships and helped Virginia advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 26th consecutive season and 32nd time overall.
Freshman Talia Staude (Atlanta, Ga.) will travel to the training camp as an alternate, but will not travel to the Concacaf Championship tournament unless there is an injury to a player.
The USA will open the tournament on Friday, Feb. 22 against Cuba, continue Group C play on Sunday, Feb. 24 vs. host Dominican Republic and wrap up the opening stage on Tuesday, Feb. 26 vs. Honduras. The top two finishers in the tournament will earn berths to the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica and Panama.
The roster consists of 16 collegiate players and three youth club players. Forward Sophia Smith is the only professional on the roster. She was the top pick in the 2020 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft by the Portland Thorns, becoming the first teenager to be taken #1. Midfielder Talia DellaPeruta is currently playing as an amateur in Germany with Frauen-Bundesliga club FC Koln.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2000 are age-eligible for the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. Harvey named 12 players born in 2000, five born in 2001 and three born in 2002.
Four players will attempt to qualify for their second U-20 World Cup in Smith, defender Naomi Girma, midfielder Brianna Pinto and midfielder Spaanstra. In total, 10 players have represented the USA at a youth World Cup, while nine have participated in a youth World Cup qualifying tournament. Spaanstra represented the United States in the U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France during the summer of 2018.
Jarrett and Spaanstra helped the Cavaliers post a 17-2-3 record this past season on the way to the finals of the ACC Championships and helped Virginia advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 26th consecutive season and 32nd time overall.
2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Roster by Position (College or Club; Hometown; U-20 Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Claudia Dickey (UNC; Charlotte, N.C.; 0/0), Julia Dohle (Penn State; Scarsdale, N.Y.; 6/0)
DEFENDERS (7): Maycee Bell (UNC; Wichita, Kan.; 4/1), Sierra Enge (Stanford; Cardiff, Calif.; 0/0), Naomi Girma (Stanford; San Jose, Calif.; 25/0), Shae Holmes (Washington; Highlands Ranch, Colo.; 2/0), Brianna Martinez (Notre Dame; Albuquerque, N.M.; 4/0), Emily Mason (PDA; Flemington, N.J.; 2/0), Kennedy Wesley (Stanford; Rossmoor, Calif.; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Talia DellaPeruta (Köln/GER; Cumming, Ga.; 4/0), Katelyn Duong (Minnesota; Portland, Ore.; 3/0), Jenna Nighswonger (Florida State; Huntington Beach, Calif.; 4/1), Brianna Pinto (North Carolina; Durham, N.C.; 32/4), Alexa Spaanstra (Virginia; Brighton, Mich.; 13/2), Summer Yates (Washington; Pasco, Wash.; 4/2)
FORWARDS (5): Mia Fishel (UCLA; San Diego, Calif.; 0/0), Rebecca Jarrett (Virginia; Clifton, N.J.; 5/0), Samantha Meza (Solar Soccer Club; Dallas, Texas; 7/1), Trinity Rodman (SoCal Blues SC; Newport Beach, Calif.; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns; Highlands Ranch, Colo.; 27/23)