U.S. U-20 WNT head coach TONY DICICCO
On the game…
“First of all I’d like to congratulate France. It was a much closer game than the score indicated and I think Alyssa preserved the shutout with two fantastic saves.”
On his halftime substitution…
“Today it was Sydney who was the star. I have a lot of players who can step in and be the star. We felt that this was the right situation where Sydney could step in and help us in the second half and she proved that we were correct. She had a strong game and she was very determined and finished two very good chances.”
On whether there is pressure on his team to win the tournament…
“The fact that the U.S. women are expected to be in the later stages of every tournament, we think that isn’t pressure but it’s an opportunity.”
On what he expects from Argentina on Saturday…
“I know that Argentina is improving their women’s football. Every time they enter a tournament I see a better team and I expect a difficult game against Argentina on Saturday.”
U.S. U-20 WNT goalkeeper ALYSSA NAEHER
On today’s game…
“It was a very good win for us, obviously in the first game of any tournament you want to come out strong and I think we did that for pretty much the whole game. Coming away with three goals and a shutout is a very good way to start this tournament.”
On what was said in the locker room at halftime that might have lifted the team…
“I don’t think it was one thing that was said. We just realized that we were playing well but still needed to step it up another notch if we were going to be successful against this team. It was different people stepping up and a collective unit getting on the same page and raising the level of our game.”
U.S. U-20 WNT forward ALEX MORGAN
On what she knows about Argentina…
“We were so focused on France coming into this game and now we’ll start concentrating on Argentina.
On the feeling of scoring the first goal of the tournament…
“It felt awesome. The most important thing was that the goal really lifted our etam and raised our energy level. It was a great feeling.”
On whether the U.S. is a favorite…
“I wouldn’t say we’re a clear favorite here. We have a long way to go and we’re taking one game at a time. We’ll see how it goes from here.”
U.S. U-20 WNT forward and Sierra Mist Woman of the Match SYDNEY LEROUX
On winning and coming in as a substitute…
“It was really good for our team. We worked hard today and came out with a win, which felt good. It’s great to be here and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to get a win today as a team. I love being a part of this team whether I start or come on as a sub.”
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