Beach WNT Falls on Penalties to England in Opening Match of 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup

COSTA DEL SOL, El Salvador (March 28, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team fell 7-6 on penalty kicks to England after playing to a 3-3 draw in the opening match of the 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup on Thursday. Samantha Martinez, Jeané Sunseri-Warp and Vanessa Valentine scored the regulation goals for the USA, but a hat trick from England’s Chloe Andrews forced the shootout.

England got on the board first when Chloe Andrews found room on the flank and smashed home a right-footed effort with just under six minutes remaining in the first period. The USA responded three minutes later as goalkeeper Gabriella Batmani volleyed out of the back before rocketing an effort that England goalkeeper Katie Scadding initially parried before Samantha Martinez dove through on the doorstep to equalize. The USA then took the lead with under a minute to go in the first when Vanessa Valentine’s looping ball from the 30 yards snuck in under Andrew’s crossbar.

England pulled back level less than three minute into the second half when Andrews chested down a corner before hammering home a right-footed equalizer. The USA came close to restoring the lead at 7:37 when Kilee Quigley’s right-footed free kick beat Scadding, but clang off the cross bar, sending the teams into the second intermission locked at 2-2.

After neither team could find the back of the net in the third, the match proceeded to extra time.

Sunseri-Warped pulled the USA ahead with less than a minute left when she met Batmani’s throwout of the back with a flying volley on the left that tucked inside the lower right post. Just as the USA took the lead, it went away. Immediately off the kick off, Andrews smashed a right footed-effort from midfield that redirected off the sand and tucked inside the left post, giving the England attacker a hat trick, and sending the match to penalties.

NEXT UP: The USBWNT will look to bounce back when they face hosts El Salvador on Friday, March 29 (8:45 p.m. ET; ESPN3).

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• In her first international match since giving birth, Samantha Martinez (née Witteman) scored her ninth career goal and first since Aug. 14, 2021 vs. Brazil.
• Remaining the only player to appear in all 25 Beach WNT matches, Jeané Sunseri-Warp collected her sixth career goal, and first since 5-4 win against Bahamas at the Acapulco Cup on April 16, 2023.
• Goalkeeper Gabriella Batmani collected her first career assist on Sunseri-Warp’s goal.
• Vanessa Valentine scored her second career goal, with her last coming in the 7-2 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the ANOC World Beach Games Qualifiers on April 7, 2023 in San Salvador.
• Midfielder Tori Phillips earned her Beach WNT debut. She is the 25^th different player to appear for the team since the program launched in 2019.
• The USBWNT moves to 2-1 in three overall meetings with England.
• This was the first time a U.S. Beach WNT match has been decided by penalty kicks.

 

-U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Beach Men’s National Team vs. England
Date: March 28, 2024
Competition: 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Costa del Sol Stadium; Costa del Sol, El Salvador
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET (4 p.m. local)
Weather: 88 degrees

Scoring Summary:             1          2          3          ET       FT       PKs
ENG                                      1          1          0          1          3          7
USA                                       2          0          0          1          3          6           

ENG – Chloe Andrews 5:43 (1^st Period)
USA – Samantha Martinez                                      3:14 (1^st Period)
USA – Vanessa Valentine                                        0:36 (1^st Period)
ENG – Chloe Andrews                                             9:14 (2^nd Period)
USA – Jeané Sunseri-Warp (Gabriella Batmani)     0:49 (Extra Time)
ENG – Chloe Andrews                                             0:47 (Extra Time)

Penalty Kicks:
USA – Ali Hall (goal), Vanessa Valentine (goal), Kilee Quigley (goal), Hannah Adler (goal), Samantha Martinez (goal), Nikki Haimes (miss), Mackenzie Chronopoulos (saved), Tori Phillips (goal), Jeané Sunseri-Warp (saved)

ENG – Wendy Martin (goal), Alisha Buckingham (goal), Nicole Evans (goal), Rebecca Baron (goal), Alicia Povey (goal), Chloe Andres (miss), 12-Katie Scadding (saved), 1-Chloe Traves (goal), Wendy Martin (goal)

Lineups:
USA: 1-Gabriella Batmani, 3-Hannah Adler, 6-Jeané Sunseri-Warp, 9-Kilee Quigley, 10-Hall (capt.)
Substitutes: 2-Nikki Haimes, 4-Vanessa Valentine, 5-Mackenzie Chronopoulos, 7-Lauren Leslie, 8-Tori Phillips, 11-Samantha Martinez
Did not play: 12-Vanessa Amaral
Head coach: Morgan Church

ENG: 12-Katie Scadding, 6-Wendy Martin, 8-Rebecca Barron, 14-Alisha Buckingham, 16-Nicole Evans
Substitutes: 1-Chloe Traves, 3-Chloe Marshall, 4–Alicia Povey
Head coach: Steven Black

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Kilee Quigley (Caution)                  7’ (2^nd Period)

Officials:
Referee: Gumercindo Vergara (PAN)
Second Referee: Omar Salazar Euan (MEX)
3rd Referee: Fredy Veliz Ibañez (GUA)
Timekeeper: Gonzalo Carballo Perez (SLV)