Tuesday 28 August 2018, 20:45

France 2018 in numbers

  • A downpour of hat-tricks

  • Long-range shooting specialists

  • Spurned spot-kicks and a coaching milestone

As the votes continue to accumulate for France 2018’s Goal of the Tournament – if you haven’t already, check out the ten gems in contention and vote before Friday’s deadline – FIFA.com delivers you some other numbers from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup’s ninth instalment.

60 per cent gave France 2018 the worst penalty conversion rate in U-20 Women’s World Cup history (6/10). It took four editions and 17 attempts for the first spot-kick to be missed in the competition.

36 matches coached at the U-20 Women’s World Cup is what Maren Meinert made it to set a new record for a FIFA tournament. During France 2018 the Germany gaffer, who scored her country’s opener in a 2-1 victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Final in 2003, outranked Javier Lozano (32 games at the FIFA Futsal World Cup), Ze Miguel and Alexandre Soares (33 each at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup), and Les Scheinflug (33 at the FIFA U-20 World Cup).

35 yards was the stunning distance from which Honoka Hayashi struck home the only goal for Japan against USA. Thereafter, Hinata Miyazawa became the first player in ten years to score from outside the box in the U-20 Women’s World Cup final, something nobody had done since USA strike partners Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan both managed it in the 2008 decider.

14 years and 327 days was the age at which Haiti defender Dougenie Joseph became the youngest player to start a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup match against China PR. The youngest to appear in one was current USA senior forward Sydney Leroux, who was 14 years and 187 days when she came on for Canada against Australia in 2004.

9 U-20 Women’s World Cups is what it took USA to suffer group-stage elimination for the first time.

6 hat-tricks were scored at France 2018, breaking the previous tournament record of five set in 2012. The exploits of Saori Takarada and Riko Ueki against Paraguay ensured that two Japanese players have netted trebles in the same game in back-to-back U-20 Women’s World Cups, after it took Japan until its eighth edition to register its first hat-trick.

5 assists is what gave Japan’s Jun Endo the second-highest total at an edition of the tournament. Pauline Bremer managed six for Germany at Canada 2014.

3 personal bests in FIFA competitions is what England have recorded within the last 14-and-a-half months. Ademola Lookman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke inspired the English to FIFA U-20 World Cup glory – and their maiden FIFA trophy in 51 years – in June 2017, before Phil Foden helped them conquer the FIFA U-17 World Cup four months later. England, who had never previously won a knockout tie at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, bagged bronze thanks to a penalty-shootout win over hosts France. Oh, and their senior men’s team didn’t do too badly at Russia 2018!

3 countries from the same continent made the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time: Europeans England, France and Spain. Germany, China PR, USA and Brazil ensured four continents were represented in the last four at Thailand 2004.

1 match went beyond normal time at France 2018 – a record low for a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Five of the eight knockout games at Canada 2002 went to extra time.

0 nations had lifted all three of FIFA’s women’s trophies – the U-17, U-20 and senior World Cups – until Japan completed the triumvirate in Brittany. Germany, Korea DPR and USA have lifted two apiece.