University of Minnesota Athletics
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Katie Duong Reflects on CONCACAF Championship
3/31/2020 3:28:00 PM | Soccer
Katie Duong's past year hasn't been like that of most college freshmen. Instead of simply moving into her new college town and settling in, Duong has split the last eight months between school, the Gophers squad, and her new international responsibilities with USA Soccer.
In the Dominican Republic earlier this year for the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championships, Duong had a month unlike she had ever experienced. Young children asked for photos, foreign fans got crazier as the tournament progressed, and she closed things out with a gold medal hanging from her neck.
"It was such a cool experience playing overseas in another country alongside these new teammates representing our country," Duong said. "It was really incredible."
With the tournament victory, Duong helped the American squad qualify for the 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by Indonesia.
Back in her home in Portland, Duong already has her medal hanging up in her room alongside the uniform kits she plans to get framed. The cerebral midfielder didn't hang onto all her jerseys, instead giving one to her lifting coach since middle school as a token of her appreciation for all the years of training and support.
The 2020 Championship took place in the Dominican Republic from February 22 through the finals on March 8, but the journey began months before that for the Oregon native.
The international experience began for Duong back in August 2019 when the freshman had to miss three games of the Gophers opening month when she was attending the camp in California. After participating in two additional camps throughout the winter, Duong earned her spot on the U20 CONCACAF Team on February 13, 2020, when the squad was officially announced.
Duong and her American teammates went 7-0 in the tournament with a whopping goal differential sitting at 44-1, with the lone goal coming in the competition final against Mexico. Individually, Duong showed off with a goal and three assists throughout the tournament. Less than ten players on the roster both scored and assisted in the competition, and Duong was one of them.
"The speed of play was definitely faster, but it was a also very tactical," Duong said. "I think I struggled at first, but continued to work at it. It was a great learning experience."
At first there were nerves, but Duong controlled those anxieties and eventually settled in comfortably alongside her new teammates. By the end, learning how to play alongside her new teammates and find her role on the team was one of the most rewarding parts of the on-field experience.
Despite being back home in Oregon away from the team amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Duong is still honing her skills the best she can. Throughout the spring you can be sure to find Duong working hard and perfecting her technique.
"It's a lot of local tracks, local schools, and walls," Duong said of her new training situation so far.
Last season, Duong led the 2019 Gophers with 38 shots, including 15 on frame, in her 16 games. Now she's looking to be even more of a force.
With the international success on her resume and a long summer of hard work ahead of her, Duong is hoping that her sophomore season for the Gophers is poised for team and individual success.
"This whole experience made me smarter and gave me things to work on, even if it's little things to work on," Duong said. "It was a challenging environment, and it gave me skills."