TEAM USA FOOTBALL TOPS ITALY & AUSTRIA, ADVANCES TO FINALS OF THE WORLD GAMES 2025

U.S. Women’s National Team secures spot in Gold Medal Match with wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals  

CHENGDU, CHINA – Team USA Football secured a spot in The World Games 2025 Gold Medal Match against Mexico by defeating Italy 33-12 in the quarterfinals and Austria 46-39 in the semifinals. The U.S. Women’s National Team is now 5-0 in Chengdu, China as it eyes its first-ever gold medal at The World Games.  

Flag football debuted at The World Games in Birmingham, Ala. in 2022, marking the first time it appeared in an international, multi-sport event. The U.S. Women’s National Team earned silver medals, coming up short against Mexico in the finals. Three years later, Chengdu will serve as the stage for a rematch between the world’s best women’s flag football programs.  

The World Games are the second-most important multi-sport event in the world, only trailing the Olympics. Approximately 4,000 athletes from over 100 countries converged on Chengdu, China this month to compete in 253 medal events. Flag football won’t capture the spotlight on a stage this grand again until it debuts in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  

The teams competing in The World Games 2025 include Austria, Canada, China, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the U.S.  

The U.S. Women’s National Team is the reigning International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Champion. Selected, trained and led by USA Football, the sport’s National Governing Body, the team will also compete alongside the U.S. Men’s National Team next month in the IFAF Americas Continental Championship in Panama. 

Fans may find the full U.S. Women’s National Team’s schedule on usafootball.com. The U.S. will face Mexico in the finals Sunday morning at 1:00 a.m. ET. Games will be livestreamed on live.theworldgames.org. 

Quarterfinals: U.S. 33, Italy 12 

The U.S. Women’s National Team scored on its opening drive against Italy and never looked back. The Americans held a 27-0 lead at halftime that they extended to 33-0 before Italy scored twice toward the end of the game. Quarterback Vanita Krouch had a near-perfect performance, completing 12 of 13 pass attempts for 156 yards, three touchdowns and two extra points.  

Backup quarterback and versatile playmaker Maci Joncich took the offense’s reins in the second half. She completed eight of 14 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Joncich also contributed as a wide receiver and running back, snagging three receptions for 26 yards and an extra point and carrying the ball once for ten yards.  

Madison Fulford was once again the offense’s top target. She made five receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Isabella Geraci and London Jenkins also joined in on the scoring. Geraci caught four passes for 44 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Jenkins made four receptions for 41 yards, a touchdown and an extra point.  

Ashlea Klam, who has emerged as a two-way player in recent games, contributed four receptions for 32 yards and an extra point. She also broke up a pass and pulled three flags on defense. Klam’s two-way capabilities are well-known in the college space, where she led all National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) players with 27 receiving touchdowns as a freshman and 14 interceptions as a sophomore. 

Deliah Autry-Jones continued her stellar performance in her second trip to The World Games by leading the U.S. in the quarterfinal with three pass breakups and seven flag pulls. Ashley Edwards added a pair of broken up passes. Four-time NAIA national champion Addison Orsborn contributed three pressures and a sack in the victory.  

Semifinals: U.S. 46, Austria 39 

The U.S. Women’s National Team previously defeated Austria in a 48-34 comeback win during group play. In that game, the U.S. trailed 20-21 at halftime before the offense came storming back in the second half. The rematch proved even more dramatic.  

After being down 6-19 at one point, the U.S. pulled back to make the score 20-25 heading into halftime. Just like in the previous matchup, the U.S. scored on the first drive of the second half and never again trailed. However, as the two offenses continued exchanging scores, Austria tied the game at 39-39 with 1:21 remaining in the second half.  

The U.S. responded with a four-play scoring drive resulting in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Joncich to Geraci. Krouch found Joncich on the extra point attempt to put the U.S. up 46-39. The drive was so quick and efficient that it left Austria with 47 seconds to go the length of the field. 

Austria got within the five-yard line in six plays and let the game clock run down to one second before taking their final timeout. Betting everything on a final fourth down play, Austria’s pass fell incomplete. Cheers from the Americans quickly turned to groans as a defensive pass interference call gave the Austrians a second chance. A subsequent offside call on the U.S. brought the line of scrimmage within a foot of the goal line.  

Austria lined up with their five offensive players bunched together. The U.S. responded with four players on the line and Orsborn off the ball at her rusher position. Austria attempted a quick forward toss, but Autry-Jones arrived with impeccable timing to contest the catch. The ball tumbled out from the sea of bodies, landing incomplete. No flags. The U.S. advanced to the Gold Medal Match.  

“My mindset never changes. I don’t care what the scoreboard reflects,” Fulford said after the win. “I’m going to go out there and ball as hard [as possible] at all times.” 

“That’s the same for me,” Geraci added. “We have a team goal, and we focus on that the entire game, no matter what the score says.” 

During the high-scoring game, Krouch completed 27 of 34 pass attempts for 318 yards, five touchdowns, four extra points and an interception. Jonich completed both of her pass attempts for 17 yards and two touchdowns. She also carried the ball twice for 32 yards and made two catches for 12 yards and an extra point.  

Fulford and her elite field-stretching speed generated 13 receptions for 157 yards, three touchdowns and an extra point. Geraci also turned in a stellar performance, snagging seven passes for 87 yards, three touchdowns, and an extra point.  

Klam, who played more snaps than any other American in the game, contributed six receptions for 76 yards, a touchdown and an extra point on offense and four flag pulls and two passes defended on defense.  

Autry-Jones and Laneah Bryan led the way for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s secondary. Bryan pulled five flags and broke up three passes, while Autry-Jones pulled six flags and broke up a pair of passes. Edwards added six flag pulls and a pass defended, and Amber Clark-Robinson pulled two flags. Orsborn contributed five pressures as the team’s primary rusher.  

Assets for use – Please courtesy USA Football:   

• USA Football logos for editorial use are available at this link.   

• Highlight video from the U.S. National Teams’ gold medal winning performances at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships for use is available at this link.   

• USA Footballs’ 2025 U.S. National Team Media Guide.  

2025 U.S. Women’s Flag National Team Roster   

Name; Position; Hometown (Current Residence)  

Deliah Autry-Jones; DB/WR; Tampa, Fla. (Tampa, Fla.)  

Laneah Bryan; DB/WR; El Paso, Texas (El Paso, Texas)  

Amber Clark-Robinson; DB/WR; Greenville, N.C. (Kansas City, Kan.)  

Ashley Edwards; DB/WR; San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio, Texas)  

Madison Fulford; WR/DB; Charlotte, N.C. (Round Rock, Texas)  

Isabella Geraci; WR/DB; North Ridgeville, Ohio (North Ridgeville, Ohio)  

Brianna Hernandez-Silva; DB/WR; Las Vegas, Nev. (Cedar Park, Texas)  

London Jenkins; WR/DB: Jacksonville, Fla. (Jacksonville, Fla.)  

Maci Joncich; WR/QB; Henderson, Nev. (Gainesville, Fla.)  

Ashlea Klam; C/DB; Austin, Texas (West Palm Beach, Fla.)  

Vanita Krouch; QB; Carrollton, Texas (Carrollton, Texas)  

Addison Orsborn; Rush/WR; Round Rock, Texas (Ottawa, Kan.)  

2025 U.S. Women’s Flag Alternates   

Ariel Blair; DB/WR; El Paso, Texas (El Paso, Texas)  

Jacci Crowe; WR/DB; Lake Forest, Calif. (Lake Forest, Calif.)  

Valentina Fanetti; QB; Middelton, N.J. (West Palm Beach, Fla.)  

Alexandra Harris; WR/DB; Miami, Fla. (Miami, Fla.)  

Sarah Massucci; WR/DB; Wichita, Kan. (Denver, Colo.)  

Janae Scott; DB/WR; Tallahassee, Fla. (Thomasville, Ga.)  

Head Coach: Saaid Mortazavi  

Assistant Coach: Mary Kate Bula  

Assistant Coach: Matthew Hernandez  

About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.