Dec. 8, 2008

SANTIAGO, Chile - The U.S. U-20 Women's National team, with UNLV head coach Kat Mertz on the coaching staff as an assistant coach, won the 2008 FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday afternoon, after claiming a 2-1 victory over North Korea in the championship game from Santiago, Chile.

The USA squad scored two goals in the first half to earn the victory, giving the U-20 team its first-ever world championship. The victory came against the defending champions, as North Korea won the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

Mertz started her association with the Under-20 National team in the summer of 2007, when she was an assistant coach in the team's training camp that was help in Maryland. She then became part of the coaching staff earlier this year and helped see them qualify for the FIFA World Cup, as well as helping them to the championship game of the CONCACAF Tournament in Mexico this summer.