Note: USSoccer.com added to this story

CHICAGO – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team will face Paraguay, Ghana and Japan in Group D at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, taking place at four stadiums in Jordan from Sept. 30-Oct. 21.

On the United States roster will be 14 year old Lia Godfrey, a freshman at Fleming Island High School.

“I was overwhelmed when I got the call to travel with the Under-17 team,” said Godfrey, a standout at Lakeside Junior High in both soccer and track most recently listed on the U.S. Under-15 girls national team as a forward. “I’ve been to other camps including the

Under-17s all summer. It’s an honor that I hope I can represent to the best of my ability.”

Godfrey, who has two games under her belt with the Under-17 team prior to her selection to attend the World Cup, has been a soccer prodigy since her seventh grade days at Lakeside, but has recently amped her game with club soccer action at the Clay County Soccer Club in Eagle Harbor. Known for her outstanding foot skills on top of her footspeed on the pitch, Godfrey thinks her inclusion to the national team is more of a challenge to the other girls on the team.

“I really think they chose me to kind of challenge the older 16, 17 year old girls a little as we head into the World Cup games,” said Godfrey, who was preparing to leave on Sunday, September 18 for a five-week stint in the Middle East. “I played in two games against Venezuela in Tampa; 63 minutes (August 30, 4-0 win) and 46 minutes (Sept. 2, a 5-1 win) in the other, and got to feel the tempo and speed of the game. I hope to make the best of whatever opportunity I get in the games. Soccer around the world has very unique styles; South American, European and Middle Eastern soccer is very different.”

Godfrey, a frequent flyer with her soccer ambitions with camps around the nation, sees this trip as a little more intense with the level of competition on the agenda.

“We will go to Cypress for a week long training camp prior to the tournament,” said Godfrey. “Once the tournament starts, as long as we keep winning, it could last up to five weeks of tournament play.”

One aspect of being a freshman high schooler on the team is her studies where Godfrey is in the Fleming Island AICE program with many of her classes involving lots of study and homework.

“The school and my teachers have been great preparing me for the trip as far as studies,” said Godfrey. “Most of it will be on-line type of study so I have to try and focus a little on that and on soccer as the days go by.”

Officially, among the teams expected to compete in Jordan are European champion Germany, defending champion Japan and Korea DPR, the 2008 U-17 Women’s World Cup winners and 2012 runners-up, who all earned the seeds across the four groups. In Group A, Jordan drew Spain, Mexico and New Zealand. Group B features Venezuela, Germany, Cameroon and Canada. Group C features Nigeria, Brazil, England and Korea DPR.

The U.S. plays its first Group D match against Paraguay on Oct. 1 at Prince Mohammed International Stadium in Al Zarqa (4 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET) before facing Ghana on Oct. 4 at King Abdullah II International Stadium in Amman (4 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET). The USA will finish group play on Oct. 8 against Japan at Amman International Stadium (7 p.m. local / Noon ET).