Brittany Basinger, a Purcellville resident who attends Woodgrove High School, has earned a starting role in each of the United States’ first two games at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, being contested through Oct. 13 in Azerbaijan.

Basinger assisted on the final goal in the United States’ 6-0 victory against Gambia on Sept. 25. The United States played France to a scoreless draw Sept. 22 in their first World Cup game.

The United States, competing in Group B of the 16-team tournament, will close out the first round Sept. 29 against North Korea. The match kicks off at 8 a.m. EST and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

The top two teams in Group B will advance to the quarterfinal round. North Korea and the U.S. are tied atop the group standings with 1-0-1 records, followed by France (0-0-2) and Gambia (0-2-0).

Basinger, a defender, helped Woodgrove win the 2012 Virginia AA state girls soccer championship in the spring. She also plays for FC Virginia and has already verbally committed to continue her soccer career at Penn State University.

Click here to read a story about Basinger that appears on the http://www.ussoccer.com site.