Hawai'i high school soccer star Tani Costa, who was tabbed to play for the United States in the under-17 World Cup, has a stress fracture in her left ankle will not be able to play in the world-class event.

"She cried all night," her father, Derek Costa said.

Tani is a two-time Advertiser All-State first team selection for Kalani High School. She learned last week of her inclusion on the roster for the World Cup. Costa was the first player from Hawai'i to receive an invite to the Under-17 National team. It is the first World Cup at this age level.

Tani and Derek went to Kapi'olani Park Monday for light workouts and she complained of pain.

"I asked her what her pain level was on a scale of one to 10, and she said, 'eight,' " Derek said. "Right then I stopped her and took her to the doctor."

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a stress fracture on the talis bone of her left ankle. Tani will be in a cast for four weeks.

"Tani is heartbroken," about missing the World Cup, Derek said, but looking to the future, it was a blessing in disguise, because if the ankle had broken it could be a career-ending injury.

"She wanted to tape it up and go," Derek said. "The good news is it's 100 percent fixable because we caught it in time."

He said Tani is in "good spirits. Now her new goal is the make it to the Olympics. She wants to make it to the Olympics with a vengeance now."

Derek said doctors told them that it was a cumulative fracture from the constant pounding. She had also been experiencing pain in her Achilles tendon of the same foot for several months, likely a result of it compensating for the fracture.

Tani has been a member of the under-17 team for the past two years. She verbally committed to play soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions in the fall of 2009.