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Cabrera Leaving As U.S. U-17 CoachUS Soccer has announced that Wilmer Cabrera will
leave his post as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National
Team after the two sides mutually agreed to part ways. Top of PageU.S. U17s Win CONCACAF Title In OTMONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Feb. 27, 2011) — The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team earned its first CONCACAF U-17 Championship title since 1992 with a 3-0 victory in overtime against Canada at Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, Jamaica. After a scoreless draw in regulation, the U.S. got goals in overtime from Nathan Smith, Andrew Oliver and Alfred Koroma to secure the win. Canada hadn’t allowed a single goal in their previous four matches and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau held the U.S. scoreless for 90 minutes, but only two minutes into overtime Smith uncorked a highlight-reel goal for the game-winner. Collecting the ball in midfield, Smith took a couple touches to his right before unleashing a 35-yard strike past the outstretched arms of a diving Crepeau and into the upper right corner where it deflected in off the post. The goal was Smith’s first-ever with the U-17 Men's National Team. With momentum definitely on their side, the U.S. continued to press forward and eight minutes later Oliver got beyond the Canadian backline with a quick throw-in from Jack McBean along the left sideline and finished the breakaway for his fourth goal of the tournament. Koroma, who came on as a substitute in the second half, put the game out of reach when he found the back of the net in the 119th minute off the third assist of the night by McBean. “It was a good final and Canada was a great opponent,” said U.S. head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “A lot of things happen in finals and I'm really happy about this one. This is the first time we've won a championship like this at this level and I'm proud of the kids and the work they did. To come here, play five games and win all five shows that they've been doing a good job and working hard.” The regional title is the USA’s third overall, having won the tournament in 1992 and also in 1983 when it was a U-16 championship. CONCACAF did not crown a champion from 1996-2007, opting for separate qualifying groups that did not crossover to play for a championship title. In 2009, the current format was re-instated but, due to concerns of the H1N1 virus in Mexico, the semifinals and finals of the tournament were canceled. Under Cabrera, the U.S. Under-17s are undefeated in CONCACAF U-17 qualifying with an 8-0-0 record during in the past two cycles and has 24 goals scored compared to only five against. The U.S., along with host Mexico, Canada, Jamaica and Panama, will find out their opponents for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup on May 17 when the official draw is held in Mexico City. The U.S. is the only country that has qualified for all 14 FIFA U-17 World Cups. Including the five CONCACAF representatives, a total of 14 countries have qualified for the 24-team tournament that will take place from June 18-July 10 in seven cities in Mexico. The nine other countries that have earned a berth are Australia, Korea DPR, Japan and Uzbekistan from Asia; Burkina Faso, Congo, Ivory Coast and Rwanda from Africa; and New Zealand from Oceania. The remaining qualifying spots will come from South America, which will provide four teams, and Europe, which will provide six teams. Late in the match, two red cards were handed out to Canada’s Marco Lapenna and the U.S.’s Oliver after a scuffle between the two got heated along the sideline. Both players will miss the first game of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. -- U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team Game Report -- Match-up: U.S. U-17 MNT vs. Canada Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F USA – Nathan Smith 92nd minute Lineups: CAN: 1-Maxime Crepeau; 2-Samuel Piette, 5-Daniel Stanese, 6-Parker Seymour,
7-Marco Lapenna, 8-Bryce Anderson (capt.) (9-Sadi Jalali, 101), 10-Keven
Aleman, 11-Christopher Nanco, 13-Luca Gasparotto, 16-Jay Chapman (15-Jordan
Hamilton, 56), 20-Michael Petrasso (19-Wesley Cain, 67) Stats Summary: USA / CAN Misconduct Summary: Top of PagePelosi Leads U.S. U17s To CONCACAF FinalMONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Feb. 25, 2011) – A goal and
assist from captain Marc Pelosi paced the U.S. to a 2-0
victory against hosts Jamaica the semifinal of the 2011 CONCACAF U-17
Championship. Andrew Oliver added his third of the tournament and the
United States posted their second shutout in advancing to the final. Scoring Summary: 1 2 F JAM: 1-Richard Trench, 2-Oshane Jenkins, 3-Kemo Wallace, 5-Alvas Powell,
6-Quante Smith, 7-Romario Williams, 9-Omar Holness (capt.), 10-Jason Wright,
11-Andre Lewis (19-Cardell Benbow, 65), 12-Patrick Palmer, 14-Jevani Brown
(8-Romario Jones, 74) Stats Summary: USA / JAM Top of PageU.S. U17s Headed To World CupSubstitute Mario Rodriguez and Marc Pelosi scored in overtime and the USA then survived two red cards and a penalty kick to defeat El Salvador, 3-2, in the CONCACAF Under-17 quarterfinals and keep its streak intact of having qualified for every Under-17 World Cup. Pelosi fed Rodriguez on the counterattack, and Rodriguez, open on the right wing, did not miss to give the USA a 2-1 lead in the 95th minute. Halfway through the second overtime, Pelosi made it 3-1 when he scored with his left foot after Alejandro Guido beat two defenders and drove a low cross to the near post. Guido had scored on a header to give the USA the lead in the fourth minute, but El Salvador responded five minutes later on a goal by Jose Pina. Following Pelosi's goal, the fireworks began. First, U.S. left back Kellyn Acosta was sent off for picking up his second yellow card, and then U.S. goalie Fernando Pina was ejected for a foul on Salvadoran captain Diego Galdamez in the box, reducing the USA to nine men. Pena was then sent off for retaliating against Pina, who was shown his red card as he was stretchered off the field. Jamaican referee Valdin Legister had not yet allowed the USA's third substitution waiting to enter the game at the midfield area, so backup goalie Kendall McIntosh came in and Guido went out. Geraldo Iraheta converted the penalty kick to reduce the U.S. lead to 3-2, but El Salvador never threatened in the three and a half minutes of stoppage time. The game finished with three red cards and 10 yellow cards. “Overall, I’m happy with the personality and determination that the players showed on the field,” said U.S. coach Wilmer Cabrera. “It’s a good win for us. We’re in the World Cup. We came here to prove what we can accomplish in three games and we made it to the World Cup. Now we’re one of the four top teams and tomorrow we’ll think about what’s next.” The Under-17 World Cup will be played June 18-July 10 in Mexico. “It’s the best feeling," Guido said of qualifying for the world championship. "It’s everything I’ve ever wanted, everything the team’s wanted. Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to go to a World Cup and especially this one because it’s in Mexico. It’s the best feeling in the world.” The USA will face Wednesday's winner of the Jamaica-Honduras game in the CONCACAF semifinals on Friday (TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com, live, 7 pm ET). Panama won Tuesday's opening quarterfinal with a 1-0 victory over Costa
Rica. Top of PageOliver’s Goal Beats Panama 1-0 MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Feb. 18, 2011) – Andrew
Oliver scored the game’s only goal as the U.S. defeated
Panama 1-0 to capture Group B of the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.
Oliver’s second strike of the tournament gave the United States
six points from two matches, the team having collected a 3-1 victory against
Cuba in their opening match. The U.S. is looking to continue its streak of being the only nation to
have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. It participated
in the 2009 event for the 13th consecutive time. Match-up: U.S. U-17 MNT vs. Panama Scoring Summary: 1 2 F PAN: 1-Ivan Picart; 2-Eric Francisco, 5-Roberto Chen (capt.), 7-Dario
Wright, 10-Darwin Pinzon (9-Omar Browne, 61), 11-Aldair Paredes, 13-Francisco
Narbon, 16-Alonzo Goot, 17-Bryan Santamaria (18-Jorman Aguilar, 82), 19-Alfredo
Stephens (21-Gilberto Villa, 90+1), 20-Alexander Gonzalez Stats Summary: USA / PAN Top of PageU. S. Opens U17 Qualifying With 3-1 WinMONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Feb. 14, 2011) — Andrew
Oliver delivered a goal and an assist as the U.S. Under-17 Men’s
National Team earned a 3-1 win against Cuba in their opening group match
of the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship. Alfred Koroma
opened the scoring and Esteban Rodriguez added a third
GOAL as the U.S. improved their unbeaten record against Cuba in U-17 qualifying
to 4-0-2 lifetime. In the opening game of the tournament, played just before the USA’s
game, Costa Rica topped Haiti 3-1 to take control of Group A. Groups A
and B both continue play on Wednesday when Haiti faces El Salvador and
Cuba plays Panama. Match: U.S. U-17 MNT vs. Cuba Scoring Summary: 1 2 F CUB: 1-Sandy Sanchez; 3-Emmanuel Labrada, 4-Adrian Diz (capt.), 5-Brian
Rosales, 7-Kianz Froese, 8-Yolexis Collado (2-Alejandro Cala, 52), 9-Dairon
Perez (15-Osmani Capote, 71), 13-Sajay Herrera (10-Frank Lopez, 60), 14-Yosel
Piedra, 16-Javier Aguilar, 17-Lazaro Mezquia Stats Summary: USA / CUB Top of PageCabrera Picks Roster For CONCACAF QualifierCHICAGO – U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach Wilmer Cabrera has finalized his 20-player roster for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The U.S. team will travel to Jamaica on Saturday, Feb. 12, ahead of its opening Group B match against Cuba on Monday, Feb. 14, at Catherine Hall Stadium at 3 p.m. ET. The U-17s round out play in the three-team group on Friday, Feb. 18, against Panama with a 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Jarrett Park. Fans can follow all of the U.S. games on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker with updates on Twitter @ussoccer_ynt. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals with
Group B set to crossover against Group A which is made up of Costa Rica,
El Salvador, and Haiti. The winner of Group B will face the second-place
finisher in Group A, and vice versa. The quarterfinal winners will move
on to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico. More than half of the players on Cabrera’s roster are part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, with a total of 13 playing for clubs across all four conferences. The roster also includes seven players that have been in U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., since the start of this two-year cycle. Alejandro Guido, Andrew Oliver, Marc Pelosi, Fernando Piña, Mario Rodriguez, Nathan Smith and Andrew Souders are all currently in their fourth semester. “We’re going with the guys who we think are ready to participate in this tournament,” said Cabrera. “These are our top 20 players right now and we hope they can prove themselves at this event. They know what to do, and have a very good concept of what we need as a team.” Pelosi leads the current group in goals and caps, having scored six times in 20 international appearances at the U-17 level. Pelosi scored a hat trick in the team’s most recent international game, a 6-0 win against fellow CONCACAF side Honduras on Jan. 30, in Bradenton. He will be joined in midfield by Esteban Rodriguez and Tarik Salkicic who also bring a wealth of experience at the international level with 14 and 16 caps, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, Jordan Allen is the newcomer to the team, having joined Residency in January. Rounding out the group of midfielders is the lone player on the roster not currently part of the Residency Program. Matt Dunn, a Dallas native, is part of the FC Köln set up in Germany but has been training with the team in Florida since January, and was part of the team that competed at the Nike International Friendlies in Phoenix last December. Souders wore the captain’s armband for the U.S. during the Friendlies and his 17 caps lead an experienced group of defenders. Smith has made 16 international appearances during his two years in Residency, while Mobi Fehr has played in nine international games since joining the program from Tokyo in August of 2010. Kellyn Acosta, one of only three players born in 1995 on the U.S. roster, has made his presence felt on the left flank, with Joe Amon and Zach Carroll solidifying the back line. The lone professional player on the roster, Jack McBean of the LA Galaxy signed a Homegrown Player contract in January. The Southern California native is one of the least experienced at the international level, in contrast to fellow forward Mario Rodriguez who has appeared 18 times for the U-17s. Alfred Koroma rejoined the U.S. team after a year-long absence from Residency and scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win on Jan. 30 against Jamaica. Andrew Oliver and Paul Arriola round out the group of forwards who combined have scored eight goals through the first three games of 2011. Fernando Piña has emerged as the top-choice goalkeeper for Cabrera’s squad and holds a career goals against average of just 1.15 in 13 international games. Kendall McIntosh has proven to be a solid backup, with the most recent of his five appearances coming in a Jan. 27 shutout of Jamaica. “The good thing is that we have been to Montego Bay so we know what the travel, the fields, the weather, and the environment is like there,” said Cabrera, referencing the team's trip to Jamaica in late January which included nineteen players on the qualifying roster. “We’ll get there for this event on the same day as everyone else. We’re all going to be there two days before, but we went two week ago and played there, so we know what kind of environment we’re going to be going into.” In Jamaica, the U.S. will be looking to continue its record as the only country to have qualified for all 13 editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Two years ago at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico, the U.S. won all three of its group games to advance to the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup before the semifinals and final of the tournament were canceled because of precautionary measures surrounding the H1N1 virus. U.S. Under-17 MNT Roster by Position GOALKEEPERS (2): Kendall McIntosh (Mustang Academy;
Santa Rosa, Calif.), Fernando Piña (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas)
U.S. Under-17 MNT CONCACAF U-17 Championship Schedule Date Opponent Kickoff (ET) Venue Top of PageTouching Post-Match Moment Caps U.S. U-17 WNT VictoryThe U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team opened the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championships with a 9-0 victory against Haiti as forward Lindsey Horan led the team with four goals and two assists. While the USA scored several artistic goals, the most amazing moment from the game came after the final whistle as Haitian goalkeeper Alexandra Coby slumped to the turf in tears. Her coach helped her to her feet, and while still sobbing, she saw U.S. goalkeeper Bryane Heaberlin walking toward her. Coby embraced Heaberlin in a tight hug and held on. What followed was a rare sight in sports and an emotional and memorable moment for the young Americans players. All the U.S. players surrounded Coby and Heaberlin in a huge group hug that lasted at least 90 seconds. When it broke up, the entire U.S. team left the field in tears. “I saw her crying and that was pretty hard for me to see,” said Heaberlin. “She’s a ‘keeper and we have that bond. I knew that she had probably lost people close to her, and when she goes home she might not have anywhere to go. I gave her a big hug and told her she did great. She came to compete in this tournament despite all that she’s been through and I have tremendous respect for her.” “It just put everything into perspective,” said U.S. defender Olivia Brannon, who played the 90 minutes at right back. “It makes you realize what is truly important, your family, having a roof over your head, and having food on the table. We take all those things for granted. I had my mom in the stands cheering for me tonight. Some of these girls might never have that again.” Haiti’s participation in the tournament despite the tragic earthquake has been an inspiration to all the teams in the competition. While the Haitians showed tremendous fight, the U.S. players were just too strong and fast for the their Caribbean counterparts. The USA’s first attack of the match yielded the first goal just 92 seconds into the match. Horan burst into the right side of the penalty box with a nifty dribble and then laid ball back across the six yard line. Flank midfielder Alex Doll then pounded the bouncing ball into the roof of the net. Almost the entire match was played inside Haiti’s defensive half,
with the U.S. team possessing the ball quickly and playing rhythmical
soccer through and around a packed defensive third. The USA sits atop Group A as Costa Rica defeated the Cayman Islands, 7-0, in the second group match of the evening. The USA is playing for a berth to the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The two semifinal winners will qualify for that tournament being held in Trinidad & Tobago in September. The USA’s next Group A game is against the Cayman Islands on March 12, a match that can be seen live at 6 p.m. ET via a video web stream on CONCACAF.com and on tape-delayed basis on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m. ET. The USA will finish group play against Costa Rica on March 14 in a match that will also be streamed live on CONCACAF.com at 9:30 p.m. ET and shown tape-delayed on FSC on March 15 at 3 p.m. ET. - Under-17 Women’s National Team Match Report - Match: U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team vs.
Haiti Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA – Alex Doll (Lindsey Horan) 2nd minute. Lineups: HAI: 1-Alexandra Coby, 3-Sobonie Derosin, 6-Jean-Baptiste
Dieunise (9-Sindy Jeune, 50), 8-Gerthrude Saint-Jacques, 10-Hayana Jean-Francois
– Capt., 11-Clorene Rateau, 13-Yvrose Gervil (4-Marie-Carmelle Jeudi,
57), 15-Yves-Laure Jean, 18-Roselord Borgella, 20-Clarette Rateau, 21-Yolande
Merone (14-Melissa Peirre-Louis, 59) Statistical Summary: USA / HAI Misconduct Summary: Top of PageUS U17s Lose to SpainKANO, Nigeria (Oct. 26, 2009) - The U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team took advantage of an early red card to Spain to get on the scoreboard in the fourth minute of their opening game of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but the seven-time European champions soon showed their class in clawing back two goals of their own to take a 2-1 victory at Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano. With the result, the U.S. is now 6-7-0 in FIFA U-17 World Cup openers, and 4-7-2 at the event against European teams. Five of their last eight matches at the event have come against UEFA foes, and the U.S. has come away with a 2-3-0 record. ?? The two group favorites played a crowd-pleasing match up and down the pitch. The U.S. started the match on the attack, taking it to the Spaniards down the right side. Luis Gil launched a deep ball for Jack McInerney to run onto, and run onto it he did—clearly beating Spanish defender Sergi Gomez, who could do little but try to tackle the ball away from behind. The resulting foul was an obvious red card for denying the goal-scoring opportunity, and Spain quickly found themselves down a man in the second minute. ?? Two minutes later, the U.S. took full advantage with a goal by McInerney, who challenged the Spanish goalkeeper on a high, lofted ball from Marlon Duran off a throw-in. The high cross fell through the hands of Edgar at the edge of his six-yard box and McInerney only had to tap the ball across the line behind the goalkeeper. The goal was a team-leading tenth in 2009 for the forward from Alpharetta, Ga. ? Both of Spain’s goals came in the first half, in the 22nd and 30th minutes. “I think it was a very good match," U.S. head coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "We had to play against one of the favorite teams, and we started off with some positive things, we scored quickly. They reacted very well, they had a brilliant 10 minutes and they put themselves in a good position. “After that obviously our kids started to react, to put pressure on Spain and start to come back, but they (Spain) did a very good job defending. We tried to play and we created options but we didn’t score. When they had the opportunities, they were clinical with their finishing. That’s why they are at that level right now." With the loss, the U.S. falls to third after Matchday 1 of Group E after Matchday 1 of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, ahead of Malawi, who fell to the United Arab Emirates 2-0 earlier in the day. Spain takes second in the group, behind U.A.E. The U.S. will look to rebound against Malawi in their next match on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU, Galavision and ESPN360.com. Fans can also follow along with ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and at twitter.com/ussoccer. U.S. U-17 Men's National Team Match Report Match: U.S. U-17 MNT vs. Spain? USA – Jack McInerney (Marlon Duran) 4th minute?ESP – Borja
(Pablo Sarabia) 22?ESP – Pablo Sarabia (Borja) 30 Top of PageRemainder of U-17 Championships CancelledNEW YORK (Monday, 27 April 2009) – Due to the growing concerns about the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer announced Monday that the remainder of the confederation’s Under-17 Championship in Tijuana has been cancelled and the second-leg of the CONCACAF Champions League£ finals has been postponed. Mexican authorities previously had closed schools in Mexico City and on Monday extended that decision nationwide. Based on the actions of the Mexican government, CONCACAF responded to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans. Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the USA all had clinched berths the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2009, and were to play the semifinals on Wednesday with the championship and third-place match scheduled for Saturday. The four semifinalists will advance to the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria from 24 October - 15 November. The second-leg of the CONCACAF Champions League£ finals between CD SC Cruz Azul (MEX) and Atlante FC (MEX) was to be played Wednesday in Cancun, but that game now will be delayed until Tuesday, 12 May at 9 p.m. local (10 p.m. EDT). Atlante leads the two-game title series 2-0 from its opening win in Mexico City last Wednesday. The CONCACAF Beach Championship in Puerto Vallarta, scheduled to begin Wednesday and continue through Sunday, is under review with a final decision expected Tuesday. Top of PageUSA U-17s Win GroupThe USA completed group play at the Under-17 CONCACAF Championship with another offensive display, scoring three first-half goals en route to a 3-0 victory over Honduras Saturday in Tijuana. It gave the Americans three wins and 12 goals in three outings. With a berth to the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria locked up, Coach Wilmer Cabrera started new players against Honduras, which has lost all six matches it has played against the USA at the U-17 qualifiers. Nicholas Palodichuck, who had not played in either of the first two games, scored the first and third goals for the USA. Jack McInerney added a goal in the 28th minute, bringing his total to five goals in three games. Palodichuk's first goal came in the 28th minute when he pounced on the rebound of Joseph Gyau's hard shot that Honduras goalkeeper Jesus Rivera did well to parry. Eight minutes later, McInerney received a ball from Gyau on the left side of the penalty area, took two touches to get inside the box and curled his shot around Rivera and inside the far post. Palodichuk completed the scoring in stoppage time of the first half, striking with the outside of his left foot from 25 yards after McInerney laid the ball off to him. With Dustin Corea and Emilio Orozco both entering the game at the start of the second half, all 20 players on the U.S. roster saw action during the group phase. "It was a pretty match," said Cabrera. "We had six players play who were not starters and with the other five players, we confronted a Honduran team who knew they had qualified already and that probably changed their perspective of the game. Our first objective was to qualify for the World Cup. Our second objective was to play the greatest number of players possible. We have accomplished our tasks and we have done it by winning." Cuba's 2-1 win over Canada earlier on Saturday had clinched the Catrachos' place in Nigeria. Other qualifiers for Nigeria '09 include New Zealand, which won the Oceania bid on Friday afternoon, Nigeria, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Malawi representing Africa, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan from Asia. The South American tournament is currently underway in Inquique, Chile. Match: U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team vs. Honduras Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA – Nicholas Palodichuk (Joseph Gyau) 28th minute Lineups: HON: 1-Jesus Rivera Coto; 3-John Rivera Reyes, 4-Ever Alvarado, 5-Helder
Martinez Reyes, 7-Wilmer Fuentes (9-Diego Rodriguez, 66), 10-Alexander
Agustin Lopez, 11-Antony Lozano Colon (capt.) (17-Jose Sanchez Paz, 80),
13-Jose Tobias Chavez, 14-Allan Rivas Flores, 16-Jair Aragon Castellon
(8-Roberto Lopez Mejia, 46), 18-Nestor Martinez Stats Summary: USA / HON Misconduct Summary: ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Top of PageU.S. U-17 MNT Beats Canada 4-2TIJUANA, Mexico (April 23, 2009) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team defeated Canada 4-2 on Thursday evening earn a place in the semifinals of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and one of the region’s four berths to the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The U.S. is the only country to qualify for every FIFA U-17 World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1985. Wilmer Cabrera’s team will head to Nigeria for the tournament from Oct. 24-Nov. 15, as 24 teams from around the world converge on the west-African country with a hope of lifting the U-17 World Cup trophy. The U.S. has a chance to clinch the top spot in Group A with a win or a tie against Honduras on Saturday, April 25, at 4 p.m. PT. Fans can follow Saturday’s game live from Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. "We succeeded in qualifying based on the results of the two games and we have played well, both individually and as a team," said Cabrera. "We are the first qualified team but we want to get to the final of this tournament. “We will continue to work and we have an important game against Honduras that is the game that will decide who will be first in the group. Honduras is going to be playing to qualify, therefore it should be a very intense game." Jack McInerney once again took control of the offense, netting two more goals to take his tally to four in two games, a tournament high. McInerney’s first goal was a penalty kick in just the second minute and the forward added a highlight-reel goal in the 30th minute to help the U.S. to a 2-0 lead. The U.S. took a 3-0 halftime lead on Sebastian Lletget’s second goal of the tournament and rounded out the scoring with a second-half goal from substitute Joseph Gyau. McInerney’s first goal came via the penalty spot, after defender Eriq Zavaleta was fouled early in the game. The 6-foot 1-inch defender was in the box for a corner kick where he was pulled down by a Canadian defender. The referee did not hesitate to point to the spot, and McInerney hit his shot high to give the Canadian goalkeeper no chance. After halftime Canada turned up the pressure in search of something positive on offense. While the U.S. was trying to possess the ball in the midfield, Canada was successful on the counterattack, creating a number of opportunities before finally breaking through in the 70th minute. Francesco Augustin’s throw-in made it into the U.S. penalty area. After a scramble, Janiel Hoilett hit a low shot that sneaked past goalkeeper Earl Edwards to make the game 3-1. Cabrera made his third and final substitution in the 84th minute, bringing on Gyau for Gil. The change paid immediate dividends, with Gyau netting the fourth U.S. goal just seconds after entering the game. Canada wasted no time cutting the lead back to two, and in less than a minute later they capitalized on a U.S. mistake. Jared Watts attempted to head the ball back to Edwards, but the pass was too weak to reach the stranded goalkeeper. Canada’s Coulton Jackson ran around Watts and was able to touch the ball into the goal before Edwards could make the save. Canada, who drew Honduras 1-1 in its opening game, is still alive in the tournament, needing a win against Cuba on Saturday and a U.S. win against Honduras to have a chance of advancing to Nigeria. Cuba, who lost 6-0 to Honduras this afternoon, was mathematically eliminated from contention. Match: U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team vs. Canada Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA – Jack McInerney (penalty) 2nd minute Lineups: CAN: 1-Richard Causton, 2-Hugo Lapointe-Senecal (14-Coulton Jackson,
65), 3-Feras Samain, 4-Francesco Augustin, 5-Derrick Bassi, 7-Jonathan
Lao (13-Brennan McNicoll, 70), 8-Janeil Hoilett, 11-Russell Teibert (capt.),
12-Kevin Cobby, 19-Justin Maheu, 20-Karl Oumette Stats Summary: USA / CAN Misconduct Summary: ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Top of PageU-17's Open With Big WinThe United States Under-17 National Team beat Cuba 5-0 to start the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship. Stefan Jerome opened the scoring in the 31st minute for the USA. Jack McInerney made it 2-0 four minutes later, and Sebastian Lletget added a third in the 40th minute. McInerney got his second goal of the game in the 48th, and Luis Gil added a goal to his two assists in the 63rd to finish off the scoring. “At first we were a little hesitant, but as the game went on we took control and created opportunities,” U.S. coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “We took advantage of the opportunities that we had. We were very focused on the game and we had several good training sessions. “We had a good victory, but we can’t take anything away from Cuba, they were a great opponent and we must keep our heads in the game against Canada and Honduras.” U.S. keeper Earl Edwards got the shutout without having to make a save. In all, Cuba managed two shots with none on goal. The United States put eleven shots on goal from 16 taken, including McInerney hitting the woodwork twice in the opening 31 minutes. The United States plays Canada on Thursday at 7pm ET. Top of PageCabrera Names 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Qualifying RosterCHICAGO (April 16, 2009) – U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach Wilmer Cabrera has named 20 players who will represent the United States at the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship from April 21-May 2 in Tijuana, Mexico. The four semifinalists at the tournament will qualify for the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which is slated for Nigeria from Oct. 24-Nov. 15. “We have been working for a year and a half on this roster,” said Cabrera, who is leading the U.S. through qualifying for the first time since joining the program in the fall of 2007. “At this point, the players have really decided for themselves who is going based on their performance. It’s difficult with 40 players and we had some tough decisions to make, but we did what we felt was best for the team.” All 20 players on the roster are currently part of U.S. Soccer’s Under-17 Residency Program, training daily under Cabrera and his assistant coaches at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. The U.S. is the only country to qualify for every FIFA U-17 World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1985. The U.S. will open its regional campaign against Cuba on April 21 at 4 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET) at Estadio Caliente. The U.S. will play Canada on April 23 and round out Group A play against Honduras on April 25, with both games also slated for 4 p.m. local time. Every U.S. match during the tournament can be followed live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. The top two finishers in Group A advance to the semifinals of the tournament and earn half of CONCACAF’s four berths to Nigeria. They will also cross over to play one of the top two teams from Group B, which is made up of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago. The semifinals will be played on April 29, with the final and third place match played on May 2. Earl Edwards, who has started seven of the team’s nine international games this year, will likely man the U.S. net, with Spencer Richey serving as a more than capable back up. Edwards has a 4-3 record on the year against some of the top teams in the world, including Spain and Argentina, and has appeared in 19 international matches in his U-17 career. Richey has only allowed one goal in his two starts in 2009. The goalkeepers will help to solidify a defense that includes captain Perry Kitchen, who, along with Jared Watts, has gained valuable experience this year with eight international caps. Zach Herold and Tyler Polak have each made six starts, rotating in with Alex Shinksy, who is among the team leaders with 15 career caps at the U-17 level. Emilio Orozco and Eriq Zavaleta, who has recently been manning the center of the back line with Watts, round out the defensive corps. In the midfield, Marlon Duran has been the stalwart, with the Texas native scoring twice on direct free kicks this year in seven starts. Carlos Martinez, who made his mark in his first two international games by scoring a goal against Russia and Brazil at the 2007 Nike Friendlies, leads the midfield contingent with 21 international appearances. Sebastian Lletget is the newest member of the Residency Program, having joined the team in Bradenton less than six weeks ago. He will likely step into a midfield position vacated by Charles Renken, who will miss the tournament with a knee injury. Rounding out the midfielders are Georgia native Andrew Craven, Washington Premier FC’s Nick Palodichuk and Luis Gil, who along with Shinsky is one of only two players born in 1993 on the roster. The U.S. attack will be fueled by Jack McInerney, who has scored four goals in four games this year and 11 goals in 20 career U-17 internationals. His goal scoring prowess will be supplemented by Stefan Jerome, who leads the team with three assists in 2009. Joseph Gyau, who enters qualifying as the most experienced forward with 24 caps, and Juan Agudelo, who has earned three starts already this year round out the selection of forwards along with Dustin Corea, whose recent form earned his place on the roster. Of the 20 player roster, eight are members of U.S. Soccer Development Academy Clubs. The State of California contributes the most players with four while Georgia, Florida, Indiana and Washington State send two each. The 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship will mark the first time since 1996 that a regional champion is crowned. The U.S. has won the championship twice at this level, in 1983 and 1992. When the qualifying tournament was held as two groups in separate venues, the U.S. won its group three times (2001, 2003, 2005). The U.S. is the only country to have qualified for all 12 FIFA Under-17 World Championships. In 2007, the American squad advanced to the knock out phase for the third straight time before falling to Germany in the Round of 16. Roster By Position Top of PageDiverse U17 Group Called To CampThree players from Florida, two from Georgia and one each from North Carolina, Maryland, Mississippi and Louisiana are among the list of 25 called into a week-long training camp at IMG Academies in Bradenton, FL. After this camp U.S. Under-17 MNT coach Wilmer Cabrera will make his final selection to fill a limited number of places for the fall semester at the U.S. Residency Program in Bradenton. All of the players in the national callup were born in 1992, which makes them eligible for the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup in Nigeria. Nine of the 25 come from U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs. U.S. U-17 Residency Trying Camp Top of PageU.S. U-17 Games Televised On FSCFox Soccer Channel will televise all three U.S. Under-17 ’92 Men’s National Team games during the 2007 Development Academy Nike Friendlies, which are taking place from Dec. 6-9 at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. All three matches are against international teams, with the U.S. U-17s taking on Brazil, Russia and Turkey during the weekend. The U.S. kicks off the weekend live on FSC when they go up against Russia on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. ET. Two days later, the U.S. will continue its familiar December match-up with Brazil for the third straight year, and fourth overall, at the Friendlies when the countries square off on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The U.S. will then face Turkey on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, which will be televised on a same-day delay at 8 p.m. ET. A total of 54 teams competing across the Under-15/16 and Under-17/18 age groups will participate in the 2007 Nike Friendlies. The U.S. Under-17 and Under-15 Mens’ National Teams will each be divided into two squads that will represent U.S. Soccer. The U-17 teams will be divided in to the U-17 ’91 MNT and the U-17 ’92 MNT, while the U-15 team will be made primarily of players born in 1993, and will play as the U-15 Blue and U-15 White teams. The U-17 ‘91s and the U-15 Boys’ National Team will compete against elite club teams. Along with the 81 games that will be played across the weekend, the 2007 edition of the annual event will focus on the development of players, coaches and referees at the international level. U.S. Soccer Symposiums will be conducted for domestic and international coaches and referees and will feature CONCACAF Coaching and Referee Symposiums. U.S. Soccer National Team Coaches and Referees will meet with Academy Coaches and Referees to review their individual development. Gatorade will be providing educational hydration testing for select Academy athletes to learn how proper in-game nutrition can help improve their performance. U.S. Soccer’s Nike Friendlies is an annual competition in which the best youth soccer clubs around the United States are invited to play high-level games that stress quality soccer and player development over wins and losses. Tournament standings are not kept during the competition, in which each U-15/16 team plays three 80-minute games, while U-17/18 teams play three 90-minute games over the four days. A full list of teams and complete schedule is available now at ussoccer.com. During the tournament, ussoccer.com will provide comprehensive coverage of the event including mini-match reports from every game played, photos and video. U.S. Soccer’s all_access video team, as well as Studio 90, the web show made popular during the 2006 World Cup, will be on site providing features and highlights. 2007 Development Academy Nike Friendlies Player Development and Identification National Team, Professional and College Scouts in Attendance Coaching and Referee Development CONCACAF Referee Academy U.S. Soccer Assessor Academy Top of PageCabrera Named U.S. U17 MNT CoachU.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati has named Wilmer Cabrera, a two-time World Cup veteran from Colombia, as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team. Cabrera, 40, will oversee U.S. Soccer’s U-17 Residency Program from Bradenton, Fla., where 40 of the country’s elite players reside year-round and train in a professional environment to help them develop and become talented players that climb the ladder in the men's national program. Gulati also announced that U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen’s contract has been extended through the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup cycle. "Wilmer is going to be a great addition to all of our player development initiatives,” said Gulati. “He has played at the highest level of the sport and will bring a unique perspective to our programs. He has been very involved in our youth national teams across the past year, and has done the work at the grassroots since relocating to the United States that make him an ideal candidate.” Cabrera, who earned his USSF A Coaching License in 2005, has been a member of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team staff since January of 2007, serving as an assistant coach under Bob Jenkins. He has been a part of a number of camps, including trips to Mexico, Portugal and Japan earlier this year. "I know the system, and I know our youth programs very well,” said Cabrera. “And this is a beautiful challenge for me and a great responsibility. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the developmental environment that is growing in the United States for youth players.” The former Colombian international is a veteran of two FIFA World Cups, being named to the roster in 1990 and playing in three matches in France in 1998. The defender earned a total of 48 caps during nine years with the national team, missing out on the 1994 World Cup in the USA because of an injury. He also represented Colombia at two FIFA U-20 World Cups (1985 in the Soviet Union and 1987 in Chile), starting all three games for the team in the 1987 tournament after being selected to the 1985 roster at age 17. Cabrera has coached at the U-17/18 level at the prestigious B/W Gottschee in Ridgewood, N.Y., one of 62 clubs chosen as an inaugural member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, since 2005. Cabrera began his professional career at Santa Fe de Bogatá in Colombia in 1985 at age 17. He went on to play professionally for 18 years in Colombia, Argentina and Costa Rica, highlighted by eight years with Colombia’s América de Cali. He was also a founding member of Chico Futbol Club in the mid-1990s, serving as the team’s first coach and helping guide them to promotion to the first division after just two years. In 2003, Cabrera moved to the United States and played for two years with the United Soccer League’s Long Island Rough Riders. He also worked in an administrative role at Major League Soccer, contributing to the growth of the sport through his position as Manager of Fan Development. In that role, he served as the spokesperson for MLS Futbolito and Verano MLS, two programs aimed at grassroots development of soccer in the United States. In his international career, Cabrera played against the United States in four official games, appearing as a sub on April 22, 1990, and July 31, 1992, both 1-0 victories for Colombia. He also started and played the full 90 minutes against the U.S. in a 0-0 draw on June 25, 1995, a memorable game that concluded the 1995 Nike U.S. Cup. He also went the distance in a 4-1 win for Colombia at the 1995 Copa America that denied the U.S. a third-place finish. Rongen led the Under-20 team in their exciting quarterfinal run in 2007 World Cup in Canada. He was also at the helm in the 2003 tournament where the U.S. finished in fifth place. “I am excited to be continuing with the Under-20 team,” said Rongen. “I want to thank the Federation for the opportunity to build on the success we have had in the past few years, and I look forward to moving on with the promising young players who will be working toward the 2009 U-20 World Cup.” Rongen will begin the two-year cycle by leading an Under-18 team in the Limoges Tournament in France in late October. The 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup will be held in Egypt. "Having Thomas back on board and having Wilmer join our Youth National Team staff is great for our program," said U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley. "It is very clear in the appointments that have been made this week that the focus within our Youth National Teams is about player development. It is important for us moving forward to continue to connect all of our programs, from the Development Academy through to the U.S. National Team." The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team is the only team in the world to have qualified for every World Cup at that age level, earning one fourth-place and two fifth-place finishes in five World Cup cycles since the launch of the U-17 Residency Program in 1999. Since the establishment of U-17 Residency almost nine years ago, the program has seen remarkable success in connecting players through U.S. Soccer’s National Team program and on to the full team. Of the 60 players capped by Bradley in 2007, 12 have been a part of the Under-17 Residency Program, a strong reflection of the programs development. Five players from the U-17 Residency Program (Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, Bobby Convey and Eddie Johnson) participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Top of PageU.S. U-17 Men Fall 2-1 To GermanyThe U.S. Under-17 Men's National team were knocked out of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup Thursday evening in Cheonan, South Korea, when they fell, 2-1, to Germany in the Round of 16. Forward Richard Sukuta-Pasu scored both goals in the
second half to lead Germany to victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.
U.S. defender Mykell Bates scored his third goal of the
tournament in second-half stoppage time to cut the lead to one, but Germany
was able to hold on in the final minute for the win. “Full credit goes to Germany,” said U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth. “They are an outstanding team and we wish them all the best going forward. We knew this game was going to be a bit of a chess match, and there would be times when they were coming at us. We didn’t play as well as we thought we could.” Without the services of forward Billy Schuler due to yellow card accumulation, Hackworth was forced to start his fourth different starting line-up in as many games. In place of Schuler, Kirk Urso, who scored the game-winning goal against Belgium that enabled the U.S. to advance, started up top with Ellis McLoughlin. Josh Lambo started in goal for the U.S. for the second straight match and came up with a number of dazzling stops to keep Germany off the board for a majority of the match. Lambo finished the game with eight saves and was named Man of the Match for the second consecutive game. Early in the game the teams exchanged possession, but Germany was the
only side able to penetrate through in their offensive third. Sukuta-Pasu
was dangerous for Germany all night, creating chances on long balls and
on the counter attack, often with his striking partner Toni Kroos. Germany’s high pressure defense gave the U.S. attack trouble as the Americans held a majority of the possession in the first half and it wasn’t until the 14th minute when the U.S. created a dangerous opportunity. Daniel Wenzel chipped a ball into the box for Alex Nimo, but the German defense was in the box to clear the ball away. In the 17th minute, a long Sheanon Williams throw-in
was played into the box, and cleared to the feet of midfielder
Jared Jeffrey, but his ball back into the box was cleared out
as well. In the 23rd minute a low Nimo free kick was also cleared by the
Germany defense. On the ensuing German counterattack, Sukuta-Pasu held
up the ball and slotted across goal. Lambo seemed to be beaten, but Brandon
Zimmerman did well to track back in front of the goal mouth,
and was able to play the ball out of danger. In the 41st minute, Kirk Urso fired a free kick on target from 30 yards
away, but German goalkeeper Rene Vollath was there to
make the save. In the USA’s final effort before half, Meyer lofted
a free kick into the box that found the head of Gregory Garza,
but his attempt went high and the teams went into the break deadlocked
in a scoreless draw. In the 54th minute, the U.S. built up an attack and Jeffrey played a
through ball for an overlapping Williams, but the U.S. defender couldn’t
quite catch up to the ball inside the box. Two minutes later, second-half
substitute Abdusalam Ibrahim was tripped up outside the German penalty
area, but Nimo’s shot on the ensuing free kick went wide. Germany’s first goal came minutes later, when Sukuta-Pasu received
a long ball from Kroos in stride, touched it around Meyer in the box and
beat Lambo high to put the Germans up 1-0. In the 78th minute, a Wenzel found the end of a Jeffrey free kick from the right side of the box, but his shot rolled harmlessly to Vollath. Wenzel had another opportunity three minutes later after a long free kick by Brandon Zimmerman, but this time his shot went wide. Germany increased the lead 2-0 when Kroos led a counterattack upfield,
slotting a ball perfectly for Sukuta-Pasu, who was able to beat Lambo
for the second time on the night. Participants: U.S. Under-17 MNT vs. Germany Scoring Summary: 1 2 F GER – Richard Sukuta-Pasu (Toni Kroos) 65th minute Lineups: Statistical Summary: USA / GER Misconduct Summary: Top of PageU.S. U17s Advance With Win Over BelgiumThe United States played its best match so far at the Under-17 World Cup in defeating Belgium 2-0 yesterday to close Group E. In the process, the Americans sneaked into the Round of 16 despite a 1-2 record. At Cheonan Sports Complex in South Korea, Reserve forward Kirk Urso's goal put the U.S. ahead of Belgium in the 63rd minute, but it was U.S. captain Mykell Bates' strike eight minutes later and a pair of sterling stops by goalkeeper Josh Lambo in the final 10 minutes that provided the winning margin needed to advance in this world tournament. When Tunisia (3-0), which had already advanced, scored late to defeat Tajikistan 1-0, it left the Tajiks, Americans and Belgium at 1-2 with three points. The U.S. and Tajikistan each had a minus-1 goal differential, the first tiebreaker, to minus-3 for Belgium. The U.S. was organized, stayed compact and was methodical over the entire 90 minutes. Its back-line was particularly effective giving Belgium few quality chances. When the Belgians managed two great chances at the end, Lambo came up big. U.S. coach John Hackworth made three changes in his starting lineup, two of which worked well. Midfielder Gregory Garza again started, as he did in the opening 4-2 setback to Tajikistan, while Lambo received his first start and played well. Defender Brandon Zimmerman, also was inserted in the starting 11 for the first time, but was less effective. As has been the story so far in this tournament, Brazilian referee Salvio Fagundes Filho was quite stern in his calls and very liberal in dishing out cards. In the 36th minute, Christian Benteke, one of Belgium's best players, slid cleats high into American Sheanon Williams. While the tackle was not malicious, it was reckless, earning a red card and leaving his side shorthanded and without one of its best attackers for the remaining time. The U.S. was able to take advantage of the manpower edge and pressured throughout the second half. It ended up recording 21 shots, including 12 on goal, its most during group play. However, the U.S. finishing was once again lacking with strikers Ellis McLoughlin and Billy Schuler unable to take advantage of quality chances. It took Urso, coming off the bench, to drill a hard shot at a sharp angle off the hands of Belgium keeper Jo Coppens and into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute. Eight minutes later, Bates, a central defender, found net with header off a nice cross by midfielder Gregory Garza off a short corner and the Americans had the goals they needed to remain in contention for the world championship. Lambo did the rest, deftly tipping Dmitri Daeseleire's angled tester from the left side over the crossbar in the 78th minute, then quickly dropped to his right to deny Eden Hazard's shot from just above the box three minutes into stoppage time. Had either shot gone in, the U.S. visit to South Korea would have been over. The U.S. reward was a Round-of-16 meeting in Cheonan with Germany (2-0-1),
the Group F winner which scored 11 goals, while conceding five. Top of PageU.S. U-17s Lose To Tunisia, 3-1HANGWON, South Korea (August 23, 2007) - The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team is on the verge of elimination from the FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup after taking their second loss in group play. The young Americans dropped a 3-1 decision to Tunisia, giving up a pair of penalty kicks, the first in the eighth minute of play and the second in extra time just before halftime. The loss followed an opening game upset by Tajikistan. The U.S. team, one of the tournament’s six seeded teams, is 0-2 going into the final group game on Sunday, Aug. 26 against Belgium. That game will be played at 3:00 am ET and televised on ESPNU. The U.S. cut the Tunisia lead with a 90th minute penalty kick of their own by Jared Jeffrey, but the game, for all practical purposes, was over. Tunisia stretched it to 3-1 with a goal four minutes into extra time before the final whistle. The U.S. went into the game with high hopes of advancing out of group play and moving into the knockout phase. However, the loss to Tajikistan, considered to be the weakest of the USA’s three group opponents, put Coach John Hackworth’s club back on its heels. Tunisia, which beat Belgium 4-2 to open the tournament, leads the group with two wins and six points. After the opening-game loss, it was thought that the U.S. would have
to earn at least a win and a draw in its last two games to advance. Sixteen
teams from the field of 24 will advance to the knockout round of 16. Top of PageTajikistan Stuns U.S. U17sCHANGWON, South Korea (August 20, 2007) - The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team took early leads in the first and second halves during their opening match in Group E of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but Tajikistan rallied twice to eventually hand the U.S. a 4-3 loss in Changwon, South Korea. After taking an early 1-0 lead on a ninth minute header goal from Mykell Bates, the U.S. was in control for the majority of the first half, but goals in the 32nd and 43rd minutes gave Tajikistan the lead before halftime. The U.S. bounced back with two goals in the opening eight minutes of the second half from Gregory Garza and Billy Schuler to once again take control, but Tajikistan mirrored the U.S. with two goals in the final eight minutes, including a jaw-dropping game-winner in the 86th minute, to earn all three points. The U.S. will next face Group E leaders Tunisia on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 3:45 a.m. ET, live on ESPN2 and ESPNU (the match will also be replayed at 12 p.m. ET on ESPNU). With Monday's result, the U.S. sits in third place in Group E with a -1 goal differential separating them from Belgium (-2). Tunisia defeated Belgium, 4-2, in the earlier match and sits atop Group E with three points and a better goal differential (+2) than Tajikistan +1). “It was disappointing for us, because we know we let a lead slip away,” said U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth. “We didn’t manage the match very well at the end, and I think we played a little bit too defensively and too conservatively. It’s not over. There are still six points out there, we still have two more games left to try and advance out of this group.” The U.S. started the match without their leading scorer, forward Ellis McLoughlin, who was suffering from the effects of strep throat. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Abdusalam Ibrahim. Hackworth brought on McLoughlin in the 86th minute in the hopes his leading scorer would find the game-winner, but moments later it would be Tajikistan that would complete the shocking comeback. Fatkuloev received a long ball alongside the right sideline from about 30 yards out and cut inside past his defender before unleashing a 20-yard laser that found the far side netting. Notes: The last time the U.S. gave up four or more goals in a FIFA U-17 World Cup was in 2001, when the U.S. lost in group play to eventual champions France, 5-3. - U.S. Under-16 Men’s National Team Game Report - Participants: U.S. Under-17 MNT vs. Tajikistan Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA – Mykell Bates (Greg Garza) 9th minute Lineups: TJK: 1-Farrukj Berdiev; 3-Eradzh Radzhabov, 5-Farkhod Vasiev, 6-Kurbonali
Sobirov (11-Nuriddin Davronov, 81), 7-Buzurgmekhr Yusupov (8-Manuchehr
Dzalilov, 67); 9-Samad Shohzukhurov (capt.), 10-Davrondzhon Tukhtasunov,
14-Farkhod Tokhirov (12-Abukayum Karabev, 73), 15-Furug Qodirov; 18-Fatkhullo
Fatkhuloev, 20-Isomiddin Qurbonov Statistical Summary: USA / TJK Misconduct Summary: Officials: Top of PageU.S. U17 World Cup Team PickedThursday, August 2, 2007) - United States under-17 coach John Hackworth has named the 21-player roster for the men's Under-17 World Cup to be competed August 18 through September 9 at eight venues in South Korea. Hackworth mostly chose his team from the 40 players at the U.S. Soccer Federation's Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. Only defender Tommy Meyer and striker Daniel Cruz were chosen to the squad while not being a part of full-time residency. All of the players on the roster were born on or after January 1, 1990, with five players from the younger 1991 age group -- forwards Bryan Dominguez and Abdusalam Ibrahim, midfielder Gregory Garza, goalkeeper Zac MacMath and defender Kofi Sarkodie. "We felt all along that the talented pool of players in this age group is very deep, making our decisions extremely difficult," Hackworth saod. "However, we feel that we selected players that have proven that they are dedicated to our team's success at the World Cup." The U.S. is the only nation to qualify for all 11 previous under-17 world championships. The best American finish came with fourth place in New Zealand in 1999 with a team that featured Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, Bobby Convey and Kyle Beckerman. The Americans were drawn into Group E, along with Tajikistan, Tunisia and Belgium, in the six-group, 24-team field. One team is seeded in each group and the U.S. is the rated side in Group E. The Americans open with two matches in Changwon, facing Tajikistan August 20 at 7 a.m (ET) and Tunisia August 23 at 4 a.m. Belgium is the final group opponent in a 3.a.m. game in Cheonan. All 52 matches of the tournament will be broadcast by ESPNU with all U.S. matches shown live, with a later rebroadcast at a more convenient time for the fans at home. The U.S. match against Tunisia will also be aired on ESPN2. The American roster includes 16 players who were a part of the team that won Group A at the CONCACAF Under-17 Final Round Qualifying Tournament in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this year. The U.S. scored nine goals in four games during qualifying, including an opening 3-0 shutout of Trinidad & Tobago. The team then topped Canada, 2-1, before falling to Jamaica 3-2. A 2-1 triumph over Costa Rica in the finale sealed first place. Striker Ellis McLoughlin leads the team in scoring during the past two years, including the game-winning goal against Costa Rica in qualifying. Joining him up front are Ibrahim, who was drafted by FC Dallas in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, Dominguez and Billy Schuler, who tallied a goal and two assists in qualifying. Cruz, a relative newcomer Cruz has impressed in his limited time with the U-17s. MacMath and Josh Lambo are considered two of the top keepers in the world and split time in goal in the qualifying tournament Sheanon Williams and Mykell Bates were solid while starting all four qualifying games. Meyer and Brandon Zimmerman while Chris Klute and Sarkodie did not participate in qualifying, earning their spots in training and with their performances in a recent 3-1 friendly victory over Germany. Jared Jeffrey, Dane Shea and Garza lead a squad of seven midfielders. Jeffrey and Shea started all four games in qualifying, while Garza started three and scored a goal. In the center of the field, Jeffrey and Daniel Wenzel have been Hackworth's starters, with both among those with the most appearances for Hackworth over the past two years. Right midfielder Alex Nimo, who joined residency in the spring, quickly gained attention by scoring three goals in the four qualifying games. Kirk Urso and Brendan King are a pair of well-rounded, experienced performers from Ilinois. The team is currently training in Clemson, S.C. A friendly against Costa Rica is planned for Tuesday in Atlanta on the campus of Kennesaw State University. The following day, the team will head home to Bradenton for three days before returning to Atlanta August 11 for two days of training and then departure to for South Korea. The field for this tournament has been expanded to 24 from 16. A sampling
of international stars who started in this event are Luis Figo,
Alessandro Del Piero, Juan Veron, Francesco Totti and Ronaldinho. August 20 -- Tajikistan in Changwon, 6:45 a.m., ESPNU Goalkeepers (3): Larry Jackson (East Palo Alto, Calif.), Josh Lambo (Middleton, Wisc.), Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Defenders (6): Mykell Bates (Roseville, Calif.), Chris Klute (Grand Prairie, Texas), Tommy Meyer (St. Louis), Kofi Sarkodie (Huber Heights, Ohio), Sheanon Williams (Boston), Brandon Zimmerman (Pasco, Wash.). Midfielders (7): Gregory Garza (Grapevine, Texas), Jared Jeffrey (Dallas), Brendan King (Naperville, Ill.), Alex Nimo (Portland, Ore.), Dane Shea (College Station, Texas), Kirk Urso (Lombard, Ill.), Daniel Wenzel (Federal Way, Wash.). Forwards (5): Daniel Cruz (Glendale, Ariz.), Bryan Dominguez (Atlanta), Abdusalam Ibrahim (Richfield, Minne.), Ellis McLoughlin (Seattle), Billy Schuler (Allentown, N.J.). Top of PageU.S. U17 MNT QualifiesKINGSTON, Jamaica (Sunday, May 6, 2007) -- A berth in this summer's Under-17 World Cup already earned, the United States used first-half goals by midfielder Gregory Garza and striker Ellis McLoughlin to defeat Costa Rica 2-1 and capture the CONCACAF Final Round Qualifying Tournament Group B title at the National Stadium. By qualifying for a 12th consecutive time, the U.S. is the only nation to advance to every world championship tournament at this age group. Since CONCACAF, the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, moved to two qualifying groups, the Americans placed first in their group four out of five times -- the last four in a row -- while also winning in 1983 and 1992 when there was only one. Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago also advanced to the Under-17 World Cup with CONCACAF sending three teams from Group B. Haiti and Honduras also qualified in Group A, giving CONCACAF five representatives in the world tourney. The U.S. knew before Friday's 3-2 setback to Jamaica that it had qualified. The Americans finished at 3-1 with nine points, followed by Costa Rica (2-1-1, 7 points) and T&T (2-2, 6) with Canada (1-2-1, 4) and Jamaica (1-3, 3) failing to move ahead. T&T edged Jamaica 1-0 in tonight's second match. "This was a another tough match for us during qualifying, but our guys really stepped up today and showed they were the best team in this group," said coach John Hackworth, who led the U.S. to fifth place in the 2005 world championships in Peru. "We wanted to come out and score early, and that's exactly what we did. We played exceptionally well and I thought our defense did a remarkable job of holding off a great Costa Rica attack in the second half, especially with this being our fourth match is seven days. We're extremely happy to come away from Jamaica with the top spot." Costa Rica came just inches from tying the game and winning the group in the 87th minute after forward David Guzman delivered a corner kick to Ticos defender Jordan Smith, who drilled his 12-yard header off the crossbar. The U.S. led 2-0 at halftime Friday, only to fall when Jamaica scored three times between the 78th and 90th minutes. Tonight, the Americans also had a two-goal advantage at intermission, but managed to hold off the Ticos' comeback. Neither team crated many quality chances on goal with Costa Rica holding an 8-5 shots advantage, while each side put three shots on frame. The U.S. went ahead 1-0 after a quick restart in the 13th minute. Costa Rica defender and captain Roy Smith pushed forward into the center circle before trying to connect with midfielder Oviedo Bryan on the left flank, but the pass was off the mark and rolled out of touch. While Smith took his time returning to the back-line, U.S. defender Sheanon Williams quickly threw the ball up to open striker Billy Schuler at the top of the penalty area. Schuler held off the retreating Smith and carried into the box before sending the ball along six-yard-line to an advancing Garza who buried his shot with his first touch. "Schuler gave me a great ball from inside the 18-yard box and I just tapped it in," Garza said. "I was in the right spot at the right time. We were really determined to win this game and I think it helped a lot to get that first goal." Six minutes later, another Williams throw-in led to a 2-0 lead. Deep down the left sideline, Williams had his toss into the box cleared back to him. After one touch, Williams spotted McLoughlin, who had shed his marker and was about 12 yards from goal. Williams curled a pass to McLoughlin, who settled the ball and then used the outside of his right foot to place his shot into the left corner of the net. "That's what my job is, to score goals," McLoughlin said. "That's what I came down here to do." McLoughlin, who was suspended for the last two U.S. outings after receiving a red card in the tournament opener, had his team-leading 14th international tally. "It was hard, but for me I just focused on Costa Rica because I knew that was my next game," McLoughlin said of his forced sabbatical. "Our team did well when I was out, but it was hard." Costa Rica had difficulty mounting an attack in the opening 45 minute, but gained momentum in the second half as the Americans seemed to tire, the result of four matches in seven days. Costa Rica had a bye Friday and had not played since Wednesday. "No question, this is unbelievably difficult, both from a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint," Hackworth said of the compressed schedule. In the 55th minute, the Ticos narrowed their deficit to 2-1. U.S. midfielder Daniel Wenzel had won a ball in the middle of the field and tried to break Schuler free with a lead pass. Instead, Costa Rica goalkeeper Leonel Moreira came off his line to slide in and snatch the ball. His subsequent punt soared over the heads of American backs Mykell Bates and Thomas Meyer, allowing Ticos reserve midfielder Marcos Urena to run onto the bouncing ball and chip it over the head of goalkeeper Zac MacMath, who was moving forward. "The goalkeeper took the punt and we let it drop," MacMath said. "It kept taking bounces and I didn't know if I should come out or stay, and I kind of got caught in the middle. He did a good job to finish as I came out and tried to be big. He just looped it as high as he could to score." Urena, who entered in the 30th minute, gave the Americans fits. In the 60th minute, he collected a ball on the left flank, cut inside and unleashed a blast that sailed over the crossbar by inches. A short time later, Urena headed a Bruno Castro corner kick toward the left post, but U.S. midfielder Alex Nimo cleared it away. McLoughlin had a couple chances to put the game away, but missed from close range. In the 75th minute, he was the recipient of a long ball in the box, but Moreira parried his shot away. Ten minutes later, a cross unexpectedly went over the heads of Schuler and two defenders, but McLoughlin's touch failed him and he shot right at Moreira from six yards away. Notes: The Under-17 World Cup draw will be held May 17 in South Korea.
Nineteen of the 24 entrants have been determined. Along with the five
CONCACAF participants, the other qualifiers are host South Korea, Argentina,
Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Japan, Nigeria, New Zealand, North Korea, Peru,
Syria, Tajikistan, Togo and Tunisia. Lineups: United States - Zach MacMath, Sheanon Williams (Howard Turk 75), Mykell Bates (captain), Thomas Meyer, Brandon Zimmerman, Alex Nimo, Jared Jeffrey, Daniel Wenzel, Gregory Garza (Nicholas Millington 71), Ellis McLoughlin, Billy Schuler (Brek Shea 89). Costa Rica - Leonel Moreira, Jordan Smith, Roy Smith, Erick Rojas, Rodrigo Herra (Marcos Urena,30), Daniel Varela (Bruno Castro 50), Esteban Luna, Miguel Brenes (Julio Ibarra 76), Oviedo Bryan, Jorge Castro, David Guzman. Scoring: Shots: United States 5, Costa Rica 8. Shots on goal: United States 3, Costa Rica 3. Saves: United States 2, Costa Rica 1. Fouls: United States 15, Costa Rica 18. Corner kicks: United States 5, Costa Rica 9. Offside: United States 3, Costa Rica 2. Yellow card cautions: Costa Rica - Urena 39, Castro 39. Referee: Elmer Bonilla (El Salvador). Assistant referees: Hiran Perez (Cuba), Dion Inniss (Guyana). Fourth official: Luis Rodriguez (Panama). Attendance: not reported at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Weather: Warm, 80 degrees CONCACAF Under-17 qualifying Note: United States, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago qualify for Under-17 World Cup. Top of PageAmericans Near U17 WC QualificationStriker Billy Schuler and defender Mykell Bates staked the United States to an early two-goal lead and the Americans managed to hold on for a 2-1 decision over Canada in a CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Final Round Qualifying Tournament Group B match at National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica. With the top three finishers in this five-nation round robin advancing to the this Under-17 World Cup August 18-September 9 in South Korea, the U.S. can clinch a spot with a draw or better here Friday against Jamaica or Sunday against Costa Rica. In Canada and Trinidad & Tobago draw in Friday's first game, the U.S. would book its berth in the world championship tournament. Costa Rica is in first place at 2-0-1 with seven points, but the U.S. has a game in hand and trails by only a point at 2-0. Canada is in third at 1-1-1 with four points, while Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica are both without a point at 0-2. "We came out and executed our game plan very well in the early going, but you've got to finish a couple of those other opportunities we had," U.S. coach John Hackworth said. "If we would have gotten the third goal, I think we would have made it easy on ourselves. "Canada played well and give them credit for never giving up. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with six points from our first two games. We're in a great spot, so now we have to battle through our tired legs and get ready for Jamaica." The U.S. was without Ellis McLoughlin, the team's leading scorer who was suspended for two games for throwing an elbow late in Monday's opening 3-0 shutout of T&T. The foul was ruled malicious by CONCACAF, the governing body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Coach John Hackworth shifted Abdusalam Ibrahim from right midfield to McLoughlin's spot on the front line, with Alex Dixon moving into the vacancy. Tommy Meyer also received his first start in central defense beside Bates, pushing Daniel Wenzel to central midfield with Jared Jeffrey. After surving some early pressure, the U.S. dominated took control of tempo for the remainder of the first half. Ibrahim and Schuler had room to run and were fed through balls from Jeffrey and Wenzel. The Americans capitalized on a Canadian error to take a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Defender Sheanon Williams stripped a ball loose on the right sideline and quickly carried forward, cutting inside before slipping the ball ahead to an advancing Schuler. The forward, who joined the fulltime under-17 residency program in Bradenton, Fla., in January, held off his defender inside the penalty area and hit a low drive past charging goalkeeper Adam Street and into the left corner of the net for his first international goal. In the 20th minute, Schuler had a great chance to expand the U.S. advantage when he was the recipient of a cross by his front-line mate Alex Nimo, but he shot well over the crossbar. A few minutes later, Street went low to save a shot by Ibrahim from the top of the box. In the 23rd minute, Ibrahim was unable to fully get his head on a high cross, but Bates delayed his run and met the ball at the left corner of the six-yard box and beat Street to make it 2-0. Soon after, Schuler took a cross from Nimo and put a header on goal, but Street was able to make the save. The Americans started the second half well, but Canada soon began to control possession. A tough challenge by U.S. defender Brek Shea earned him a knock to the head and, while he was trying to shake off the blow, Canada forward Jarek Whiteman took advantage. Receiving a quick throw-in along the right sideline, Whiteman went by Shea and advanced to the end-line just inside the box. With goalkeeper Zach MacMath protecting the near post, Whiteman dropped the ball back to the penalty spot where striker Cederic Carrie used his first touch to drill a ball into the net and narrow Canada's deficit to 2-1. Whiteman continued to give the U.S. problems. In the 70th minute, Canada crossed the ball into the penalty area and the ball bounced off several players before falling to Whiteman on the right side. He tried to drop it back to Canada midfielder Oliver Lacoste-Lebuis, but just missed him, but the U.S. failed to cleanly clear the ball out. The ball wound up back on Whiteman's foot, but he missed wide left from 16 yards. Nimo sent a shot from inside the box well high three minutes later. MacMath came up big for the U.S. with five minutes remaining when he fully extended to turn away a 17-yard shot by Canada midfielder Mohamed Sylla. "We were sitting on the bench saying, 'It can't get any better,'
but we took things for granted from there, which happens with young kids,"
Hackworth said. "But if we can sustain the level of play we had in
the first half, you couldn't ask for much more." Lineups: United States - Zach MacMath, Sheanon Williams, Mykell Bates (captain), Thomas Meyer, Brek Shea (Brandon Zimmerman 57), Alex Nimo, Jared Jeffrey, Daniel Wenzel, Alex Dixon (Gregory Garza 65), Abdusalam Ibrahim, Billy Schuler (Nicholas Millington 82). Canada - Adam Street, Williams Hyde, Daniel Tannous (captain), Adam Straith, Erick Leal (Kyle Porter 70), Colin Parenteau-Michon (Mohamed Sylla, 46), Marcus Johnstone, Philippe Davies, Oliver Lacoste-Lebuis, Jarek Whiteman, Cederic Carrie (Gagandeep Dosanjh 84). Scoring: Shots: United States 10, Canada 12. Shots on goal: United States 6, Canada 7. Saves: United States 6, Canada 3. Fouls: United States 11, Canada 7. Corner kicks: United States 6, Canada 3. Offside: United States 4, Canada 0. Yellow card caution: United States - Shea 18. CONCACAF Under-17 qualifying Note: Top three teams qualify for Under-17 World Cup. Top of PageU.S. U17s Open Qualifying 3-0 Over T&TKINGSTON, Jamaica (April 30, 2007) — Alex Nimo scored two goals while Ellis McLoughlin tallied once as the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team opened Group B of the 2007 CONCACAF Final Round Qualifying Tournament with a 3-0 shutout over Trinidad & Tobago at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The U.S. sits in third place in the five-team group with a game in hand. Costa Rica and Canada battled to a scoreless draw in the early match of the Match Day 2 doubleheader, keeping them first and second in the group. Canada is in first with a better goal differential (plus-3) than Costa Rica (plus-two). Nimo and McLoughlin were the story of the night from start to finish, with Nimo providing a magical opening when he finished a fantastic individual effort from close range in just the second minute for his first international goal. McLoughlin tallied just before halftime and Nimo put away his second of the night in the second half, but the pleasant night quickly turned sour when McLoughlin was sent off for a reckless challenge in the 80th minute. McLoughlin will miss the USA’s next match against Canada, which will be on Wednesday, May 2 at 6 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. “It was a pretty strange match overall,” said U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth, who is at the helm for his second straight U-17 qualifying campaign. “We scored early, which is good, but then we dropped into a defensive shell which wasn’t good. We regained momentum in the game with some solid possession and got a second goal going into halftime with the game in control. We got the third goal in the second half and, as young kids are prone to do, I think we lost our composure a little bit by having a player thrown off and get three yellow cards. In the end, we did kill the game off, get our three points with a shutout. We think we can get stronger as the tournament goes on and that’s what we’re going to try and do.” Billed as an extremely talented player even before joining U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program this January, Nimo had the stadium buzzing with a stellar performance where he showcased his fantastic touch, blinding speed and ability to finish. The Liberian-born midfielder didn’t take his time either as he provided the U.S. he lead with what was almost his first touch. Sitting on the right flank, Nimo ran onto a long ball from Daniel Wenzel, but slowed down just enough to time his first touch, which was a sharp cut inside, to catch the backtracking defender Akeem Adams off balance and leave him in the dust. Inside the area, Nimo tried to slip the ball low across the goalmouth to a crashing Billy Schuler, but his pass was deflected by a defender, only to fall back into his path. Nimo didn’t hesitate as he took one touch toward goal before ripping his six-foot shot past helpless goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel and into the top netting. "I didn't know what to do since it was my first goal," said Nimo, who raced to the corner flag and danced after his strike. "I was relieved and really excited." The early goal seemed to settle Trinidad as they quickly became the more aggressive team, continually pushing forward and finding room to serve in crosses from the right flank. After putting a couple shots on goal that didn’t worry U.S. goalkeeper Zach MacMatch, forward Daniel Cyrus provided a stern test in the 18th minute when a poorly cleared ball fell to his feet at the top of the box. Cyrus unleashed a low blast that looked destined for the left corner, but MacMatch stretched out just enough to get his right hand to it and deflect it wide. After weathering the storm, the U.S. began to control the tempo, but struggled to find the final pass as Trinidad was bunkering in on defense and looking for the counter. The U.S. broke though on a quick replay that started just across the midfield stripe on the left sideline. The free kick was touched square to Greg Garza who knocked it down the right flank for Williams and he dribbled towards the endline before slipping the ball back across the box. McLoughlin almost over pursued his run, but was able to reach back to collect the pass and then with his next touch strike it past the ‘keeper into the left side of the goal for his 12th international goal. As the U.S. tried to kill off the game late in the second half, McLoughlin made a costly error in the 80th minute during a battle for a ball in the air with two Trinidad players near midfield. With a elbow raised high, McLoughlin’s challenge was deemed dangerous by the referee and he sent the USA’s leading scorer off with a straight red card. The U.S. is the only country to qualify for every FIFA U-17 World Cup, earning a berth to all 11 previous tournaments. The 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup will take place in South Korea from August 18 to September 9. - U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team Game Report - Participants: USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago Scoring Summary: USA – Alex Nimo 2nd minute Lineups: TRI: 21-Glenroy Samuel; 3-Ryan O’Neil, 4-Akeem Adams, 5-Akeem Adams,
18-Micah Lewis; 16-Marcus Joseph (9-Chad De Freitas, 61), 15-Chike Sullivan
(19-Kevin Molino, 31), 6-Leston Paul, 14-Jean-Luc Rochford; 10-Stephan
Knox, 11-Daniel Cyrus (8-Sean Desilva, 58). Statistical Summary: Misconduct Summary: Top of PageHackworth Picks 20 for CONCACAF QualifyingCoach John Hackworth selected the 20 players for the United States under-17 men who will compete at the CONCACAF Under-17 Final Round Group B Qualifying Tournament which starts Saturday and runs to May 6 in Kingston, Jamaica. Only one of the players chosen is not among the 40 in full-time residence in Bradenton, Fla. Defender Tommy Meyer, who was formerly in residence for two semesters, is the only player on the roster not currently training with Hackworth. All of the players were born on or after January 1, 1990, with five born in 1991. Since September 2005, the under-17s have a 14-7-11 (.610) record, competing in six international tournaments in Argentina, England, Japan, Northern Ireland and on home soil, three times finishing in second place. Three of the five nations from Group B will advance to the Under-17 Men's World Cup, which will take place August 18-September 19 in South Korea. Those three teams will join Haiti and Honduras, who qualified from Group A earlier this month, to make five representatives from CONCACAF, the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. After drawing a bye Saturday, the U.S. faces Trinidad & Tobago Monday, Canada May 2, Jamaica May 4 and Costa Rica May 6. All four matches will be held at National Stadium in Kingston. The U.S. is the only country to qualify for all 11 previous under-17 world championships. It won the qualifying tournament in 1993 and 1992 when just one winner was crowned. Since the the final round of qualifying was split into two groups in 1999, the U.S. has won its group four times -- in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006. "Heading down to Jamaica to try and qualify for the World Cup will be a difficult task for us to accomplish, and one we are definitely looking forward to," said Hackworth. "With a bye on the first day of the tournament, we will have to play four games in seven days, but we're confident that the 20 players we've selected will give us the best chance to get through to South Korea." The U.S. will look to striker Ellis McLoughlin, the under-17s' most consistent goal scorer during the past two years, to lead the attack. The Seattle native leads the U.S. with 11 goals in 29 international appearances since he joined the program. Hackworth has several options to join McLoughlin up top, including Bryan Dominguez and Abdusalam Ibrahim, who was drafted into Major League Soccer by FC Dallas in January. Two players who joined the residency camp in January -- Alex Nimo and Billy Schuler -- also are in the mix, as is Alex Dixon, who has also played midfield. Two of the most experienced Americans in international competition, Jared Jeffrey and Daniel Wenzel will patrol the midfield. Jeffrey leads all players on the roster with 30 appearances and his composure and field awareness complement the hard-nosed tackling of Wenzel. On the wings, the U.S. has a complement of players including Greg Garza, Brendan King and Jesse Paredes, as well as Nick Millington and Dane Shea. In back, Sheanon Williams' athletic ability provides the U.S. with coverage on the right flank, but he also frequently pushes forward into the attack. Mykell Bates, Howard Turk and Meyer are options for the central positions and also often take free kicks. Brandon Zimmerman will be on the left outside and also has the ability to get forward. Josh Lambo and Zac MacMath take their battle to start
in goal to the qualifying tournament. Goalkeepers (2): Josh Lambo (Middleton, Wisc.), Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Defenders (5): Mykell Bates (Roseville, Calif.), Tommy Meyer (St. Louis, Howard Turk (Fairfax, Va.), Sheanon Williams (Boston), Brandon Zimmerman (Pasco, Wash.). Midfielders (9): Alex Dixon (Humble, Texas), Bryan Dominguez (Atlanta), Greg Garza (Grapevine, Texas), Jared Jeffrey (Dallas), Brendan King (Naperville, Ill.), Nick Millington (Raleigh, N.C.), Jesse Paredes (Los Angeles), Dane Shea (College Station, Texas), Daniel Wenzel (Federal Way, Wash.). Forwards (4): Abdusalam Ibrahim (Richfield, Minn.), Ellis McLoughlin
(Seattle), Alex Nimo (Portland, Ore.), Billy Schuler (Allentown, N Top of Page
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