The U.S. Under-17 men’s national team made it two victories out of two at the Concacaf U-17 Championship after defeating Trinidad & Tobago 3-1 on Monday.
Gonzalo Segares’ squad used three goals in the first half to set the tone before hanging on for a second group stage win of the competition. American goalkeeper Adam Beaudry made two saves in goal, continuing a strong defensive run so far for the USMNT U-17’s.
The USMNT U-17’s needed only 11 minutes to break the deadlock with Micah Burton delivering the opening goal. Taha Habroune’s cross into the box was redirected towards goal by Burton, as the young attacker watched the ball land into the top-left corner.
The Americans kept the pressure on and Sawyer Jura’s low cross in the 14th minute was tapped home by Paulo Rudisill for a 2-0 advantage. It was Rudisill’s first goal of the tournament.
Taha Habroune benefitted nicely to score the USMNT U-17’s third goal of the match, receiving Rudisill’s pass in the box before taking one touch and drilling home from point-blank range.
Trinidad & Tobago cut its deficit to two goals with Derrel Garcia scoring off a sensational strike, but it would end up as a mere consolation in the final scoreline.
A total of 15 players saw playing time for the USMNT U-17’s in the victory. Up next is a final group stage showdown with Canada on Wednesday.
Concacaf Under-17 Championship Results
(Mon 13 February)
USA 3 (Micah Burton 11, Paulo Rudisill 14, Taha Habroune 24), Trinidad and Tobago 1 (Derrel Garcia 78)
Canada 2 (Liam Mackenzie 21, Alessandro Biello 28), Barbados 0
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 1.Ailan Panton (GK); 6.Aydon Caruth, 3.Joshua Figaro, 4.Lyshaun Morris, 5.Samuel Duncan (16.Jeremiah Niles 77); 15.Tau Lamsee (12.Jeremiah Cateau 46), 8.Josiah Ochoa (captain); 11.Derrel García, 10.Michael Chaves (17.Malachi Webb 77), 9.Lindell Sween; 19.Tyrell Moore.
Unused substitutes: 20.Jaden Ottley (GK), 13.Vaughn Clement, 18.Dominic Wilson.
Coach: Shawn Cooper
USA (4-1-3-2): 12.Adam Beaudry (GK); 13.Aiden Harangi, 15.Christian Diaz, 5.Stuart Hawkins, 3.Sawyer Jura; 8.Pedro Soma (captain); 19.Paulo Rudisill (17.Keyrol Figueroa 58), 20.Christopher Aquino, 11.David Vazquez (18.Ezekiel Soto 58); 14.Taha Habroune, 9.Micah Burton (10.Cruz Medina 82).
Unused substitutes: 1.Duran Ferree (GK), 2.Oscar Verhoeven, 4.Tyler Hall, 6.Edwyn Mendoza, 7.Brain Carmona Romero, 16.Adrian Gill.
Coach: Gonzalo Segares.
Watch - Highlights
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U-17s fall to USA 3-1
...hope to progress against Barbados on Wednesday
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).
T&T's Under-17 footballers conceded their second defeat of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Guatemala on Monday night at the Estadio Pensativo in Antigua, going down 3-1 in Group F.
However, striker Derrel Garcia scored the goal of the match to assure that his team is still in with a chance of progressing to the next round of the competition as the third team when they face regional neighbour Barbados in their final match today at 6 pm at the same venue.
Trailing 3-0 late in the match, Garcia, who was one of two scorers for T&T in their opening 3-2 loss to Canada on Saturday, executed perfectly from a ball that was whipped in from the left side by substitute Malachi Webb in the 79th minute.
Garcia connected sweetly on the volley to place it wide of goalkeeper Adam Beaudry, who for most of the game, had an uneventful match.
Earlier, the US dominated the affair and could have had a larger margin of victory, thanks to the battling effort of T&T goalkeeper Ailan Panton. Panton's defence was called into action as early as the third minute when a right-sided attempt reached the legs of Micah Purton, but under pressure from Josiah Ochoa, Purton hit his shot wide.
Panton, on at least two other occasions, foiled the US attacks in the early moments but he could do nothing in the 11th minute when Taha Habroune eluded a sliding tackle by Lyshaun Morris inside the T&T area and whipped the ball inside for Purton to meet with the inside of his right foot, past Panton for the early lead 1-0.
Purton had another chance to give his team a 2-0 advantage when he was picked out from another right-side centre that he hit agonisingly wide of the post in the 13th minute.
One minute later, the USA got their goal. Sawyer Jura found himself at the end of a long diagonal ball on the left side and he centred for Paulo Rudisill to flick it past Panton for a two-goal cushion in the 14th minute.
By then the USA, who defeated Barbados 5-0 in their opening match, were well in control. And apart from ensuring one-way traffic in the T&T half, they received a third goal in the 24th minute. This time T&T defender Joshua Figaro was culpable.
The defender overran a right-side centre in his area that targeted Habroune. It allowed the US player to collect freely and slot the ball past Panton for a 3-0 scoreline.
With T&T trailing 3-0 at the halftime interval, coach Shawn Cooper was still able to inspire his charges, who came out re-energised thereafter.
Tyrell Moore got some room on the right side in the 69th minute, and his powerful low drive from just inside the area slipped through the grasp of Beaudry, but it went just wide of the USA post.
At the other end, Panton, at least three times, had to be alert to keep out Christopher Aquino from inside the T&T goal area.
T&T's goal came against the run of play.
Garcia, though, would have the last of the T&T chances in the 82nd minute. Served a through ball on the right side of the area, Garcia hit powerfully to goal, but Beaudry pushed it wide of the goalpost to preserve a 3-1 victory.