USA advances to second round of CONCACAF U-20 Championship

TIBAS, Costa Rica (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team advanced to the classification stage of the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship with a 4-1 win vs. St. Kitts and Nevis in the teams’ final Group B game of the tournament. The U.S. will next face Mexico and El Salvador in its bid to qualify for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Led by a brace from Sebastian Saucedo, the U.S. put the match away by scoring all four goals in the opening 45 minutes. Brooks Lennon sent the U.S. on its way with his team-leading fourth goal of the tournament in the 16th minute, stabbing home a Jeremy Ebobisse cross. Jonathan Lewis extended the lead four minutes later when he capitalized on a loose ball at the back post.

With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Saucedo struck for the first of his two goals, a long-range strike after good work from Lewis to force a turnover near the top of the St. Kitts box. Saucedo then hit a curling free kick in the 41st minute from 25 yards out to cap the U.S. scoring.

St. Kitts got a goal back in the 77th minute when Romario Martin seized an errant U.S. back-pass and evaded a challenge from U.S. goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, who was making his first appearance of the tournament, to score on an empty net. Despite the goal, the result was never in doubt as the U.S. closed out the match with a majority of possession and numerous chances.

Up Next: The U-20 MNT begins the classification stage of the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship on Monday, Feb. 27 against Mexico. Kickoff from Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in Tibás, Costa Rica is set for 5 p.m. ET and the match can be seen live on the CONCACAF Facebook Page.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Brooks Lennon (Jeremy Ebobisse), 16th minute: Lennon began the scoring play that he would also ultimately finish off for the U.S. when he raced up the left flank of the St. Kitts defense, carrying the ball midway into the USA’s offensive half before passing to Ebobisse near the top of the box. Ebobisse embarked on a weaving run from left to right across the top of the penalty before charging toward the end line and squaring the ball back across the face of goal for Lennon, who had continued his run, to tap into the vacated net. USA 1, SKN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Jonathan Lewis, 20th minute: The U.S. turned a well-planned set-piece into a goal when Lennon sent a corner kick to the top of the box where Eryk Williamson met it with a one-time volley that picked out Justen Glad near the penalty spot. Glad missed an attempted shot and the ball rolled behind him and his defender to an unmarked Lewis on the back post. He made no mistake by snapping a low shot past St. Kitts goalkeeper Nathan Lescott in the middle of the goal. USA 2, SKN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Sebastian Saucedo (Jonathan Lewis), 35th minute: Lewis and Saucedo combined in smart fashion when Lewis scampered up the left wing and attempted to play a wall-pass with Saucedo. Saucedo’s return pass was picked off by St. Kitts, but Lewis was not to be denied, applying high pressure to force a turnover near the top of the box that Saucedo read and ran onto before ripping a low line drive into the lower right corner from 25 yards out. USA 3, SKN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Sebastian Saucedo, 41st minute: Saucedo capped the U.S. scoring with a nicely taken free kick from 27 yards out. The Real Salt Lake product bent a right footed shot over the wall and inside the left post. USA 4, SKN 0 [WATCH]

SKN – Romario Martin, 77th minute: A slow back-pass to JT Marcinkowski allowed Martin to rush and reach the ball just ahead of the U.S. ‘keeper. With the net vacated, Martin had an easy tap in, although the game was well in hand for the U.S. USA 4, SKN 1 [WATCH] FINAL

NOTES:

• With the result, Tab Ramos moves to 10-3-1 all-time in CONCACAF U-20 Championship play.
• With his goal tonight, Brooks Lennon moved into a tie with Ricardo Ávila for second most goals scored at the tournament so far with four.

– U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team vs. St. Kitts and Nevis
Date: Feb. 24, 2017
Competition: 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship – Group B
Venue: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa; Tibas, Costa Rica
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 232
Weather: 75 degrees; mostly sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                             4          0          4
SKN                             0          1          1

USA – Brooks Lennon (Jeremy Ebobisse)                16th minute
USA – Jonathan Lewis                                               20
USA – Sebastian Saucedo (Jonathan Lewis) 35
USA – Sebastian Saucedo                             41
SKN – Romario Martin                                                77

Lineups:
USA: 12-JT Marcinkowski; 14-Aaron Herrera (2-Marlon Fossey, 29), 4-Tommy Redding, 6-Justen Glad, 3-Danny Acosta; 11-Sebastian Saucedo, 5-Erik Palmer-Brown (Capt.), 7-Eryk Williamson; 17-Brooks Lennon (19-Coy Craft, 45), 9-Jeremy Ebobisse, 20-Jonathan Lewis (15-Jonathan Gonzalez, 68)
Subs not used: 1-Jonathan Klinsmann, 8-Tyler Adams, 10-Luca De La Torre, 13-Auston Trusty, 16-Jeremiah Gutjahr, 18-Emmanuel Sabbi
Head coach: Tab Ramos

SKN: 1-Nathan Lescott, 2-Javier Sutton, 3-Ezer Browne, 4-Phillip Richardson, 6-Salas Cannonier (Capt.), 12-Yusuf Saunders; 8-Yohannes Mitchum (5-Kejauni David, 77), 13-Raheem Somersall, 19-Gvaune Amory, 20-Alex Charles (7-Ronaldo Belgrove, 69); 11-Tahir Hanley (9-Romario Martin, 49)
Subs not used: 10-Delano Hodge, 14-Tyquan-Illijah Terrell, 15-Dakari Phipps, 17-Steve Archibald, 18-Akimbah Francis
Head coach: Anthony Isaac

Stats Summary: USA / SKN
Shots: 33 / 2
Shots on Goal: 15 / 1
Saves: 0 / 10
Corner Kicks: 12 / 6
Fouls: 12 / 6
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
SKN – Raheem Somersall (caution)   63rd minute

Officials:
Referee: Marlon Mejia (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Geovany Garcia (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Jairo Morales (PUR)
4th Official: Kevin Morrisson (JAM)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Sebastian Saucedo