USA advances to quarterfinals of Concacaf U-17 Championship

ANTIGUA, Guatemala – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team defeated the Dominican Republic 7-0 in dominant fashion to advance to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf U-17 Championship.

Three players bagged braces: midfielder Chris Aquino, netting his first two international goals, forward Keyrol Figueroa and forward Ezekiel Soto. Forward Micah Burton also added a tally as the U.S. opened the knockout round with a statement win.

With the victory, the USA advances to face the winner of Jamaica-Guatemala in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 21 (8 p.m. ET; FS2, ViX+) for a berth to the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Peru. The four quarterfinal winners will qualify to the U-17 World Cup as representatives of Concacaf.

? Enjoy the best moments of @USYNT ?? against @sedofutbol ?? in the #CU17C Round of 16! pic.twitter.com/9I7tAIEABa

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) February 19, 2023

Dominican Republic, playing its first match at the tournament after advancing directly to the Round of 16 from a pre-qualifying tournament last summer, didn’t come out in as low of a block as the USA’s three group stage opponents and the game was more open from the get-go. The U.S. still controlled the game, outshooting the Dominican Republic 23-5 while holding a 66 percent edge in possession.

The U-17 MYNT was patient in its build-up during the game’s early going as midfielder Taha Habroune and forward Paulo Rudisill did well winning the ball in the midfield from the DR. The pair created a number of opportunities as the U.S. searched for the opening goal, including a combination that saw Habroune put in a dangerous cross for Figueroa, who headed it just wide in the 16th minute.

The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute as Aquino, making his second start of the tournament, netted his first international goal. Habroune played to the Seattle Sounders FC midfielder near the top of the 18, where he ripped a shot to the top right corner. He made it a brace in the 30th, this time on a penalty kick. After he was taken down just inside the top of the box, he went to the spot himself and coolly finished off the play to double the U.S. lead.

Figueroa bagged his brace on either side of halftime. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the center forward hit the post but had the rebound played back in and hammered it home to send the USA into the break with a 3-0 lead. In the 57th, Rudisill teed him up for another, this time slotting it home from the middle of the box. Right winger Micah Burton got in on the action just five minutes later, flawlessly finishing another assist from Rudisill with a leaping finish.

Soto entered the match for Figueroa in the 63^rd, and after strong play throughout the group stage at the center forward spot was rewarded with his first two goals of the tournament. The first came after some lovely combination play as Burton played midfielder Adrian Gill on the right wing, who put in a cross for Soto to tap home from close range. He put an exclamation point on the evening in the 90th, heading in a booming cross from fellow substitute forward Brian Romero.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Chris Aquino (Taha Habroune), 22^nd minute: Dribbling towards the top of the box, Habroune played to Aquino on the right side just inside the 18. The midfielder took a few touches before rocketing a shot with his left foot to the top right corner. USA 1, DOM 0

USA – Chris Aquino (Penalty Kick), 30^th minute: In a spot similar to his first goal at the top of the 18, Dominican Republic defender Josue Nuñez took Aquino down and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. The Seattle Sounders FC midfielder hammered it home to add to the American advantage. USA 2, DOM 0

USA – Keyrol Figueroa, 45+2^nd minute: In the closing minutes of the first half, Figueroa banged a shot off the woodwork, but stuck with the play. The rebound was played back into the box and Figueroa won it back from a Dominican defender to send it to the top left corner from the left side of the six. USA 3, DOM 0

USA – Keyrol Figueroa (Paulo Rudisill), 57^th minute: Figueroa added another after the break. As Rudisill dribbled down the center towards the box, he laid it off to the center forward near the penalty spot. There, he took a touch before hitting a hard rolling shot with his right foot to the right post. USA 4, DOM 0

USA – Micah Burton (Paulo Rudisill), 62^nd minute: Burton netted his second goal of the tournament on a fine finish. Rudisill again set up the goal, running down the left wing before playing for Burton crashing down the right side, where his jumping finish to the near post extended the U.S. lead. USA 5, DOM 0

USA – Ezekiel Soto (Adrian Gill), 82^nd minute: Soto polished off some good-looking combination play for his first goal of CU17. From just beyond the middle of the 18, Burton played a lovely ball over the top to Gill on the right wing. He sent a cross in for Soto in front of goal and the Houston Dynamo forward first-timed it in from close range. USA 6, DOM 0

USA – Ezekiel Soto (Brian Romero), 90^th minute: Fellow second-half substitute Romero bombed in a cross from the right side and Soto headed it home near the penalty spot to cap off the dominant 7-0 win. USA 7, DOM 0 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• The USA is now 2-0-0 vs. Dominican Republic at the Concacaf U-17 Championship, defeating Los Quisqueyanos in their first clash at the tournament since 1997.

• The 7-0 victory is tied for the USA’s second largest margin of victory at the tournament with group stage victories against Netherlands Antilles in 1994 and Honduras in 1989. In 2019, the U-17s topped Guadeloupe 8-0 in the Round of 16.

• Head coach Gonzalo Segares made nine changes from the starting XI that clinched the Group F title vs. Canada on Wednesday. Defenders Christian Diaz and Oscar Verhoeven were the only two holdovers.

• Seven players have scored for the U.S. at CU17C: Keyrol Figueroa (four goals), Cruz Medina (three), Chris Aquino, Micah Burton, Taha Habroune, Ezekiel Soto (two) and Paulo Rudisill.

• Eight players have logged an assist: Rudisill (three assists), Adrian Gill, Habroune, Romero, David Vazquez (two), Figueroa, Sawyer Jura and Ezekiel Soto.

-U.S. UNDER-17 MEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team vs. Dominican Republic
Date: Feb. 18, 2023
Competition: 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship – Round of 16
Venue: Estadio Pensativo; Antigua, Guatemala
Attendance:
Kickoff: 4 p.m. local (5 p.m. ET)
Weather: 78 degrees, overcast

Scoring Summary:      1   2   F
USA                                3   4   0
DOM                               0   0   0

USA – Chris Aquino (Taha Habroune)                         22^nd minute
USA – Chris Aquino (Penalty Kick)                              30
USA – Keyrol Figueroa                                                   45+2
USA – Keyrol Figueroa (Paulo Rudisill)                       57
USA – Micah Burton (Paulo Rudisill)                           62
USA – Ezekiel Soto (Adrian Gill)                                   82
USA – Ezekiel Soto (Brian Romero)                             90

Lineups:

USA:12-Adam Beaudry; 2-Oscar Verhoeven, 15-Christian Diaz, 5-Stuart Hawkins, 3-Sawyer Jura (16-Adrian Gill, 63); 8-Pedro Soma (Capt.) (6-Edwyn Mendoza, 68), 14-Taha Habroune, 20-Chris Aquino; 9-Micah Burton (7-Brian Romero, 83), 17-Keyrol Figueroa (18-Ezekiel Soto, 63), 19-Paulo Rudisill (11-David Vazquez, 84)

Substitutes not used: 1-Duran Ferree, 10-Cruz Medina, 13-Aiden Harangi

Unavailable: 4-Tyler Hall

Head coach: Gonzalo Segares

DOM:1-Edwin Frias (Capt.); 3-Francisco Reyes (6-Alvaro Cabrera, 74) 4-Josue Nuñez, 5-Raffaeie de Lucia (13-Arturo Peña, 46), 7-Carlos Sarante (16-Pablo Pujols, 61), 8-Lucas Breton, 9-Bladmil Jackson (20-Ayden Kokoszka, 46), 10-Nicolas Cruz, 17-Juan Peralta, 18-Marlon Mena, 19-Thomas O’Rourke (11-Rionaldo Shojadoost, 75)

Substitutes not used: 12-Diego Peña, 2-Abraham Mejia, 14-Sebastian Mejia, 15-Gabriel Brugal

Head coach: Mariano Perez

Stats Summary: USA / DOM

Shots: 23 / 5
Shots on Goal: 14 / 0
Saves: 0 / 9
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 12 / 15
Offside: 0 / 0

Misconduct Summary:

DOM – Francisco Reyes (Caution)                   27^th minute
DOM – Marlon Mena (Caution)                         38
DOM – Nicolas Cruz (Caution)                          44
DOM – Arturo Peña (Caution)                           79

Officials:

Referee: Daniel Quintero (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Michel Espinoza (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Leonel Garcia (CUB)
Fourth Official: Okeito Nicholson (JAM)