USA completes sweep of Group F at Concacaf U-17 Championship

BRADENTON, Fla. (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team defeated Guatemala 3-0 to clinch the top spot in Group F at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship. With the victory, the USA will face pre-qualifying group winner Guadeloupe in the Round of 16 on Thursday, May 9 at 6 p.m. ET.

The U.S. faced a dogged effort from a physical Guatemala side, but two of the cycle’s leading goal scorers delivered as Griffin Yow bagged a brace on both sides of halftime before Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez iced the game in the final minutes to secure the USA’s third-straight victory.

The top three teams from each group qualify to the Round of 16. Four teams — Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico — advanced directly to the Round of 16 as group winners in a pre-tournament qualifying phase. The four tournament semifinalists earn berths to the U-17 World Cup.

U.S. U-17 head coach Raphael Wicky made nine changes to the lineup that rolled past Barbados 6-1 in its second match. The USA got off to a slow start against the rough-and-tumble Guatemalans, but Yow provided a spark on the right wing. After a few threatening chances, he finally broke through in the 25th, when Mauricio Cuevas set him up for a tight-angle finish to the far post in the aftermath of a free kick. The opening goal marked the USA’s seventh in three matches either directly from or through dead-ball situations.

In the second half, the U.S. forged through a chippy, determined effort from Los Chapines. The red, white and blue held the majority of possession and spent a number of extended spells in Guatemala’s final third, capitalizing with two second-half tallies.

Captain Gio Reyna sparked the USA’s second goal in the 51st minute. Starting the game on the left wing rather than centrally, Reyna wheeled past a number of defenders inside the box as he charged to the end line and teed up a cross to the six-yard box where Yow headed it home to double the U.S. advantage. Ocampo-Chavez confirmed the three points with a header in the 86th. His Seattle Sounders FC teammate Daniel Leyva made some similarly shifty moves through the box before delivering a nice cross for him at the far post.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Griffin Yow (Mauricio Cuevas) – 25th minute: While Guatemala cleared the initial service from a U.S. free kick in dangerous territory, the ball fell to Mauricio Cuevas a few yards beyond the top of the box. Cuevas played to Yow on the run up the right wing, and Yow controlled it, separated from his physical defender and hit a hard, rolling shot from a tight angle for the game’s opening goal. USA 1, GUA 0

USA – Griffin Yow (Gio Reyna) – 51st minute: Reyna generated the game’s second goal from his spot on the left wing. Standing at the top corner of the box, the U.S. captain paused before cutting inside past one defender and then back out past another. As he drove to the end line, he put a ball in the air at the six-yard box, where Yow cleanly finished to extend the U.S. lead. USA 2, GUA 0

USA – Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Daniel Leyva) – 86th minute: After Guatemala deflected a free kick from just outside the box, Carlos Lemus attempted to play it upfield, but Daniel Leyva intercepted the ball. A nice give-and-go with Gilbert Fuentes sent him charging to the end-line. He hesitated, fooling his marking defender, before sending a cross to the far post for the lurking Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez. The forward headed it home for the insurance goal. USA 3, GUA 0 FINAL.

U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Under-17 MNT vs. Guatemala
Date: May 6, 2019
Competition: 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship
Attendance: 110
Venue: IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.
Kick-off: 6 p.m. ET
Weather: 82 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA                          1 2 3
GUA                          0 0 0

USA – Griffin Yow (Mauricio Cuevas)                    25th minute
USA – Griffin Yow (Gio Reyna)                              51
USA – Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (Danny Leyva)   86

Lineups:
USA: 1-Damian Las; 13-Mauricio Cuevas, 14-Tayvon Gray, 4-Axel Alejandre, 3-Adam Armour; 16-Adam Saldana, 8-Bryang Kayo (6-Danny Leyva, 79); 11-Griffin Yow, 10-Gio Reyna (capt.) (20-Gilbert Fuentes, 76), 17-Tyler Freeman (19-Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, 64); 9-Ricardo Pepi
Subs Not Used: 12-Chituru Odunze, 2-Joseph Scally, 5-Kobe Hernandez 7-Gianluca Busio, 15-John Tolkin, 18-Jack de Vries
Head Coach: Raphael Wicky

GUA: 1-Jose Aguirre (capt.); 13-Lucas Farias, 4-Mathius Gaitan, 3-Luis Gutierrez, 2-Jose Rasique (Matteo Velasquez, 71); 8-Kevin Ramirez, 17-Jose Arzu (7-Carlos Lemus, 58), 15-Marcelo Saravia; 11-Wilson Garcia, 10-Andy Palencia, 19-Jose Ortega (20-Elmer Cardoza, 61)
Subs Not Used: 12-Kenderson Navarro, 5-Jose Trujillo, 6-Miguel Ardon, 9-Anderson Villagran, 16-Diego Santis
Head Coach: Antonio Garcia

Statistical Summary: USA / GUA
Shots: 23 / 7
Shots on Goal: 10 / 1
Saves: 1 / 7
Corner Kicks: 9 / 2
Fouls: 17 / 23
Offside: 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
GUA – Jose Arzu (caution)         26^th minute
GUA – Lucas Farias (caution)    44
GUA – Elmer Cardoza (caution) 69
USA – Adam Saldana (caution)  90+1

Officials: Yadel Martinez (CUB)
Assistant Referee: Christian Ramirez (HON)
Assistant Referee: Kedlee Powell (CAY)
Fourth official: Ivan Barton (SLV)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match: TBD