USA tops Honduras in PKs, wins CONCACAF U-20 Championship title

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team won the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship by defeating Honduras 5-3 on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw in Sunday’s Final. After going perfect through the first four rounds of the shootout, Danny Acosta slotted the game-winning penalty kick into the lower left corner to earn the U.S. its first CONCACAF title at the U-20 level.

Following the match, U.S. captain Erik Palmer-Brown was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while Jonathan Klinsmann won the Golden Glove as best goalkeeper.

Honduras ceded much of the first-half possession to the USA, but the U-20 MNT’s best chances both came on dead-ball opportunities. In the ninth minute, Justen Glad’s glancing header off Brooks Lennon’s corner kick required a big stop out of Honduras goalkeeper Javier Delgado. In the 27^thminute, Lennon’s direct free kick from just outside the box forced Delgado into an acrobatic stop.

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The U.S. came close again in the 50^th minute when Emmanuel Sabbi’s header off Lennon’s free kick was kept out by Delgado at the right post. U-20 MNT captain Erik Palmer-Brown shut down Honduras’ best chance of the match, sweeping Darixon Vuelto’s breakaway in the 75^th minute, while Honduras defender Dylan Andrade’s clearance on Sabbi’s 89^th minute cross ensured the match would head to penalty kicks.

Both teams impressively converted each of their attempts through the first three rounds of the shootout. After Luca de la Torre placed his fourth round effort inside the top right corner, the U.S. received the break it needed as Rembrandt Flores fired his attempt high and wide of goal. That set up Acosta for the game-winning penalty, where the Real Salt Lake defender calmly placed his effort inside the lower left post.

Up Next: The U-20 MNT now prepares for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup set to take place May 20-June 11 in Korea Republic, and will learn their group opponents during the tournament draw on March 15.

Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
HON – Javier Delgado, 9^th minute: Brooks Lennon’s driven corner kick from the right picked out Justen Glad whose snap header at the near post was desperately palmed away by Delgado.

HON – Javier Delgado, 27^th minute: After a foul to Eryk Williamson about 20 yards from goal, Lennon belted a free kick that swerved over the Honduras wall and eyed the top right corner before Delgado got over to parry the ball out for a corner kick.

USA – Jonathan Klinsmann, 30^th minute: A sustained bit of pressure from Los Catrachos resulted in midfielder Darixon Vuelto gaining space outside the box where he hit a quick effort to test Klinsmann, but the U.S. goalkeeper recovered to make the save at the right post.

HON – Javier Delgado, 50^th minute: The USA was awarded a free kick after Marlon Fossey was chopped down on the right by Foslyn Grant. On the ensuing take, Lennon swung his free kick to the far corner of the six-yard box where Emmanuel Sabbi strongly nodded his effort down before Delgado collected at the right post.

USA – Erik Palmer-Brown, 75^th minute: After a giveaway at midfield, Vuelto charged alone down the right and into the U.S. penalty area where captain Erik Palmer-Brown swooped through to deny his shot before putting the ball out for a corner kick.

HON – Dylan Andrade, 89^th minute: Klinsmann’s goal kick was met in the air by Sabbi, who headed down for Lennon. The Real Salt Lake attacker than rewarded Sabbi’s run into the box, where he centered looking for Luca de la Torre, only to have Andrade clear the danger.

NOTES:

• With the win, the U.S. wins its first CONCACAF Championship at the U-20 level.
• The U-20 MNT came away victorious for the first time in five attempts at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship Final.
• Following the match, U.S. captain Erik Palmer-Brown was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while Jonathan Klinsmann won the Golden Glove as best goalkeeper.
• S. forward Brooks Lennon finished tournament tied for second in goals with Panama’s Ricardo Ávila. The pair finished behind Golden Boot winner Ronaldo Cisneros of Mexico.
• The result moves Tab Ramos’s all-time CONCACAF U-20 Championship record to 12-3-2.
• The U.S. earned its second clean sheet of the tournament, having previously shutout Mexico 1-0 in the first match of the Classification stage. The USA finishes the tournament having scored 11 goals while conceding four.
• Midfielder Sebastián Saucedo served a one-game suspension after receiving a red card in the 89^th minute of Friday’s 2-1 win vs. El Salvador.

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

Match: U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team vs. Honduras
Date: March 5, 2017
Competition: 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship – Final
Venue: Estadio Nacional; San José, Costa Rica
Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
Attendance: TBD
Weather: 74 degrees; mostly sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F          PK
USA                            0          0          0          5
HON                           0          0          0          3

Penalty Summary:
USA: Brooks Lennon (goal), Coy Craft (goal), Emmanuel Sabbi (goal), Luca De La Torre (goal), Danny Acosta (goal)

HON: Jorge Álvarez (goal), Douglas Martínez (goal), Foslyn Grant (goal), Rembrandt Flores (miss)

Lineups:
USA: 1-Jonathan Klinsmann; 2-Marlon Fossey, 4-Tommy Redding, 6-Justen Glad (13-Auston Trusty, 47), 3-Danny Acosta; 8-Tyler Adams, 5-Erik Palmer-Brown (Capt.), 7-Eryk Williamson (Emmanuel Sabbi, 26); 17-Brooks Lennon, 9-Jeremy Ebobisse (19-Coy Craft, 79), 10-Luca De La Torre
Subs not used: 12-JT Marcinkowski, 14-Aaron Herrera, 15-Jonathan González, 16-Jeremiah Gutjahr, 18-Emmanuel Sabbi
Not eligible: 20-Jonathan Lewis
Head coach: Tab Ramos

HON: 1-Javier Delgado; 2-Denil Maldonado, 3-Wesley Decas, 5-Dylan Andrade (Capt.), 16-Jose García; 8-Carlos Pineda, 9-Foslyn Grant, 18-Darixon Vuelto, 20-Jorge Álvarez; 17-Byron Rodríguez (10-Rembrandt Flores, 72), 19-Douglas Martínez
Subs not used: 12-Michael Perello, 4-Kenneth Hernández, 6-Riky Zapata, 7-Jose Reyes, 11-Jose Pinto, 13-Jose Quiroz, 14-Sendel Cruz, 15-Jalex Sanchez
Head coach: Carlos Tabora

Stats Summary: USA / HON
Shots: 12 / 11
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 2
Fouls: 12 / 22
Offside: 0 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
none

Officials:
Referee: Henry Bejarano (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Hermenerito Leal (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Leonardo Sanchez (CUB)
4th Official: Kevin Morrisson (JAM)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Danny Acosta