Top Stories

U.S. U-17s win group at CONCACAF championships, will face El Salvador

YNTBS021811125

Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com

Andrew Oliver scored his second goal of the CONCACAF Under-17 championships, and Houston Dynamo Academy keeper Fernando Pina kept the clean sheet as the United States defeated Panama, 1-0, on Friday to win Group B and get one step closer to qualifying for this summer's FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico.

The United States will face Group A runner-up El Salvador on Tuesday with a berth in the World Cup (and the tournament semifinals) on the line. Tuesday's match will be broadcast on ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com at 3 p.m.

Highlights from the win over Panama are after the jump:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVB3pJ-ZF5U]

Comments

  1. Just shut up man, you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. American players are known for their desire and never-say-die attitude. We saw that exhibited during the World Cup. No hunger, that’s just an ignorant statement.

    Reply
  2. You made my point. Panama is not a power but still they gave us a hard time. CONCACAF is not strong but we still have a hard time. Strength and athleticism get you so far, soccer savoy wins you games.

    Soccer is too global now to dismiss the influence of foreign players. Very few teams left now that just go with truly domstic players. This is not lost on the USSF nor MLS and the make up of the player pools reflect that.

    If the US fans get their butts in the stands and fill the stadiums in every MLS city and support the local products then we have the luxury to wait for your Oregonians to transform the game. But until then, MLS has to entertain and USSF needs to win and foreign infusion is un-avoidable.

    Reply
  3. Panama is not a soccer powerhouse where soccer is “instictual” and “learned on the streets” Take another look at the defending on that corner kick and our offense and tell me again how our “base is not soccer-sound” We dont need foriegn born and bred players. We need dedicated players, quality coaches, and a development system that places player development above trophy’s until our kids reach the u-17 level. We have that now here in Oregon and I’m sure it will continue to grow around our country.

    Reply
  4. Let’s hope they show better on Tuesday when we can actually see them play. My previous observation was based mostly on the Nike friendlies shown a while ago on FSC. US roster is showing better pedigree and they better start reflecting that with better results. How can Panama give us a hard time? The answer is their soccer is more instinctual and learned on the streets like most other soccer countries. Ours is cookbook without any hunger in the eyes of players. Our base is not soccer-sound. Our technique is still not where it should be. Infusion of foreign born and bred players at all levels is crucial for our still developing sport.

    Reply
  5. Unlike the Cuba game, where Cabrera was displeased, he felt that they improved against Panama: “I think we improved today and played well against a very tough team who was obviously playing for the chance to reach the quarterfinal,” said U.S. head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “Panama is very good, and they put a lot of men behind the ball but we were moving the ball, we had patience and we kept the ball most of the time. Little by little we were creating opportunities. Both individually and collectively we improved as a team today which is important.”

    http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-17-MNT/2011/02/US-U17-MNT-Beats-Panama.aspx

    Reply
  6. It would have been nice to win a bit more convincingly, overall they were in control more than last game though, so that’s a positive.

    Reply
  7. Yea. Exactly. What are they, like 16 years old?! And, it’s reasonable to judge the entire performance based on the highlight reel and a single play by a ‘keeper. Thanks for your input.

    Reply
  8. not an impressive display. Pina is way over-rated just look at the way he turned his back on player that broke thru. US boys still can’t strike the ball cleanly.

    Reply

Leave a Comment