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U-18 USMNT fall to Portugal in second game of Lisbon International Tournament

PortugalUSAU18LisbonTournament (FPF)

By RYAN TOLMICH

Through the game’s first 70 minutes, the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team looked to be well on their way to their second 0-0 draw of the 20th Lisbon International Tournament. However, due to a pair of opposition substitutes, the final 20 minutes proved to be the team’s undoing.

The U.S. fell to hosts Portugal, 2-0, in their second game of the tournament Sunday behind a pair of late-game scores from second-half substitute Goncalo Guedes.

The two sides struggled  through the first 45 minutes with neither team asserting themselves early. A wave of substitutes were made by Portugal in the 63rd minute, turning the game on its head with the introduction of Hildeberto Pereira, who created both goals for fellow substitute Guedes.

The game’s opening score came in the 71st minute when Hildeberto’s initial shot was parried by U.S. goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, only for Guedes to swoop in to give his side the 1-0 lead. Guedes and Hildeberto combined for round two in stoppage time, when Hildeberto cut in from the end line to find a streaking Guedes for the final insurance goal.

With the loss, the U.S. falls to 0-1-1 in the tournament after drawing 0-0 with Norway in the competition’s opening game. The team still does have a mathematical chance of emerging as champions, needing a four goal win in Tuesday’s contest with Sweden coupled with a draw between Portugal and Norway.

Here’s a look at the U-18 USMNT’s starting XI vs. Portugal:

U-18 USMNT: 12-JT Marcinkowski; 3-Malcolm Jones (10-Sebastian Elney, 77), 5-Tommy Redding (capt.)(15-Quentin Pearson, 45), 6-Mauricio Pineda, 8-Chase Gasper; 7-Ben Swanson, 14-Cameron Lindley (17-Maduabuchi Obinwa, 77), 20-Sebastian Saucedo, 4-Demakwi Yomba (13-Brooks Lennon, 59), 9-Coy Craft (2-Mukwelle Akale, 45) (11-Collin Fernandez, 63), 16-Rubio Rubin

Subs not used: 1-Jonathan Klinsmann

What do you think of team’s performance thus far? Think the U.S. can still emerge as champions?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Perhaps Arguez’s greatest contribution to U.S. soccer:

    “[Boyd’s] path to the U.S. national team began when his Hertha youth teammate Bryan Arguez, then a United States U-20 international, told then U-20 Head Coach Thomas Rongen that there were several Americans on Hertha’s books that Rongen needed to recruit.”

    Reply
  2. U-18 “Mega Camp” 2006

    Recognize anyone? (I see 2)

    GOALKEEPERS (6): Joe Bendik (Marieta, Ga.), Matt Brutto (Warrington, Pa.), Brandyn Bumpas (Denver, Colo.), Warren Gross (Greenfield Center, N.Y.), Joe Parsons (Springfield, Mass.), Brian Perk (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.);

    DEFENDERS (20): Bryan Arguez (Bradenton, Fla.), Sam Arthur (Roswell, Ga.), William Caston (Fort Worth, Texas), Andreas Chronis (Bayside, N.Y.), Johnathan Collier (Fayetteville, Ga.), Kyle Davies (Danville, Calif.), Greg Eckhardt (Orange Park, Fla.), Doug Ferner (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Blair Gavin (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Colin Givens (Troy, Mich.), Erik Johnsen (Seattle, Wash.), Cam Lamming (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Jeff Leach (Canaan, Conn.), Raphael Martinez (Portage, Ind.), Evan McNiel (Castic, Calif.), Andre Mittoo (Hollywood, Fla.), Ethan Morrow (Surrey, England), Daniel Rodriguez (Oxnard, Calif.), Anthony Wallace (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Marcus Watson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.);

    MIDFIELDERS (23): Wilber Bonilla (Brentwood, N.Y.), Cameron Brown (Garland, Texas), Pepe Carotenuto (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Karol Chorak (Boca Raton, Fla.), Andrew Duran (Mokena, Ill.), Kaoru Forbess (Benton, Ark.), Andrew Giallombardo (Manalapan, N.J.), Jose Gonzalez (Socal, Calif.), Keoki Haole (Kapoli, Hawaii), Daniel Kelly (Hendersonville, Tenn.), John Kluz (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Eber Martinez (Arlington, Va.), Gerson Mayen (Los Angeles, Calif.), Luke Norman (Rochester, Mich.), Vincent O’Campo (San Diego, Calif.), Kedoa Osorio (Makakilo, Hawaii), Micahel Paez (Whittier, Calif.), Julian Serrato (Boca Raton, Fla.), Josue Soto (Monterrey, Mexico), Michael Stephens (Naperville, Ill.), Lucas Swertloff (Brooklyn, N.Y.), John Tardy (Staten Island, N.Y.), Ryan Thomas (Claremont, Calif.);

    FORWARDS (9): Josmer Altidore (Boca Raton, Fla.), Edgar Barajas (Pacoima, Calif.), Mike Lindsay (Starksville, Miss.), Perica Marosevic (Rockford, Ill.), Dimitri Omphroy (Alameda, Calif.), Sam Petrone (Glenrock, N.J.), Jesse Rodriguez (Washington, D.C.), Cesar Romero (San Diego, Calif.), Joseph Sorrentino (Trenton, N.J.).

    Reply
    • Altidore, obviously. Perk is the backup GK for the Galaxy. Stevens spent four years with the Galaxy too, but was cut this past winter.

      Reply
    • Yep, there are a decent number of pros in there, but more that may not be playing pro. Besides jozy, that Stevens guy achieved his dream and has had several appearances under Bob Bradley. Not too shabby…

      Reply
    • How about Arguez… Went to Hertha Berlin-? for a short stint and came back to DCU at some point or I’m babbling but yeah, remember Josmer, Michael Stephens and Arguez.

      Blair Gavin too played a couple seasons in MLS.

      Reply
    • Brian Perk, Bryan Arguez, Blair Gavin, Anthony Wallace, Josue Soto, Michael Stephens, Josmer Altidore, Perica Marosevic

      Reply
  3. U-18 Roster from a tourney in Tel Aviv 2010. Recognize anyone?
    GOALKEEPERS (2): Jonathan Kempin, Andrew Wolverton
    DEFENDERS (6): Michael Ambrose, Jonathan Campbell, Bryan Gallego, Juan Pablo Ocegueda, Boyd Okwuonu, Walker Zimmerman
    MIDFIELDERS (7): Connor Hallisey, Jordan McCrary, Daniel Metzger, Victor Pineda, Marcus Salandy-Defour, Will Trapp, Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler
    FORWARDS (5): Villyan Bijev, Sean Okoli, Luis Rendon, Khiry Shelton, Jonathan Top

    Reply
    • Zimmerman and Trapp. Not a single senior cap amongst all of them.

      The reality is, even when looking at the current U.S. senior roster, a lot of them didn’t necessarily come up through the youth system from an early age.

      Reply
      • Many came up through the German youth system. Maybe we should be paying more attention to the Germany U18 team than that of the US.

      • David i have read enough of your posts to know where you stand on the recruitment issue. But i think it is interesting to know that there are not enough coming thru our developmental program to have success at the highest level. jK’s job is to win and build the development system. He is doing his best to win with whatever legal means he has available. I think that is his job. Now if we are in the same situation after 8 years of his leading the program, then yeah, something is still wrong.

        Just a different perspective. Enjoy the games.

    • Also, Bijev, the Bulgarian-American who was signed by Liverpool, and Victor Pineda, the Sueno MLS winner from Chicago.

      Reply
    • Kempin, Ambrose, Gallego, Oceguda, Okwuonu, Wimmerman, Pineda, Trapp, Bijev, Okoli, Top… so I guess I recognize 11 names from the roster. What is your point?

      Reply
      • It is fun to look back and see “where are they now”. I don’t put too much stock in these under age national teams. Too difficult to find all the talent and some are not developed yet. I don’t think it is that important.

      • It’s worth noting that he was an unused sub for the first game as well. Perhaps this is him “paying his dues” for his media flap.

      • No, paying his dues is not calling him up for this tournament in the first place or suspending him for a few games from the US Development Academy. Sending him on a soccer trip to Lisbon is no way to teach him a lesson.

        He played in the opening friendly, just not in the games that count. . . so far.

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