After a disappointing tournament-opening loss to Nigeria, the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team looked well on their way to victory Tuesday while maintaining a two-goal advantage.
That advantage evaporated in a 12-minute span, as Croatia found two second half finishes to earn a 2-2 draw with the U.S. in the second game of the Under-17 World Cup group stages.
With the draw, the U.S. sits on just one point through two games and will need a victory against Chile to maintain any hope of sealing advancement. As of the final whistle, the U.S. sits two points behind Nigeria and level with hosts Chile, who are set to face-off Tuesday evening.
Nursing a 2-0 lead, the U.S. finally broke in the 65th and 77th minutes, as Karlo Igor Majic and Luka Ivanusec each found goals to pull Croatia level. Majic kickstarted the Croatia comeback on a close-range finish following a cross into the box, while Ivanusec’s finish from the top of the box doomed the U.S. to just one point.
The U.S. was dangerously close to being saddled for a loss, but a pair of Croatia shots in the game’s final seconds caromed off the post as the U.S. escaped with a draw.
Christian Pulisic provided the game’s opener in the 20th minute, giving the U.S. the team’s first goal of the tournament. Played in by Luca de la Torre, Pulisic found himself on the left side of the box with room to run. The Borussia Dortmund playmaker darted past a slipping defender before smashing a shot to the far post, giving the U.S. the 1-0 lead.
The lead was doubled in the 40th minute, with Pulisic once again playing a major part.
This time, Pulisic provided the assist via a cross, placing a ball right onto the head of Brandon Vasquez for the U.S.’s second goal of the afternoon. Driving down the right side of the box, Pulisic lofted a right-footed cross to the penalty spot. Vasquez was one of two American players waiting, and his header smashed the hands of Croatia goalkeeper Adrian Semper on the way into the back of the net.
On the other side of the ball, William Pulisic proved every bit as vital as his attacking cousin, making several diving saves to protect the U.S. lead. The U.S. goalkeeper’s best stops came in the first half, though, as William Pulisic’s stop of Neven Djurasek set the tone for the first half. The goalkeeper also made several crucial saves earlier in the second half, but was powerless in preventing Croatia’s two comeback goals.
Following the draw, the U.S. returns to action Friday evening against hosts Chile at 7 p.m.
I’ve watched some of the games played by the US U17. I noticed the same problem they had during the first game against Nigeria repeated itself in the game against Croatia.. the problem is simply COACHING..The Nigerian lads are just skillful with enormous speed..their opponents needs to be alert every time. Most of the players are from youth soccer academies. The issue of overage players is none existence at all.
If an African country wins and the west looses they will call it age cheat. You Americans should just accept it that Nigeria is good and stop with your age chest nonsense. Nigeria has the youngest players in d tournament. MRI scan technology was used on the whole players participating in the tournament so stop the flimsy excuses
You cannot totally fault Richie Williams on this. Notice I said totally. For me, Croatia was more technical and had a better understanding of how to play. Many people in this country have had exposure to their Technical Director, Romeo Jozak. Their plan for developing players starting at age 6 absolutely crushes ours. Does anyone know what our player development plan is or who our technical director is?
I hope we beat Chile and move on to the next round. The only way we’re going to improve is if we learn to bunker properly against top teams.
If anybody has the talent to do it is this group of players.
I think Ritchie has done a great job allowing this group to bunker freely and express themselves in their own third. Bunker bonita imo.
you two.
The US can play but lacks mental and physical stamina. Oh yeah, the Coach cant inspire the fighting spirit either. H. Wright has no business on this or any team.
John Nelson was very good…Richie Williams not so much. He should have been canned after the 2013 debacle.
He won’t as long as he coaches like JK.
Who was good? Pulisic by far was the best. by far. Nelson on both sides of the ball was second. No one else could put in a full performance. Ive been a fan of De La Torre but he showed he’s offensive only today. Wright has amazing skills but shows over and over again he is lazy.
Chile will be very desperate for the win on Friday since that is the only way they can possibly go through. Being the host, they will have a lot more pressure on themselves. Although you all say we shouldn’t bunker down, I think we should feel Chile out in the first half. If, as I suspect, they will come out with all guns blazing, I think the US should try to absorb the pressure and try to get them on the counter attack. If Chile do not score right away they will push even more, leaving themselves vulnerable in the back. Since both teams will be tired because of the short turn around, if the US can hold off Chile in the first half, then they come out in the second half and start to push hard in attack when Chile should be very tired. Nigeria have clinched first place so I expect their coach will play subs aned play a conservative game. If the US wins and Croatia wins, the US probably goes through as a 3rd place team. If Croatia and Nigeria draw and the US wins, the US goes through as a second place team. If Nigeria wins and the US and Chile draw, then you have 3 teams tied on 2 points. Then it comes down to tie breakers, probably goal differential and if Croatia lose by less than two goals, they are second and the US is 3rd, but the US would only have 3 points and may not go through. Will both games be played simultaneously like in the senior WC? I would think so given how decisive the last game can be for all three of the teams other than Nigeria.
Thanks Sonic. I figured that but I didn’t want to assume anything. Coaching!!!! This frustrates me the most out of everything that’s going on in American soccer right now. Why can’t we figure out we can’t just entrust these guys with in these positions that haven’t proven that they can handle it. The commentators of NBC Universo ripped the coach saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing after some of the subs he made, and rightfully so . But this goes for all levels, MLS included. Giving first division coaching jobs to guys who have never coached is a detriment to the entire program.
Going back to the U17s, I watched these kids play and then I watched Mexico dominate Argentina and I was honestly jealous. Not really at the individual talent so much but of the way they knew how to play together, cohesive football. These kids in the second half played EXACTLY how the senior team played against Mexico in the Concaca Cup. Not good signs all around.
Honestly wish someone would wake up and say let’s not make these same mistakes again. Give these jobs to guys who deserve it. In Iceland, Belgium,Germany they all say investment in coaching is what has turned their programs around and we seem to not be able get those lessons.
Who are these “guys” you speak of? Do you know of any?
There are several working at academies right now as well a few working abroad if you are just looking at Americans.
there = their
No worries. Chile is beatable an the US will advance. Nigeria looks like there team is way older than U17!
I watched Nigeria play and they do not seem WAY older than 17 to me. They are all about attack and skill. If you cannot manage that, you will get slammed (a la Chile). They are more skilled and better with the ball than we are, but that is not suprise. Chile is not as bad as the game score suggest.
One of the recent bits of good news is that Nigeria beat Chile much worse than they beat the US, so the US loss doesn’t look so bad now. Nigeria scored their last goal while a man down, too. Now the question is whether Chile comes into the game with the US with renewed determination and fight or will they be really lacking in confidence and mentally depressed after the thrashing by Nigeria?
sick watching the US concede possession the entire 2nd half. You knew that the Croat’s goals were going to come. Williams may as well have just gone back to the hotel for the 2nd half.
Can someone enlighten me and tell me if Richie Williams has ever been at the helm of a successful academy team prior to getting this U17 job?
He has not, but hes been the interim coach of the Red Bulls. Does that count? 😉
No but, he stayed over at the Holiday Inn.
LOL
Keeper needed to come out on the first goal by Croatia. Long floating lob, only a few yards outside the 6. He had some good saves, but that goal changed the game.
I didn’t see the game, but that comes with experience and age. Youth keepers have it drilled into their heads that anything inside the 6 is theirs, but most seem to assume the opposite is also true – anything beyond the 6 belongs to the defenders (except, of course, on 1v1s or long through balls). Just part of growing up.
Croatian GK was very good at coming out
Terrible job of coaching by ABMOD in the second half, as he had the boys try and bunker for 45 minutes. Soccer revolution indeed.
Not sure why Williams is coaching this team. Why must our teams bunker after a lead?
I had forgotten all about the Hugo Perez canning. I think he would have been coaching this team.
http://www.soccerwire.com/blog-posts/u-s-u-17s-hugo-perez-the-98-99-crop-and-a-legacy-under-threat-at-the-u-17-world-cup-in-chile/
Nigeria 2 Chile 0 first Half
Nigeria doesn’t look like they’re about to bunker down.
This is why they never win anything
Nigeria are the defending champs.
Well yeah but how are we certain that they are under 17. Couls be 25
The only reason they won its because they bunker all the time.
You mean besides their previous U17, U20, CAF and Olympics titles (and multiple semi-final fishes)? Yeah, they NEVER win anything…