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Shea scores winner, gets sent off as U.S. U-23s top FC Dallas in scrimmage

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Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Brek Shea had himself an interesting day at the office on Wednesday.

Playing against his own club, Shea drew a first-half penalty, scored the game-winning goal and was sent off as the nine-man U.S. Under-23 national team held on to defeat FC Dallas, 2-1, in a scrimmage in Frisco, Texas.

Shea scored the game-winner in the 51st minute, finishing after latching onto a ball over the top from Freddy Adu, who earlier took the penalty that Shea drew but had his spot kick saved by Kevin Hartman. 

Shea was then sent off for picking up his second yellow card of the match after committing a foul on FCD trialist Daniel Osorno in the 75th minute. He was the second U-23 player to be sent off, after Houston Dynamo right back Kofi Sarkodie got his marching orders in the 58th minute for picking up his second yellow for a foul on Fabian Castillo.

The MLS side had taken the lead early on after Andrew Jacobson scored off a Castillo corner kick in the 15th minute, but the U-23s responded in kind when Ike Opara headed home Adu's corner four minutes later.

The match also marked the return of 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira to competitive action for the first time since he was injured last April. Ferreira entered as a substitute in the 36th minute before exiting in the 58th in favor of Osorno for FCD, which had a first-choice lineup on the field, for the exception of Shea. 

Caleb Porter sent out his starting XI in a 4-3-3, with Bill Hamid starting in goal; Sarkodie, Zarek Valentin, Opara and Jorge Villafana forming the back line; Amobi Okugo, Jared Jeffrey and Adu in the midfield; and Shea, Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo playing up top.

Sean Johnson, Greg Garza, Perry Kitchen, Dilly Duka, Michael Stephens and Tony Taylor entered at halftime, replacing Hamid, Villafana, Opara, Jeffrey, Agudelo and Bunbury.

Porter did not have his complete roster at his disposal, as some of the abroad-based players have not yet arrived in camp. According to a U.S. Soccer release, Terrence Boyd is slated to arrive Thursday, Sebastien Lletget will join the fold on Saturday and Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, Joe Gyau and Alfredo Morales are due in camp on Sunday. 

Comments

  1. although maybe they will play morales at RB. i thought he might start in the midfield with Okugo and Adu, but he could be a solution at RB as well.

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  2. Sounds like the team played well. I’d hope Boyd would start over Bunbury though. Also think that Sheanon Williams should be the starting RB over Sarkodie, who seems a bit reckless. Regardless, the starter should be Timmy Chandler but I don’t know if he will get released.

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  3. Well then in the absence of direct evidence all US fans have on Agudelo is indirect evidence i.e. Klinsmann seems to be making an effort to keep Juan involved and training with the Seniors and the Under-23’s.

    It seems obvious that JK rates him . For whatever reason Agudelo seems to be in a bad place for his further development.

    It seems he is going to have to find a way to get himself somewhere better.

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  4. As a Dynamo supporter, I’m starting to get worried at Sarkodie’s propensity for getting sent off.

    Come to think of it… he had a red against FCD at Houston last year, requiring some magic from Colin Clark to squeak out a draw in the dying minutes.

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  5. I’m pretty sure he meant to Kaiserslautern’s senior team–not the USMNT–in which case, he certainly does. Kaiserslautern’s doing awful right now and is not scoring many goals.

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  6. I was talking for his club but you know I would like to see him on that italy roster….. I know we dont want to rush these players but I am not a fan of altidore! I always respect your opinions because you know what your talking about more than I do!

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  7. Daniel Osorno is on trial at Dallas?

    Really?

    Talk about dredging the bottom of the barrel.

    Schellas Hyndman should be red-carded for that one.

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  8. No Adu was finally put in his best Position as the CAM. Yes Agudelo was playing RF. Bunbury as the CF Shea at LF. I don’t forsee either Agudelo or Bunbury starting against Mexico. Overall good performance from Shea, Adu, Okugo , and Opara. Boyd and Wooten scored against eachother today. Do not understand how McInerney or Bunbury were called over Wooten.

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  9. At 19, we should be looking more at technical skills and tools than individual game performances, esp since he hasn’t had any regular game action for months. The skills are there: touch, creativity, vision, ball skills. The tools are obvious: speed, work rate, size and strength. Now it’s a matter of whether he can keep improving and his intangibles like work ethic, coachability, and versatility. Those things are notoriously hard to judge and only show over time.

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  10. He’s been hyped for a while. He hasn’t had a good game at any level for a while. He’s had two maybe three good games for the Nats against weak competition.

    …but since then he’s been ALL hype no substance. He will do nothing all game then launch a 30 yard bomb that misses and fans will say wow look at that he’s going to be something special….

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  11. Interesting to see Juan on the wing (I assume) of 4-3-3. Assuming Freddie also played outside. I hope they can excel as this will improve their versatility. Juan seems to have the burst and stamina to play wing, but he previously hasn’t looked great in that spot. Adu has played outside before, but speed and backtracking have always been a question mark for him.

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  12. Of course. Everyone has to go through it at some point, especially the top players. Deuce, Claudio, Landon, Jozy, Gooch, Boca, Dolo, MB have all spent time as the haters whipping boys as they were clearly all too slow/small/lazy/frail/weak-minded/unskilled to ever succeed.

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  13. Sounds like this was an intense match. Glad Shea fould a trialist and not one of his teammates. Also, very glad to hear that Ike is scoring off set pieces again. The Quakes missed him last season. Can’t wait for the highlights.

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  14. Hah! if he stays healthy this season, i expect big things from Ike (finally). he’s absolutely tenacious on set pieces, and i doubt there’s a player in the league who’s got a bigger vertical leap.

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  15. The cynic in me wonders how many “quiet” minutes Agudelo will have to log before the accusations of laziness, bad knees and being washed up emerge.

    I hope it doesn’t happen, but it seems to be the trend….

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  16. Ike Opara is not human he was forged by Thor’s hammer as the earth was split open by an earthquake during a lightning storm in the fires of mount olympus.

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  17. As a Union supporter, I really want to see how Okugo and Adu together in the midfield looks like…because I don’t get to see that much under Nowak’s managing.

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  18. Nice win for the U-23’s especially with missing 5 of their starters!

    Disappointed that MLS couldn’t put up a live stream for the game!

    Reply

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