The U.S. Under-17 men’s national team moved one step closer to lifting the Concacaf U-17 Championship trophy after eliminating Canada in Friday’s semifinal round.
Micah Burton and Keyrol Figueroa both scored as Gonzalo Segares’ squad blanked the Canadians by a 2-0 scoreline. The USMNT U-17’s will face rivals Mexico in Sunday’s final after already clinching a berth into the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The Americans came close to grabbing an early advantage as Adrian Gill’s shot struck the post in the second minute. However, the Americans first-half pressure would pay off before halftime as Micah Burton called his own number on a free kick opportunity.
Alessandro Biello brought down Burton in the 35th minute, which would prove costly as Burton’s eventual free kick nestled into the bottom-left corner. It was his third goal of the tournament.
Canada upped its pressure in the second half but could not find a clear look on goal to test Adam Beaudry. The USMNT U-17’s defense continued to stand tall as the match went on and eventually the Americans sealed the victory with a late insurance goal.
Keyrol Figueroa’s tap in finish in the 92nd minute gave the Americans a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish.
The USMNT U-17’s have now outscored their opponents 23-4 over the span of the tournament heading into Sunday’s final vs. Mexico. Mexico reached the final after cruising past Panama 5-0 earlier on Friday.