The U-20 USMNT started the classification stage of the CONCACAF championships with a win over Mexico. Here is your game recap and a look at what the USA faces the rest of the tournament.
After dropping their first game to Panama, it seemed like the USA U-20 national team was going to be in terrible position to make the U-20 World Cup this summer. Now just a little over a week later, the USA is in great position to make the tournament.
After getting a second place finish in their initial group, the USA was forced into a group with Mexico and El Salvador. The top two of this group will make it to the World Cup, and the top team will play the top team from the other group (Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama) for the CONCACAF championship.
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The USA came out of the gate today ready to play. The first part of the 1st half was back and forth, with a lot of the play being stuck in the midfield. However, later in the first half, the USA began to apply the pressure. It paid off when Erik Palmer-Brown was able to head home a corner kick and give the USA a 1-0 lead.
Erik Palmer-Brown finds the back of the net with this beauty! Brooks Lennon delivered the corner on 🎯
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 27, 2017
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After this, the USA kept the pressure and looked like the better team for essentially the rest of the game. Mexico never was able to get much going or look very dangerous, and the USA managed to blow a few late breakaways.
All in all, the game finished 1-0, and the USA deserved the win. Surprisingly, this is the USA U-20s first win vs Mexico in 31 years according to Stars and Stripes FC.
Looking forward, Mexico will play El Salvador on Wednesday before the USA plays them on Friday. If El Salvador is able to beat or draw Mexico, that would mean that the USA is already into the World Cup and will just be playing for a chance to get into the CONCACAF Championship finals.
If Mexico wins, the USA will need at least a draw to ensure World Cup qualification. A loss for the USA and a Mexico win would make the group come down to goal differential.
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In the end, the USA has gone from being in big trouble to being in prime position to qualify for the U-20 World Cup in just 10 days.