US U-17 team beats 0-2 deficit and beats Canada 3-2

UNITED STATES The under-17s entered the World Cup qualifiers with a very close 3-2 victory over Canada in a game where the American team was beaten 0-2 but won with three goals in the second half of Gianluca Busio, Axel Alejandre and Gio Reyna.

Overall, the US team controlled the game throughout the match but fell asleep when Canada scored two quick goals in the 21st and 22nd minutes for a 2-0 lead in the second half. time.

But the United States did not panic and instead used Canada and found it in the match. After the equalizer, it seemed only a matter of time before the American team moved forward, which was the case.

Here are the US U-17 goals today in a 3-2 victory over Canada in World Cup qualifying. The United States were 0-2 at HT but scored goals for Busio, Alejandre and Reyna in the 2nd half. pic.twitter.com/efK3Wt41If

– American Football now (@ClassicASN) May 3, 2019

With the win, the United States took first place in Group F, with Barbados and Guatemala tied 1-1 with a goal equalizer in Barbados in the third minute of the break in the second half.

The United States will play Barbados Saturday at 4 pm Eastern Time. A win as well as a draw between Canada and Guatemala could allow the group to win the title for the US team.

Here are some brief thoughts on the game.

Many positive points

That was not the way American fans were hoping, and maybe got used to watching U-20 at CONCACAF last November, but there was a lot of good things about this game.

On the one hand, head coach Raphael Wicky took control of this team only in March. US Soccer did not have a head coach until very late in this cycle. Wicky had only one minicamp in April and three to four days of training before the Canada match to get ready. Waiting for a coherent unit under Wicky was unrealistic. It was always going to be a difficult climb.

Nevertheless, the team played very well outside of a two minute period in the first period. The team was not concentrated for a brief moment and it almost cost them a result. But that's the nature of youth football. This is unpredictable because players will make mistakes, often mental.

The total absence of panic was even more impressive on the part of the American team. He fell back but remained calm and stuck to his plan. In the end, they used Canada and were the deserved winner.

Players raising their games

Gio Reyna got the free kick from a free kick and the son of former US national team captain, Claudio Reyna, was a pivot for the team throughout the cycle. But handling Reyna will be difficult for Wicky because Reyna has not played a lot of football minutes this year since his imminent transfer from New York to Borussia Dortmund.

Reyna will probably not be fit enough to go to 90 for a little while – maybe at the end of the tournament. Aside from the free kick, it was clear that he was a bit rusty. But the US team may have a few games in front of them where they do not need to be at their best and where they can refine for the round of 16.

Daniel Leyva did well to settle the game and control the midfield. As problems get complicated with the implementation of Wicky's system, it's very easy to see him play well.

Ricardo Pepi did not score, but his pace of work was impressive and he effectively used Canadian defenders. The goals will probably be achieved soon enough for the talented Texan.

Finally, Damian Las is one of the best goalkeepers under 17 in recent cycles. He is very calm, athletic and will help the United States to stay in games against talented teams. He made a big stop in stop to preserve the big gain.

4-3-3?

Currently, all US teams from across the team, at all youth levels, appear to be married to 4-3-3 or similar 4-1-4-1. At this point, the US U-17 team can probably get the results against the CONACAF mid-level teams using 4-3-3.

Looking at the team and looking at the skills of the different players, the 4-3-3 might not be the best. It would not be surprising to see Wicky return to a 4-4-2 against the best teams.

Why? Well, the American team has two strikers in shape, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Ricardo Pepi, who are very different and who could complement each other. In addition, the lineup of the United States is light on the wingers and Wicky has tried to attract talented players based in the center such as Gianluca Busio and Giovanni Reyna on the wings. But a variant of the 4-4-2 could accommodate more central midfielders and allow two good attackers to coexist.

The trick of a tournament like this is that the games follow one another quickly during the group stages. Coaches must therefore rotate the teams significantly and it may not be possible to start a first choice from XI before the knockouts. Wicky is also always learning more about this team – even at this critical time. But Wicky is an accomplished coach and he may not want to show his best hand before the round of 16 – he could also learn more about his players before.

But it would not be surprising if the team takes a different approach as the tournament progresses.