It was win and in for the United States Under-17 National Team as they faced off against a resilient Guatemala on their home soil. In a back and forth clash at the Under-17 Concacaf Championships, the Stars and Stripes emerged victorious to secure their record-setting 18th appearance in the U-17s biggest tournament.
Philadelphia Union Academy forward David Vazquez got the start and played a key role in the opening goal that came just over six minutes into the contest. Just like with the Union, Vazquez used his speed to counter press after a turnover and intercepted a pass from a Guatemalan defender to regain possession and spark a counter. With just the keeper to beat, Vazquez was selfless as he laid off a far post pass for Brian Romero to open the scoring.
Vazquez played 86 minutes in the match that finished 5-3 which saw the hosts battle back to within a goal on multiple occasions but never equalize. With their tickets secured for the FIFA World Cup, they now set their sights on capturing the Concacaf Championship as they await the winner of Puerto Rico and Canada in the semifinals that'll take place on Friday, February 24th at 8 p.m. ET.
