U.S. U-17s Fall to...Tajikistan?!?
After a mind-boggling loss to Tajikistan, the U.S. have a lot of work to do at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The United States has made huge strides in recent years at the international level. But on Monday the under-17 U.S. national program took a massive step backward, falling to unheralded Tajikistan 4-3 in their Group E opener at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Playing in front of a crowd of 4,570 in Changwan, South Korea, the Americans twice took the lead and twice fell behind, the final time through a stunning winner from Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev in the 86th minute.
The U.S., playing without their best striker, Ellis McLoughlin, stricken with strep throat, started brightly. In the 9th minute, Mykell Bates outjumped his marker and headed in a corner kick to give the U.S. a deserved lead. For most of the half, the Americans controlled the play.
But the Tajiks came roaring back at the end of the half. Farkhod Vasiev’s 32nd-minute shot from distance took a deflection in the area, equalizing the score, and eleven minutes later, Samad Shohzukhurov gave the Tajiks the lead. The move was started on the right side by Fatkhuloev, who skinned defender Kofi Sarkodie, then whipped a low cross into the area where it was left to Shohzukhurov to hammer the ball home.
After the break, the Americans stormed back into the lead with two goals in seven minutes. First, in the 48th minute, Bill Schuler’s cross from the right side reached Greg Garza at the far post. Garza simply chested the ball into the net. Five minutes later, Schuler headed in an Alex Nimo corner kick to give the U.S. the lead.
With 15 minutes to go, Tajikistan took the momentum. In the 82nd minute, Nuriddin Davronov latched onto a loose ball and targeted his shot just inside the left post. Then, with four minutes on the clock, Fatkhuloev took over. He picked the ball up on the right flank, cut inside, and drilled a 20-yard shot past U.S. keeper Zac MacMath.
“It was disappointing for us, because we know we let a lead slip away,” said U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth. “We didn’t manage the match very well at the end, and I think we played a little bit too defensively and too conservatively. It’s not over. There are still six points out there, we still have two more games left to try and advance out of this group.”
Next up, on Thursday, the U.S. face Tunisia, who bested Belgium 4-2 and now lead Group E. Tajikistan take on Belgium on the same day.
