USA edge past Ghana, take top spot in Group Awith two wins
CLINICAL Substitute Ayo Akinola’s goal in the 75th minute helps USA earn full points in their second group A match
NEW DELHI: USA inched closer towards booking their spot in the FIFA U-17 World Cup knockout stages as they defeated Ghana 1-0 in their Group A encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.
The scorecard was a clear indication of how tough the battle was between the two sides and it was a beautiful finish by substitute Ayo Akinola that clinched the game for the USA.
USA coach John Hackworth opted for a defensive 5-4-1 formation with Josh Sargent playing as a sole striker in order to stop the Ghana forwards and the strategy worked quite well for them in the first 15 minutes of the encounter.
The inclusion of Ajax FC defender Sergino Dest in place of striker Ayo Akinola provided them extra depth in the back and as a result, USA were able to slow down the game with short and precise passing.
Ghana wingers Aminu Mohammed and Sadiq Ibrahim were cramped for space by the five-man defence of USA and their trademark pa cy attacks were nowhere to be seen.
But, the tide slowly started changing as Ghana were back to their pacy best and in the 35th minute, Ibrahim’s shot was saved brilliantly by the USA keeper.
USA also created a number of chances but Ghana’s Danlad Ibrahim first pulled off a brilliant save from a Josh Sargent header and then followed it up with a timely block to deny Andrew Carleton.
At the end of first half, the teams were still level at 0-0 but the 58% possession in favour of USA was indicator of their slight dominance.
The second half started on a similar note as both teams looked to play attacking football. USA brought Ayo Akinola on for Tim Weah and that extra burst of pace in the final third proved to be the deciding factor.
The Toronto FC striker was at the receiving end of a measured Christopher Goslin pass and the youngster made no mistake in putting the ball in the back of the net for his team’s opening goal of the match. The goal was exactly what USA needed to grab total control of the game as Ghana struggled to stage a comeback. The strikers resorted to using long range shots and although some of them were on target, they were not lethal enough to bother USA goalkeeper Justin Garces. Ayo Akinola received a golden chance to double his tally towards the end of the game, but his shot was not good enough.
PARAGUAY WIN
MUMBAI: Three goals in the second half, including two in the space of three minutes from substitute Anibal Vega, earned Paraguaya much-needed come back win as they beat New Zealand 4-2 despite trailing for nearly 41 minutes in the game, here at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The win also lifts Paraguay back in the top slot with six points to show for and earned them a ticket in the knockout stages after 17 years in the under-17 tournament.
MALITH RASH TURKEY
MUMBAI: Dominant Mali pumped three goals past a hapless Turkey in Group of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Monday, with the victory keeping them on course to qualify to the knockout stages. Having lost to Paraguay 2-3 in their first group game, it was a must-win match for Mali. What stood out for Mali was their accurate passing in the centre .