The United States Under-17 national team marked another big milestone for the country's youth programs on Wednesday night, topping Mexico for the first time ever in official competition thanks to a wild 4-3 win at the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.
The historic victory came just over two months after the US U-20s recorded their first win over Mexico, also at the CONCACAF Championship, and sent the US through to the next round of the tournament as Group C winners.
Wednesday's victory, a thriller from start to finish, was played mostly in a torrential downpour in Panama City, Panama. The US found themselves in an early hole after Roberto De La Rosa's sixth-minute opener, but the Americans would fight back and eventually take the lead through forward Josh Sargent, whose MLS Homegrown rights were recently picked up by Sporting Kansas City.
Sargent opened his account in the game with a nifty bit of skill in the 26th minute, flicking the ball up over his defender before turning, settling and firing a low shot past the Mexican 'keeper. He would then double his tally in the 40th minute with a decidedly scrappier goal, stabbing home at the third time of asking after a scramble in the rain. The US would lose their lead before the half, though, with De La Rosa heading home his second of the game a minute before the break.
In the second half, however, Mexico found no response to the US. Blaine Ferri restored the US advantage with a low shot from outside the area set up by Atlanta United youngster Andrew Carleton in the 51st minute. The US would ice the game in the 81st minute when Toronto FC Academy product Ayo Akinola, now at TFC II, finished off a 3-on-1 breakaway.
The US, coached by former Philadelphia Union coach John Hackworth, now face one more test against already-eliminated El Salvador on Saturday before they gear up for the next stage. In that second round, dubbed the Classification Stage, the US will be placed in a group with the runners-up from Groups A and B of the first round, with the top two teams in the second-round group advancing to the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India this fall. The group winners will also play for the CONCACAF title on May 7.
In addition to Carleton, MLS first-teamers featuring for the U-17s in Panama include D.C. United's Chris Durkin, FC Dallas' Bryan Reynolds and Atlanta's Chris Goslin. New York City FC's James Sands highlights the strong contingent of current MLS academy players on Hackworth's roster.
