The United States Under-17 national team is on the verge of World Cup qualification after a resounding 3-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday afternoon to begin the Classification Stage of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship.
Josh Sargent picked up a pair of goals to take his team-leading total to five through the first four games of the tournament. Toronto FC II attacker Ayo Akinola picked up the other goal in a game that saw the US look comfortable from start to finish.
Sargent opened the scoring in rainy Panama City, Panama in the 26th minute when he found himself wide open inside the six-yard box to tap in a low free kick delivered by Atlanta United forward Andrew Carleton.
The US looked comfortable throughout the match, bossing possession with 69% of the ball and outshooting Honduras 16-4. US 'keeper Justin Garces was equal to all four of Honduras' shots, though the same could not be said of his counterpart, Carlos Banegas.
After coming out of his area in an attempt to play the ball and giving up the foul for the free kick that led to Sargent's opener, Banegas again mistimed a departure from his goal line in the 65th, allowing Akinola to touch the ball around him and finish despite pressure from an opposition defender.
Sargent, whose Homegrown rights were recently claimed by Sporting Kansas City, iced the game in the 82nd minute, letting an inch-perfect lobbed pass from George Acosta drop before one-timing it past Banegas.
The win puts the US in pole position to qualify for the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India this October. Though they are still not assured of their place, they simply need to avoid losing by five or more goals to Cuba – who lost 7-1 to Honduras on Monday – in the group finale on May 5 to secure their spot. Should they tie or beat Cuba, the US will also advance to the tournament final on May 7 against one of Mexico, Panama or Costa Rica.
