D.C. United academy forward Griffin Yow jumped on an errant back-pass in the first half and the US U-17 national team held on for a 1-1 result against Portugal to open the 2018 International Friendlies in Bradenton, Fla. on Wednesday.
A matchup characterized by end-to-end play, Yow capitalized on an error from Portugal defender Daniel Rodrigues in the 36th minute, hustling to intercept a skipping pass to goalkeeper Samuel Soares and slotting home to give the US the lead.
Yow celebrated with flair, dancing his way to the corner flag as he was swarmed by his teammates.
But Portugal would equalize nine minutes from full time. Consistent pressure and key substitutions paid off when midfielder Gerson Sousa sped down the wing and played a perfect ball deep into the penalty area, teeing up Tiago Tomas for a sliding finish.
A persistent US side found one last chance through midfielder Giovanni Reyna four minutes into stoppage time. The NYCFC academy product ran down a long pass from Chicago Fire academy defender Damian Las and fired at goal. Soares was up to the challenge, making the save to see out a point for each side.
With the result, the US sit tied for second with Portugal in the four-team tournament. Brazil defeated Turkey 1-0 earlier in the day to leap to the top of the table.
The US will face Turkey next at the IMG Academy on Friday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 pm ET.
