BEJA, Portugal (April 16, 2008) -- The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team evened their record at the Campos Verde International Tournament with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland in Beja, Portugal. Vincenzo Bernardo, Peri Marosevic and Ellis McLoughlin each scored a goal while Mikkel Diskerud tallied three assists in the win.
With the exception of defenders Tommy Meyer and Brek Shea, head coach Thomas Rongen used a completely different lineup than he did against the Cape Verde Islands a day ago, including goalkeeper Bill Hamid who earned the shutout with three saves.
The first U.S. goal came in the 17th minute, when Diskerud played a quick restart through the Northern Island defense, where Vincenzo Bernardo took two touches and gave the U.S. the early lead.
Northern Ireland stayed within a goal until late in the game, when Diskerud, playing in his first match with any U.S. National Team, again sprung a teammate on a through ball. This time it was Marosevic who found the end of it and went in alone on goal. The Michigan junior beat the goalkeeper and doubled the Americans' lead in the 82nd minute.
Just five minutes later, the Norwegian-based midfielder carried the ball along the endline and slotted it back for an onrushing Ellis McLoughlin, who finished with a one-time shot.
The U.S. will finish up the round-robin tournament against hosts Portugal on Friday, April 18.The U.S. needs a win to take the top spot in the tournament. Portugal, which has not allowed a goal through its first two games, can claim the top position with a win or a tie. The U.S. also boasts the youngest team in the tournament, with a team made up of players who are eligible for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, while their opponents are preparing for the European Under-21 Championship with rosters made up mostly of players born in 1988.
U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report
Participants: USA vs. Northern Ireland
Competition: Campos Verde International Tournament
Location: Beja, Portugal
Date: April 16, 2008
Weather: Sunny
Scoring Summary:
1 2 Final
USA 1 2 3
NIR 0 0 0
USA - Vincenzo Bernardo (Mikkel Diskerud) 17th minute
USA - Peri Marosevic (Mikkel Diskerud) 82.
USA - Ellis McLoughlin (Mikkel Diskerud) 86.
Lineups:
USA: 1-Bill Hamid, 2-Victor Cortez, 4-Gale Agbossmounde, 17-Tommy Meyer, 6-Brek Shea-capt. (10-Jorge Flores, 46); 14-Andrew Wenger (15-Daniel Wenzel, 67), 5-Alfredo Morales, 21-Mikkel Diskerud, 16-Brendan King; 9-Peri Marosevic, 11-Vincenzo Bernardo (13-Ellis McLoughlin)
Subs Not Used: 18-Zac MacMath, 3-Anthony Wallace, 7-Abdusalam Ibrahim, 8-Alex Nimo, 19-Gerson Mayen, 20-Jared Jeffrey
Head Coach: Thomas Rongen
NIR: 1-Trevor Carson-capt., 3-Brendan McMenamin (11-Martin Donnelly), 5-Craig Cathcart (4-Chris Casement, 46), 13-Ryan Mullan, 15-Jonathan Flynn, 8-Robert Weir, 16-Philip Carson (6-Robert Garrett, 46), 17-Michael McKerr, 10-Billy McKay (9-Curtis Allen, 46), 18-Mark McAllister, 20-Ian Curran
Subs Not Used: 12-Aaron Hogg, 2-Adam Chapman, 7-Robin Shroot, 14-Scott Gibb, 19-Michael Carvill
Head Coach: Roy Millar
Statistical Summary:
USA / NIR
Shots 10 / 5
Saves 3 / 2
Fouls 12 / 6
Corner Kicks 5 / 5
Offside 7 / 5
Misconduct Summary:
None
Campos Verde International Schedule/Results
| Date |
Match-up/Results |
| April 15 |
CPV 3, USA 1 |
| April 15 |
POR 1, NIR 0 |
| April 16 |
USA 3, NIR 0 |
| April 16 |
POR 3, CPV 0 |
| April 18 |
CPV vs. NIR |
| April 18 |
USA vs. POR |
Campos Verde International Tournament Standings
| Team |
W |
L |
T |
Pts. |
GF |
GA |
GD |
| POR |
2 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
| USA |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
| CPV |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
| NIR |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
-4 |
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