In their first event since the appointment of Dave van den Bergh as head coach, the U.S. U-15 boys national team (2002s) went undefeated in three games, including a 2-0 win overUruguay on goals by Efrain Alvarez, his fourth goal of the trip, and Giovanni Reyna, son of U.S. Hall of Famer Claudio Reyna.
The USA opened witha 5-1 win over Atletico Talleres in which Alvarez, a Los Angeles Galaxy academy player who previously played at Chivas USA, scored a hat trick and assisted on the other two goals.
Goals byMarco Ceja (Central CA Aztecs) and Cade Hagan (LA Galaxy) gave the USA fleeting leads in a 2-2 tie with Newell’s Old Boys.
Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer
April 8in Rosario, Argentina
USA 2 Uruguay 0. Goals: Alvarez 29, Reyna 38.
USA — Las; Stroud (Fuentes, 36), O’Connor, Alejandre, Bello;Goeggel, Maunsell (Busio, 43), Alvarez (Atanda, 64); Reyna (Kelii, 64), Hagan (Ceja, 55), Gaines (Zuniga, 55).
Uruguay — Mernes; Barreto, Gonzalez (Bartora, 46), 4- Fernandez,Guisolfo; Patron, Gutierrez, Pereyra, 10- Arezo; Disabella (Gonzalez, 40), Pereira.
April 6 in Rosario, Argentina
Newell’s OldBoys 2 USA 2. Goals: Tolles 44, Ramos 70; Ceja 35, Hagan 66.
USA — Oladapo; Fuentes (Stroud, 68), Alejandre, O’Connor (Atanda, 53), Bello;Goeggel, Busio, Alvarez (Kelii, 41); Imperato (Maunsell, 43), Ceja (Hagan, 43), Reyna.
April 4 in Rosario, Argentina
Talleres 1 USA5. Goals: Namani 3; Alvarez 29, Bello (Alvarez) 34, Alvarez 35, Hagan (Alvarez) 39, Alvarez 41.
USA — Las; Stroud, Atanda, Alejandre (O’Connor, 43),Bello; Goeggel (Ceja, 46), Maunsell, Alvarez (Imperato, 43); Gaines (Busio, 46), Hagan, Kelii (Zuniga, 46).
U.S. U-15 boys national team roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Damian Las (Chicago Magic; Norridge, Ill.), Kashope Oladapo (Portland Timbers; Happy Valley, Ore.).
DEFENDERS (8): Axel Alejandre (ChicagoFire North; Chicago, Ill.), Noah Atanda (Bethesda Olney; Olney, Md.), George Bello (Ambush; Douglasville, Ga.), James Crath (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Max Goeggel (Ballistic United; SanFrancisco, Calif.), Jake O’Connor (CASL; Cary, N.C.), Peter Stroud (New York Red Bulls; Chester, N.J.), Juan Zuniga (Storm; Bluffton, S.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Efrain Alvarez (LAGalaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Gianluca Busio (North Carolina Fusion; Greensboro, N.C.), Gilbert Fuentes (Ballistic United; Tracy, Calif.), Cade Hagan (LA Galaxy; Naperville, Ill.), Jack Imperato (DeAnza Force; San Jose, Calif.), Mikey Maunsell (Oakwood; Oxford, Conn.).
FORWARDS (4): Marco Ceja (Central CA Aztecs; Bakersfield, Calif.), Julian Gaines (Lonestar Soccer Club;Austin, Texas), Kanoa Kelii (Maui United; Waianae, Hawaii), Giovanni Reyna (NYCFC; Bedford, N.Y.).