Bahrain eliminates U.S. U-19 men in game marred by brawl

By Mike Woitalla

The U.S. U-19 men’s national team, after having upset host Spain, was eliminated from the Sub-20 l’Acudia COTIF tournament with a 3-1 loss to Bahrain in a gamethat ended with a brawl.

Coach Brad Friedel’s team entered its final Group A game, after opening with a 2-0 loss to Venezuela and 1-0 wins over Mauritania and Spain, needing awin to advance to the semifinals.

The USA took the lead over Bahrain with a goal from German-American Kevin Lankford, who plays for the U-19 team of German second divisionclub Heidenheim.

But the USA gave up three goals with 18 minutes. Shortly before the final whistle, U.S.midfielder Pierre Da Silva was fouled and while on the ground, a Bahrain player kicked the ball into Da Silva’s head, setting off a brawl that saw two players from each teamejected.

With the loss, the USA finished in fourth place in Group A while Bahrain, which had lost, 3-0, to Spain and tied Venezuela, 0-0, finished third.

In the semifinals, Spain facesQatar and Venezuela meets Argentina.

Aug. 1 in Valencia, Spain
USA 1 Bahrain 3.
Goals: Lankford 33; Abdulaziz 44, 50, 62.
USA — Vom Steeg, Arellano, Fossey (Munjoma, 56), Mckennie, Da Silva, Vázquez, Nelson, Trusty, Mihailovic (Vega, min. 41), Pines, Lankford (Young, min. 41).
Bahrain — Yusuf, Mubarak, Jameel, Mahmook, Talal Ali (Redha, 41), Sayed (Ahmed, 53), Ebrahim (Faisal, 58), Abdulaziz, Mohamed, Zeyad (Jasim, 41), Shawqi (Hasan, 58).
Yellow cards: USA — Arellano, Lankford, Da Silva; Bahrain – Jasim, Mohamed.
Red cards: USA – Arellano, Vazquez; Bahrain – Jameel, Mahmook.
Att.: 3,500.

Panama to host Concacaf U-17 WorldCup qualifying

Panama will host the 2017 U-17 Concacaf Championship April 21-May 7 to determine the region’s four qualifiers for the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India.

TheUSA, which has qualified for 15 of the 16 biennial U-17 World Cups, has won the U-17 Concacaf title three times (1983, 1992, 2011 and finished second-place five times.

The USA will join 11other teams at the Concacaf Champions, including fellow North American nations Canada and Mexico. Three additional Central American nations will join host Panama plus five Caribbean teams.

U.S. U-16 girls convene in Chula Vista

The U.S. U-16girls national team, coached by Jaime Frias, is holding a 24-player training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California July 31-Aug. 7.  The camp marksthe second since Frias was hired as U-16 head coach and a U.S. Soccer Women’s Development Coach.

The roster consists of players born in 2000 who are in their second year of a two-year cyclebefore becoming U-18s with the ultimate aim of playing in the 2020 U-20 Women’s World Cup.

U.S. U-16 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS(2): Kat Asman (Top Hat SC; Roswell, Ga.), Hensley Hancuff (Oklahoma FC; Edmond, Okla.)
DEFENDERS (7): Maycee Bell (Sporting KC Blue Valley; Wichita, Kan.), EmilyCrocco (Richmond United; Midlothian, Va.), Madelyn Desiano (So Cal Blues; San Clemente, Calif.), Shae Holmes (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Brianna Martinez (New Mexico Rush; Albuquerque,N.M.), Kylie Minamishin (Honolulu Bulls; Mililani, Hawaii), Ella Shamburger (Top Hat SC; Atlanta, Ga.).
MIDFIELDERS (9): Coriana Dyke (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), BriceMcInroy (Penn Fusion; Mechanicsburg, Penn.), Nohemi Mendoza (Heat FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Skylar Smith (So Cal Blues; Coto de Caza, Calif.),Kali Trevithick (San Diego Surf; Temecula, Calif.), Madeline Vergura (FC Stars; Concord, Mass.), Natalie Viggiano (Michigan Hawks; Macomb Township, Mich.), Summer Yates (PacNW SC; Pasco, Wash.).
FORWARDS (6): Sophie Hirst (Crossfire ECNL; Seattle, Wash.), Rebecca Jarrett (World Class; Washington Twp., N.J.), Jordan Taylor (Ohio Premier; Wadsworth, Ohio), Emaly Vatne (MichiganHawks; Sterling Heights, Mich.), Brooke Wilson (San Diego Surf; Vista, Calif.), Olivia Wingate (FC Stars; Wilmington, Mass.).

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