Novakovich and Pfeffer strike again

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jul 17, 2014

[USA UNDER-20 MEN] Andrija Novakovich and Zach Pfeffer, who scored the tying and winning goals off the bench in the 2-1 win over Chile on Monday, scored the first two goals in the U.S. under-20 men’s national team's 4-0 win over Bermuda at the 2014 Men’s National Training Center Invitational on Wednesday evening.

The USA is tied with Australia with six points but holds the top spot on goal differential heading into their deciding game Friday at 10 p.m. ET at StubHub Center (live on ussoccer.com).

Defender Caleb Smith fed Novakovich, the former Wisconsin prep star who signed with Reading in England, for the opening goal in the 27th minute. Pfeffer, who has played two seasons for the Philadelphia Union with a year in German club Hoffenheim's youth system in between, converted a penalty kick in the 39th minute to give the USA a 2-0 lead after Novakovich was fouled in the box by Bermuda defender Jaylon Bather.

The USA extended the lead to 3-0 in the 45th minute on a goal by late addition Tommy Thompson, the San Jose Earthquakes rookie who is the son of former U.S. international Gregg Thompson. The USA, which finished with a 26-2 edge in shots, picked up its fourth goal on an own goal in the 85th minute.



July 16 in Carson, Calif.
USA 4 Bermuda 0. Goals: Novakovich 27, Pfeffer pen. 39, Thompson 45, own goal 85.
USA -- Steffen; Odoi-Atsem, Donovan (Amick, 46), Vasquez, Smith; Thompson (Lopez, 64), Hayes, Delgado (Canouse, 64), Pfeffer (Requejo Jr., 73); Gall (Arce, 64), Novakovich (Gooch, 79)
Bermuda -- J.Hill; Grant, Bather (Simons, 52), Webb, M.Hill (Harvey, 61); Minors (R.Smith, 52; Brangman, 81), White, Clemens, Simmons (Lawrence Salaam, 52); Burchall, Lewis (Parson, 81).