U.S. U-20s down New York Cosmos and Red Bulls II

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Aug 8, 2016

The U.S. U-20 men's national team, during a 10-day training camp in New Jersey, beat the NASL's New York Cosmos, 2-0, and the USL's New York Red Bulls II, 4-3.

Against the Red Bulls, Coach Tab Ramos' team overcame an early two-goal deficit after Anatole Abang scored in the 10th minute and Dan Metzger in the 14th minute. Two goals within two minutes by Emmanuel Sabbi (Chicago Magic) and Jonathan Lewis (Kendall SC) sent the teams into halftime tied, 2-2.

Stefano Bonomo regained the lead for the Cosmos in the 46th minute before Sebastian Elney (University of Maryland) equalized and Jeremy Kelly (UNC) scored the stoppage-time winner, set up by Philadelphia Union academy player Yosef Samuel.

In the 2-0 win over the Cosmos, the U.S. U-20s got goals from Jeremiah Gutjahr and Jonathan Suarez. Gutjahr, a sophomore at Indiana University in his hometown of Bloomington, was assisted on his 46th-minute goal by Jonathan Suarez, a Southern California product with Mexico's Queretaro who scored Coach Tab Ramos' team's second goal in the 67th minute.

Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer

Aug. 7 in Whippany, N.J.
U.S. U-20s 4 New York Red Bulls II 3. Goals: Sabbi 36, Lewis (JT Marcinkowski) 37, Elney (Lewis) 67, Kelly (Samuel) 91+; Abang (Bilyeu) 10, Metzger 14, Bonomo 46.
USA -- Marcinkowski; Herrera (Poarch, 78), Robinson, Castellanos, Borges; Williamson (Lindley, 70), Acosta (Gutjahr, 55), Suarez (Yueill, 83); Craft (Elney, 45), Sabbi (Samuel, 66), Lewis (Kelly, 78).
NYRB -- Diaz (Kennedy, 81); Carroll; Trial Player (Schmoll, 45); Long, Bilyeu (Flemmings, 63); Williams, Metzger (Bonomo, 45), Bezecourt; Trial Player, Abang (Allen, 45), Trial Player (Simpara, 45).

Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer

Aug. 3 in Uniondale, N.Y.
U.S. U-20s 2 New York Cosmos 0. Goals: Gutjahr (Suarez) 46, Suarez 67.
USA -- Marcinkowski; Herrera (Poarch, 69), Robinson, Gutjahr, Borges; Williamson (Castellanos, 64), Lindley (Acosta, 44), Yueill (Suarez, 45); Craft (Samuel, 69), Elney ( Kelly, 72), Lewis (Sabbi, 64).
Cosmos -- Maurer (Holt, 33, Zobeck, 61)); Mulligan (Duk, 61), Ockford, Mendes (Ochieng, 45), Garcia Perez (Velala, 33); Szetela (Bover, 61); Moffat (Guenzatti, 45), Mkosana (na, 45), Diosa (Flores, 45), Arango (Calvillo, 33), Arrieta (na, 61)

U.S. U-18 boys head to Czech tourney

Coach Omid Namazi has named a roster of 20 players, born in 1999, for the U.S. U-18 men's national team's trip to the Czech Republic for the Vaclav Jezek Tournament at which it will play Slovakia (Aug. 16), Hungary (Aug. 17) and Russia (Aug. 19) in group play.

The U-18s last international trip came in June when in Mexico it beat Chivas (4-0), Universidad de Guadalajara (4-1) and Atlas (1-0).

U.S. U-18 men's national team
GOALKEEPERS (2): Cameron Douglas (Sacramento Republic; Granite Bay, Calif.), Brady Scott (De Anza Force; Petaluma, Calif.).
DEFENDERS (6): Kyle Gruno (Leicester City/ENG; Saddle River, N.J.), Daniel Jones (New England Revolution; West Hartford, Conn.), Jack Maher (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Caseyville, Ill.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.), Aedan Stanley (Saint Louis FC; Columbia, Ill.), Carson Vom Steeg (Real So Cal; Santa Barbara, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS (6): Jose Carranza (D.C. United; Manassas, Va.), Jonathan Gonzalez (Monterrey; Santa Rosa, Calif.), Andrew Paoli (San Jose Earthquakes; San Jose, Calif.), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Texas), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Birmingham, Ala.), Nick Taitague (Unattached; Midlothian, Va.).
FORWARDS (6): Shaft Brewer (Sacramento Republic; Sacramento, Calif.), Griffin Dorsey (Colorado Rush; Evergreen, Colo.), Ernesto Espinoza (Tijuana/MEX; San Diego, Calif.), Nebiyou Perry (AIK Fotboll/SWE; New York, N.Y.), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution; Hamilton, Mass.), Aristotle Zarris (Unattached; Sarasota, Fla.)

MLS clubs struggle in Mexico U-16 tourney

MLS clubs competing at the U-16 Liga Bancomer tournament lost seven of their first encounters against Liga MX clubs, with FC Dallas' 2-1 win over Pumas the only MLS team victory. Mexican clubs outscored MLS clubs 24-5 in the eight games through Day 4.

The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the Philadelphia Union (1-0), FC Dallas (2-0) and the San Jose Earthquakes (3-0) before falling, 3-0 to Pachuca, which has beaten FC Dallas (4-0), the Earthquakes (5-0) and Tijuana (2-0).

Spot Kicks

Nigeria sends home 26 U-17s who fail age test
The BBC reports that Nigeria, winner of the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, had 26 players fail an age test at the U-17 team's camp in Abuja ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations U-17 qualifying match against Niger. All the players who failed the test left the camp. FIFA introduced MRI scans to check the ages of players in 2009.

U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships -- MVPs and top keepers
Two clubs, So Cal Blues and Virginia's Loudoun Red, had two players win Golden Ball MVP awards. So Cal Blues were also represented in the Golden Glove category. Past winners of the Golden Ball, introduced in 1998, include 2014 U-17 Jack Harrison, a 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year candidate with NYCFC, as well as Ramon Nunez, Robbie Findley, Jonathan Bornstein, Freddy Adu, Jordan Morris, Lindsey Tarpley and Christen Press.

U.S. Youth Soccer 2016 National Champions Best XI teams
Boys and girls, U-13 through U-19, as voted by coaches of the participating teams in that age group.

U.S. Abroad: Zendejas makes Chivas debut in Liga MX
Texan 18-year-old Alejandro Zendejas, recently sold by FC Dallas to Guadalajara, made his Liga MX debut for Chivas in 0-0 tie against Queretaro. Zendejas, who represented the USA at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, won't play for USA while he is at Chivas, which has a policy of only employing Mexican citizens.