[AEGEAN CUP] The USA made it two wins in two days over European teams at the 2014 Mercedes Benz Aegean Cup in Turkey as RichieWilliams‘ U-17s rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Norway, 5-2, and clinch a berth in Saturday’s championship game.
Alexis Velela scored hisfirst international goal to a break a 2-2 tie in the 50th minute, and the USA went on to add goals by Christian Pulisic (his second in two days and third in hislast three international matches) and 15-year-old Nicholas Taitague. Elijah Rice and Orrin McKinzie Gaines, who was just added to U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program this semester, scored in the first half to sandwich a pair of goals by the Norwegians.
TheUSA opened with a 2-1 win over France on Monday. France and Scotland played to a 1-1 tie in Tuesday’s other game, meaning neither team can catch the USA, which has six points in two games. Even if theUSA loses to Scotland on Thursday and Norway, a 3-0 winner over Scotland in its opener, beats France, the USA would go through to the final by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker favored by UEFA.
Group A consists of Azerbaijan, Greece, Ukraine and host Turkey, whose 7-1 win over Azerbaijan on Tuesday moved it into first place with four points. Greece and Ukraine, which played to a0-0 tie, have two points, while Azerbaijan has one.
Jan. 21 in Manisa
USA 5 Norway 2. Goals: Rice 21,McKinzie Gaines 40, Velela 47, C.Pulisic 50, Taitague 58; Saeter 27, Berge 35.
USA — W.Pulisic; Nelson, Arellano, Dieterich, Velela (Olosunde, 54);McCabe, Panchot (De La Torre, 41), Taitague (Gallardo, 66), Vega (C.Pulisic, 41); Rice, McKinze Gaines (Wright, 41).
Norway — Byttingsvik; Bredeli,Laudal, Carlyle (Barstad, 65), Aretun; Myre Aanesland, Habib, Saeter (Vassbakk Ajer, 41), Odegaard (Ontonsen, 73), Berge (Zeknini, 65); Helmersen (Risa, 65)
Jan. 20 in Turgutlu
USA 2 France 1. Goals: Gallardo 31, Pulisic (pen.) 80; Nordin 69.
USA —W.Will Pulisic; Lara,Velela, Arellano, Olosunde (Dieterich, 79); Calvillo, De La Torre (McCabe, 75), C.Pulisc, Da Silva (McKinze Gaines, 69); Gallardo, Wright.