GOOOLLLLDDDD! - U18 MNT win Gold at Australia Youth Festival

Photo Courtesy of ussoccer.com


K-Dorm Alum - Amobi Okugo
Photo Courtesy AYOF website

The U18 MNT secured 1st Place and the Gold Medal in Youth Soccer by defeating the host Australia Team 5-0 in the final match.

Men Gold Final
USA 5 - AUSTRALIA 0
(Bates 21,42, Byass 37, Altamirnao 53, Sinclair 88)

USA footballers claim final AYOF Gold
18th January 2009
The USA have claimed the final gold medal on offer at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival this evening with an emphatic and well-deserved 5-0 victory over Australia at Glenwood's Valentine Park.
Chile's earlier 11-0 victory over China proved enough for the South Americans to claim silver with the Australians receiving the bronze.
USA took control of the game early and continued to dominate throughout the match with striker Will Bates starring for the Americans scoring a first half double to set up a convincing final round victory.
"It's been a good week, a lot of fun and obviously to win the gold medal tops it off," said the USA coach Mike Matkovich.
"I thought that they (Australia) were a better team than they showed. I thought the early goals put them off their track a bit. We got better each game so I'm happy with the overall result."
The Americans made Australia chase the game from midway through the first half when they took the ascendancy early as Will Bates burst into the box, rounded the Australian defence and slammed the ball into the roof of the net.
Miles Byass 37th minute left foot strike from the edge of the box doubled the Americans lead soon after before Bates second gave USA what proved to be an unassailable 3-0 halftime lead.
The USA picked up where they left off after the change of ends with Jose Altamirano's screamer from outside the box giving the Americans a 4-0 lead.
Australia pushed up the park to try and close the gap, and when a free kick was awarded just outside the box after American Gale Agbossououmonde received his second yellow card and his marching orders, Mitchell Bevan came within inches of claiming a late consolation goal for the Green and Gold's.
"I think the Americans were the best team in the tournament and deserved winners," said Australian coach Paul Okon. "To go into the last game knowing that if we had of won we'd of won the tournament was a massive achievement for these players."
Hasani Sinclair rounded out the scoring for the USA in the 88th minute as the physical and well-structured American side proved to strong even when they were down to ten men.
Chile's earlier dominant 11-0 win over China ensured that although they finished on equal on points with host-nation Australia they would claim the silver on goal difference.
The final two fixtures wrapped up what was certainly an intriguing and entertaining tournament that has unveiled some brilliant new prospects for all the nations involved.
Matthew Bartolo
AOC

See link below for US Soccer's Match Report:
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_12320777.html

Note - K-Dorm Alum

Congratulations on an outstanding tournament showing!

Til next time...