U.S. team kicks Heat
By NINO CARDENAS
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
The United States under-17 team showcased its talents Wednesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Laredo Heat at the Student Activity Center.
About 1300 fans attended the exhibition game.
The U.S. employed a 4-4-2 formation against the Heats 3-5-2 during the encounter.
For the Heat players it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play alongside the best youth the U.S. has to offer.
"It's a good thing for Laredo. Some of these guys will be playing for the U.S. in the World Cup," Heat team president Shashi Vaswani said.
The U-17 head coach John Hackworth noted, "We are happy to be here and we appreciate the fantastic job that the Heat organization has done. They run everything professionally."
The Heat offense was bogged down most of the night by a stout U.S. defense. The Heat struggled to find teammates or open spaces throughout the contest.
Both teams demonstrated their skills, but it was the U-17 squad that predicated the tempo.
The time the U-17 has spent together playing soccer showed in their transition from offense to defense and vice-versa.
Midfielder Kevin Alston proved to be a rock defensively as he stalled most of the Heat's attacks down the right band.
The pressing offensive attack by the U.S. cracked away at the Heat's defense and surged in the second half.
When the U.S. spent most of its time in Heat territory.
Heat head coach Eleazar "E.J." Jepsen started substituting his players throughout the second period.
The Heat was forced to rely on counters and opportunism in their attacks.
Jeremy Hall opened up the scoring for the U.S. in the seventh minute.
He placed a roller right past the hands of Ryan Shaughnessy who dove towards the left post.
David Arvizu was credited with the assist.
Laredo awoke the crowd in the 37th minute, as Laredoan Daniel Hermosillo found himself situated at the right spot to receive a Chuy Sanchez pass and pace it into the back of Bryant Rueckner's net.
"Truthfully it was a team goal Jose Macias and Sanchez gave me the opportunity," Hermosillo, the TAMIU and ex-Nixon High star, said.
The U.S. took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Heat, when they misplayed a pass into their own area that hit Ryan Harrison for an auto-goal.
The goal lifted the U.S. to a 2-1 lead in the 41st st minute.
The third U.S. goal was made possible by some great heads up play.
Ofori Sarkodie received the ball at midfield and raced past the Heats defense, at the 13-yard mark he pushed the ball towards forward Omar Gonzalez who immediately kicked it to the left band to a waiting Jeremy Hall.
Hall sent it back to the box to Sarkodie who had slid past the defense and placed himself in the right post to knock in the pass.
"We've played a lot of MLS and strong college teams and have gotten through two big international games. We train everyday and we work on organizing ourselves and establishing a good rhythm," Hackworth said.
Arvizu made his presence felt again in the 55th minute when he further extended the U.S. lead.
"We made a few changes against the Heat. We were only minus two maybe three starters. We rolled out our best team on the field for this game. They deserve out respect," Hackworth said.
The Heat returns to PDL action Saturday night at the Austin Lightning.
