The U.S. U-18 National Team split two matches with the German U-18 National Team in Spain as the youth squad concluded the 2014 year and RSL-AZ Academy products Sebastian Saucedo and Brooks Lennon were both key contributors for the U.S.
The duo were part of a 20-man roster called in by Head Coach Javier Perez for the 10-day camp in Marbella, Spain, that started on December 11 that featured two matches against Germany’s U-18s.
In the first match on December 17, Saucedo started and played 78 minutes while Lennon subbed into the match in the 64th minute. The tandem combined for a goal in the 76th minute, Saucedo setting up Lennon for the score, putting the U.S. at a 2-0 advantage late in the match. The Americans would go on to win 2-1 after a stoppage-time penalty for Germany.
On Friday, the same two sides met again, this time with Lennon starting the match and playing 90 minutes while Saucedo came into the match in the 52nd minute. Germany took a 2-0 lead into halftime and the U.S. scored in the 48th minute to pull the score back to 2-1, only to have Germany add another to its lead in the 69th minute. The U.S. scored in the 90th minute, but could not manage an equalizer and fell 3-2.
The U.S. U-18s finished the year with a 5-7-1 record in international competition.
Saucedo signed with Real Salt Lake in July and spent the latter part of 2014 in training with the first team. Meanwhile, Lennon plays for the RSL-AZ Academy U-18s, based in Casa Grande, Arizona.
