The U.S. U-20 National Team has advanced to the next stage in the CONCACAF U-20 Championships in Costa Rica after a convincing 4-1 win over St. Kitts & Nevis on Friday, moving the U.S. to 2-1-0 in the Group Stage.
Once again, it was RSL products who led the way for the Stars and Stripes. After Brooks Lennon recorded a hat trick in the second match of the stage against Haiti, Sebastian Saucedo took center stage in the final match of the stage against St. Kitts & Nevis. The 20-year-old forward scored a brace while Lennon added to his goal total as well to lift the U.S. to the next round.
Lennon opened scoring in the 16th minute with his fourth goal of the tournament, tying him for second in the scoring charts. After Jonathan Lewis doubled the lead four minutes later, Lewis and Saucedo would combine on the third goal in the 35th minute. Lewis forced a turnover neat the box and Saucedo charged on it to rip a shot into the net for a 3-0 lead. He then finished off the dazzling performance with a free kick goal to put the game well out of reach in the 41st minute.
St. Kitts & Nevis pulled one goal back in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to threaten the hold on the match by the U.S., who finished second in the group and will face Mexico and El Salvador in its bid for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in May and June.
While Lennon and Saucedo got on the score sheet, they weren’t alone in representing Real Salt Lake in the match.
Justen Glad and Danny Acosta were also joined by RSL Academy alum Aaron Herrera in the starting lineup, though Herrera left the match in just the 29th minute due to injury.
The U.S. will face Mexico on Monday at 3 p.m. MT, followed by El Salvador on Friday at 4:30 p.m. MT. The first place team in the group will advance to the tournament final, while the top two teams in the group will advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
