A disappointing end to an impressive tournament for the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team, as they fell 4-1 to England in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Saturday. England pounced out of the gates with two goals in the first 15 minutes, and despite a period of heavy pressure from the United States for the rest of the first half, they couldn't convert their chances. After England scored their third, Atlanta United's Andrew Carleton gave the team life with a defense-splitting pass to set up a goal in the 72nd minute.
Splitting the defense 🎯@andrewcarleton7 gives the U-17’s life with the killer pass pic.twitter.com/mTAdcKKE2w
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) October 21, 2017
A late penalty for England made the final score a 4-1 loss for a U.S. team that sorely missed the physical presence and crisp passing of Atlanta United's Chris Goslin in the middle, who was serving a one-match suspension due to accumulation of yellow cards.
Despite the disappointing end, there were definite positive for the U.S. future and in particular those from the Atlanta United academy system. Andrew Carleton was one of the stars of the tournament with two goals, three assists and several key passes to set up assists for his teammates in just five games. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Justin Garces had three clean sheets in five matches in goal, and Chris Goslin proved his vital role in the center of midfield, adding solidity, passing, and an assist of his own in his four appearances.
In all, the team ended with a 3-2 record with a +4 goal differential in the team's first FIFA U-17 World Cup quarterfinals run since 2005, providing some positive signs for the future of the U.S. Men's National Team as well as Atlanta United.
