The US qualified for the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup on Saturday, securing a 2-0 victory over El Salvador in a do-or-die playoff match held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Jamaica.
Former RSL and Chivas USA academy forward Ben Spencer opened the scoring in the 37th minute, and ex-LA Galaxy academy player Paul Arriola, who came on for Spencer at halftime, got the clincher in the 68th minute as the US U-20s advanced to their 14th FIFA U-20 World Cup (originally the FIFA World Youth Championship).
After a shaky start to their qualifying campaign, picking up just one point from their opening two group-stage matches, the Americans rebounded with four consecutive shutout victories to join Mexico, Panama and Honduras as CONCACAF representatives in New Zealand from May 30-June 20.
Saturday's win was a professional performance by the US, who were consistently the most dangerous side on Saturday, threatening El Salvador through San Jose Earthquakes forward Tommy Thompson (shot wide in the 2nd minute) and Columbus Crew winger Romain Gall (one-on-one vs. goalkeeper on a 13th-minute counter) before finally breaking through on a set piece in the 37th minute.
Fulham midfielder Emerson Hyndman, who was magisterial on free kicks in the 70 minutes he was on the field, delivered the set-piece service to Spencer, who headed on goal near the penalty spot. His attempt caromed off the top left corner of the goal and Spencer pounced on his own rebound, heading into an empty goal for a 1-0 US lead.
Spencer, who plays for Molde in Norway, could have doubled the advantage five minutes later, but he failed to connect on a cross by Gall from the left, and Spencer's desperate lunge saw him collide with Salvadoran goalkeeper Carlos Cañas (D.C. United academy, Longwood University). After the halftime break, Spencer emerged from the locker room with ice packs on both knees and was replaced by Arriola.
A punchless El Salvador side stumbled on a great opportunity to tie the match in the 51st minute when the referee whistled for a hand ball in the box against US center back Cameron Carter-Vickers. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who had barely been called into action to that point, bailed out his US teammate with a diving save to his right on the conversion attempt by midfielder Jose Villavicencio.
Buoyed by the stop, the US enjoyed other scoring opportunities — New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga saw his header on another Hyndman dead ball saved by Cañas against the crossbar in the 62nd minute, and a late clearance prevented LA Galaxy forward Bradford Jamieson IV from scoring two minutes later — before sealing the result through Arriola in the 68th minute.
US substitute Junior Flores made an incisive run into El Salvador's penalty area and served the ball on a platter to Jamieson, but his close-range shot was saved by Cañas. The rebound fell to Arriola, whose follow-up attempt was deflected on its way into the back of the net.
A straight red card in the 79th minute shown to El Salvador's Andres Flores Jaco for kicking out at the USA's Flores — a son of Salvadoran parents — made the final 11 minutes a formality as the US booked their ticket to New Zealand.
US LINEUP (4-4-2, right to left): GK Zack Steffen -- Shaquell Moore, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Matt Miazga, John Requejo Jr. -- Tommy Thompson, Russell Canouse, Emerson Hyndman (Lynden Gooch 70), Romain Gall (Junior Flores 61) -- Bradford Jamieson IV, Ben Spencer (Paul Arriola 46)
Subs Not Used: Ethan Horvath, Tyler Turner, Fernando Arce, Amando Moreno, Conor Donovan
