Not a bad way to start 2016.
The US Under-20 national team dispatched two local sides by identical scorelines of 3-0 in two split-squad friendlies played at FIU Stadium in Miami on Friday, with MLS players and MLS academy products featuring prominently.
The FC Dallas duo of Coy Craft and Alex Zendejas hooked up for the opener against SIMA Montverde in the opener. San Jose Earthquakes academy midfielder Amir Bashti then set up the second for Philadelphia Union academy forward Sebastian Elney, while Elney's fellow Union teammate Yosef Samuel delivered the key pass on the third and final strike.
The second match saw D.C. United academy midfielder Eryk Williamson score two of the three US goals, including one assisted by recent Real Salt Lake Homegrown signing Danilo Acosta.
The U-20s will be back in action on Tuesday, January 12, also at FIU Stadium.
US U-20s 3, SIMA Montverde 0
Goals: 10’ Coy Craft (Alex Zendejas); 54’ Sebastian Elney (Amir Bashti); 77’ Isaiah Young (Yosef Samuel)
USA U-20 Lineup (4-3-3): JT Marcinkowski (Justim Vom Steeg, 45) — Aaron Herrera (Mauricio Pineda, 62), Matt Olosunde, Andrew Lombard (Hugo Arellano, 70), Marcello Borges — Alex Zendejas-CAPT (Lucas Mendes, 62), Cameron Lindley (Jonathan Bell, 45), Evan Waldrep (Isaiah Young, 42) — Amir Bashti, Coy Craft (Yosef Samuel, 62), Jeremy Ebobisse (Sebastian Elney, 45)
US U-20s 3, Weston Select 0
Goals: 10’ Emmanuel Sabbi; 40’ Eryk Williamson (Danilo Acosta); 54’ Eryk Williamson
USA U-20 Lineup (4-3-3): Jonathan Klinsmann (Mason Stajduhar, 45) — Malcolm Jones, Miles Robinson, Tommy Redding (Hugo Arellano, 57), Diego Silva — Eryk Williamson (Juan Flores, 61), Danilo Acosta, Jackson Yueill (Martin Salas, 56) — Emmanuel Sabbi-CAPT (Jeremy Ebobisse, 71), Josh Perez (Abu Winter, 45), Victor Mansaray (Evan Waldrep, 83)
