A trio of MLSers guided the US U-23s to an easy 3-0 victory on Friday night over newly formed NASL franchise San Antonio Scorpions at The Complet at FC Dallas Stadium in Dallas.
Brek Shea, Dilly Duka and Jack McInerney each scored in the second half as the U-23s notched their second win ahead of a Wednesday friendly against their Mexican counterparts.
The US dominated from the start. Using a 4-3-3, it was FC Dallas winger Shea who nearly opened the scoring when, midway through the first half, he unleashed a volley that beat the 'keeper but not the post.
In the second half, the injection of Juan Agudelo sparked the U-23s. In the 53rd minute, the New York Red Bulls forward took a pass from Duka behind the Scorpions defense, then set it up for Shea to strike home from 15 yards out.
Despite getting an assist in the match, Duka was nowhere near done. Nine minutes later, the Columbus Crew midfielder tallied himself, gathering a loose ball at the top of the box and firing low to make it 2-0 for the US U-23s.
Philadelphia Union striker Jack McInerney put the final nail in the coffin for the U-23s in the 78th minute, nodding home from close range to seal the victory.
"I thought we controlled the game from start to finish," US U-23 head coach Caleb Porter told USsoccer.com. "Tonight was good because it tested our patience. But we stuck with it, kept moving the ball. and eventually wore them down.
"It didn't come easy [tonight]. The first goal took some time and that happens in soccer when a team sits behind the ball. It can be difficult to break down lots of numbers, no matter who you're playing, and that's most likely going to be a similar game to one we'll see in [Olympic] qualifying."
Scoring Summary:
USA - Brek Shea (Juan Agudelo), 53rd minute
USA - Dilly Duka (Amboi Okugo), 62
USA - Jack McInerney (Tony Taylor), 78
US U-23 lineup:
Sean Johnson (Bill Hamid, 46); Kofi Sarkodie, Ike Opara (Michael Stephens, 65), Zarek Valentin, Jorge Villafana (Greg Garza, 72); Amobi Okugo, Perry Kitchen, Dilly Duka; Freddy Adu (Tony Taylor, 60), Teal Bunbury (Juan Agudelo, 46), Brek Shea (Jack McInerney, 65)
