When it comes to CONCACAF qualifying tournaments, it’s all about getting the results.
That’s exactly what the U.S. Under-17 men’s national team accomplished Sunday, opening up World Cup qualifying with a 3-0 win over Haiti. Midfielder Christopher Lema scored a pair of goals, and forward Ahinga Selemani bagged a late tally to round out the scoring on the day.
It provided the perfect start to the team’s trip to Panama, even though the opening 20 minutes were a bit nervy at times.
Here are three observations from the opening win:
1. The attack did its job
Coming into the tournament, the U.S. had looked dangerous going forward in just about every international friendly or competition it entered, with talented attacking players like Alan Winn, Rubio Rubin and Corey Baird having little trouble scoring goals.
