CARSON, CA – The U14 Boys National Team camp continued here Monday night as the squad split a pair of matches against area U15 club teams, with the squads turning in very different performances over the 2 games.

The first match saw the U.S. team control much of the play, with Tampa midfielder Atsouh Ayah continuing what has been a solid performance for duration of this team’s cycle. Ayah was a hub for passing and keeping possession, and rounded off his performance with a thunderous strike of a goal in a 2-0 U.S. win over West Coast FC.

In the 2^nd, it was Valley United’s Drew Tusaazemaja who made the biggest impression, scoring a pair of goals in the early going, and his team made it stand up in a 2-0 decision. The U.S. will continue with training Tuesday and 2 more scrimmages against Southern California teams at Home Depot Center Wednesday night.

Game 1: West Coast got some good play from central midfielder Gabriel Rivera, who has spent some time with the U15 Boys National Team. Rivera’s serves were dangerous and he  hit some incisive passes from the run of play. Lucas Dall’orso was also dangerous for the West Coast team.

For the U.S. Atsouh was good as usual at winning the ball, and the big midfielder shows a continuing maturity in terms of keeping possession for his team. He also can strike a ball with authority and twice Monday he tried to score from 35 yards. The first effort was a low, rasping drive, but just wide. The 2^nd was dead on target and left the goalkeeper with no chance to make the save.

That goal came just before halftime and made it 2-0 for the U.S. The first goal had come on a Eric Gonzalez penalty kick. The spot kick was awarded after Oscar Ortega and Erick Sanchez combined on a nice 1-2, with Ortega being pulled down in the area as he received the return ball. Ortega had only come into the game minutes before, following a leg injury to San Juan Lightning defender Gabriel Lock.

With Ortega coming on, Solar SC’s Matt Dunn was moved from midfield to central defense and, despite his saying afterward that he had never played in the back before, the Texas standout acquitted himself quite well on the evening, working well with Portland, Oregon product Josh Miller in stopping attacks and serving as a platform for which the team could build attacks.

In that vein, Ayah worked well with California’s Eric Gonzalez, and in the 2^nd half right-sided midfielder Derek Sanchez, whose passing into space was particularly good.

Game 2: Not as much to write home about for this section of the U14 squad. Goalkeeper Dakota Niedermeier was injured early as Tusaazemaja finished off a flowing Valley move for his 2^nd goal. The U15 team had a number of quality players on the field and kept it tight in the back with Jose Carranza and Blake Steele especially impressing in the back, and Armando “Chiva” Gayton and Eric Esquivel looking good in attack along with the Ugandan-born forward.

For the U.S., Josh McNeely played well in goal in relief of Niedermeier, and Collin Martin looked good in midfield, but the squad didn’t get much pressure on the Chivas goal until the very late going.

Game 1 Lineup

West Coast FC

GK: Daniel Dorantes

D: Jorge Cortes, Connor Wilkinson, Arturo Aguilera, Earvin Bahena

M: Guillermo Locona, Mitchell Alvarez, Gabriel Rivera

F: Luca Dall’orso, Juan Manuel Gutierrez, Juan Pablo Ocegueda

Subs: Duchin, Mario Soto, Alfredo Ramirez, Jonathan Figueroa

 

U14 BNT 

GK: Fernando Pina (Alex Bello)

D: Josh Miller, Gabriel Lock (Oscar Ortega), Marc Pelosi (Bennett Yort)

M: Alfred Edmonds, Mark Dunn, Atsouh Ayah, Erick Gonzalez (Leonard Kusina)

F: Ross Tetro (Derek Sanchez), Desmond Gonzales (TJ Casner), Erick Sanchez

 

Game 2 Lineups

Valley United Blast

GK: Thor Feinberg

D: Phillip Muscarella, Blake Steele,Jose Carranza, Alex Marx

M: Emmanuel Mungia, Armando Gayton, Andrew Vu, Eric Esquivel

F: Enrique Ruiz, Drew Tusaazemaja

Subs: Jonathan Simon, Ethan Mark, Eli Winninger, Kevin Portillo

 

U14 BNT

GK: Dakota Niedermeier (Josh McNeely)

D: Andrew Chang, Malcolm Harris, Jalen Robinson, Jerome Cristobal

M: Sebastian Velasquez, Victor Zamora (Alejandro Guido), Collin Martin, Joel Salmeron

F: Aldo Magana (Yaw Amankwa), Devin Devoy (Esteban Rodriguez)