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United States 2, Australia 2, Australia won 7-6 on penalty kicks
November 24, 1999
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) - The United States failed to advance to its first
men's world soccer final, losing to Australia 7-6 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie
Wednesday in the semifinals of the FIFA Under-17 Championship.
Kenny Cutler of Richmond, Va., sent the Americans' eighth penalty kick over the
crossbar, giving the win to Australia, which took a 2-0 lead in regulation before the
United States tied on goals by Landon Donovan of Redlands, Calif., and Oguchi
Onyewu of Olney, Md.
"I'm incredibly proud of this team, as our entire country should be," U.S. coach John
Ellinger said. "It's a great group of guys who are hurting a lot right now."
Australia will face Brazil in Saturday's championship game. Brazil beat Ghana 4-2 on
penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie.
The Americans hope their run at this tournament heralds success in Project 2010,
their program to win a World Cup by that year. The U.S. Soccer Federation hopes to
convince players to bypass college and become full-time soccer players.
"This team's success over here, and for the last two years, is the essence of what
Project 2010 is all about," Ellinger said. "I believe that in 10 or 11 years, these and
others players that we are still out there scouting will be challenging for a World Cup
title."
Donovan; Bobby Convey of Philadelphia; Nelson Akwari of Houston; Abe Thompson of
Fairfax Station, Va.; Adolfo Gregorio of Hilmar, Calif; and Alex Yi of Easton, Md.,
converted penalty kicks for the United States. Because the U.S. team went second,
the Americans were facing elimination when Thompson, Gregorio and Yi converted
their kicks.
DaMarcus Beasley, kicking second for the Americans, was stopped when goalkeeper
Jess Kedwell-Vanstrattan dove to his left. But U.S. goalkeeper D.J. Countess of
Sacramento, Calif., stopped Wayne Srhoj on Australia's fourth shot.
Mark Byrnes, Joseph Di Iorio and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff made Australia's first three
kicks, and Jade North, Dylan MacAllister, Aaron Goulding and Joshua Kennedy made
the final four.
Countess nearly stopped Goulding's shot, diving to his right, but it slid under him into
the net.
The loss stopped a 24-game unbeaten streak (19-0-5) for the United States, which
hadn't lost since August 1998. The Americans have fallen behind in four of five games
at the tournament.
Only twice before had a U.S. men's team advanced to a world semifinal: the 1930
World Cup and the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship for players under 20.
Australia went ahead 2-0 on goals by Goulding in the third minute and Scott McDonald
in the 35th.
Just one minute later, Donovan sent a 16-yard, left-footed shot into the upper left
corner of the net for his third goal of the tournament.
The Americans tied the score six minutes into the second half when Donovan sent a
corner kick to the far post and Onyewu headed the ball in.
MacAllister nearly won it 14 minutes into overtime, but his 5-yard shot went just over
the crossbar.
U.S. defender Seth Trembly of Littleton, Colo., was ejected in the 115th minute.
****************
Very encouraging showing for US Soccer's future. Great for the Aussies too!
Brazil and Ghana have been leading youth soccer for a number of years now and it's nice to see the US and Aussies climbing to new heights.
November 24, 1999
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) - The United States failed to advance to its first
men's world soccer final, losing to Australia 7-6 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie
Wednesday in the semifinals of the FIFA Under-17 Championship.
Kenny Cutler of Richmond, Va., sent the Americans' eighth penalty kick over the
crossbar, giving the win to Australia, which took a 2-0 lead in regulation before the
United States tied on goals by Landon Donovan of Redlands, Calif., and Oguchi
Onyewu of Olney, Md.
"I'm incredibly proud of this team, as our entire country should be," U.S. coach John
Ellinger said. "It's a great group of guys who are hurting a lot right now."
Australia will face Brazil in Saturday's championship game. Brazil beat Ghana 4-2 on
penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie.
The Americans hope their run at this tournament heralds success in Project 2010,
their program to win a World Cup by that year. The U.S. Soccer Federation hopes to
convince players to bypass college and become full-time soccer players.
"This team's success over here, and for the last two years, is the essence of what
Project 2010 is all about," Ellinger said. "I believe that in 10 or 11 years, these and
others players that we are still out there scouting will be challenging for a World Cup
title."
Donovan; Bobby Convey of Philadelphia; Nelson Akwari of Houston; Abe Thompson of
Fairfax Station, Va.; Adolfo Gregorio of Hilmar, Calif; and Alex Yi of Easton, Md.,
converted penalty kicks for the United States. Because the U.S. team went second,
the Americans were facing elimination when Thompson, Gregorio and Yi converted
their kicks.
DaMarcus Beasley, kicking second for the Americans, was stopped when goalkeeper
Jess Kedwell-Vanstrattan dove to his left. But U.S. goalkeeper D.J. Countess of
Sacramento, Calif., stopped Wayne Srhoj on Australia's fourth shot.
Mark Byrnes, Joseph Di Iorio and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff made Australia's first three
kicks, and Jade North, Dylan MacAllister, Aaron Goulding and Joshua Kennedy made
the final four.
Countess nearly stopped Goulding's shot, diving to his right, but it slid under him into
the net.
The loss stopped a 24-game unbeaten streak (19-0-5) for the United States, which
hadn't lost since August 1998. The Americans have fallen behind in four of five games
at the tournament.
Only twice before had a U.S. men's team advanced to a world semifinal: the 1930
World Cup and the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship for players under 20.
Australia went ahead 2-0 on goals by Goulding in the third minute and Scott McDonald
in the 35th.
Just one minute later, Donovan sent a 16-yard, left-footed shot into the upper left
corner of the net for his third goal of the tournament.
The Americans tied the score six minutes into the second half when Donovan sent a
corner kick to the far post and Onyewu headed the ball in.
MacAllister nearly won it 14 minutes into overtime, but his 5-yard shot went just over
the crossbar.
U.S. defender Seth Trembly of Littleton, Colo., was ejected in the 115th minute.
****************
Very encouraging showing for US Soccer's future. Great for the Aussies too!
Brazil and Ghana have been leading youth soccer for a number of years now and it's nice to see the US and Aussies climbing to new heights.