Now That's More Like It - USA U20's Pound Panama Like They Mean It
du Nord, January 21, 2007
The USA U20 team won their World Youth Championship qualifying group with a resounding 5-0 victory over host team Panama. After a fairly dull first half and a 1-0 lead from a nicely finished 8th minute Freddy Adu goal set up brilliantly by Johann Smith, Team USA got serious in the second half and played like a dominate team with 4 more goals. Good way to end the tourney. In style!Let's run down the lineup one last time shall we:-Johann Smith started up top on the right in place of Sal Zizzo. Z was nice in the games one and two. JS was awesome in this one. He did not see the ball nearly enough from his teammates, but when he did he just blew past defenders. The first USA goal was all Smith's doing. He dribbled down the right wing, past a coupla Panamaniacs to the end line then laced a hard cross that Josi Alitdore nearly got to only from Freddy Adu to step in behind and poke it home. In the second half he took off toward goal as Nathan Sturgis launched a perfect pass over the defense, Smith stayed on side, th