RED BULLS VS. U.S. U17S – RUNNING COMMENTARY

We’re here on Field 5 at the IMG Academy as your Red Bulls take on the U.S. U-17 National Team. Here is the Starting XI for New York, mostly composed of younger players:

Danny Cepero, Gordon Kljestan, Leonel Sampeur, Tom Parratt, Danleigh Borman, Matthew Mbuta, Carlos Mendes, Carlos Gutierrez, Jeremy Hall, Scott Palguta, Jerry Santil

Stay here for live commentary of the match and make sure you write your thoughts in the comments section.

GAME KICKS OFF. Sampeur just joined the team today.

Here is how the team is lining up:

—————————-Sampeur————————

Borman——————-Hall————————-Mbuta

—————Kljestan————-Gutierrez—————–

Santil——–Palguta—————Mendes———-Parratt

—————————Cepero——————————–

6′ Mbuta got free on the right wing before crossing it into the box. Sampeur slid in but he just missed scoring the Red Bulls’ first goal.

7′ Just a note, Juan Carlos Osorio is here today after arriving late last night. He’s in familiar form, prowling the sideline as usual (sans suit and tie of course).

10′ Red Bulls have controlled most of the possession for the first 10 minutes and are trying to use their speed on the wings to break the defense. Mbuta gets free again and plays a cross into Hall, who flicks it onto Sampeur. However, the goalkeeper is able to pounce on his shot.

13′ Hall is able to take the ball away from one of the U.S. central defenders at the top of the box but his shot goes wide left.

14′ CROSSBAR! Borman speeds down the left wing before hitting a low pass to Sampeur, whose one-time shot slams off the crossbar.

19′ U.S. GOAL. Against the run of play, the U.S. right back hits a cross that is actually perfectly placed for a shot. It sails over Cepero’s head and tucks into the back of the net. 1-0 U.S.

26′ Looks like we’ll be using an entirely different XI in the second half, as planned prior to the game.

30′ Hall gets on the end of a Borman free kick but the ball goes straight to the ‘keeper.

35′ U.S. #17 gets a right footed shot off in the box but it’s punched away by Cepero.

37′ Red Bulls attack leads to Kljestan slipping Borman through on the left but Borman’s shot goes into the side netting.

HALFTIME: U.S. 1, Red Bulls 0. The Red Bulls had several chances to get on the scoreboard but they couldn’t finish. Meanwhile, the U17s are ahead on a fluky goal but they kept pace for most of the half. We’ll have a second half lineup for you soon.

Second half lineup: Jon Conway, Kevin Goldthwaite, Ryan Mirsky, Nico Colaluca, Saja Leigh, Mike Petke, David Roth, Mohammed Mashriqi, Mac Kandji, Juan Manuel Perez Bernal, Nick Zimmerman

46′ To address an earlier question, Perez-Bernal is … diminutive … to say the least. We’re deciding whether he’s taller than Richie Williams. Here’s how the players are lining up:

——————–Kandji—————–

Perez Bernal——Roth——–Colaluca

—–Mashriqi————-Leigh———–

Goldthwaite-Mirsky-Petke-Zimmerman

—————-Conway———————

58′ Red Bulls controlling most of the possession but they have only threatened once after Kandji’s shot from 18 yards out went high.

61′ Zimmerman and Hall both were able to see action today but left footed defenderand fellow draftee Jack Traynor has missed training recently due to an ankle injury.

70′ Kandji is able to get some space in the penalty box and is knocked down by a U.S. defender. However, the referee waves play on.

72′ Roth makes a good run in the center of the field and passes it through to Perez Bernal, but the midfielder’s shot zips past the right post.

74′ Colaluca cuts into the penalty box and passes it to Mashriqi. However, the U.S. goalkeeper makes a good save, punching it away.

75′ Red Bulls pouring on the pressure. Roth hits a cross to Mashriqi, whose header is just wide.

77′ Roth corner finds Goldthwaite, whose goal-bound header is cleared off the line by a U.S. defender!

78′ Mirsky heads the ball wide from a Mashriqi free kick.

86′ Leigh hits a 27-yard blast that just goes over the crossbar. The U.S. has hardly threatened the Red Bulls in the second half.

90’ Colaluca almost finds Roth open in the box but the ball skips by in the last attacking chance of the game.

FINAL: RED BULLS 0, U.S. U17s 1. The Red Bulls had a lot of chances to score and dominated possession but as expected with the first preseason game, their sharpness in front of goal could be improved. Still, it was a good chance for Osorio and the coaching staff to see many of the younger players. The team is training this afternoon. We’ll have a full recap with quotes on the blog later today.

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