US U-20 Team through to Quarterfinals
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by user Thecrookedcap
Not a great two days to be from Uruguay. Two nights, two dramatic losses knocking your team out of a tournament. Just 24 hours after the senior national team was defeated by Brazil in a 5-4 shootout, they are beaten by the United States U-20 team in extra time.
| July 11, 2007 | |||
 United States
| 2-1 AET |  Uruguay
| BMO Field, Toronto |
| Cardaccio 87' (og) Bradley 107' | Suarez 73' |
While the scoreline for the first half saw no balls hit the back of the net, the Uruguayans controlled most of the offensive opportunities. They were successful at holding off the Americans' three-headed dragon of Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, and Danny Szetela, each of whom scored three goals in the group stage.
Jozy would not remain in the contest for very long after the whistle blew for the start of the second half. Altidore came off in the 51st minute with an apparent knee injury in very serious pain. Despite the win, American fans will have some room for concern without a leading figure in their success so far.
The draw was finally broken in the 73rd minute on a goal by Luis Suarez. An athletic cross by Suarez was met by Edison Cavani's head. A deflection by American keeper came back to Suarez who finished off the display with an easy tap-in.
The American side pushed forward to find an equalizer, finding it with 3 minutes to injury time off a Freddy Adu corner. The ball bounced to Szetela on the left side of the penalty area, whose short cross targeted goal came off Uruguay's Mathias Cardaccio. Although Uruguay pressured in the remaining minutes of regulation, the game was sent into extra time.
After a first 15 minutes of little consequence, the US came out well in the second session, earning another corner for Freddy Adu. Uruguay failed to clear, and Michael Bradley, the son of senior National team coach Bob Bradley, sent the ball into goal. The scurry for an equalizer by Uruguay was not successful, and the US goes onto the quarters.
The US U-20 Team will now play Austria in a game also at BMO Field in Toronto. Austria advanced by beating Gambia 2-1 in a game concurrent to USA-Uruguay.
