Seattle Sounders forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and midfielder Danny Leyva starred for the United States U-17s in an 8-0 rout of Guadeloupe on Thursday, as the young Yanks secured passage to the Concacaf Championship quarterfinal. After winning their Round of 16 matchup, the U.S. can book a spot at the 2019 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Brazil with a win over Panama on Sunday.
Kickoff for the knockout round match against Guadeloupe was postponed over an hour due to a series of weather delays. Ocampo-Chavez bagged the match-winning goal less than three minutes into the match, as he headed home Gio Reyna’s cross to the back post.
For the rest of the half, Leyva and Ocampo-Chavez demonstrated exactly why they’re such highly touted prospects for club and country.
Facing a bunkered opponent, Leyva took up intelligent positions between the lines and set tempo of the match with his crisp passing. Though he was kept off the scoresheet for the rest of the opening period, during which the United States mounted a 6-0 lead, Ocampo-Chavez made several clever runs and nearly tallied an assist in the 14th minute with a perfectly weighted cross to Reyna, who steered his headed shot directly at the goalkeeper.
In the second half, the pair continued to dominate. Occupying a more advanced midfield role, Leyva repeatedly received the ball on the half-turn before playing line-breaking passes. With the result surely in hand, Ocampo-Chavez completed his brace in 68th minute with a first-time, left-footed finish inside the box.
The 17-year-old Ocampo-Chavez, who came through Sounders Academy and the Tacoma Defiance, now has nine goals in 18 games for the U.S. U-17s. Leyva, who turned 16 this week, has started three of four matches for the U.S. in this tournament.
You can find more information on the young Sounders and their quest to qualify for the U-17 FIFA World Cup here.
