Tag: Brandan Craig

US Under-20s qualify for Paris 2024 Olympics

The US men, for the first time in 15 years, are back in the Olympics

For the first time in 15 years, the United States will have a team at the Olympic men’s soccer tournament.

A confident 3-0 win over Honduras at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualified the USYNT for Paris 2024, with Paxten Aaronson, Alejandro Alvarado Jr., and Quinn Sullivan all bagging first half goals.

The victory means that the Under-20s—who qualified for next year’s Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia by beating Costa Rica in the quarterfinal round Tuesday night—sealed their return to the Olympics for the first time since the 2008 Beijing games.

The U.S., displaying some serious swagger in possession, couldn’t have asked for a better start. Paxten Aaronson glanced home Brandan Craig’s free kick just three minutes in, stunning a vociferous crowd in San Pedro Sula.

More fine USYNT work created a second in the 22nd minute, though it did require a good slice of luck. The U.S. moved the ball adroitly through the middle before going wide left, and a cross from Mauricio Cuevas picked out Alvarado. The FC Vizela youngster’s improvised finish went right at Honduras goalkeeper Juergen Garcia, but slipped through his grasp and fell just over the line.

The lead grew just before halftime, with Caden Clark rounding Garcia and shooting. Honduras missed a clearance on the line, and Quinn Sullivan raced in to tap the ball over the line.

Honduras lifted their game in the second half, pinning the U.S. back for a long spell, but Craig’s long-range free kick cracking off the post was the closest either team game to another goal. Jefryn Macías was sent off for a nasty studs-up challenge on Nikolas Tsakiris in the 87th minute

The U.S. still has work to do at the U-20 Championship, as they face the Dominican Republic—who are on a Cinderella run through the tournament—in the final on July 3.

The goals that sent the US U-20s to the Olympics

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