After securing a spot in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the Under-20 U.S. men’s youth national team clinched a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday night with a shutout win over host Honduras in the semifinal of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship at Estadio Morazan in San Pedro Sula.
The win ensures the Americans will head to Paris to play in their first Olympics soccer tournament since the 2008 games in Beijing.
Paxten Aaronson, who was the hero in the U.S. 2-0 win over Costa Rica in their quaterfinal match, drew first blood for his team when he scored the opener in the third minute. Brandan Craig’s free-kick from the left side found the Philadelphia Union player in the center of the area and his perfectly timed run allowed to make contact with the ball to get put it past Honduran goalkeeper Juergen Garcia.
The Honduran fans urged their young players to find the equalizer, but it would be the U.S. that doubled their lead in the 22nd minute. Aaronson sent the ball out wide to the left to Mauricio Cuevas, who then sent into the area for Alejandro Alvarado Jr. to backheel it on target and Garcia fumbled the ball before it cross the goal line.
The U.S. completed their impressive first half with a third goal in the 43rd minute when Daniel Edelman played a through-ball to Caden Clark. Clark then rounded Garcia to send his shot towards the goal. The ball took a deflection off a Honduran defender, but Quinn Sullivan would be on the spot to put the ball into the ball in.
Honduras tried to to get back into the game in the second half, but the damage was already done as the U.S. punched their ticket to the final.
The U.S. look to defend their title on Sunday will face the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the final.
