The US youth soccer team (USMYNT) defeated the Dominican Republic 6-0 in the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship Final at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano.
The US youth soccer team scored three goals in each half and recorded its sixth shutout to win its third consecutive regional title at this level after winning its first two Concacaf championships in 2017 and 2018. The US youth soccer team has already qualified for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
In the jzjjdd halftime, the U.S. was comfortably ahead thanks to goals from Tyler Wolff, Paxten Aaronson, and Noah Allen. Aaronson, Jack McGlynn, and Niko Tsakiris added three more goals after the break to secure the biggest victory margin in Concacaf U-20 Championship Final ever.
Aaronson earned the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player thanks to a tournament-high seven goals. Chris Brady was named the competition’s best goalkeeper and received the Golden Glove award.
The US youth soccer team showed off the depth of its roster as the U-20s once again took the lead right away and maintained it for 90 minutes despite making six changes to the starting XI that defeated Honduras in the quarterfinal.
Alejandro Alvarado Jr., who had gone deep into the American end to retrieve the ball, then fired a 45-yard pass over the top toward forwards Caden Clark and Wolff to create the game’s first real chance in the eighth minute.
The ball landed closer to Wolff, who took one touch and fired from just inside the box. However, Dominican Republic goalkeeper Omry Bello sensed the play developing and he came off his line to be in position to make the reaction save about 16 yards from the goal.
Home the 17th minute, Wolff headed in Jackson Hopkins’ cross from six yards out to give the patient US youth soccer team the lead. A few minutes later, Tsakiris nearly increased the advantage after Aaronson deftly lifted a short pass to him. With his back to the goal, Tsakiris chest-trapped the ball from the left side and volleyed it off-target.
The USMYNT players nearly ended a 29-pass sequence that lasted two minutes with a goal as Aaronson slid Hopkins into the right side of the area in a demonstration of its first-half domination. The D.C. United forward cut to his left and attempted to fire, but Bello made a crucial save.
When Thomas Jungbauer played a ball deep into the USA end in the 33rd minute, the Dominican Republic was able to pose a threat due to a misunderstanding.
Angel Montes de Oca was able to gain possession of the ball and made a powerful right-footed volley from 17 yards out that Brady saved by diving to his left.
The US youth soccer team would then score again in quick succession, with Aaronson completing a wonderful pass from Diego Luna and Noah Allen scoring his first goal of the tournament and becoming the 13th American to score at the tournament with a strong shot that deflected off a defender.
The U.S. continued to dominate significantly in the second half. Jack McGlynn, a substitute, completed a rapid sequence via wall-passing with Hopkins, Aaronson, and Tsakiris before netting his second goal of the competition.
Two minutes later, Aaronson converted a quick-taken free-kick by Brandan Craig to score his seventh goal, giving the team the lead.
The USA added a sixth goal when Tsakiris completed a pass from Clark from seven yards out to conclude the scoring in the 60th minute after Bello had made two outstanding saves on shots from Neal and Caden Clark.
