It was gutty and ugly, but the United States is in the driver’s seat for Olympic qualification after one leg of its playoff with Colombia.
Luis Gil scored a fifth minute road goal and the U.S. then held on for dear life against rampant Colombia, allowing an equalizer but nothing else to the hosts in a 1-1 draw in Barranquilla on Friday.
Juan Fernando Quintero scored for the Coffee Makers. The second leg is Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.
[ MORE: Watch Gil’s opener, read first half analysis ]
Gil’s opener came in the fifth minute and was the only shot on target for the Yanks in the first half. Mario Rodriguez carried to the end line and cut back to the penalty spot, where Gil was waiting unmarked to hit a low shot.
Colombia pressed hard and could’ve equalized on several occasions, but was well-denied by Molde keeper Ethan Horvath. He needed to come out after a late half collision with Andres Renteria, and MK Dons backstop Cody Cropper entered the match.
The hosts just missed making it 1-1 early in the second half when Harold Preciado got on the end of a free kick but couldn’t redirect his header inside the near post.
United States’ goalkeeper Cody Cropper, right, fails to block Colombias Juan Quintero from scoring from the penalty spot during a U-23 first leg soccer match qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Roberto Melendez Stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Friday, March 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
AP
The final 45 minutes -- maybe 60 -- were ugly, as the Herzog’s U.S. side jammed up its own box with defenders against a very dangerous, crafty and desperate Colombia.
The U.S. countered in the 64th minute, and Jordan Morris came close to doubling the lead but doubted his left foot.
He used the outside of his right foot from 19 yards to crank one off the crossbar. It would’ve looked gorgeous had it gone in, but his left foot had the whole right side of the goal.
That’s when Kellyn Acosta took down an embellishing, but fouled, Rafael Santos Borre in the box and Quintero finished his PK past Cropper to make it 1-1.
The U.S. center back partnership of Tim Parker and Matt Miazga was solid in the draw, and Vancouver’s Parker especially stood out as a strong, decisive back against a relentless and dominant Colombian side.