The United States U-17 men’s national team is headed for the World Cup knockout rounds after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 on Wednesday in Indonesia.
Fifteen-year-old Nimfasha Berchimas of Charlotte FC’s reserves continued his impressive tournament with a goal after Liverpool’s Keyrol Figueroa put the Yanks up 1-0.
[ MORE: U-17 World Cup hub — Scores, schedule, standings ]
Jack Pantoulou Diarra pulled Burkina Faso within a goal in the 89th minute to set up a potentially tense ending, but the Baby Yanks handled their business to move to 2-0 in group play.
That’s not to say the win was straight-forward, as Burkina Faso out-attempted Gonzalo Segares’ men by a 27-7 margin as they chased the game. The U.S. had 67 percent possession, however.
What’s next for USA at U-17 World Cup?
USA meets 2-0 France in the finale for control of the group heading into the knockout rounds. The Baby Yanks could not finish lower than second in Group E.
Winning Group E sets the U.S. up for the second-place team from Group D (Argentina, Senegal, Japan, or Poland).
The second-place team in Group E meets the winner of Group F (Venezuela, Germany, New Zealand, or Mexico). Third-place in the group, should it qualify, would mean 1A or 1D.
USA vs South Korea: U-17 World Cup video highlights (En Espanol)
¿Son los favoritos?🇺🇸@USYNT le ganó a Burkina Faso para continuar su buena racha 👊 y buscar el liderato del Grupo E
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) November 15, 2023
💣⚽ ¡Revive los goles del partido! ▶️#MundialTelemundo #U17WC #Indonesia2023 pic.twitter.com/q45NYwYAGE