United States 8, Aruba 0 | CONCACAF U-20 Championship Match Recap

The US Under-20’s got a much needed win at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship on Wednesday, demolishing Aruba 8-0 in Kingston, Jamaica to move to 1-1-1 in the tournament.

The win moved the US into third-place in Group A, three points behind group leaders Guatemala and two behind second-place Panama, which will play fourth-place Jamaica in both sides’ third game later on Wednesday night.

Head coach Tab Ramos made seven changes to the squad that lost to Panama on Sunday, inserting goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, Generation adidas defender Conor Donovan, Orlando City outside back Tyler Turner, Columbus Crew SC midfielder Romain Gall, midfielder Russell Canouse, LA Galaxy forward Bradford Jamieson IV and strike partner Ben Spencer.

The switches paid off early, with the US racing out to a 6-0 halftime lead. Gall paced the Americans, scoring in the 16^th, 23^rd and 32^nd minutes to notch a first half hat trick. Jamieson IV, San Jose Earthquakes attacker Tommy Thompson and Fulham midfielder Emerson Hyndman rounded out the first half tallies, scoring in the 18^th, 26^th and 30^th minutes, respectively.

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Jamieson IV bagged another goal early in the second half, finishing a first-time shot from the right side of the box to make it 7-0 in the 48^th minute. Substitute Amando Moreno made it 8-0 in the 84^th minute, tapping home a rebound of a Jamieson IV shot.

Aruba finished with 10 men after forward Duncan Homoet was sent off in the 86^th minute.

The winners of the two groups at the U-20 Championship will automatically qualify for this summer’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand. The second- and third-place teams from each group will qualify for a four-team playoff. Those four teams will then be re-seeded, with the top team squaring up with the fourth-placed team and the second best team facing off against the third-place team on January 24. The winners of those two matches will advance to the U-20 World Cup, while the losers will head home.

The US will return to action on Sunday, when they will take on hosts Jamaica. If the Americans can win against Jamaica and again against Trinidad & Tobago in their group stage finale on January 21, they will clinch a top-three spot in Group A, guaranteeing themselves a shot at qualifying for the U-20 World Cup.