Defiance players star for USA U17s in 7-0 rout
Chris Aquino scores a brace while Stuart Hawkins starts in shutout to move one step from U17 World Cup.
Chris Aquino and Stuart Hawkins helped the United States move one step away from qualifying for the U17 World Cup. Both players went 90 minutes with Aquino scoring the match’s first two goals and Hawkins helping secure the shutout in the 7-0 win over the Dominican Republic on Saturday. The USA will next play host Guatemala on Tuesday with the winner earning a spot in this summer’s U17 World Cup.
This was Aquino’s second start of the tournament and he again looked very good. His strike on the opening goal was a beautiful left-footed attempt from the edge of the penalty area.
Christopher Aquino scored the opener for the @USYNT | #CU17C pic.twitter.com/JIDyXYMJ24
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) February 18, 2023
A few minutes later, Aquino drew a penalty with a nice cutback and then converted the spot kick to put the USA up 2-0.
Hawkins’ contributions weren’t quite as highlight worthy, but he did have another solid match in defense. This was Hawkins’ third start in four games and he completed 52 of 56 passes while the USA outshot their opponents 26-5.