U20 World Cup | USA 1-2 Ecuador
United States Under-20s bow out at the quarter-final stage again
Tab Ramos' side waved goodbye to the U20 World Cup after losing 2-1 to Ecuador. Once again the US fail to reach the semis.
For the United States' Under-20s, booking a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup meant beating the U20 Copa América champions, Ecuador. It was never going to be an easy task for Tab Ramos' charges.
Cifuentes opens the scoring
Right from kick-off, Ecuador showed they wanted to be in the semi-finals just as much as their opponents and had USA up against the ropes from the first minute as they sought an early opener. The US defence held firm for the first half hour but were powerless to stop José Cifuentes' long-range strike from entering as La Tri took the lead.
Tim Weah equalises
The South Americans' lead lasted just five minutes, though, as the United States pulled level through Tim Weah. Then the US were dealt a blow to morale when a Jhon Espinoza effort was given just before the break, awarded after some scrutinizing from VAR.
In the second half, the US team continued battling and pressing Ecuador to get back in the game but the elusive goal never came. Ecuador will meet South Korea in the semi-finals, after the Asian side came out on top in a dramatic quarter-final tie against Senegal, beating the Africans after extra-time.