Sporting Kansas City's Gianluca Busio got the United States off to a dream start with a 3rd-minute opener, but it all unraveled late as the Americans fell 4-1 to Senegal in their FIFA U-17 World Cup opener on Sunday in Vitoria, Brazil.
Souleymane Faye leveled the affair in first-half stoppage time before Senegal struck for three goals inside the final 20 minutes. After coming on in a 59th-minute double substitution, Aliou Balde and Amit Faye scored in the 72nd and 76th minutes, respectively. Pape Sarr's 88th-minute insurance tally ended any chance of a late US comeback.
Busio's header, set up by a cross from New York City FC's Joe Scally, was tied for the Americans' quickest goal in the competition in their history.
The US lineup included five players on first-team MLS contracts (Busio, Scally, Dallas' Ricardo Pepi, D.C.'s Griffin Yow, Seattle's Danny Leyva) and three more in MLS academies. Goalkeeper Damian Las also played in Chicago's youth setup before a move to Fulham's academy in England.
The US returns to Group D play on Wednesday when they face Japan, which opened their tournament later Sunday against the Netherlands.
Goals
- 3' - USA - Gianluca Busio | WATCH
- 45'+3' - SEN - Souleymane Faye
- 72' - SEN - Aliou Balde
- 76' - SEN - Amete Faye
- 88' - SEN - Pape Sarr
Lineups
- United States (4-2-3-1, right to left): Las (GK); Scally, Gray (RC 87'), Hernandez-Foster, Armour; Esparza-Saldana (Jasson 81'), Leyva; Yow (Dobblelaere 62'), Busio, Reyna; Pepi (Ocampo Chavez 81')
- Senegal: Ba (GK), Diouff, C. Ndiaye, S. Faye, S. Diallo (M. Diaw 81'), B. Diaw, Kane, M. Faye, Sarr, Boye (Balde 59'), Sy (A. Faye 59')
Up Next
- USA: Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Japan (7 pm ET)
- SEN: Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Netherlands (4 pm ET)
