The U.S. under-17 national team was forced to settle for a 1-1 tie with El Salvador Friday in Guatemala City in the first game of the second day of CONCACAF Group A qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship.
Jamaica beat Guatemala, 3-2, in the nightcap. Jamaica scores midway through the second half, equalized in the 89th minute, then won came in added time.
Memo Gonzalez scored on a penalty kick in stoppage time at the end of the first half, but the Salvadorans gained a tie thanks to Josue Guardado's goal off a rebound 17 minutes into the second half.
The Americans played the last six minutes with 10 men after Brian Grazier was dismissed for his second yellow card.
The U.S. (4 points; 4-1) meets host Guatemala (1; 4-5), and Jamaica (3; 3-5) and El Salvador (2; 3-3) square off at Mateo Flores Stadium Sunday.
QUALIFYING SCENARIOS:
— The U.S. will clinch a berth in Finland '03 with a win.
— The U.S. will also clinch a berth in the world championships with a tie AND a Jamaica-El Salvador tie or a El Salvador win by less than three goals.
— It will also qualify with a one-goal loss to Guatemala and a Jamaica-El Salvador tie.
Otherwise, it will finish second in the group UNLESS it loses to Guatemala by two or more goals and Jamaica or El Salvador win. In that case, the Americans are out.
The Group A winner advances to this summer's championships in Finland; the runner-up meets the second-place team from CONCACAF's Group B in a playoff.
USA-EL SALVADOR UNDER-17 SUMMARY:
March 7 in Guatemala City
USA 1 El Salvador 1. Goals: Gonzalez pen. 48+; Guardado 62.
USA — Marfuggi, Germani, Spector, Owens, Chevannes (Helton, 75), Grazier, Ashe, Gonzalez (Szetela, 88), DiRaimondo, Adu, Gaven.
El Salvador — Salinas, Parada, Henriquez, Larios, Calderon (Dulce, 31), Ayala, Henriquez, Gomez, Reyes (Guardado, 46), Hernandez, Garcia.