Trialist Bryce Wegerle, the son of former NASL star Steve Wegerle, scored the winning goal in the 66th minute to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to a 2-1 win over Columbus in MLS exhibition play on Tuesday.
Wegerle was the top high school player coming out of the Tampa Bay area two years ago and turned down a scholarship to James Madison to sign with Italian club Udinese's youth team. The 6-foot-2 Wegerle spent one season with Udinese before returning to the United States. He saw time with the U.S. U-20s last summer but is no longer part of the U-20 picture.
SAN JOSE-COLUMBUS SUMMARY:
March 4 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
San Jose 2 Columbus 1. Goals: Lagos (Ching, Roner) 36, Wegerle (Mulrooney, Goodridge) 66; Walsh (Cunningham, West) 6.
San Jose — Conway (Saunders, 77), Dayak (Dunivant, 63), Robinson, Agoos, Waibel, Lagos (Bower, 63), Mulrooney, Roner (Walker, 56), Corrales, Mullan (Goodridge, 63), Ching (Wegerle, 63).
Columbus — Presthus (Busch, 46), Akwari (Leitch, 46), Clark (McCarty, 46), Dunseth (Denton, 46), Torres (Joy, 46), West (Gonzalez, 46), Paule (Walsh, 70), Martino (Perea, 46), Walsh (Matteo, 46), Cunningham (Ritch, 46), Buddle (Washington, 46).