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USA ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME AT 2018 CONCACAF U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP
AFTER 1-0 WIN VS. HONDURAS
Ayo Akinola’s 51st Minute Tally Delivers USA into Second Consecutive Regional Title Game;
USA Will Face Mexico on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. ET for Regional U-20 Crown (concacafgo.com, UDN)
BRADENTON, Fla. (Nov. 19, 2018) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team booked a second consecutive trip to the Concacaf U-20 Championship title match with a 1-0 win vs. Honduras, who the USA beat in the 2017 final to claim its first regional title at the U-20 level. Despite its defeat, Honduras will join the U.S., Mexico and Panama at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup by virtue of a better goal difference than fellow Group G participant Cosat Rica.
The U.S. will face Mexico, who edged out Panama to reach the final on fair the play tie-breaker after a 2-2 draw in the day’s earlier game. The 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship title game kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. ET (concacafgo.com, UDN) from IMG Academy Stadium.
Having secured its place at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup on Friday night with a convincing 4-0 win against Costa Rica, the USA slowly imposed its will against Honduras, ultimately claiming over 80 percent possession in the first half, a foundation that allowed the U.S. to tee up seven shots (four on goal) compared to just two shots (one on target) for Honduras.
In a sign of things to come, Ayo Akinola got loose to produce the first clear cut chance for the U.S. but sent his header inches wide midway through the first half. Soon after, a well-rehearsed corner kick routine by the USA teed up Alex Mendez to shoot from close range, but he couldn’t get enough power on his shot to tuck it beneath the on-rushing goalkeeper, who again did well at the stroke of half time to deny Sebastian Soto after the U.S. forward had got behind the Honduras defense.
Knotted at 0-0 to begin the second half, the game continued much the way the first 45 ended with the USA taking the attacking initiative and Honduras attempting to counter. But a long, diagonal ball over the Honduras defense from Brandon Servania finally unlocked their backline in the 51 st minute and allowed Akinola to race in from the right wing to collect the ball that had rolled into the top right corner of the box. The USA forward chopped a well-placed one-timer past the out-stretched hand of Reyes and just inside the left post for the 1-0 lead and his seventh goal of the tournament.
As the clock ticked along both teams began to be more cautious about going forward; Honduras in an effort not to concede too many goals and lose its place in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the U.S. in a wise effort to kill the game and secure its place in the 2018 Concacaf Championship title game. U.S. head coach Tab Ramos made all three available subs in the final 15 minutes to help steer the 1-0 lead into a 1-0 victory the will put the USA in the Concacaf U-20 title match for the third time in the last four editions under his guidance.
Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Ayo Akinola (Brandon Servania), 51st minute: From inside his own half, U.S. midfielder Brandon Servania spotted the run of Akinola down the right flank and sent a long diagonal ball in his direction. Honduras’ left back nearly intercepted the pass but succeeded only in knocking it down for Akinola to smack a one-time shot from the top corner of the box beyond the grasp of Honduras goalkeeper Oscar Reyes and into the bottom left corner for what proved to be the match winner.USA 1, HON 0 [ WATCH ] FINAL
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NOTES:
– U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team Match Report –
Match: U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team vs. Honduras
Date: November 19, 2018
Competition: 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship; Qualification Round
Venue: IMG Academy Stadium; Bradenton, Fla.
Attendance: 2,100
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Weather: 72 degrees; partly cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
HON 0 0 0
USA – Ayo Akinola 51st minute
Lineups:
USA: 12-David Ochoa; 22-Sergiño Dest (14-Manny Perez, 80), 4-Mark McKenzie (capt.), 26-Chris Richards, 3-Chris Gloster; 8-Alex Mendez, 6-Brandon Servania (7-Juan Pablo Torres, 77), 20-Frankie Amaya; 17-Ayo Akinola, 23-Sebastian Soto, 10-Paxton Pomykal (9-Justin Rennicks, 84)
Substitutes not used: 1-Brady Scott, 2-Jaylin Lindsey, 5-Matt Real, 11-Ulysses Llanez, 19-Samuel Rogers, 16-Julian Araujo
Head Coach: Tab Ramos
HON: 12-Oscar Reyes; 18-Jonathan Nuñez (13-Selvin Guevara, 45+2), 3-Darwin Diego, 5-Wesly Decas (capt.), 2-Elison Rivas; 20-Gerson Chavez, 16-Jack Jean Baptise, 6-Everson Lopez, 4-Axel Gomez; 23-Patrick Palacios (10-Carlos Mejia, 55), 11-Josue Villafranca (17-Luis Palma, 90)
Substitutes not used: 1-Jose Garcia, 7-Cristian Calix, 9-Cesar Romero, 14-Mikel Santos, 15-Cristian Moreira
Head coach: Carlos Tabora
Stats Summary: USA / HON
Shots: 9 / 2
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 6 / 0
Fouls: 15 / 14
Offside: 1 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
HON – Gerson Chavez 57th minute
USA – Paxton Pomykal 74
Officials:
Referee: Fernando Hernandez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
4th Official: Ivan Baron (SLV)
ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Ayo Akinola
Top Rank firma a Vijender Singh
El invicto peleador de India debutará en Top Rank a principios de 2019
Vijender Singh, un tres-veces olímpico de India, medallista de bronce olímpico en el 2008 y ahora invicto púgil súpermediano ha firmado un acuerdo de varios años con Top Rank, anunció hoy el legendario promotor Bob Arum.
Singh (10-0, 7 KOs), quien ha peleado todos menos uno de sus combates profesionales en India e Inglaterra, hará su debut bajo el banderín de Top Rank a principios del 2019.
“En Top Rank estamos muy emocionados de entrar en un contrato con Vijender,” dijo Arum. “Tenemos la intención de convertirlo en una gran estrella en los Estados Unidos y esperamos que participe en los principales eventos de la India, donde ya es una gran estrella.”
“Estoy realmente emocionado de estar a bordo con Bob Arum y Top Rank,” dijo Singh. “Siempre he querido trabajar con alguien que es el mejor en el negocio, y sé que Top Rank ha sido la fuerza impulsora detrás de las grandes superestrellas del boxeo, incluyendo a Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather y Miguel Cotto. Estoy esperando con impaciencia una fecha para mi debut en Estados Unidos. Para enfrentarme al mundo y mantener la bandera de la India en el mapa mundial de boxeo revoloteando en alto. También quiero agradecer al Sr. Neerav Tomar de IOS Boxing Promotions por ayudarme a llegar a este punto de mi carrera profesional, estoy emocionado de trabajar con Top Rank.”
“En IOS estamos encantados de firmar con el promotor de boxeo más importante del mundo, el Sr. Bob Arum,” dijo Tomar, CEO de IOS Boxing Promotions. “Había solo una opción cuando decidimos ir con un promotor en los Estados Unidos, y Bob ha hecho mucho por los boxeadores profesionales a lo largo de los años y ha sido fundamental en la construcción de las carreras de muchos de los mejores boxeadores del mundo en la actualidad. Nos sentimos honrados de ser promovidos por él, y esperamos un gran futuro y poder convertir a Vijender como una fuerza a tener en cuenta en el mundo del boxeo profesional.”
Singh, de 33 años, se convirtió en profesional en el 2015 luego de una extensa carrera amateur que lo convirtió en una celebridad de la India, que incluyó participacón en películas de Bollywood y en el popular reality de danza india “Nach Baliye”. A los 18 años, representó a su país como un peso welter ligero en los Juegos Olímpicos del 2004 en Atenas. Cuatro años más tarde, en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing y luchando como peso mediano, Singh ganó una medalla de bronce para convertirse en el primer medallista olímpico de boxeo en la India. Durante los Juegos Olímpicos de l2008, derrotó a Badou Jack, un actual contendiente de peso semipesado y ex campeón mundial de dos pesos.
Singh ganó la medalla de bronce en los Campeonatos Mundiales del 2009 (donde derrotó al actual contendiente de peso mediano Sergiy Derevyanchenko), oro en los Juegos Asiáticos del 2010, y se clasificó para los Juegos Olímpicos del 2012.
Como profesional, ha capturado los honores de peso súpermediano de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) Asia Pacífico y Oriental. Su última pelea fue el 23 de diciembre del 2017, logrando una decisión de 10 asaltos contra el duro ghanés Ernest Amuzu en el Estadio Indoor Sawai Mansingh en Jaipur, India. Armado con el respaldo de Top Rank, Singh espera convertirse en el primer campeón mundial profesional de la India. Ese viaje comenzará en el 2019.
UFC ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION IN CHINA: UFC PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE TO OPEN IN SHANGHAI IN 2019
UFCÒ ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION IN CHINA
UFC PERFORMANCE INSTITUTEÒ TO OPEN IN SHANGHAI IN 2019
93,000 Square-Foot Elite Athlete Training and Performance Facility Will Also Produce Live Events and Local Programming
photos, videos, and more
SHANGHAI and LAS VEGAS – UFC®, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, today announced plans to open the world’s largest, state-of-the-art MMA training and development facility in Shanghai, China in 2019. This announcement comes as UFC brings its first-ever event to Beijing this week. UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING: BLAYDES vs. NGANNOU 2 Presented by General Tire will be held at the Cadillac Arena on Saturday, November 24.
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will serve as a training hub to develop and support MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region. UFC will also utilize the building as its headquarters in Asia, housing UFC employees and UFC Performance Institute staff, including experts in the fields of MMA, strength and conditioning, sports science, physical therapy and nutrition.
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will also have built-in advanced production capabilities with spectator seating that will allow UFC to produce and distribute live events and other original programming.
Additional features will include hospitality suites, dining, retail services, and a fan experience area. When completed, the multi-million-dollar facility will span more than 93,000 square feet, approximately three times the size of the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
“I could not be more excited about the UFC Performance Institute opening in Shanghai,” said UFC President Dana White. “We know there is a ton of talent throughout Asia and now we will be able to find them and offer them all the incredible training, nutrition, and physical therapy that UFC fighters are getting in the Performance Institute at our headquarters in Las Vegas, right there in China. This is another game changer for the sport, UFC, and potential athletes throughout Asia.”
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will serve as a catalyst for athlete development in Asia, aiming to rapidly accelerate the skill level and UFC-readiness of mixed martial artists in the region. A full MMA coaching staff will implement a sport-specific training system developed in consultation with former UFC light heavyweight champion, UFC Hall of Famer, and current UFC Vice President of Athlete Development, Forrest Griffin. This integrated, inter-disciplinary combat sports performance team will offer an unparalleled level of support to athletes.
UFC opened the first UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas in 2017 as the world’s first Mixed Martial Arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation, and training center. Through the first 17 months of operation, over 400 athletes on the UFC roster have utilized the facility and the services provided remotely. In addition, several dozen NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and Olympic sports athletes have visited the facility for support during their off-season training. In June 2018, the UFC Performance Institute unveiled the first-ever comprehensive study of the sport of MMA entitled “A Cross-Sectional Performance Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete.” The findings examined more than 30,000 performance metrics and data points to reveal the best approach to train and prepare for MMA competition.
Additional details regarding UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will be announced in coming months.