Team USA sinks Ecuador in stoppage time at U-20 World Cup
Team USA sinks Ecuador in stoppage time at the U-20 World Cup as 19-year-old Jonathan Gomez beats the goalie from 20 yards out to take the opener of the tournament
- Jonathan Gomez’s explosion in stoppage time gave Team USA a thrilling 1-0 victory
- Ecuador, the team of teenage sensation Kendry Paez, did not shoot on goal
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Jonathan Gomez’s explosion in stoppage time gave Team USA a thrilling 1-0 victory over Ecuador in the opening game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in San Juan, Argentina on Saturday.
The 19-year-old received a cross from striker Owen Wolff before shooting from outside the box past goalkeeper Gilmar Napa and into the top right corner of the net.
The final whistle came a minute later.
The other two teams in Group B, Slovakia and Fiji, played on Saturday night.
Until Gomez’s goal, the best chance lay in the hour after an embarrassing mistake by Ecuador’s Napa. His clearance hit his defender Christian García in the face. The ball fell to American striker Diego Luna, who shot wide despite an empty goal.
Jonathan Gomez celebrates after scoring Team USA’s game-winning goal in Saturday’s win
Ecuadorian goalkeeper Gilmar Napa fails to block Jonathan Gómez’s first shot
Jonathan Gomez, center, of the United States celebrates with teammates
Nicknamed ‘JoGo’ by his teammates, Gomez’s club career began with USL side Louisville City in 2020 before transferring to Real Sociedad B in Spain. He made his La Liga debut against RCD Mallorca in March 2022 and now has 41 appearances for the club.
Ecuador, the team of teenage sensation striker Kendry Paez, did not produce a single shot on goal.
The first goal of the tournament came from New Zealand, so Norman Garbett scored the lone goal in the 80th minute to beat Guatemala in a Group A match. Later on Saturday, hosts Argentina faced Asian champions Uzbekistan in Santiago del Estero.
Argentina inherited Indonesia’s place in the tournament as host. Protests in Muslim-majority Indonesia against host Israel forced FIFA to change venues very late. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
.