FRISCO, Texas — International soccer friendlies sure can make for some very strange bedfellows.
Take, for instance, the U.S. Under-23 National Team’s 2-1 friendly win over F.C. Dallas on Wednesday.
Dallas midfielder Brek Shea wound up scoring the game-winner against his own team — no, it wasn’t an own goal — in the 51st minute at adidas Field at F.C. Dallas Stadium.
The U.S. finished the match with nine men after Kofi Sarkodie (58th minute) and Shea (75th minute) were awarded their second yellow cards for infractions.
This was a warm-up match for the U.S., which will try to qualify for the London Olympics next month. The Americans will take on the Mexico U-23 team here next Wednesday in another warm-up encounter.
The hosts took the lead off a corner kick in the 15th minute. Colombian forward Fabian Castillo sent a line-drive corner to the center of the six-yard box, where Andrew Jacobson beat his defender to the ball and nodded a hard finish into the back of the net.
The U.S. connected for the equalizer four minutes later on a corner kick taken by Freddy Adu. It turned out to be an exact copy of Jacobson’s goal. Adu picked out Ike Opara at the top of the box and the defender headed a shot to the back post to level the score at 1-1.
Six minutes into the second half, Shea struck for the winner. Playing on the left flank, Shea timed his run well and beat the defense to a ball played over the top by Adu. In alone against goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, Shea cracked a hard shot high to the back post from 12 yards.
The U-23′s forced Hartman was forced to make several saves to keep the hosts in the game.
He began by denying the U-23s a goal with a point-blank save in the 12th minute. Amobi Okugo collected the ball in central midfield and played a ball over the top to Juan Agudelo. With Dallas center back Hernan Purtuz on his back, Agudelo chested the ball out in front of him and was in alone on Hartman. Agudelo took a hard shot at the back post, but Hartman punched the shot away.
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