Abe Thompson Leads U.S. U-20s Over East Region With Four Goals At U.S.Soccer Festival
8/4/2000 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 4, 2000
College Park, Md. - Maryland men's soccer freshman Abe Thompson (Fairfax Station, Va.), who with the rest of the Terrapin team will begin training camp in mid-August, exploded for four goals on Aug. 3 in the U.S. Under-20 national team's win over the East Region team at the U.S. Soccer Festival being held in Kingston, R.I. through Aug. 6. The U.S. Soccer release below gives the play-by-play of Thompson's unbelievable performance. Maryland freshman teammate Philip Salyer (Dallas, Texas) was also active in yesterday's 4-0 U-20 team win, notching an assist on one of Thompson's goals.
ABE THOMPSON LEADS U.S. U-20S OVER EAST REGION WITH FOUR GOALS AT U.S. SOCCER FESTIVAL
CHICAGO (Thursday, August 3, 2000) - The U.S. Youth National Teams went 2-1-1 in the second day of competition at the 2000 U.S. Soccer Festival yesterday, as they compete in the United States Amateur Soccer Association's annual tournament in Kingston, Rhode Island, which will continue through August 6.
The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team (2-0-0) shutout the East Region team, 4-0, last night as USA forward Abe Thompson (Fairfax Station, Va.) scored all four of the USA's goals. Thompson, who will attend the University of Maryland next Fall and who was also a member of the 1999 U.S. U-17 National Team, began his scoring spree in the 17th minute when Philip Salyer (Trophy Club, Texas) hit a bending cross from the sideline that Thompson was able to re-direct into the goal. In the 38th minute Thompson tallied his second of the match when Raul Palomares (Inglewood, Calif.) served an accurate cross to
Thompson who again made no mistake in his finishing giving the USA a 2-0 lead at halftime. Thompson and Slayer would combine again in the 72nd minute and five minutes later Thompson would round out his scoring frenzy with a individual effort and a 15-yard shot that would beat the East `keeper and solidified a 4-0 thumping of the East Region team. The U.S. U-20s will play border rival Canada on Friday, August 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET in what will be the featured match of the tournament.
"The team played well. The ball movement was good and the combination play was fantastic. We need to carry this over to our match against Canada on Friday," said U-20 head coach Wolfgang Suhnholz.
"Abe played very well. He was having one of those nights where he was in the right places at the right times and was able to put four goals away."
The U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team continued their unbeaten streak at the U.S. Soccer Festival by downing the West Region team 1-0. The U-18s will play the USYSA U-17 Regional team (0-1-1) on Friday, Aug. 4.
Playing against a much older and physical West Region team the U.S. U-18 men were able to hold their ground and walk away with a much reserved 0-0 draw. The U.S. U-18s have compiled a 0-0-2 record at the tournament and will be looking for their first win when they take on the Rhode Island All-Stars (0-1-1) on Friday, August 4 at 6:45 p.m. ET.
U.S. Under-16 midfielder Noella Keselica's two goals were not enough as the USA fell to the South Region team 3-2. Playing against older competiton in the tournament the young USA squad will look to improve on their 0-1-1 record when they take on the California Storm of the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPSL) on Friday, August 4 at 3 p.m. ET.
The U.S. Amateur Soccer Festival was originally conceived when the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) discontinued the staging of their annual Sports Festival in 1995. The U.S. Amateur Soccer Festival, which is sponsored and organized by the USASA, has incorporated the concept used in the U.S. Sports Festival and has expanded it to also include several U.S. National Teams.
To follow the U.S. Soccer Festival through the weeknd, check out U.S. Soccer's website at www.us-soccer.com
