USA under-17 national team forward Ayomide Akinola (right) is lifted in celebration by teammate George Acosta after scoring against Turkey in their Nike International Friendlies match on December, 2, 2016, in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. (Photo: John Dorton/isiphotos.com)
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Florida – The United States (2W-0D-0L, 6 points) under-17 national team bounced back from an early deficit to post a 5-1 win over visiting Turkey (0-0-2, 0) in the nightcap of Friday's Nike International Friendlies doubleheader in front of 3,933 fans at Premier Sports Campus Stadium Field.
The Americans assumed sole possession of first place in the four-team competition, two points ahead of second-place Brazil (1-1-0, 4), which played Portugal (0-1-1, 1) to a 3-3 draw. The U.S. and Brazil will meet in Sunday’s curtain closer.
After Recep Gül put Turkey ahead 1-0 in the fourth minute, the host struck for five unanswered goals led by braces from Andrew Carleton and Ayomide Akinola.
Carleton leveled in the 24th minute, when he beat goalkeeper Eren Bilen from 12-yards out following some good play from Akinola and Joshua Sargent.
Twenty minutes later, Carleton gave the Americans a lead they would never relinquish, placing a shot to the right of Bilen off an Akinola flick.
Akinola then struck for two straight goals to open second-half scoring, burying a Sargent cross at the hour mark and finishing a George Acosta feed in the 67th.
The scoreline was completed with four minutes remaining in normal time as Timothy Weah, the son of former AC Milan and Liberia star George Weah, tapped in from seven-yards out.
