U.S. Para 7-A-Side NT Falls to England 4-2 in World Cup Quarterfinals

Cameron DeLillo and Shea Hammond Tally;
PNT Moves on to 5^th-8^th Placement Bracket

SEVILLA, SPAIN (July 14, 2019) – Missing three key players – who had combined to score 10 of the 17 group stage goals – the U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team put in a valiant effort but ultimately fell 4-2 to a strong England team in the IFCPF World Cup quarterfinals on Sunday night. Cameron DeLillo and Shea Hammond book-ended the scoring for the USA, which now moves to the 5^th-8^th place consolation bracket. The PNT will face Argentina, which lost to Russia, on Tuesday, July 16.

Without leading scorer Nick Mayhugh – suspended for caution accumulation in the group stage – who scored eight goals in the first three games, as well as Seth Jahn (serving a red card suspension) and Drew Bremer (injured) who each scored once in the group stage, the USA was under pressure from the onset Sunday evening at Sevilla FC’s Ciudad Deportiva complex. England captain Matthew Crossen nearly scored after two minutes when he advances a ball down the right side and ripped a shot across the goal only for USA goalkeeper Sean Boyle make a diving save low to his right. England’s Michael Barker then clanked a shot off the crossbar in the 12^th minute.

However, after withstanding a number of early shots, it was the USA that took the lead at the quarter hour mark. Tyler Bennett played a throw-in from the left sideline to Cameron DeLillo, who turned his mark and took the ball toward the endline before sending a cross to the far post. David Garza did well to keep the ball alive, finding Adam Ballou at the top of the box. Ballou headed the ball towards goal where DeLillo was able to chest it across the goal line.

England tied the match before the half when Barker converted a penalty kick after Garza was whistled for taking down a defender in the box.

Crossen then blew the game open with three goals in a five-minute span at the beginning of the second half, first on a shot from 12 yards out that he tucked in to the near post, followed by back-to-back runs from midfield ending with well-placed shots that built England’s lead to 4-1.

The USA got one back when Ballou’s 20-yard freekick was flicked in by second half substitute Shea Hammond inside the area, but in the end the USA fell short to England in the teams’ second straight quarterfinals.

Up Next: The USA will play Argentina in the 5^th-8^th place bracket on Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. local (12  p.m. ET). Argentina finished second in its group and dropped their quarterfinal match to Russia, 5-0, on Saturday. The winner of the USA-Argentina match will face the winner of Netherlands-Iran for 5^th and 6^th place, while the losers will meet for 7^th and 8^th place. Fans can follow along on twitter @ussoccer_pnt and Instagram at @ussoccer_pnt.

NOTES:

• The match marked the USA’s fifth straight appearance in the Quarterfinals, though second consecutive loss to England at this stage (1-2 L in 2017).
• Head coach Stuart Sharp made four changes from the team that started the last match versus Ireland: Adam Ballou, Tyler Bennett, David Garza and Ben Lindau replaced Seth Jahn, Jacob Kaplan, Drew Bennett and Nick Mayhugh.
• Cam DeLillo’s goal was his third of the tournament, while 17-year-old Shea Hammond scored his fourth.
• The USA and Argentina have met often in recent years. More recently, Argentina defeated the USA 1-0 at the 2018 Copa America, and 3-2 in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil with two stoppage time goals.
• At the 2015 World Championships in England, the USA defeated Argentina 4-1 in the 7^th – 8^th place match with goals from Garza (2), Jahn and Ballou.
• The teams also squared off in the 2011 7^th-8^th place match (USA 2-7 ARG) and 2007 9^th-10^th place match (USA 0-1 ARG).

-U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team vs. England – Quarterfinal
Date: July 14, 2019
Competition: 2019 IFCPF World Cup
Venue: Ciudad Deportiva Sevilla FC Cisneros Palacios, Sevilla, Spain
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET
Attendance: TBA
Weather: 86 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:           1             2             F
USA                                      1             1             2
ENG                                     1             3             4

USA – Cameron DeLillo                 16^th minute
ENG – Michael Barker (pk)            23
ENG – Matthew Crossen               41
ENG – Matthew Crossen               43
ENG – Matthew Crossen               48
USA – Shea Hammond                   54

Lineups:
USA: 1-Sean Boyle, 2-Cameron DeLillo (14-Shea Hammond, 47), 6-Ben Lindau, 7-Adam Ballou, 10-David Garza, 11-Tyler Bennett, 13-Josh Brunais (capt)
Substitutes not used: 12-Carter Alvey, 3-Jacob Crumbley, 4-Jacob Kaplan, 8-Drew Bremer (injured)
Suspended: 5-Seth Jahn, 9-Nick Mayhugh
Head coach: Stuart Sharp

ENG: 1-Miles Moore, 2-Liam Irons, 6-Matthew Crossen (capt), 7-Michael Barker, 8-Dale Smith (9-Jordan Twiss, 51), 10-David Porcher, 12-Mathew Robinson (3-Harry Baker, 57)
Substitutes not used: 13-Reagan McMillan, 4-Martin Sinclair, 5-Karl Townshend, 9-George Fletcher, 14-Ethan Stone
Head coach: Keith Webb

Misconduct Summary:
ENG – Dale Smith (caution)          49^th minute
ENG – Harry Baker (caution)        60

Officials:
Referee: Diaz
Second Referee: Ballesteros
Third Referee: Gamero
Fourth Official: Rojas