Nigeria's John Lazarus (white jersey) and Josh Perez of the USA battle for the ball during their FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup match on October 17, 2015, in Santiago, Chile. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)
SANTIAGO, Chile – Nigeria scored a pair of goals after halftime to defeat the 10-man United States in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup opener for each at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos on Saturday.
The defending champion jumped atop the Group A table as host Chile and Croatia played to a 1- 1 draw later in the day.
Capitalizing on a defensive miscue by the United States, Nigeria took a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. Auston Trusty attempted to clear a cross in front of the net, but shanked the kick, which settled just outside the six-yard box. Chukwudi Agor pounced on the ball and fired it in for the game’s first goal.
Agor then helped set up Nigeria’s insurance goal in the 61st minute, winning the ball at midfield off a U.S. goal kick and heading forward to Victor Osimhen. The forward took a touch just outside the 18-yard box to shed a defender and placed a low left-footed shot in off the far post from 13-yards out.
The Americans’ best chance of the first half came on a sequence in the 13th minute. It started with a deep throw-in by John Nelson and ended with Christian Pulisic whipping a cross from the left side of the box in front of the net that forward Haji Wright directed over the crossbar from two-yards out.
Trusty was dismissed three minutes from full time with a straight red for a stomp on Osimhen by the touchline.
Osimhen nearly added a second goal moments later, but U.S. goalkeeper Will Pulisic came up with a critical save after he parried an initial shot.
The United States heads to Viña del Mar to meet Croatia on October 20.
