A 1-0 lead during a match never guarantees you’ll be the eventual winner. Not in professional soccer. Especially not at the Club World Cup. The Club World Cup, the premier club tournament that only includes the top teams from each of the six confederations and the host country's champion club, was the opportunity Club America needed to end their year on a high note.
Mexican teams have grown used to playing in the FIFA Club World Cup. The way they achieve that ticket is by winning CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament that finishes almost 6 months before the World Cup. It turns out, a move by Giovani dos Santos to Club America may be the key for that club to shine in the tournament.
The Club America U-20s defeated the MLS Homegrown All-Stars last night in penalties after the game ended 1-1 in regulation. This casts a poor light on MLS's player development efforts, however friendly the match ended up being. With that in mind, we did what we always do in trying times: we made a list of pros and cons.
Pro:
The MLS Homegrown All-Stars almost didn't lose!
Con:
The MLS Homegrown All-Stars lost.
Pro:
The MLS team was really young, with just eight players age 21 or older.