Sporting Kansas City defender Erik Palmer-Brown and the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in style, thrashing New Zealand 6-0 on Thursday in Incheon, Korea Republic.
The Round of 16 victory was punctuated by goals from six different players as the U.S. tied its record for largest margin of victory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Palmer-Brown played the full 90 minutes as captain, anchoring a backline that held the Kiwis without a single shot on target.
Led by head coach Tab Ramos, the U.S. now advances to the quarterfinals against Venezuela on Sunday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, Korea Republic. The match will air live at 1 a.m. CT on FS2, FOX Sports GO and Telemundo En Vivo. The Americans have reached the quarterfinal stage for the second straight U-20 World Cup, having suffered defeat at this juncture in 2015 with a penalty shootout defeat to eventual champion Serbia following a 0-0 draw.
Seventeen-year-old Josh Sargent ignited the onslaught after 32 minutes on Thursday, equaling the most goals scored by a U.S. player at a U-20 World Cup with his fourth strike of the tournament. In doing so, the Missouri native also tied Venezuela’s Sergio Cordova for the tournament’s Golden Boot lead.
The U.S. took a 1-0 lead into halftime and delivered a hammer-blow over the final 45 minutes with five additional goals. Jeremy Ebobisse found the roof of the net in the 64th minute before Brooks Lennon slotted low into the corner just a minute later to give his side an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Justen Glad, Palmer-Brown’s partner in central defense, bagged a header off Lennon’s corner kick in the 76th minute, then two substitutes found the scoresheet as Auston Trusty and Lagos Kunga buried impressive strikes to complete the rout.
The U.S. U-20s will face Venezuela early Sunday just hours after the two countries’ senior national teams square off in a friendly at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, set for 9 p.m. CT on FS1.
Palmer-Brown has worn the captains’ armband and logged the full 90 minutes in all four U-20 World Cup matches this tournament. The 20-year-old native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri is looking to build on an already impressive 2017 campaign that saw him earn Golden Ball honors as the best player at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in March — a tournament the U.S. won thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Honduras after a scoreless stalemate.
