Sporting Kansas City homegrown forward Gianluca Busio captained the United States U-17 Men's National Team to a 1-1 draw with Brazil in the Nike International Friendlies finale on Sunday in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
The 15-year-old Busio played the full 80 minutes as the Americans earned their first result in the competition after falling to England and the Netherlands on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. A point was enough to clinch the tournament title for Brazil, which took the lead in the first half of Sunday's contest, but Diego Lopez restored parity for the U.S. early in the second half of a spirited performance from head coach John Hackworth's men.
Busio, who played the entirety of a 1-0 defeat to England on Wednesday, did not feature in the USA's 5-1 loss to the Netherlands on Friday. The Charlotte, North Carolina native was back in the lineup for the third and final game of the annual youth tournament, making his second international appearance at the U-17 level after starring for the U.S. U-15s over the previous two years.
U-17 MNT players and staff will now set their focus on the 2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where the top four teams will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The 2018 campaign will involve tournaments, friendlies and training camps as the squad works toward achieving continental and world honors in 2019.
