U17 World Cup: John Hackworth all praise for Christopher Goslin

USMNT coach John Hackworth praised the performance of midfielder Christopher Gostlin who grabbed an assist for Ayo Akinola’s goal.

The Americans picked up their second victory in Group A of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup as they downed Ghana 1-0.

“Goslin was an absolute warrior tonight. I told him that kind of performance was exceptional. In the last game, I played him as a defensive midfielder, time as an attacking midfielder. He also provided an assist. After this game, he has taken a huge step towards his growth.”

Hackworth mentioned that his team are a match for any side in the world.

“I don’t think it’s risky to do what we did. We believe we can compete with any team and that’s why we are here. We played the game in the manner that we have trained for the last three years. It was an excellent contest, more like a chess game.”

The coach was questioned on his preference for the 4-3-3 formation to which he replied, “That’s something that the youth team staff implemented. It puts us in a position on be both sides of the ball. We think it’s the best system for development.”

Hackworth was asked if Ghana had the better chances to which he gave a curt reply stating, ‘Nope.’

He also praised the attitude of striker Ayo Akinola as he scored after coming on as a substitute.

“He has been a starter for us in every game at this level. I made the decision not to start him and he took it well. His actions, more importantly, were very good.”