The MLS Homegrown team drew 1-1 with UANL Tigres U-20s on Tuesday night in Atlanta. Toronto’s Liam Fraser scored for the homegrowns before a confusing VAR call ruled out Jesus Ferreira’s goal and Adrian Garza evened the match for the Mexican side in the second half.
Auston Trusty started in the back line for the MLS Homegrowns and Anthony Fontana got the nod in an advanced midfield role. The homegrown team was in something of a 4-2-3-1 with Atlanta's wunderkind Andrew Carleton creating from the right and Fontana putting in a lot of defensive work so the wings could stay higher. Since the Union midfielder came up as a box-to-box player, he handled the duties well.
The homegrown side were willing to press Tigres, leaving space behind when they were beaten. This left Trusty with a lot of work to do, reading when to step forward and when to hold his ground. Coordinating movements along the defensive line is difficult, and the one time Trusty stepped high and didn't win the ball, Sands did not move central and Tigres had a breakaway that JT Marcinkowski handled impressively. Overall, though, Trusty was strong in back, and he showed off his passing range with long ground passes to Marco Farfan at left back.
Fontana struggled to get on the ball, but when the Homegrowns pushed forward his late runs were extremely dangerous. After putting an early shot over the bar, Fontana had a big chance to give his side the lead in the 20th minute when one of his late runs met a cross from the left with the goalie out. An incredible recovery save -- reminiscent of Andre Blake's phenomenal late stop at Atlanta this season -- kept the match tied at zero.
Late in the first half, the homegrowns took the lead through Toronto's Liam Fraser. After a free kick was batted around the box, Fraser collected it and blasted home to give his team the lead in extra time of the opening frame.
Matt Real and Mark McKenzie joined the fray in the second half with Trusty and Fontana departing. James Sands remained int he match as McKenzie's partner, sandwiched between the two Union defenders.
Six minutes into the half, McKenzie's elite awareness kept Tigres from pulling even. Sands was dispossessed at the edge of the box, and McKenzie had spread to the right, far from his man. Tigres had a two-on-one against goalie Sean Melvin, who came out to challenge the ball. McKenzie made a bee-line for the other attacker, beating the ball to the spot and heading it clear.
Real's first involvement came in the 54th minute when he collected a pass in space on the left and took off upfield through the channel. Dropping the ball wide, he continued a run deep, though the play was snuffed out.
McKenzie was called for a soft foul in the 68th minute 35 yards from goal on the right. Tigres served a good ball into the box and the homegrowns could only half-clear it. A follow-up shot from 22 out was smothered by an alert Melvin going to his right.
Melvin popped up and looked to go long, but indecision hit and he committed a handball outside of his own box. The referee waved play-on and the homegrowns quickly worked the ball up to Jesus Ferreira who shook two defenders in succession and curled the ball into the far corner.
Then VAR intervened. After reviewing the play, the referee called the goal back after correctly recognizing Melvin had handled the ball illegally. Tigres immediately made Melvin pay for his error as Adrian Garza lashed a low free kick under the charging homegrown wall to even the scoreline.
A minute after scoring Tigres was down to ten men when captain Jorge Cruz received a red card for a high boot on the edge of his own box. Los Angeles Galaxy's academy stud Efrain Alvarez hit a free kick into the wall, and when the ball was put back in Mark McKenzie was on hand at the back post to center it just over a teammate's late arriving run.
Real nearly had a hand in a late winner when he galloped up the left wing and dropped a low cross in front of goal, but Tigres scrambled it away.
The match ended 1-1 and, more importantly, all four Union players made it through unscathed. Now they fly back to join the preparations for the club's match in Portland at 11PM EST on Saturday.
