Everton Under-19 side slipped to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against River Plate in the opening match of the Dallas Cup.
The young Blues, featuring the likes of Ryan Ledson, Jonjoe Kenny and on-loan David Henen, fielded a strong team which included 6 current England youth internationals, but ultimately proved no match for the savvy reigning champions from the Argentine capital.
Ledson, Kenny et al. flew out only days before the start of the tournament after playing for England Under-18 side earlier in the week, but it was the Toffees who started strongest, with the pace of Henen and Donohue troubling the River Plate back line.
Just 4 minutes in, however, influential midfielder Liam Walsh suffered a head injury and had to be substituted- a cruel blow for Andy Tate’s side, who missed the guile and precise passing of the Liverpool-born teenager.
The Argentine side grew into the game, and opened the scoring through highly-rated Tomás Andrade, who placed into the bottom corner of Hewelt’s goal after neat build up play. The youngster has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks, and was a constant menace throughout.
Everton responded well, and equalised at the start of the second half thanks to a superb goal from Reserve team regular Kieran Dowell. The Aughton-born youngster escaped the attentions of several markers, skillfully controlled the ball on the edge of the area, and curled an unstoppable shot into the River Plate net.
The goal was no less than the Blues deserved, and Tait’s side continued to press for a winner. This, unfortunately, left gaps behind the full backs that the Argentine side ruthlessly exploited. First, striker Ventos capitalised on a defensive mix-up to head his side into the lead following a swift counter-attack, then, as the young Toffees pouted forward in search of an equaliser, substitute Lavallen arrowed a shot into the far corner to add a touch of gloss to the scoreline.
Last night’s result, although harsh on the side, highlighted a need to defend better in wide areas and take decent chances when they arise. Captain Kenny missed a good opportunity to equalise at 2-1, and fine margins such as this can mean the difference between success and failure.
Andy Tait’s team face LA Galaxy in less than 24 hours time, hoping to bounce back and challenge for a spot in the next round of the competition.
Everton: Hewelt, Kenny, Graham, Connolly, Robinson, Ledson, Walsh, Dowell, Donohue, Henen, Dyson.
