BARRANQUILLA, Colombia - Jubilant goal-scorer Luis Gil fired his battling US U-23s side to a laudable 1-1 away draw in their Olympic playoff against Colombia on Friday. And afterwards, he argued that they're nicely poised to secure a spot at this year’s Olympics.
The Queretaro midfielder tucked home a fifth-minute opener to surprise a partisan Barranquilla crowd, before Juan Fernando Quintero equalized for Colombia from the penalty spot in the second half.
But Gil believes that his away goal swings the tie in favor of the United States youngsters.
“It was very important because we wanted to get that away goal,” Gil said after the game. “Obviously it would have been better if we could have hung onto the lead, but we’ve put ourselves in a very good spot.”
The 22-year-old former Arsenal trialist claimed that a winning mentality was crucial for USA’s dream start and argued that securing victory was always on the team’s mind.
“We wanted to win both games. Obviously, we had to adjust to the situation because it’s hot out here, but we still had the mentality that we wanted to win the game,” he said.
Other than having to weather constant Colombia attacks, another crucial battle for the US came against the suffocating South American heat and humidity. Gil admitted that made for some tough going.
“It was very difficult. Even from the first minute you stepped onto the field you could just feel the heat. It affects your body,” he said. “I’m not trying to make excuses, but it really does affect you as a player. It’s something that Colombia are used to because they have a lot of players playing here, but for us it was hard.”
Gil and his US teammates now return to Texas for the second leg next Tuesday evening, at the FC Dallas Toyota Stadium (9:30 pm ET; ESPN2). The ex-Real Salt Lake playmaker from California believes it is now Colombia’s turn to face the storm.
“I feel at home, we will be a lot more dominant. That was our main focus this time actually, to be a bit more dominant, but obviously the game changes and you have to adjust to it," he said. "It will be us taking care of possession this time.”
