Llanez against Costa Rica

Ulysses Llanez made his international senior debut and scored the winner for the US Men’s National Team in the 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in a friendly. Uly Llanez, an 18-year-old born in California, made the move to Wolfsburg last spring on his birthday and he has been enjoying his time. The winger has scored 10 goals and added three assists in 11 matches for U19 Wolfsburg in the U19-Bundesliga.

It seemed clear everyone was excited when it was announced he would be at this January camp and eventually would be starting in the match Saturday against Costa Rica. Little did we know at the time that he would have a lot of influence on the match and would eventually score the penalty in front of his friends and family in California.

The teenager showed everyone some of the abilities he possesses and how he could help the senior team as he continues to develop. Here is a breakdown of some of his best moments Saturday.

Dribbling

Multiple times during the match, Uly Llanez showed a desire to dribble at defenders in the final third and it led to a couple unconverted chances.

This spin move in the eighth minute beats the defender with ease. He does get fortunate that his initial pass came back to him but he does well to gather, spin and go.

He showed that he can keep possession when it was needed and find the open man in the middle of the field. Here in the 11th minute, he picks the ball up after a Sebastian Lletget interception. Llanez dribbles into the open space and picks out Brenden Aaronson, which leads to a half chance.

This turn right here in the 40th minute beats two defenders before playing Sam Vines wide for a possible cross. The ball doesn’t go into the box, but he keeps working and gives Vines the option for the short pass. That sort of direct running opens up chances for scoring opportunities.

His best move of the second half outside the penalty was this exchange near the hour mark. Uly Llanez drives again and plays the simple pass into Jesús Ferreira. The fellow debutante didn’t pull the trigger so it comes back into Llanez, who stays in a passing lane. He eventually lays it off to Lletget for a shot. Both passes appeared to be the right move in that situation, just not enough quality in the end.

Uly Llanez working for the team

Uly Llanez showed a willingness to help defend when he was needed. This tackle in the 7th minute put that on display.

He also wins the interception here in the fourth minute and keeps the ball before the US regains possession and a passing move begins. He ends up back on the ball, where he drives toward the box, but nothing comes of the chance.

Confidence

Llanez looked confident on the ball throughout the match, but he showed the most confidence when he stepped to the spot in the 50th minute. He converted the penalty as Esteban Alvarado guessed the wrong way. 

I felt confident when he was on the ball too and wanted him to get as many chances he could driving toward the net. Players who want to take on others off the dribble and can be successful are obviously what makes for an exciting player and you can see that with him right now.

I thought he was our most exciting player on the day and I was a little surprised that he was taking the penalty but he converted and the US took home the win. We hope to see Uly Llanez play more in the Spring as he returns to Germany and maybe he will earn another call-up in March.