The USA team have been eliminated from the U17 World Cup after losing 2-1 to Italy in Nigeria.

After finishing second in their group with two wins and a loss, the US were pitted against the might of Italy who had recorded two wins and a draw in finishing on top of their group but came up short in the end.

USA coach Wilmer Cabrera said his side performer well but could not make the most of their chances which is vitally important in a tournament such as the World Cup.

“I first have to congratulate Italy for winning the game because they deserved it. They were clinical with the chances they had, with three opportunities they put two in the net,” Cabrera said.

“For us, throughout the competition it’s been difficult to put the ball in the net. We created a lot of chances, we had more possession tonight than against any other team that we played, but we couldn’t find a way to finish our chances.

“So, now we have to leave the tournament, and I leave the tournament proud of my kids because they respect the game every time.

“Everywhere we went we tried to play, to put the ball on the ground. We created several opportunities and we showed the personality to play soccer. Obviously the difference in this sport is when you score the goals, and we couldn’t make the difference.”