Freshmen duo looks to avenge loss to Mexico squad

When Kevin Alston was in Peru last September with the United States Under-17 Men's National Team for the FIFA U-17 World Youth Soccer Championship, an elementary-aged boy approached him in the lobby of the team's hotel and gave him a good luck cross.\nThe IU freshman said he hopes the good luck charm brings the Hoosiers a win tonight in their contest with the Mexico U-17 Men's National Team.\n"I just really hope we beat Mexico," Alston said. "Part of it is a pride thing that they are coming into the U.S. and just gotta represent IU, represent the country and hopefully we can have a good game and win."\nBut this is not the first time Alston and Ofori Sarkodie -- fellow IU freshman and former U.S. U-17 Men's National Team member -- take the field against the U-17s from Mexico.\nPrior to the U.S. U-17s playing in the FIFA World Youth Soccer Championship, they played the Mexico U-17s in a tune-up match in Dallas. Ironically, the U.S. U-17s lost to the Mexico U-17s 2-1 last August -- the same score by which the Mexico U-17s defeated IU in April 2005.\nThe two teams also played in December, which marked the last match the U.S. U-17 1988 Men's National Team played together. Mexico won again by a score of 2-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in front of 22,157 fans -- the largest crowd to a U.S. U-17 Men's National Team match played on American soil.\nThe two Hoosier freshmen have a combined 53 caps -- which are international match appearances -- while playing with the U.S. U-17s.\n"We have a lot of international experience, so we are used to hostile crowds and a lot of nationalism," Sarkodie said. "Especially with Mexico, their fans are very prideful and they bring a special atmosphere to the game. I remember I really enjoyed playing in it."\nHowever, when the U.S. U-17s traveled to Peru for the FIFA World Youth Championship, Alston started the first two pool-play matches and led the Americans to a 2-0-1 record, which advanced the team to the quarterfinals versus the Netherlands. Alston again got the start in the quarterfinals, but his subsequent play was cut short when he took a studs-up tackle along the sideline in the 16th minute of the match that resulted in a broken left leg.\nThe United States U-17s finished fifth at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships.\nSince Alston came to IU, the Silver Spring, Md., native has had to endure the healing of the leg, along with a sports hernia injury related to his broken leg. Alston said he has not let the injury keep him from assimilating into the life of an IU soccer player.\n"I feel like it's been a smooth transition -- other than the injury -- but it's been good getting back and playing here," Alston said.\nThe National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Adidas named Sarkodie its National Youth Player of the Year. He was the captain of the U-17 team and started all 37 matches with the team in 2005.\n"These young men have had some great experience," IU coach Mike Freitag said. "But I think it is more getting to know their (IU) teammates and knowing our system. They are not worried about who they are playing, they just need to get to know our system."\nThe freshmen duo recalled the U.S. U-17s win against Italy as a source of motivation.\n"Everyone doubted us and the odds were against us," Alston said. "They were predicting us to lose and so based off the fan base and all that talk, our coaches used that to motivate us"