Sports

RBNY academy’s Dilly Duka scores in U-20 debut; U.S. wins CONCACAF opener 3-0

The U.S. opened the CONCACAF U-20 championships today by putting a 3-0 beating on Jamaica. And the star of the show was Jersey-boy debutant Dilly Duka, a Rutgers sophomore and Red Bull academy stalwart.

Duka earned his first international start from coach Thomas Rongen and made the most of it. He cut by two players and set up Peri Marosevic’s first goal. He should’ve set up another when he slipped a ball through two defenders, only to see Houston rookie Danny Cruz miss an open net.

Then the 5-foot-9 midfielder from Montville scored himself in the 78th minute, his first tally in his first international game. Not bad work, Duliver; not bad at all. The 19-year-old Duka took the corners, and played the central midfield role that Freddy Adu handled back in 2007.

This isn’t so much about Matt Kassel _ who is a fine player _ as it is about the hue and cry when RBNY chose not to give him a Generation adidas deal last year. If they had _ and it should be noted he didn’t make this 20-man roster _ they wouldn’t be able to sign Duka or Haitian midfielder St. Cyr Widner, who has impressed in camp.

Allentown (NJ) product Billy Schuler also scored, but Duka not only impressed Rongen _ and presumably the beaten Reggae Boyz _ but also Anderlecht, who’ve reportedly been tracking him. We’ll see if he ends up back at Rutgers, or in Europe, or _ dare we say it _ RBNY.

What do you think of Duka’s performance? (Cue the Tommy Lasorda rant. What’d I think of his performance!?) Think he ends up at Anderlecht, or somewhere else in Europe? Think he’ll be back for his junior season with the Scarlet Knights? Want to see him at Red Bull? Talk to us…