tournament in Orlando, Florida, defeating a highly-touted combined United States Pan Am/Olympic team 1-0.

Bermuda's Sean Simmons, a student at the University of Charleston and recruited for the match, came off the bench in the 83rd minute and with his first touch a minute later netted the winner at the Seminole County Sports Complex.

Simmons, who replaced a hobbled Nakia Smith, was the beneficiary of a perfectly-flighted cross by Raynel Lightbourne, after the latter had got behind the home side's defence and spotted his team-mate at the back post.

Simmons obliged by planting his effort firmly into the roof of the net.

The win ensured that the Under-23s remained unbeaten while under the tutelage of coach Mark Trott, having now gone 11 games without a loss.

However, the result could easily have -- and probably should have -- been reversed as the Americans completely dominated Bermuda for all but the final moments.

So one-sided was the game that the hosts outshot Bermuda 28-2, with the US goalkeeper required to make just one save compared with nine by Bermuda's man between the `sticks' Troy Hall.

Hall, one of several `over-age' players in the squad, was spectacular in his efforts to maintain a clean slate, while another, Kentoine Jennings, similarly impressed with his hard tackling and play on defence.

Trott commented that the US side was one of high quality, with World Cup team member Claudio Reyna present in the line-up.

"They had very good team. The team they had on the pitch was certainly a very good team,'' said Trott, who has former Bermuda senior national coach Gary Darrell along in an advisory capacity.

"What we tried to do was basically to just drop off and defend and absorb pressure that they would have on us, basically trying to keep them playing in front of us and not allow them to play so much behind us and rely on the counterattack using the speed of Shawn Simons up front and Raynel Lightbourne.'' The US, who will be one of Bermuda's opponents at the Pan Am Games, also hit the post three times.

In total they had the ball in the Bermuda half for 40 of the 45 minutes in the second half.

The Americans were missing five regulars, all from the University of Virginia.

Bermuda's next match is against the United States Under-21 team tomorrow.

Troy Hall