Four Real Salt Lake youngsters look to help the US qualify for the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea beginning this summer.
The United States U-20 National Team has landed in Costa Rica for the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 World Cup Qualifying Tournament. Among the twenty players called in for competition, eleven are currently under contract with MLS teams, with four being from Real Salt Lake alone.
The only other club with more than one player called in was Fulham, who had just two. All four RSL players should see plenty of playing time as the tournament begins Saturday against Panama. The team will round out group play with two additional games on just two days of rest.
Defender Justen Glad, midfielders Danny Acosta and Sebastian Saucedo, and forward Brooks Lennon will represent the Claret and Cobalt. The team looks to improve on their 2015 tournament, which saw the US lose to eventual champions Serbia in penalty kicks, who has already been eliminated in qualifying play for a 2017. But first the US has the CONCACAF qualification to focus on.
2017 Competition Format
In order to qualify for the U-20 World Cup the US will need to finish in the top four of the twelve team contest. The 2015 edition placed the twelve teams into two groups of six, with the group winners advancing to the final and automatically qualifying for the World Cup. Additionally, the second and third place finishers in each group were matched up for a one game showdown to determine the last two qualifying teams.
The 2017 format has changed, placing the teams instead into three groups of four. Each group will have its own round robin to determine the final standings. The top two teams from each group will then advance into two groups of three, where a smaller round robin will be played. The top two from the final groups will automatically qualify for the U-20 World Cup. Both group winners will advance to the final to determine a region champion.
U-20 MNT vs Panama: Saturday, February 18th, 4:00 PM ET
The U-20 World Cup begins play this summer in South Korea. The call-ups show additional promise for RSL’s youth movement, but missing the four players for extended time will test the club’s depth.
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A trip to the finals would mean the four players would miss the season opener, along with several games this summer if they are called up to the World Cup squad. While they would miss games for their club, this is a great opportunity for them to shine for their country on the world’s stage.