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USMNT: U-20 World Cup – What You Need To Know

By Daniel Garza

Apr 15, 2017; Commerce City, CO, USA; Real Salt Lake forward Brooks Lennon (27) with the ball during the second half against the Colorado Rapids at Dicks Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2017; Commerce City, CO, USA; Real Salt Lake forward Brooks Lennon (27) with the ball during the second half against the Colorado Rapids at Dicks Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The United States Men’s U-20 National Team is set to play in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which begins on May 20th.

After an impressive showing at the CONCACAF U-20 championships, the U.S. U-20 side is getting prepared to take on some of the best young teams in the world at the U-20 World Cup.

The tournament is set to being on May 20th as the host country, South Korea will be one of six countries to play on the first day of competition. There is a total of 24 countries in the tournament with the top two teams advancing automatically from their respective groups and four of the six third place teams advancing to the knockout phase.

The Group

It will be a mixed group of countries in Group F, which is where the U.S. find themselves placed in the group stage. Joining them are Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal.

Here’s the complete schedule for the U.S. in the group stage.

  • USA vs. Ecuador-May, 22, 4:00 AM (ET) Incheon Stadium
  • USA vs. Senegal-May, 25, 7:00 AM (ET) Incheon Stadium
  • USA vs. Saudi Arabia-May 28, 5:00 AM (ET) Daejeon World Cup Stadium

The Players

The 21-player roster for the tournament was announced on May 9th as head coach Tab Ramos dwindled down the list of players available.

Goalkeepers (3): Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California; Newport Beach, Calif.), J.T. Marcinkowski (Georgetown; Alamo, Calif.), Brady Scott (De Anza Force; Petaluma, Calif.)

Defenders(7): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake; Salt Lake City, Utah), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur FC; Westcliff-on-Sea, England), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; Tucson, Ariz.), Aaron Herrera (University of New Mexico; Las Cruces, N.M.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Tommy Redding (Orlando City SC; Oviedo, Fla.), Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union; Media, Pa.)

Midfielders (5): Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Luca De La Torre (Fulham FC; San Diego, Calif.), Derrick Jones (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.), Eryk Williamson (University of Maryland; Alexandria, Va.), Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal FC; Bethesda, Md.)

Forwards (6): Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers; Bethesda, Md.), Lagos Kunga (Atlanta United FC Academy; Tucker, Ga.) Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake; Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Emmanuel Sabbi (Unattached; Columbus, Ohio), Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O’Fallen, Mo.), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake; Park City, Utah)

There a total of 11 Major League Soccer players on the roster. Four of the 11 hail from Real Salt Lake, including Brooks Lennon, who was one of the top players at the CONCACAF tournament.

Josh Sargent was an addition that was a bit of surprise as the forward had just finished playing for the U-17 team. He was one of the top offensive players in that competition and impressed many with his skillful finishing and presence in the final third.

Jonathan Klinsmann was awarded the best goalkeeper award at the CONCACAF competition and is one of the best goalkeepers on paper coming into the World Cup. He has been training in Europe during his build-up to the tournament as scouts are expected to be watching his play closely. This will be a big stage for him to impress on.

The backline is full of experienced players. All but one of the listed defenders on the roster plays professionally. They have been very effective and Erik Palmer-Brown has done a fantastic job leading the backline.

Looking Ahead to the Knockout Phase

It’s very likely the U.S. will advance out of their group. If that happens they could face Honduras again, which would be a rematch of the CONCACAF championship game. France is also a possible opponent from Group E.

Here are the dates of the knockout rounds.

  • Round of 16: May 30-June 1
  • Quarterfinals: June 4-June 5
  • Semifinals: June 8
  • Final/Third Place: June 11

If the U.S. finish in third place, and advance, then they could potentially face either England or Argentina. This tournament doesn’t have the same amount of powerhouse countries one would expect to see in the senior level competition. Surprises are more likely as Serbia shocked the field in 2015 to claim the title, they defeated the U.S. in the quarterfinals in a penalty shootout to end an impressive run by the Americans.

Next: MLS Multiplex 2016 Team of the Year

Regardless of where the U.S. finish, this will be a good tournament to gauge the future of the national team. One important thing to remember is that Christian Pulisic was eligible to be selected but will remain with Borussia Dortmund. He would have been a key addition to the squad but nonetheless, it is still a decent looking roster. This should be a tournament to look forward to for any U.S. soccer fan.

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