Under-20 WORLD CUP: USA set to open tourney
The U.S. Under-20 national team is set to open its Under-20 World Cup today against South Korea (5pm, ESPNU).
I'm not really sure on what the lineup will be for the USA for this game but here's a guess:
-----------Altidore-------Ferrari------------
Rogers-------------Adu--------------Bradley
-------------------Szetela--------------------
Ward-------------------------------------Igwe
-------------Sturgis-----Valentin------------
---------------------Seitz---------------------
What do you think of this lineup? Share your thoughts on the squad and what you think the lineup should be for today's match below.
Seitz
Beltran Valentin Sturgis Ward
Bradley Szetela
Adu
Zizzo Rogers
Altidore
This is how the first team was set up against New Zeland in the closed scrimmage. I expect this will be the lineup.
Posted by:Kevin | June 30, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Ives,
With the relatively suspect play of the current US forwards, do you think we will see Altidore and Ferrari among the national team regulars sooner rather than later?
Posted by:Steven | June 30, 2007 at 02:51 PM
Poland gets an early goal and leads Brazil 1-0 in the first half of the opening game. The goal is followed by an early red card (two yellows, the second for a foul 40 yards from goal on dangerous Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato) that leaves Poland in the unfortunate position of having to protect a lead for 2/3 of the game with 10 men.
With the way Poland is tackling, they might end up with 9 men...
Posted by:Derek | June 30, 2007 at 02:55 PM
By the way, does anyone actually have ESPNU? I'll be watching the US - South Korea match on tape delay on Fox Sports Espanol.
Posted by:Derek | June 30, 2007 at 02:59 PM
2 more yellow cards in 2 minutes for Poland as the first half comes to a close. I don't think any of the cards have been within 30 yards of the Poland goal.
Posted by:Derek | June 30, 2007 at 03:01 PM
It will be Sizzo instead of Ferrari. Sizzo has had more time to gel with the team. Ferrari is more of a point man like Altidore.
Posted by:Tom | June 30, 2007 at 03:19 PM
If you're bored and want to read some soccer talk, go to http://www.StarMetroSC.blogspot.com
Posted by:JHJG89 | June 30, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Isn't Igwe a left-sided player?
Any news on the Canada team?
Posted by:Aljarov | June 30, 2007 at 03:40 PM
---------Altidore---------
Rogers---------------Zizzo
----------Adu-------------
----Bradley---Szetela-----
Ward---------------Wallace
-----Sturgis--Valentin----
----------Seitz-----------
Posted by:Ben | June 30, 2007 at 03:45 PM
ESPNU is 609 on Direct TV
Posted by:Tony M | June 30, 2007 at 03:59 PM
it is also being shown on espn360.com but i dont have access to that because comacast is gay. nor do have espnu or fox sports en espanol
does anyone know if this comes on sopcast or tvuplayer..
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 04:01 PM
szetela is the most overrated player. a player like dax mccarty fits in perfectly behind adu and next to bradley
Posted by:ben | June 30, 2007 at 04:37 PM
Great diving header goal by Szetela!
Posted by:Joamiq | June 30, 2007 at 05:16 PM
and a REALLY weak yellow given to Rogers..
Posted by:Joamiq | June 30, 2007 at 05:18 PM
south korea are good, they shd be ahead
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 05:33 PM
We're playing like garbage...
Posted by:Tony M | June 30, 2007 at 05:41 PM
the only one to really play is michael bradley.
for some reason we cant possess the ball and thus adu and altidore aren't involved
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 05:47 PM
First half observations:
South Korea has had the better of the play. They have dominated possession and had a number of dangerous attacks. The US defense was very much bending but not breaking for most of the first half, and a Korean goal was inevitable.
We've had trouble maintaining possession, but when we do get it, there are moments of fluid, one-touch, attacking soccer that surpass anything I've seen from the senior team. The execution isn't always perfect - there are plenty of passes that go awry - but the approach is promising and has created a few good chances, including a couple of dangerous attacks late in the half.
The officiating has been inconsistent. We had a couple of very weak yellows called on us, and a very blatant slide tackle from behind by a South Korean defender from about 20 yards out was not called.
For the US to win, the likes of Bradley and Szetela are going to have to step up and take charge of the midfield by winning balls and giving us more possession. The South Korean attack pushes up pretty aggressively, so we should try to take advantage of that on the counterattack. Finally, the defense has to communicate better, stay closer to their marks, and cut off passing lanes better.
Posted by:Joamiq | June 30, 2007 at 05:48 PM
freddy and our whole team gets pushed off the ball waaay to easily
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 06:20 PM
This is not a well coached team. The elemental mistakes they are making are appalling.
And has anyone ever mentioned to Dax McCarty that the other team is allow to try and take the ball from you and therefore you should try to protect it?
Posted by:Tony M | June 30, 2007 at 06:24 PM
For the last half hour, Freddy has been the best player on the team. Wish he had started this well.
Posted by:Tony M | June 30, 2007 at 06:39 PM
all of our attacks come from one side of the field
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 06:44 PM
where is ferrari
Posted by:shaj | June 30, 2007 at 06:51 PM
awful performance...the usa couldn't maintain posession of the ball and it didn't help that they only played with altidore up front. where was ferrari?
Posted by:Sg | June 30, 2007 at 06:58 PM
It got better late. But I'm very unhappy.
The officiating was pretty suspect.
Posted by:Tony M | June 30, 2007 at 07:00 PM