u-20 World Cup

[justboy]

The draw for this summer's U-20 World Cup in Canada was made yesterday. We were drawn in Group F with Nigeria, Japan and Costa Rica.

Our group games will be played in Victoria and Burnaby (which i believe is a Vancouver suburb).

I don't know a great deal about the players in a lot of the other teams, but looking at some of them, the Spanish, Brazilians, Argentinians and USA would seem to be favorites.

['Chopper']

I've never forgotten when Costa Rica beat the 'big' team! Oh, the shame of it!!

Group F could well be an evenly matched pool, let's hope Scotland can get through it?

[Gordon EF]

The draw for this summer's U-20 World Cup in Canada was made yesterday. We were drawn in Group F with Nigeria, Japan and Costa Rica.

Our group games will be played in Victoria and Burnaby (which i believe is a Vancouver suburb).

I don't know a great deal about the players in a lot of the other teams, but looking at some of them, the Spanish, Brazilians, Argentinians and USA would seem to be favorites.

Obviously nobody really knows what u-20 players from Nigeria, Japan and Costa Rica are like but I'll hazard a guess and say that we should be qualifying from that group. We have a very decent group of u-20 who have a lot of experience together and most have played reasonably regularly at a higher level than most of their opponents will have.

I think that if Spain send a strong team, they'll have a good chance, Brazil and Argentina will always be strong in these age groups. I don't understand why the USA should be among the favourites, it being in North America shouls help but apart from that, why?

[justboy]

I don't understand why the USA should be among the favourites, it being in North America shouls help but apart from that, why?


Well, apart from it being in North America - 2 reasons really:

1/ The nucleus of the team is still the side that played in the 2005 U-20 World Cup - they were a pretty good side then - winning all their group games, including a win over eventual winner Argentina.

2/ I now live in the USA and have actually seen this side play 3 times - they play their home games 10 miles from where i live - they have about 3 or 4 players in the team that could make the step up to the full interntional level (or have a cap already)

My point was, from my view and what i know of the players in all the teams, they would have to be a favourite, along with Brazil, Spain and Argentina.

[T3h-Nig3rian]

I expect Nigeria and Japan to top the group.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Thanks for that stunning contribution.

[Gordon EF]

Well, apart from it being in North America - 2 reasons really:

1/ The nucleus of the team is still the side that played in the 2005 U-20 World Cup - they were a pretty good side then - winning all their group games, including a win over eventual winner Argentina.

2/ I now live in the USA and have actually seen this side play 3 times - they play their home games 10 miles from where i live - they have about 3 or 4 players in the team that could make the step up to the full interntional level (or have a cap already)

My point was, from my view and what i know of the players in all the teams, they would have to be a favourite, along with Brazil, Spain and Argentina.


Fair enough, I was genuinely asking, I have no idea about the US team.

After watching Spain in the Euro u19s, to which they could also add Cesc Febregas and possibley a couple of others seeing as it's during the summer, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict them to win it.

I think Scotland will get to the QFs or SFs, depending on how kind the draw is.

[justboy]

I think Scotland will get to the QFs or SFs, depending on how kind the draw is.

If we finish 2nd in Group F we will play 2nd in Group B - so either Spain, Uruguay, Jordan or Zambia.

If we top Group F, we will play 2nd in Group E - which will be Argentina, Czech Republic, North Korea or Panama.

If we finish 3rd in Group F, we can still qualify as a 3rd placed team (the 2 best 3rd placed teams qualify) - we would play either 1st in Group C - Portugal, New Zealand, Gambia, Mexico OR we would play 1st in Group D - Brazil, Poland, South Korea or USA.

So yeah, lots of options!

[Gordon EF]

If we finish 2nd in Group F we will play 2nd in Group B - so either Spain, Uruguay, Jordan or Zambia.

If we top Group F, we will play 2nd in Group E - which will be Argentina, Czech Republic, North Korea or Panama.

If we finish 3rd in Group F, we can still qualify as a 3rd placed team (the 2 best 3rd placed teams qualify) - we would play either 1st in Group C - Portugal, New Zealand, Gambia, Mexico OR we would play 1st in Group D - Brazil, Poland, South Korea or USA.

So yeah, lots of options!

Fuxake! 1 of 16 teams. This group has proved themselves up against some bigger countries though, knocking out France, Portugal and the Czech Republic on the way to the Euro final, I'm confident.

[Dalglish]

Fair enough, I was genuinely asking, I have no idea about the US team.

After watching Spain in the Euro u19s, to which they could also add Cesc Febregas and possibley a couple of others seeing as it's during the summer, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict them to win it.

I think Scotland will get to the QFs or SFs, depending on how kind the draw is.

I don't think that the USA are one of the favourites but I don't think Scotland will reach the QF or SF stage.

I believe that about a 1/2 doz. of the US U20 squad are playing for their University team. You would hope that a Scotland U20 team of professionals would beat the USA - but who knows?

Didn't Tom Parratt captain Scotland's U19s at some point? I think Tom was born in Inversess but brought up somewhere in Iowa, USA. That says something of the relative state of US and Scottish football.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

We have taken our squad out to Canada for the our upcoming friendlies with the host. Luckily our two games are at the stadiums we have been allocated for the actual tournament, so the lads can get some firsthand experience. It also means they should have some support from the expats.

Itinery:
Fly out on Wednesday 21st March
Match one: Canada @ Burnaby (Sat 24th)
Match two: Canada @ Victoria (Tue 27th)
Fly back on Wednesday 28th March

Squad:

Goalkeepers
Scott Fox (Celtic)
Andrew McNeil (Hibernian)

Defenders
Andrew Cave-Brown (Norwich City)
Andrew Considine (Aberdeen)
Garry Kenneth (Dundee United)
Kevin McCann (Hibernian)
Ryan O’Leary (Kilmarnock)
Mark Reynolds (Motherwell)
Greg Ross (Dunfermline Athletic)
Lee Wallace (Heart of Midlothian)

Midfield
Jamie Adams (Kilmarnock)
Greg Cameron (Dundee United)
Ryan Conroy (Celtic)
Bryan Hodge (Blackburn Rovers)
Michael McGlinchey (Celtic)
Darren Smith (Motherwell)

Forwards
Graham Dorrans (Livingston)
Calum Elliot (Heart of Midlothian)
Steven Fletcher (Hibernian)
Rory McAllister (Inverness CT)

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news.cfm?newsid=2778

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Thanks to CBC, we can now watch the game tonight free of charge online.
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=449602007
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/

Game starts at 9pm UK time.