2017 FIFA U20 World Cup: Non-U.S. team and tournament news

I think in an agreement with the European Club Association, clubs are required to release U23 players for the Olympics...............but not senior players.

Clubs aren't required to release U20 or U17 players for any event regardless of what it is.

It should be noted that the European U21 championships are this summer. Some of those high profile European youngsters will be in that event instead. [One can make an argument that the quality of competition at that event is higher than that of the U20 World Cup.] And then some are actually considered senior national team players. The US was unlikely to send Christian Pulisic to the U20 World Cup even if he was available. He'll presumably be on the USMNT roster for their friendlies in preparation for the Gold Cup (for instance June 3rd against Venezuela in the middle of this tournament) and then the Gold Cup itself.

 

Yeah I read on the Italian boards today that the European U21 championships was the main reason Italy didn't want to release their players. They say one tournament is enough.

 

Karma! Honduras' real talent seems to be injuring other players through borderline dirty play. I try to pull for CONCACAF teams but I can't in good conscious root for a program like that.

 

Schalke denied us three of our players because they were playing the U19 Bundesliga semi-final. Europe does not care about this tournament.

 

Can't make a blanket statement like that

Some Euro teams care a lot. Some not at all

 

I suppose. In general though it's a huge contrast to the respect given to this tournament by South America. It's virtually a right of passage and teams fight and scream to get their players on the squad.

 

That goal from Martinez.. wow.

Argentina is getting their act together

 

Probably not enough for Argentina. They need a lot of results to go their way

 

Not a lot. It is quite possible.

If 2 out of three of these happen, we go through.

US defeats the Saudi's

Vietnam does not defeat Honduras.

Costa Rica does not defeat Zambia.


Plus, if there is a victor in Japan and Italy, that also could push us over the line.

 

vanuatu plays like UNLV in their heyday. Press full court, make things ragged and take your chances. You get beat somtimes, but it gave Germany all sorts of trouble.

 

Made advancement odds prior to the last round of games, based off the last decade of u20 games.

Only big changes to group odds after the final A/B games:
- England and Mexico at 100% now, obviously
- Argentina at 55%
- Germany at 99%

 

Costa Rica prefers challenges. Whenever they play tournament favorites, they up their game.

 

Just about lost it in the last seconds. Woof. What a finish.

 

Japan vs. Italy is on today on FS1 today at 7AM EDT!

 

Italy looking good early!

 

Girlfriends are happy!

what about the soccer?

(Can't find a stream. Japan down 2. Damn, all that fancy passing and footwork not getting it done against the professional teams.)

 

[JPN-URU]
22' 1-2 #11 Keita Endo cross from ~arc top left, inswings to 5m center. #7 Ritsu Doan lunges past 1, stomp-volley beats Zaccagno into back right low.

 

Japan.........................pulls one back.

By the way, an Italy win could easily set up France versus Italy in the Round of 16. Ooof! But that matchup would be on the opposite side of the bracket from where the US will be if they beat Saudi Arabia. Should we win Group F, we now have South Korea, Portugal, and Venezuela on our side. Korea versus Portugal is a tasty round of 16 match as it .


If we finish 2nd in our group............look who we'd face Mexico, with possibly England in the next round.

 

Our possible rivals if we beat the Saudis are:

R16 - New Zealand
QF - Venezuela
SF - Uruguay

On the other side, they're going to have France facing the winner of the Italy/Japan, and the winner of that likely meeting Zambia in QF.

The last quarter has the easier path, with Mexico meeting whoever finishes second in our group (still could be us, more likely Senegal) and the winner likely meeting England.

Guess betting numbers go for a Uruguay-Venezuela semi on one side, and an England-Zambia in the other. Strange not seeing Brazil or Ghana around. This Argentina is a shambles, but if they manage to survive, who knows.

 

2-2. The plot thickens. @Sam Hamwich To be honest Japan looks like the real pros. They style works for them and it's not fancy at all, just practical given their player pool.

 

[JPN-ITA]
50' 2-2 Ground pass from 30m arc right to #7 Ritsu Doan at arc top right, he accelerates into a pocket of 3, weaves amidst them to 6-top 3-right, pulls out Zaccagno, last touch is a left toe-poke for a slow roller that -- just -- beats -- everybody, rolls placidly just inside right post into back right. Srsly, Doan disappeared from view for a second because he was totally blanketed by white jerseys, and then there's this ball rolling softly on green with heads swiveling.

The entry pass was kind of blah, too, as it didn't put him in any kind of threatening position

74' 2-2 Possession 62% Japan. Italy may be doing this intentionally, since 4+1 still has them in 2nd, but a loss drops them to one of the worst 3rds.

 

Second in this group gets France. The third gets England or Venezuela.

Guess no one is too enthusiastic to win this one.

 

Uruguay 0-0 South Africa
Japan 2-2 Italy

7+3 D1.Uruguay
4+1 D2.Italy
4-1 D3.Japan
1-3 D4.South Africa

The race for the 4 best 3rds:
~~~~~~~~
4+2 (+3-1) E2.New Zealand (vs. France)
4+1 (+4-3) F1.USA (vs. KSA)
----------------
4=0 (+2-2) C3.Costa Rica
4-1 (+3-4) B3.Germany
4-1 (+2-3) D3.Japan -- goals matter
3+1 (+6-5) A3.Argentina
----------------
3+1 (+2-1) F2.Senegal (vs. Ecuador)
3-1 (+2-3) F3.Saudi Arabia (vs. USA)
1-4 (+0-4) E3.Vietnam (vs. Honduras)
1-5 (+4-5) F4.Ecuador (vs. Senegal)
0-5 (+1-6) E4.Honduras (vs. Vietnam)

Costa Rica and Germany can no longer be bumped out, so they clinch.

 

Are you sure about Germany clinching? I though with a higher amount of goals scored Japan has second tiebreaker over them and has clinched, Germany has to wait and see.

 

You're right! I forgot to add +2-2 for the Japan-Italy result!

----------------
4=0 (+2-2) C3.Costa Rica
4-1 (+4-5) D3.Japan -- goals do matter
4-1 (+3-4) B3.Germany
3+1 (+6-5) A3.Argentina
----------------