USA advances to the semi-finals with a draw against Slovenia. We won the group, so we should face the second place team from the other group. Yellow card: D Johnson 0. Estados Unidos: Williams, Videira (Capano, m.56), Marshall, Ianni, Saavedra, Moor, Colón, Whitbread, Johnson (Dempsey, m.40), Burch (Karbassiyoon, m.40) y Phelan. 0. Eslovenia: Ljubica, Domen, Ziga, Rok, Marko, Luka, Dragan (Alan, m.76), Duca (Jorvath, m.56), Brajic (Dzinic, m.51), Factor (Zecevic, m.80) y Prejac. Arbitro: García Castillo (Colegio Valenciano). Report in Spanish http://www.efe.es/deportes/detalledisciplinas.asp?opcion=9&id=5282766
Re: A little more detail on the USA v Egypt match [R] Anybody know who "seleccion comarcal" might be?
Looks like though there were no goals, but both teams combined for no less than 5 balls off the woodwork, one Slovak, two from Moor and one each from Saavedra & Daniel. Group B wraps up tomorrow. The likely group winner will be Uruguay and the Yanks' semi-final opponent Wednesday will be the Valencia select if they get a result, or the Ukraine .
Rongen seems to be making up for lost time in terms of getting games with Whitbread. The guy has gone 90 in all three games! I'm presuming he's playing leftback, based on the fact that none of the other backs who have started in Spain usually play left back, but, who knows. Two shutouts in three games with a makeshift defense, an even more makeshift midfield and our No. 2 'keeper - I can live with that. (Even if it took some help from the woodwork to keep the clean sheet today.)
Did Alvarez get injured? No PT in the 2nd and 3rd games seems odd unless he was injured or he was being held out by Rongen at Yallop's request who will need him healthy and fit for the remainder of the MLS season. Definitely glad to see Whitbread, Simek and Karbassiyoon getting good PT. Just hope they keep developing and playing in England. Marshall needs to be in MLS next season.
Good question. Suffice to say, we aren't getting loads of info on this tournament from the USSF. In fact, if it weren't for davide and others tracking down the box scores, we'd be getting shutout altogether. No reason to think they wouldn't keep developing and if they're developing, the PT will come. May not be first team PT, but they'll be getting games. No doubt. But, based on some of his comments in the past, they better be prepared to make him a decent offer or risk losing him to Europe. I'm guessing he'll have some options abroad given all the exposure he's gotten with the youth national teams.
bonnie, thanks for the info. Has your source (given that you live in Connecticutt, I'm gonna guess your source is either Phelan or Scheurman) said anything about why Heath Pearce hasn't played yet? He's the only field player who hasn't gotten any minutes the first three games, assuming the reports we're getting are accurate. Is he dinged up or is Rongen just trying to get Whitbread as much time at LB as possible, forcing Pearce to sit?
Sorry to hear Alvarez is hurt. You gotta figure he is one of the younger guys with a real good shot at making the U20 WC roster. Hope its nothing serious. Its great to see all the new guys getting looks eventhough it may just be because of mls/college committments.
Its interesting that both high schoolers (Phelan and Videira) seem to be getting significant playing time. One can only assume they are holding their own against what sounds like pretty high level competition. Any speculation about their future with this particular team ?
Re: Re: A little more detail on the USA v Egypt match [R] In the Spanish subtitles for Lord of the Rings, they used "Comarca" as the translation for "The Shire." So it's probably some sort of regional team. (Based on their results, though, who knows? They might've fielded a team of hobbits.)
Phelan can play leftback as well. My guess at the line-up and back four... vs. Slovakia (4-4-2, right to left): Williams - Moor, Marshall, Whitbread, Phelan - D. Johnson, Ianni, Saavedra, Videira - Burch, Colon. Here are the other possible starting line-ups... vs. Egypt (4-4-2): Williams - Moor, Simek, Marshall, Whitbread - Dempsey, Capano, Johnson, Alvarez - Burch, Karbassiyoon. vs. Russia (4-4-2): Williams - Moor, Simek, Marshall, Whitbread - Johnson, Capano, Colon, Dempsey - Burch, Karbassiyoon.
perhaps PNE - but I'd guess Phelan played in the middle for that match. The need for this team is at left back so Rongen will want to know if he's got a starter there. He knows who his starting center backs are (not saying Whitbred couldn't displace Cochrane - just that the need is greater out left). re the Hobbit thing, i hear Merry Brandybuck gets stuck in like nobody's business, and Peregrin Took can cross it better than Figo. Watch out for THAT team.
I agree - though, not about the Hobbit thing. Phelan can play in the middle - this is what we agree on. Drew Moor can also play centrally, but I doubt he has on this trip (or ever for the U20s). Frank Simek can play on the right. The midfield/attack - for this squad - is pretty fluid too. I'm sure it wouldn't be out of the question for Colon, Alvarez, Johnson, Vidiera, Karbassiyoon, and Dempsey to be playing a number of positions (I'm more on the doubtful side of this theory). Most are suited for a particular area of the attack, but I could see these six out wide in midfield, as an attacking or holding midfielder, or as a withdrawn forward. Versatility is a wonderful thing.
Just want to point out that according the tournament's official site, Adam Schuerman started the Slovenia game. http://www.cotifalcudia.com/indexframes.htm FICHA TÉCNICA. Alineaciones: EEUU 18. Schuerman 2. Videira (min 55 – 10. Capano) 4. Marshall 7. Lanni 11. Saavedra 12. Moor 13. Colon 14. Whitbread 15. Johnson (min 40 – 23. Dempsey) 17. Burch (min 40 – 20. Karbassiyoon) 22. Phelan I'm guessing they're playing 80 minute games given that Rongen made two subs at the 40 minute mark and has yet to make any subs after 80 minutes. Anyone know when we can expect a result from the Valencia-Uruguay match?
I would guess that they don't have much of a future with this U20 team. There are just too many older and more experienced and more developed players ahead of them. However, I think these guys will be locks for the next U20 cycle (85-86 + Freddy) and this experience will only benefit them, as well as Capano, Ianni and Alvarez, come January or whenever the next U20s have their first camp, and beyond. From this roster that's in Spain, here's how I see the players chances to make the 20-man roster that goes to UAE (barring injury: Locks: Chad Marshall, David Johnson, Frank Simek, Ford Williams, Zak Whitbread Probable: Drew Moor, Arturo Alvarez Maybe: Heath Pearce, Craig Capano, Clint Dempsey, Marc Burch, Danny Karbassiyoon Doubtful: Pat Ianni, Miguel Saavedra, Pat Phelan, Dimi Colon, Mike Videira, Adam Schuerman That's just my opinion, I could be wrong. Granted, I know nothing about the quality of opposition but I think it's pretty good that we make at least the semis of this tournament without so many of our top players.
Too bad they don't have a decent center forward to get on the end of those crosses. I hear their goalkeeping is pretty abysmal too.
Uruguay beat Valencia 3-1 last night to take second place in Group B. So the US will play Uruguay tonight at 8:00 PM local time. (That's either 2 or 3 pm EST) In the semis of this event a year ago, the US beat Uruguay 3-1. In the other semi, Ukraine will face Russia. Nothin' like some political tension in an otherwise meaningless U20 friendly tournament!
US loses 1-0. The Efe write-up says they were really pressing for an equalizer, but Dempsey and Alvarez missed clear chances. http://www.efe.es/includesasp/noticias.asp?opcion=9&id=5291039