2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup - USA vs. New Zealand - 5/30 1:30 PM ET (Pre-match/PBP/Post-game)

New Zealand suck independently. They were out-shot 30 to 0 by Argentina in that 5-0 loss. The draw with Uzbekistan flattered them. Were out-shot 30-6. And in spite of winning, they were out-shot by Guatemala, an also-ran from CONCACAF.

It was not a test, unlike Ecuador. Slovakia were more respectable. Those successes show us this team is better than a good majority in this tourney and the world. Whether they're contenders remains to be seen.

We don't need to big up our s**tty opponents like Fiji or even NZ to look for additional meaning for all our results. It's alright to have progressively bigger tests, and until then we only know X but not Y. The next test should be our biggest.

 

Fairs.

 

https://www.fff.fr/selection/8-u20/histo-matchs.html

Not even here. Probably hasn’t been updated.

 

Luna was fantastic in this one. Ball of energy - effective energy, chasing the panicky NZ side. Then the sick dribbles & nice passes... Just great. I really don't know what the future holds for him, but he's fun to watch.

McGlynn is just even more fun. His passing is just sooooo good. I just can't see any way that it doesn't continue to translate now. Feel like his floor is something like Kljestan. He's ceiling is, I know he's not gonna get here, but American DeBruyne light?

Cowell will forever be Cowbell. Just throw some red meat out there and let him eat.

Che Justin was a destroyer tonight. Safety first, but damn he made me feel safe. Plus an opportunistic goal. Nice.

Slonina looks good. Might have to come up big soon.

Wolff had his best game so far, but still seems miscast. With Pukstas and Paredes now here, we'll see if he still gets run. What a SCREAMER!

Wiley was certainly involved and dangerous. But his crosses ultimately need to produce better results.

Edelman was ok. That play were he slid and backpassed the Kiwis onto the break was not.

Interesting how NZ let Craig hold the ball, and he really didn't do much with it. Weird one.

Gomez and Wynder to me were our weak links. Gomez just needs to be more dynamic if he's gonna be a wingback. Too methodical. Wynder is just kinda raw and not really ready. If he starts the next one I suspect the opponent will funnel the ball to him again and make him either waste time passing back to Craig or force him into a turnover. Hope I'm wrong.

Won't comment on the subs except to say that they came on a bit late. But I guess we rest until Sunday so, we should be ok.

Once again...this team is FUN to watch. But the challenge really starts now.

 

I am worried about the Gambia than the Uruguay...

 

Yes, but many Arab countries don't play against Israel, which is what @glennaldo_sf was referring to in his post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycotts_of_Israel_in_sports

 

Yes exactly, and you guys realize why this tournament was moved from Indonesia to Argentina at the very last minute in the first place right? And Tunisia are one of the biggest boycotters....

Anyway, I don't think Tunisia will get past Brazil, but if they do and wind up meeting Israel in the quarterfinals, it will be very interesting to see what happens. That match would be one to watch, if it even happens....

 

One thing I was thinking about overnight was that it's a bit surprising how much of a non-factor Sullivan has been.

 

Agreed- biggest disappointment for me so far. I don't think he's played poorly and I think Mikey should've given him 15min or so to get him going. I think they'll need him at some point- he finds space and can finish better than anyone else on this team.
*I'm a Philly guy so this is admittedly a completely biased opinion.

 

Agreed. The best I have ever seen him play. Not the dribbles. The simple, properly weighted passes to teammates in good space at the right time. If he can do that moving forward he has a chance. Hope it continues.

 

So, assuming you are playing the U.S., and you're a team that reasonably expects to be at least as good such that you don't necessarily need to bunker, what's your game plan?

 

Firstly, when the US is playing out of the back, funnel the ball to either Che or Wynder and press them at that point. It'll usually result in a pass to the keeper, who is pressed and has to boot it. Then win those balls.
The US has shown given time to play they are quality and can beat you. They haven't shown, imo, how they'll play when under consistent pressure.

 

Depends on what weapons and weaknesses I have of course.

Test the US middle with speed if I have some quick attackers.Suck us in, get the ball and send it long into space. We used that tactic to effect against Ecuador and especially Slovakia if I recall.

Isolate our fullbacks more. JoGo loves to go forward and struggled initially in the Ecuador match defending. Put him under duress and try to pin him back.

We definitely play out of the back with confidence but in some real dangerous areas. Put us under pressure in certain situations and see what shakes out. Maybe try this at different times and parts of the field to see if we can be thrown off our passing game.

Body up, and play physical with McGlynn. Take him out of his comfort zone of you can. When he has all that time he is a problem.

At times I go back and forth on our midfields strengths and weaknesses. Starters and subs. I still am not sure. They are good players but how good? A better tactical mind may try to pull a guy out and get in between the gaps between a middle and the D? Again, that is just me not being sure how good our guys will be under top pressure.

Will of course have more thoughts once I watch Gambia/Uruguay. If I can.

 

Che has surpassed my expectations in this regard. Wynder not so much. I would definitely target him.

 

I do think a good team probably does need to press, not just high but in the midfield. The U.S. can pass, but you don't want to give them 60% of the ball without a fight. If Gomez is playing wide right I think you try what NZ did and shift the defense centrally on the assumption that is not his most dangerous spot. Try to funnel Cowell wide. Figure out what defenses have done to induce Luna to pass instead of turn.

 

I don't know. I feel like Ecuador tried to press the U.S. pretty high and hard, but they dealt with it fairly well.

 

McGlynn is the key in midfield. He’s had all the time in the world so far to sit back and pick teams apart. Take him out of the game with physicality and suddenly everything is more difficult.

 

I agree with most of this. Gomez might struggle with fast, physical wingers, and he likes to go forward. That seems like a weak point, if an opponent has such a winger.

It's a good point about McGlynn too. I would add playing physical with Luna too. He was swallowed up by the Ecuador CBs for the most part and didn't start seeming dangerous until Yapi came on, and he shifted out wide. A lot of the creativity of the US attack disappears if those two are neutralized. Things might be different, though, with Cowell and Paredes available.

 

I rewatched everyone of these matches, and they did press, and we were really good. I mean really good. I guess I am not sure how good Ecuador is?

 

McGlynn plays gorgeous balls over the top

 

Luna‘s problem against Ecuador was mostly of Luna‘s making.

He just refused to do what he did last match. I harped on it after that match and second run through highlighted how poor he was with making the quick, obvious freaking pass. In half one I wanted him gone. He really did miss at least 4 pretty comfortable passes with time that would have put us in real dangerous spots, if not twice with clean looks at goal. I actually yelled at the screen once. I wasn‘t wrong. If he makes the quick simply play when there he will be fine. He can handle the physical. We know he can dribble. Might simply be a maturity thing. Yesterday he laid off 4 or 5 simple weighted balls that created clear chances inc Cowell‘s goal. In the Ecuador game he doesn‘t make the Cowell pass. I‘m certain of it. I‘d wager tape was watched and Vargas had a nice conversation with him. He was that poor in half one in that match, and only slightly better in half two.

 

Oh yeah. Watching Slonina I am starting to get it. Working with the NZ game on in the background. The save he made on Herdman was truly professional. The way he squared up, dove and especially how handled that real tricky bounce was class. A much better save than I thought. His save on that Slovak blast in half one was excellent. He is a real prescience back there. Not sure what his ceiling will be but we really may have a good one here. Between him and Brady someone will come good. How the hell did Chiago manage that?

 

Come at him with multiple guys and so far he's not made good decisions. Isolate him on one guy and he can turn pretty easy.

The other way to isolate Luna is simply to put pressure on the passer. Come hard at Craig and make Wynder and Che beat you on the pass. Pressure McGlynn and Luna when he's high, and basically make everyone else beat you through the middle. If Luna has to come back, his dribbling simply isn't the same danger.

 

And they also develop Damian Las and Patrick Los, who is a keeper for the U16s.

Some of it may simply be the large immigrant populations there, but Zack Thornton has been their GK coach for a long while -- lasting several head coaches. So he may have a large hand. Or not -- maybe it's someone(s) in the academy.