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

He's also a guy who will take risks with his passing, as he should. But a game in defensive speed between NZ and the next team could potentially create issues if he can't adjust to how quickly gaps close.

But this is where the pro experience helps. MLS may not be the top level, but players who lack quickness or top end speed generally don't last long.

 

McGlynn has played major roles in 2 Eastern Conference finals and a MLS cup final. He’s cut his teeth in far faster, higher intensity playoff games. In fact, as the games get tougher he’s one of the guys I’m least concerned about.

 

The only thing to watch is when a player like McGlynn has to become The Man. He has a great support system in Philly that helps him. I noticed the same thing with Buck watching NE live a few times. He is very good, but he also has a good vet support system that helps him.

It will be interesting to see how he responds when so much is expected of him here.

 

Yes, that was the point of my second paragraph. I think that's where the pro experience helps. I do think this whole team will have to adjust to our next opponent after playing quite a few loose defenses in a row.

 

No they weren't. They barely qualified for the tournament.

They won 2 of 9 qualifiers, total. Drew or lost every other match.

Brazil and Uruguay were miles better than anyone else in Conmebol qualifying, and even Ecuador's tie with Uruguay was accomplished on the final matchday of the first stage, Uruguay were already through. It would not surprise me if they rested a bunch of the team, I'm too lazy to look though.

Conmebol Qualifying across two stages established pretty clear tiers:

Tier 1:
Brazil: 7 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses: 20 goals for, 4 against +16 GD
Uruguay: 7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss (to brazil 0-1): 19 Goals for, 6 against+13 GD

Tier 2:
Colombia (Hosts): 5 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss: 11 goals for, 5 against, +6 GD

Tier 3:
Ecuador: 2 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses: 8 goals for, 11 against: -3 GD
Paraguay: 2 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses: 7 goals for, 13 against: -6 GD
Venezuela: 2 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses: 6 goals for, 15 against: -9 GD

Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, crashed out in the group stage with 1 win, Peru crashed out with zero wins.

The other important note is that Paraguay and Venezuela both were better than Ecuador in the group stage but worse in the final stage, Ecuador jumping over them for the final ticket due to the 2-1 win they got over Paraguay. The other two matches between the 3 were draws.

Ecuador was basically BLECH in qualifying and were actually in last place in the final stage going into their final two matches (due to having played Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia in their first 3 games), but managed to tie Venezuela 1-1, and then beat Paraguay 2-1 in the final match to jump from last, to 4th place and snag that final ticket.

Ecuador was far, far worse than Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia from their own confederation alone, without even mentioning other elite sides like France, England, Italy and Israel who all accomplished far more in qualifying, same for Senegal and Gambia, and heck, to some extent even Uzbekistan, and Japan (in my book) as well as us, just for starters.

They may be far better now, but there's no way to be sure until the knockouts play out.

 

We were the Pot 1 seed, so our group didn't include Brazil, Uruguay, France's theoretical A side, the hosts Argentina, Colombia, any of them as the Pot 1 side. So that inherently makes it a weak group. We were probably the fourth or fifth toughest Pot 1 side to draw.

Pot 2 Seed: Ecuador
As I posted above, Ecuador barely qualified by the skin of their teeth. They had not won a game in the final stage and had to win their finale to even qualify, they did, but they were the worst of the conmebol sides. Out of Pot 2 the only team that was definitively worse? New Zealand, next would be South Korea, which was purely theoretical. So the 4th or 5th toughest of 6 potential Pot 2 sides to draw.

Pot 3 Seed: Fiji
The worst team in the tournament.

Pot 4 Seed: Slovakia
The worst team to qualify out of UEFA, only qualified thanks to hosting, as the 5th of 5 European teams having beaten nobody but Romania on a last second goal to even make the playoff AT HOME, and then Austria 1-0, in the final slot game. For Pot 4, speculating, they were the easiest team to draw considering who we could draw (no concacrap teams). Israel, Tunisia, and CAF runner ups Gambia all had more impressive qualifying performances.

Our group was either the easiest, or 2nd easiest by a country mile in this competition. Much like the World Cup six months ago, this cup was heavily weighted to one side of the tournament (CD really strong, E top heavy, F had depth), while A and B were abject jokes, with 4 of the worst 6 or 7 teams in the entire tournament, in those groups (Fiji, Guatemala, Slovakia, and New Zealand).

The good news for us, is, we've already booked ourselves another Pot 1 seed, more than likely with yet another quarterfinal run this year, for 2025 if we qualify. The bad news is, we will probably get another ridiculous draw or at least a reasonable chance of it.

 

Since we were the #3 seed effectively (and that includes the host) based on their rating system, and a year where we didn't qualify (2011) is dropping out and being replaced by this year, we are basically guaranteed to be a Pot 1, I'd think, even if we don't win CCAF (+5 pts) which we probably will. Senegal and France crapping out in the groups takes away two teams very close to us in points.

They could change the system, of course.

 

3.45 to 0.25 xG

Shots: 23-3
Sog's: 8-1
7-4: corners
0-4: offsides

They did launch some dangerous attacks though: 83-60 for us.

Overall, they had what, 1 or 2 decent chances, 1 of which was a moderately difficult challenge for Gaga.

They were played off the field, but I'm sure we didn't want them to have a decent shot at goal before we did considering how rough our finishing can be, and how difficult it is to break down a team, but clearly, they were played off the field. Does it change if they score first? Maybe. Or maybe it goes like that Myanmar game in the '15 cup where we were down 0-1 inside the first 5-10 minutes but then beat the ---- out of them. That seems the more likely scenario. With inferior U20 sides we beat them 4-0 in 2015, and 6-0 in 2017, so no, I don't think we were really worried or that it was close at all, but yes, any time you give up a goal early, it can change things.

 

Yep, for those not looking at the history. We've played New Zealand in 3 of our last four U20 world cups and beaten them by a score of 14-0 in those 3 matches combed (4-0 in '15, '6-0 in '17 and 4-0 yesterday). They are not representative of our challenge at this tourney, our challenge is with Conmebol and UEFA sides historically and I think CAF sides could be a problem but probably not at this tournament (we already beat the best one, 2-1 2 weeks ago in a pre tourney scrimmage, Gambia isn't as good as Senegal, nor Nigeria, and Tunisia is always Tunisia (competent in the attack, rigorous defending, and always a moderate floor, low ceiling side).

Our big challenge is what's in front of us: we have to beat 2 of the best 3 teams in the entire tournament (more than likely) in our next two teams to make a final against a side probably inferior to both of them (Uruguay and Brazil).

I expect us to go down in the quarters against Uruguay but hope for a helluvagame and battle and a fair one without an idiot ref getting in the way.

 

I wouldn't be. Uruguay was ridiculous in qualifying, and while I thought they were the worse side in the portion of the match I saw with England, I missed about 2/3's of the game, dig under the hood and Uruguay outplayed a England side that absolutely smashed us two months ago (I think 4-1).

Gambia's legit good. Only loss in CAF qualifying was in the final, 2-0 to Senegal, but again, a Senegal we beat 2-1 in a scrimmage 2 weeks ago.

We're playing Uruguay basically in a road game. In a power rankings for the tourney they'd be #3 or #4 for me and in tier 1 (with Brazil, England, and France's A side which didn't come to this).

Uruguay is far, far, far scarier than Gambia, to me, and I like Gambia.

 

I just hope The Gambia - Uruguay game is incredibly physical, goes to extra time, has a couple guys sent off, and the worse team wins penalties.

Fingers crossed.

 

No doubt, give them 2 days less rest, and lets say a poorly executed dinner menu with 3 days past its sell by date hamburger meat on the menu lol (nah, I wouldn't wish that on anyone).

I am curious how it will look 4 days to 2 of rest is just absurd, but with rotation, maybe they try to rest guys against Gambia? Its risky, especially in terms of defenders and the 6.

 

I mean, it is just so hard to know how this team and its coach might respond to just about any circumstance we haven't seen yet! Wasn't there a VAR check that might have led to a NZ penalty just minutes into that match? I mean, literally anything can happen out there. It's gut-wrenching time!

 

Guessing it's the academy...

Thonton has only been at Chicago since December 2022 so like half a year:
https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/chicago-fire-fc-name-club-legend-zach-thornton-goalkeeper-coach

 

Huh. I could’ve sworn he was there but I guess he was mostly in DC.

Their academy has a GK coach named Bruno Cardoso but no bio on the Fire website.

EDIT former Palmeiras keeper but he’s also brand new.

 

I‘m usually very pragmatic about these things, but I have a lot of hope. England looks very unimpressive to me and they beat Uruguay. Hmm.

 

You left out the winning team’s bus getting stuck in traffic for three days and its manager resigning 12 hours before the match to pursue a life of contemplative purity.

I mean, no point half-assing the plan.

 

Well Nigeria's flight before the Argentina game was delayed apparently...

🚨After a 9hrs delayed flight from Buenos Aires to San Juan yesterday, players and officials of the Flying Eagles of Nigeria have finally settled in at San Juan, venue of the Rd16 game with Argentina on Wednesday at the ongoing #U20WC

Kickoff is 10pm pic.twitter.com/em90aY7iLK

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) May 30, 2023

 

They really should have just played the whole tourney in Buenos Aires.

 

There wasn't any venue available in BA. The local league and Libertadores are in full swing.

The delay did not stop Nigeria. Italy looks strong also.

 

Some S.A. fans rate this US team very highly and believes US are among the top contenders for the title; above Brazil?!

I think Brazil and Italy are front runners. But it is safe to say US fans can enjoy the rest of the games and appreciate your team technical and tactical progress. 2026 should be an exciting WC for US fans.

 

That assumes USSF puts a competent coach in place, which I'm not so sure USSF has the ability to do.

 

You could always promote the current U20 coaching staff, they know what they are doing and, more importantly, have a deep understanding of your up and coming talent potential.

 

The over/under for guys from this roster who will make the '26 roster is about 2.

 

Yeah everyone always thinks there’ll be more; that said, I’ll take the over. I’m only taking it because I think there’ll be 3: Slonina, Paredes, and Vargas. Wouldn’t be surprised if one of the CBs pops in either. Wouldn’t be shocked if Wiley continues to pop. But my money is on 3 or 4.