PBP: 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup: USA vs. Colombia, 6/10 3:30 AM EST

Our U-20 team struggles with bigger, physical, more athletic opponents. We saw it against Ukraine too.

This is especially a problem in the midfield where we lack a physical presence and an energetic force. We don't have anyone who will get stuck in, tackle, and shoulder players into the dirt...no true ball winner there to force the ball to the wings.

Up next...Serbia. A big, fast, athletic team who are excellent on set pieces.

Unless Tab comes up with a good solution to address our problem, this could be the end.

Also, the team needs to better learn how to fight with these guys. Rubin is the only player with bite out there...he's dogging these teams on every play, but he's the only guy like that.

 

They were not bigger. It's funny because going into that game, nobody said they were bigger. Ukraine, that was a bigger team. Colombia didnt have any noticeable height advantage to speak of watching the game. They simply wanted the ball more, and bossed around the US players sans CCV and Miazga. Rubin also played with alot of heart, and never backed down. CCV isn't a very tall guy, but even against Ukraine you never saw him get tossed aside like a rag doll on loose balls, I wonder why that's the case with so many of our other players

 

Canouse was a beast and leader back there. He would have made this event different. You saw the difference with Moore out for Payne in the the Ukraine match vs the Colombia match. Imagine a dmid who could actually complete a pass to Hyndman and Zelalem.

 

Don't forget another guy who played some DM for us in qualifying: Fernando Arce Jr. I don't know if he's someone Tab seriously considered for the Finals roster, but he had more time at the position than any of the other potential stopgaps you named.

 

Hyndman and Zelalem did their fair share of disappearing with or without a great #6 behind them.

Zelalem is still just a young guy and he shows it both physically and mentally. Nothing that we shouldn't expect, but he shows his youth. He was timid around those big Columbians when he should be squaring them up and running at them to twist them up in their own feet.

 

Yes. He's 17 ********ing years old.

Then again, it's Jurgen, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, I thought this was a good performance. Besides the penalty and the subsequent 2 minutes, Colombia never really threatened. I'm still not sure what Acosta was complaining about; that was a stonewall penalty and absolutely a card. Based on his reaction, he has a lot of maturing to do before he's going to be a serviceable professional.

 

He looked like a boy among men. He contributed some, but disappeared for long stretches. He did actually give some defensive effort though, which is encouraging.

 

When Payne and Arriola rated exactly like Delgado and Allen that's beyond stupid.

 

He probably would've been great had the Colombians scheduled fight club tryouts a couple hours later.

 

Rubin strike, Steffen save, hold on, move on. We need to play a lot better.

 

Canouse definitely would have been better than Delgado, but he would have been bossed by Ukraine and Colombia in physical battles also. And, like Delgado, he has limited range.

 

Zelalem didn't disappear at all imo. he was just bullied. Zelalem will never be a player that runs at defenders on a consistent basis. He will maintain possession and make the pass. That is his game.


I agree he was muscled off the ball too easily but hey, it's Colombia. I expect better from our midfield against Serbia.

 

My observations for what they are worth (not much!):

- Rubin is a figher. I enjoy watching him play...he's like a prize fighter out there setting up punches and waiting to deliver the knockout. One day I hope that we get to see him play with the US Men like he does with his peers...I'd buy a jersey with the number of a player like that. The poster Dave mentioned that he had more success when moved closer to the midfield...great observation Dave, and I agree with the point you made there. The U-20's need to make sure he is in the play.

- The US youths are a small team who struggle with powerful, athletic teams. First Ukraine, now Columbia. The game was difficult for us because we were physically dominated all over the place. We had trouble winning 50/50 and second balls. We were muscled out of spots. It doesn't help that the ref allowed Columbia to foul excessively over the whole game, even injuring players with reckless nonsense without whistles.

- The midfield can disappear. They have trouble gaining posession and then they have trouble keeping it. Unfamiliarity plays into that, but so does mentality...you have to be willing to fight for the ball with guys who can beat up on you. Right now neither Zelalem or Hyndman really will fight tooth and nail for the ball.

 

I think you are wrong on this. Mass is mass and the Colombians are massy. They just were allowed to get away with abusing our midfielders.

 

Fight club will be his career.

Once teams find out how to take you out of a game, you never see anything different until you figure out how to deal with it.

 

Back in the miracle on ice days the average fan said " can you imagine if our pros played the Russians?" Followed by belly guffaws. When it finally happened, our NHL pros were creamed.

These fantasies are never what you think they are but they are easy.

 

We have a small midfield. Arriola, Hyndman, Delgado, and Zelalem are all small. We looked like kids playing against our older brothers and their friends. They were beaten to headers and 50/50 balls over the course of the whole game. There were several stretches where they could not find the ball when our defenders won it, especially in the first half.

We don't necessarily have size up top either. The only size is in the back, where Miazga, Payne, and Vickers have some size. Steffen is a big kid too.

 

Why don't we just let him make his own decision.

 

Completely agree, Payne was stout, Arriola was omnipresent. Allen was always 3 steps behind in defending/positioning, lost near every contest and was the crap passer in the match. It was obvious earlier in the tournament that BJIV was a step down from Maki Tall and now Allen proved another step down from Jamison (sp). Allen is out no? Who takes that position (and Acosta's)?

 

John McGuirk said: ↑
He probably would've been great had the Colombians scheduled fight club tryouts a couple hours later.

Do I have to remind you two of the the First Rule of Fight Club?

 

Damnit man... what was I thinking??

 

I agree that it was not a particularly controversial call, but I'm not aware of him having anything close to a reputation as a hothead -- he's stonefaced much of the time. (Perhaps others have more information about this.) He was penalized for the foul, not his reaction, and it's not crazy to expect a guy to be upset after getting a red card and giving up a PK in the waning minutes of a World Cup knockout match.