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

Hoping Paredes and Pukstas insertions are seamless and we are filled with confidence and balance after the Group Stage!!!

 

If any young folks here, if there are any, want to know what it was like rooting for the US in the 80, 90‘s and 2000‘s at this level just become a Kiwi fan.
The US is going to have a lot more of the ball.
The US is going to create some good chances.
The Kiwis have to hope their keeper is on and US finishing is really poor.
The Kiwi‘s will be compact, fight and run relentlessly, look for set pieces, and have to take any chance they get clinically, or hope a US player makes a horrific error.

It‘s nice to be on the other side.

Of course having been on the Kiwi‘s side for so long it is clear to me they can pull off an upset on the right day.

Superman Bizarro World in action.

I only know that reference through Seinfeld. Not a comic guy.

 

Pukstas should be an upgrade over Wolff.

Paredes, the way he plays should have no problem fitting right in. Credit to Varas. Even waiting for these two he knew they wouldn‘t be that hard to stick into the line up.

I know some have had some issues with Tskaris. Remember he is playing a cycle up, is coming off a long injury, and is rated highly on scout lists. Don‘t count him out or minimize him. He is a higher ceiling type of player. We have 3 kids playing up a cycle fitting in and contributing. It‘s great folks.

Go US and thank goodness this isn‘t rugby.

 

If we make it, we will have a two day rest advantage over our quarterfinal opponent. They set this schedule up very strangely.

 

Always been like this at U20. Every time I can recall we have been the ones who get a lot less rest then our opponent. I think Ecuador had close to 40 hours rest before facing us in the knockouts. We have lost every time our opponents have had 24 plus hours in the knockout rounds if I recall.

Let‘s actually get by New Zealand, but I am interested to see how it works out for us this time.

 

Paredes didn’t arrive with the team until Sunday night. Pukstas has been with them since Thursday night.

I would guess Paredes doesn’t start but is available off the bench. Pukstas starts

 

And that's fine. This game it's not important to put out our best from the start. Slim chance it's a loss. The primary goal will be to rotate to keep players fresh.

Pukstas will be part of the rotation. Then he should shift back out for the better dm's/cm's who've developed chemistry and are proven against better teams.

Meanwhile, Paredes can just get a little time off the bench initially, before transitioning to starting the game v. Uruguay that's actually loseable. He's an impact player & you can more smoothly insert a guy who'll be on more islands, as opposed to one who's expected to work in concert w/ others often.

 

Disagree. Wolff has been playing outside more than inside where preferable. And he's better at turning defense into attack, which is more useful against the better opponents we'll play after this match. Pukstas has a penchant for getting picked on the half turn & recklessly challenging after getting beaten off the dribble/combination.

Then he's been worse for this team than Edelman in the lead-up. That's more comp for him.

 

Yep, I don't think Paredes plays unless things go eally wrong, I'm not sure if Pukstas starts, but I definitely would expect him to be a midfield sub if he doesn't start.

 

The idea is to get both of them integrated for the next match. We're lucky to have NZ as our round of 16 opponent. I'd try to give Pukstas a half and Paredes 20 or so minutes. And start Paredes in the quarters.

 

Yep, -- Wolff has played more minutes at wing than midfield, I think. Pukštas isn't going to play there.

As for his general minutes, US Soccer has really liked him for a long time, so I expect him to play. That said, with the U20s, he's never been a standout, so I think a lot of the hype is simply him playing in Croatia.

But while Croatia is much more technical, I don't think that's really less impressive than say, McGlynn's run in continental play or something.

 

Nice responses. My concern with Wolff is that he can be a bit lightweight against stronger comp. I worry against a Uruguay type opponent where a bit more grit and fight is gonna be necessary IMO. Yeah, Wolff has played out wide. My bad. I like him but if we want to challenge I‘m not sure he is the guy against top/physical opponents.

I would have agreed on Pukstas until this spring. His run has him on some nice lists as a player that can make an impact. That is simply my reading in Germany and my friends at Bayern. I‘m always going to default to them because they know better than me. Of course that guarantees nothing as we all know. Players at this level make big leaps in small amounts of time. I‘m guessing that he is making some.
I thought he was OK at U20 qualifiers, but he looks to be on the upswing, and Varas likes him.

I like Varas. A lot.

 

Yeah, I haven't watched Rokas at Split, and players can make huge leaps these days. In the time since I've seen him, for example, Noel Buck came out of relative nowhere. Of course, Buck has also played wing for Arena; I get that Wolff both has the connections and a bit of prior experience, but I think especially if we were going to see someone at winger, Buck was the call.

Varas has them playing cohesively and smartly. People can and will quibble with the style if it struggles to score, but I think getting players to execute on a plan that isn't basic is impressive for a youth coach.

 

for the quarters I'd go with our strongest team...for me that is a front three of Paredes, Cowell, Sullivan, Luna as the 10 (I know this is not where he has been used much), McGlynn and Vargas as the double pivots, and a back 4 of Wiley, Wynder, Craig and Che.

 

Well, to be fair to Pukstas, he's generally been playing #6 for the US. But Vargas and, to a lesser degree, Edelman, have been quite solid at that position. I'd be surprised to see him at DM in this match.

That said, I'd also be surprised to see him replace McGlynn. So perhaps if Varas anticipates being more on the front foot, we see a three-player midfield with Vargas/McGlynn/Pukstas. You can do whatever front three you'd like -- probably something like Cowell, Sullivan, Luna. And then not sure which CB would get sacrificed but plausibly something like Wiley-Che-Craig-Halliday.

 

I think Pukstas fits best as a sub for McGlynn.

 

Basically everyone who's seen him playing in Croatia agrees that he is a different player now. A similar leap to Buck's.

 

Vargas speaks:

 

Paredes is a decent finisher, we should be able to score more with him on the field.

 

What’s our starting 11 tonight or who, at least, are the MUSTS? Take into consideration what others have written above that we are playing (we think) a lesser opponent and so that could keep a few from starting to rest for (we think) a stronger opponent later in the week.

I say you bring Paredes and Pukstas in right away or at least give them 30-45 minutes in 2nd half. Cowell has proven his worth so he doesn’t have to start in my eyes.

or…you put out a monster lineup and go balls to the wall and perhaps we go up 2-0 by half which then makes changing players an “easier” decision.
Thoughts? I’m pumped for tonight!!!

 

I have no idea what tskaris' ceiling is as a player - I really don't care - for this tournament and in these matches he's been easily the worst US player on the pitch.....as long as there is another sub that can go in before he does, he shouldnt see another minute of playing time, imo

 

i think you dont put your absolute best lineup out there and see how it goes...if you need to bring in the big guns late in the game, then do it.....it's about trying to win the tourney.....play the long game....

but I havent seen new zealand - im basing that on the fact that their senior team is a few levels below the general standard and assume its the same for their u20s....

then again - the fiji game should be a warning that playing too passive could shrink the margin for error....

it would amazing to score early

 

I think we start the best lineup with minor rotation from here on out. Not like we have games every other day, it's crunch time in a tournament that happens every other year.

 

It does seem that Pukstas is much more suited for a central role in the 343, though. To me, one of the highlights of this team has been its tactical flexibility. Is any of that on Crocker? Even if not, is this 343 that we've seen a peak into something that we will see at senior team level?