Had to happen. The big question now is when (and possibly where) will it get held. I don't think that they can just postpone it 2 or 3 months. That screws up everyone's preparations. They're reaching peak form now and now they'll need to readjust all the training / preparation. The teams will want to have some good games leading into the tournament, so they'll all need time to arrange those. They also won't want to have it in August at the same time the U17's are playing in Finland. Beyond that, when is the really hot time of the year down there? Wouldn't it be the hottest in November to January timeframe? Not the best time to hold a major championship. It's be like having a championship in Arizona in July. Also, who knows how long this political thing will drag on. At what point do they need to decide the games need to be played and we need to find a safer location.
Well, everything I said in this thread is now relevant. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=36891 Depending on when the make-up date is, this could seriously impact the MLS season. And, I wonder if some of the college kids will just go ahead and sign with MLS now.
Well, "postponed" all but means that it won't happen in UAE. If they want it to be played this year, it'll probably be in Japan this fall, as the rumor mill has been predicting for months. Chances are, FIFA would not have it overlapping with the Confederations Cup (June 18-29), the U-17 World Championship (Aug 13-30), or the Women's World Cup (Sept 23 - Oct 11). I also wouldn't expect them to hold it overlapping with the Gold Cup (July 12-27), though I suppose it's possible. That leaves November. That overlaps nicely with the college season and the crucial part of the MLS season. There are players on this squad that will be sorely missed by their MLS teams and colleges. Not good at all...
On the other hand (tough firmly planted in cheek), now this gives Rongen time to work Freddy into the squad. Someone had to say it.
Well if not Freddy, this will give us more time to attempt to get Whitbred into a camp. And if they push the tournament back until this summer it will be during Liverpool's offseason
I think he's a relative of Freddy's one thing, UAE is north of the equator so nov-jan not the hottest time. You probably couldn't have it there over the summer. I assume FIFA respects the current ages of players, which won't matter if they play it sometime in 2003 anyway. I really dn't think they'll move it though. Too many politics involved. Late August early September is probably the soonest it could happen.
I'm sure Eddie Johnson is pleased the tournament has been postponed. My understanding is that he would not have been ready to play, and that Rongen was nervous.
Zak Whitbred is a player that lives in England who holds dual citizenship for the US and England. He is not cap tied to either side. Rongen has tried to get him into a couple of camps before but Liverpool has refused to release him. He plays Left Back and Center Back for Liverpool's U19 team. He has also gotten some time with their reserve team
Of course this was necessary but what a tough break for the team. From US Soccer: CHICAGO (Thursday, March 6, 2003) - U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia issued the following statement today in regards to the FIFA decision to delay the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship scheduled for the United Arab Emirates from March 25-April 16, 2003. Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia, U.S. Soccer President “We have been monitoring this situation very closely since we qualified in November, and fully support the FIFA decision to postpone the tournament. The security of our players, coaches and administrators is always paramount in our planning for any international or domestic event, and if there are any concerns to those arrangements in staging the event at this time, then you have to applaud this decision. “We have been in contact with the families of the team in regard to the tournament and have been working closely with FIFA and the U.S. government on their recommendation on the security issues surrounding this event. There has been a more concerted focus in our planning on the security details for this trip based on the current world climate and the location of the competition. “We applaud the FIFA decision and look forward to competing in the event when it is rescheduled.” From Portugal, where the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team is currently competing in the 7th Annual Madeira International Tournament, U.S. U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen said, “We understand that safety for the team in this setting is more important than a soccer tournament, and this is situation that warrants caution. We will still have this group ready and prepared for when the time comes to play. This group of players has worked extremely hard and is looking forward to showing their ability on the world stage." The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team had been drawn into Group F in the tournament with Paraguay, Germany and Korea. The U.S. was scheduled to play Paraguay on March 27, Germany on March 30, and Korea on April 2. The U.S. is one of only five teams to qualify for the last four World Youth Championships, and one of only two teams (Brazil is the other) to finish in the top 15 in each of the last four tournaments.