I really don't know why they didn't move them to July or so. Perhaps I am overoptimistic, but I think we're going to see a pretty heavy vaccination schedule even in less wealthy countries. Coupled with the much lower rates of severe illness amongst young people, and I wonder if there's a need if you establish protocols. I am fairly sure we are going to have an Olympics, come hell or high water.
Along with the fact that these tournaments are built for a bubble and no one attends the game anyways. They're the most COVID proof tourneys of all.
The problem might be that the countries hosting have two of the worst track records. Flights there will be a nightmare.
This is a youth soccer tournament at the end of the day. The world will continue to revolve around its axis. We hate it, but in the grand scheme of the world's problems right now..................this must rank below whether we're eating too much garlic as a people. The real challenge is that FIFA uses these events to support the 2nd tier nations. So they aren't going to move the event from Indonesia to Germany. Indonesia has already done the planning, etc. And nobody wants to travel to Indonesia in the near future. Also................we should think about the fact that its not worth the risk to the health of officials, referees, volunteers, stadium workers, etc. For a youth soccer tournament? And think of the cost and planning of testing regimes that you'd require.............in Indonesia. Do you trust it?
I imagine we now see a handful of In the most basic terms, if these youth tournaments made money for FIFA, they'd still be happening.
No question. These events are mostly money losers for FIFA. I imagine the U20WC in Canada a long time ago, which was well attended, did alright. The only reason the Olympics weren't completely cancelled last year was the amount of money stake.
It seems like other countries are getting better at scouting MLS and MLS Next. I think in terms of getting our players scouted this could have gone worse.
But it'll be particularly tough for a lot of smaller CONCACAF nations if they don't hold some kind of U20 tournament.
Were an asteroid away from extinction, a super volcanic eruption away from extinction and so on and so forth.
Umm -- is there a way for me to get paid for this stuff? Please sign me up! Or just send money directly.
I was nodding my head in total agreement with that first post until I came to the very next one. You two.
This is a tough one. For those who would answer it has to be a 21 man roster with 3 GK’s. I’m going to exclude USMNT locks and players still not in the USMNT yes like Efra, Alex Mighten, Folarin Balogun, or Bryan Okoh GK: David Ochoa, Damian Las, Chituru Odunze RB: Julian Araujo, Bryan Reynolds CB: Owen Otasowie, Leo Sepulveda, Nico Carrera LB: George Bello, Travian Sousa 6: Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris 8: Tanner Tessmann, Cole Bassett 10: Caden Clark, Jose Gallegos W: Uly Llanez, Konrad, Cam Harper ST: Matthew Hoppe, Ricardo Pepi Still a pretty strong team. Gianluca Busio is someone who could be in over Aidan Morris but based on conversations with coaches who break down both I rate Morris higher at this moment but just barely. Otasowie has to be a CB for me because we have no other CB’s. Jonathan Gomez had an argument but i still don’t think he’s done enough to jump Sousa yet. Outside of that I think the rest of the roster is fairly locked in because the top 2-3 options in the position are clearly separated from the pack. This team would be very different from the 2019 team because there is a lot more emphasis on physical prowess. With guys like Cardoso, Tessmann/Bassett, Araujo, Otasowie, Seoulveda, and Bello I have a hard time seeing other teams outmatch us physically. We also have our skillful creators in Uly, Konrad, and Caden/Gallegos so we don’t lack there either. I think this team is just as good as the 2019 team. They’re good enough to make a semi/final run unless they have an off day like we did against Ecuador in 2019. My 11: David Ochoa, Julian Araujo, Owen Otasowie, Leo Sepulveda, George Bello, Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann, Caden Clark, KDLF, Uly Llanez, Matthew Hoppe
Close to mine.. I had Flach (if healthy) over Sousa. Left back is his second position but he’s a smart player Leaving Vassilev off is the right call, but what a bad year
Honestly I’ve never had Indy in my team regardless of the prem cameo’s. Uly, Konrad, and Cam Harper are too good to keep off and if I wanted a 4th winger it’d be Matko Milijevic. He’ll have a good career but I think these guys just flat out surpassed him in this group
Matko, while healthy, hasn’t played a game in over 13 months. It’ll be 16 come his next chance. Just awful decision making I only said Indiana is because Hudson spoke favorable of him Either Harper or Bassett were gonna be captain. I think Harper has a real good chance to do well this season with RBNY
I pretty much agree with you everywhere but the midfield. I think Morris-Bassett is a really great 6-8 pairing even if Cardoso is better all around. I think you have to fit Busio on this team somehow. He’s been very good in MLS as a teenager but if I’m being honest it’s hard to find that perfect midfield partner for him. I don’t think Tessmann breaks into the group; he’s better all around than Morris but he’s not as good as Busio or Bassett yet. I don’t rate Clark nearly as much as most. As a 10 Gallegos is a better choice, and there’s no guarantee this team would have even used a 10 over 2 8s. Gallegos was a much more dangerous creator in USL than Clark and much better in possession. I hope he gets a big move because he’s the real deal.
I did this very quick. I could've missed a player or two. GK: Las, Ochoa, Wilson DF: Scally, Reynolds, Araujo, Bello, KHF, Otasowie, Akanyirige MF: Johnny, Booth, Tessmann, Bassett, Konrad, Llanez, Harper, Reyna FW: Hoppe, AOC, Pepi Las Scally-Araujo-Otasowie-KHF Johnny-Booth Konrad-Reyna-Llanez Hoppe
I came here to post a thread asking who everyone would have picked for the US roster if the U-20 World Cup were on this year. Glad to see y'all are already on it. Here is who I would select for the roster (I may have missed some players or injuries). I assume Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah would not be considered given their role with the senior team (if they were considered, they'd replace Caden Clark and Gianluca Busio, respectively): GOALKEEPERS - David Ochoa - Damian Las - Chituru Odunze DEFENDERS FB - Julian Araujo - George Bello - Bryan Reynolds - Joe Scally CB - Owen Otasowie (converted from DM based on lack of CB depth) - Jacob Akanyirige - Nicolas Slonina MIDFIELDERS DM - Johnny Cardoso - Aidan Morris CM - Taylor Booth - Tanner Tessman - Gianluca Busio AM - Cole Bassett FORWARDS WING - Ulysses Llanez - Konrad de la Fuente - Caden Clark ST - Matthew Hoppe - Charlie Kelman The final cuts / alternates for me are: - Tayvon Gray - Andre Reynolds - Sebastian Berhalter - Leon Flach - Indiana Vassilev - Cameron Harper - Ricardo Pepi Pepi, in particular, was a tough omission (he was my final cut), and I could envision including him as a recruiting tactic, but Kelman is a more polished forward at this point and has proven more at the club level. Overall, this is a pretty strong squad, particularly in the midfield. There are some players cut who would have been shoo-ins to make a roster in cycles prior to 2019, based on minutes earned at the club level. The roster is thin at CB and bit unproven at ST outside of Matthew Hoppe (similar to the 2015, 2017 and 2019 cycles). I don't think the roster is as good as what we fielded in 2019 -- there are fewer game-changers here as compared to Chris Richards, Sergiño Dest, Paxton Pomykal and Timothy Weah. But it stacks up well to our 2015 and 2017 squads, so depending on the draw and form, I could see this team making a run to the quarterfinals, or at minimum, making it to the round of 16. Here's the likely starting XI I'd field (though I think there'd be a fair amount of squad rotation given the roster depth and lack of drop-off): Llanez-----------Hoppe----------Konrad ---------Tessman---------Booth---------- ------------------Cardoso------------------ Bello--Otasowie--Akanyirige--Araujo -------------------Ochoa------------------- Cole Bassett would be first off the bench for me, depending on match dynamics. I'd also envision Bryan Reynolds earning a start in the group stage, with Araujo able to slide over to LB to spell Bello as needed.
It's a fine debate.. But I will say there was no way Harper would have been left off the team. Hudson loves the guy.
Its also hard for me to imagine Pepi being left out of the group............................... I don't really know where Kelman fits it in. To me he's in the same tier as Johan Gomez and others. I'm admittedly biased, but I think Pepi is going to have a real breakout in 2021. An interesting one is Cade Cowell. He was just at USMNT/U23 camp in January. People continuously doubt that kid, but he's having an impact in MLS.