🎙️New pod@chai_asc joins Belz to ID the players on the USYNT U20 Concacaf tourney roster and the long list of age-eligible players who are NOT on this roster. U20 World Cup qualification is the prize. The games kick off for us Friday vs Jamaicahttps://t.co/f9tm2R0NGx pic.twitter.com/uPsSEXY336— scuffed (@scuffedpod) July 18, 2024 https://scuffed.simplecast.com/episodes/514-the-mens-u20-roster-with-marcus-chairez
Looking at Jamaica’s roster.. it’s not good. The smaller tournament means higher level of opponents, but we should roll through this one fairly easily. Cuba has a couple talents but not likely to do much either. Costa Rica is really the most interesting first round opponent and their forwards are going to be a lot to handle. Should win the midfield battle fairly handily though.
Cuba is always............................the unknown. I always feel like I'm going with stereotypes when judging these draws rather than actual knowledge of the teams/players.
I think Cuba players have the advantage of playing together a lot more. Smaller league and they all know each other. Jamaica struggled mightily in qualification for the U20s.
With the U.S. U-20 team getting ready for its first World Cup qualifier tonight, I spoke with defender Nolan Norris about being the team's captain, his development at #FCDallas, and what to expect in Mexico. https://t.co/xeJQAJdDtc— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) July 19, 2024
There is undoubtedly ample space for competition in this pool heading into the finals. (Thinking more about the specific tournament team than players' long-term potential.) Tsakiris and Raines are particular standouts for me in terms of how their presence helps the team. Several other guys have been solid. I continue to think that for this level our CB pool right now looks particularly strong. It's a shame about Vargas, who I figure walks right into this group and improves it. Bottom line, hopefully the team 1) gets enough camps that the pool gets a good look-over and 2) releases aren't a nightmare. Some partnerships/lineups also need time to come together -- something about Tsakiris/Habroune didn't work yesterday, for example. Chile is a long way off and the pool will probably evolve pretty substantially.
I sure hope the pool evolves. So much depends on the release of players. Unless I'm mistaken FIFA only requires the release of players for senior NTs. It's clear that we need an influx of players. We should be smoking Guatemala with the talent we have but we could only muster a meh performance in a game that counted. They'll have to play much better to get by Panama.
The performance is going downwards from group stages. It might be coaching. It might also be discomfort from the fields or changing venues from Celaya. However, we have to understand that smoking even weaker opponents regularly is an exception in international games and shouldn't be taken for granted.
It wasn't a good performance by the US, but we shouldn't be judging youth teams by senior teams. The Dominican Republic just acquitting themselves pretty well in the Olympics with a tie of Egypt and Uzbekistan and only losing to Spain 3-1. And their senior team is worse than Guatemala. Pretty much every youth tournament, we end up with something like this. I remember losing to Ukraine in the first round in 2017(?) and people freaking out and then Ukraine won the whole thing. Especially at the U20 level, a team can do with with time together. I thought we were pretty poor plus some bad gameplan choices, but I think there's also a pretty good chance Guatemala was the this tourney's Dominican Republic and we got saved by Adam Beaudry. Here's the other thing with this team: 2005: 7 players 2006: 11 players 2007: 2 players 2008: 1 player Only 12 of 23 were born in the first half of the year, as well. It's an ABSURDLY young team, especially a year before the actual World Cup. While most other teams are rolling out lineups that are almost all 19, we're rolling out lineups that are probably on average close to a full year younger. Our attackers feature a 2008, 2 2007s, 2 2006s and ONE 2005 (Zambrano). It is so very young. Now, the 2005 class isn't very good overall, and we, unfortunately, seem to have possibly lost / lost multiple of our best players for now -- Buck, Esmir, Vargas. But there's a decent slew of guys left home that could upgrade the team across the 2005 and 2006, plus another year for the youngsters. They will still be younger, but it's an easier year. Someone like Cole Campbell is simply going to be much more ready than Berchimas. There's a lot of key dual nationals left -- Kochen, Banks, Barajas.
I didn’t realize the U20 World Cup itself is in September and October 2025 instead of its usual summer window. Feels like that is going to make releases somewhat difficult. Though it might increase the chances of Cavan Sullivan making the team given he’ll turn 16 during the tournament and that Union have always been very good about releases.
It seems to me that U-20 CONCACAF qualifying and even the World Cup is going rapidly down in estimation for many of our players.
It’s also just the timing. I don’t think MLS teams are going to want to release any one of consequence immediately before the playoffs. Similarly while I think there’s some overlap with the international window European releases will still be tricky. But it’s also the case that releases will be difficult for everyone else too. So we’ll likely send a younger team of guys who mostly play MLS Next Pro. Similarly with qualifying had it been earlier in the summer we might have gotten more releases, especially with the European based players.
So like the "roster game" now is like: Pick 21 guys and three GKs; you can replace 10 players from qualifying, but for every new guy you get, you gotta scratch someone else you want off your list because they won't be released. This is obviously a ridiculous assignment, but it's probably more or less the reality. Good times!
Well looking into it more it’s unclear. The original place I looked was the Wikipedia page which said September 27-October 19 but the only documents I can from FIFA says “a date to be confirmed.” So maybe not actually the case and why you don’t just go off Wikipedia.
The tournament will feature 24 teams, including the host nation, competing across various cities in Chile. Although the specific dates have not yet been confirmed, it is expected to take place in mid-2025.
No U-20 thread? Time to shine! 🤩Your #U20MYNT starting XI vs. 🇵🇦 pic.twitter.com/n744BvCYMj— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) August 2, 2024 👥 @USYNT 🇺🇸 lineup for the first #U20Championship semifinal. pic.twitter.com/Z5S3z1V3ng— Concacaf (@Concacaf) August 2, 2024
You have to pay $5 for VIX (Spanish) or be subscribed to Fox Soccer 2 (not FS1)... so pretty much no for 99.99999% of us.
I imagine he’ll get a look as he gets back up to speed. Matthew Corcoran (‘06) is finally back in training with Birmingham Legion https://t.co/YevdkzDXun— American Ultras Talk (@ameriultrastalk) August 21, 2024
Sources: Nottingham Forest nearing a deal to sign USYNT forward Kristian Fletcher on loan from D.C. United.One year loan. Deal includes purchase option.Fletcher, 19, excelled on loan with Swansea City U-21s last year. Washington Post 1st reported. https://t.co/NCJS2580hG— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) August 27, 2024
Sources: Bournemouth make formal bid to D.C. United for USYNT center back Matai Akinmboni.Bid below D.C.'s valuation. Window closes tomorrow night, so time for more talks.Akinmboni, 17, already has 17 first team apps with D.C. Highly-rated talent. https://t.co/UtmJuNJAOa— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) August 29, 2024
💣 BOMBSHELL 💣It is reported that 2006-Born US U20 midfielder, Pedro Soma, is close to reaching an agreement with Barcelona!Pedro will join his national team teammate Diego Kochen at Barça Atlètic!( @jaumemarcet ) https://t.co/DV0hdqMPbU pic.twitter.com/y6BeeWIFhW— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) August 29, 2024