U20s vs. Morocco, Oct. 12, 2025 (Pre-/PBP/Post-Match Thread)

Ya ok that part

 

And to me that’s really the key takeaways. A lot of these guys will get caps, but I wouldn’t project any of them to be starters when nobody is injured.

On the one hand, it’s nice to see how MLS academies are able to churn out decent players like an assembly line. Imagine a group like this but also with Sullivan and Hall.

On the other hand, I wonder if the players who have gone through this streak might feel like there’s a limit for the US.

 

What about pairing a cross-heavy strategy with a false 9? Per FIFA we attempted 34 crosses, completing 6. There were often 1 (or even 0!) bodies in the 18 to receive those crosses.

I'd love to see xG for this match. Morocco's defense seemed mostly comfortable.

Of course the USA players did also make some huge errors.

 

I think that’s mostly down to us failing with the false 9 experiment.

 

I leave this game and tournament feeling pretty positive with the big picture.

For all of the "same old story" comments here, this game was very different from the previous five quarterfinal matches. This is the first time we outclassed our opponent, and we did it impressively, in my opinion. In the others, we were mostly dominated.

It's not just that we dominated possession against Morocco, but we also prevented them from creating anything besides their one nice goal. On balance, we clearly created enough chances to win the game. I do wonder why Zambrano didn't start if we knew that we weren't going to be able to play through the center of the park and if there was any thought to changing the keeper?

Anyway, back to the big picture, the program seems to be moving forward, and it's a great thing that this team is especially strong in areas of need for the senior team.

It really sucks not getting to watch this team play a couple more games. I think they deserved it and would have been fun to watch. That speaks to the players and the coaches, who I think have done a great job this cycle and in this tournament.

The individual players that seem the most promising are Banks and Kochen. From there, it's likely that at least one or two of these guys who show lots of ability but clearly have a long way to go will make a couple/few big jumps in their careers, Hopefully we have a good number become important players for the senior team at some point!

 

Maybe you should have watched Liverpool play last year?

If you want to use the EPL for an analogy -- which I think is a bit much and insofar as is relevant only proves my point -- Liverpool outdid Arsenal and City by NOT playing so conservatively and possession-obsessed. Without a doubt, the loss of KdB and the injury to Rodri were things that Guardiola failed to adjust to (he isn't perfect! gasp!). Look at the goals scored by Haaland that evaporated from the prior year - many were extraordinarily direct and quick (please, look it up). Arsenal has routinely failed to put away "lesser" teams that invite Arteta's squad to play kick around the horseshoe and only to then rip them on a counter.

Both teams were in a tournament. If USA coach needed his team to be day 1 fresh to execute the gameplan he thinks he learned from watching Barcelona and Spain, then maybe it wasn't a good plan for late in the tourney.

Possessing the ball is not an accomplishment when the other team lets you because they think you're not dangerous.

 

Huh? Morocco didn't even try to control the ball.

 

It's closer to the opposite. A coach's plans are only relevant to the extent that he can get his players to execute them.

 

Another guy who could've helped this team today is Esmir Bajraktarevic. He's a lot better in tight spaces.

 

Yes, he is also highly creative, and that's something we lacked. Cremaschi and Raines are among our best players, but creators they aren't. Gozo is too young and Tsakiris isn't that creative either.

 

Jesus, those goals! What a mess.

 

I missed the game. But does anyone know if this Morocco roster is similar to their men's in the past couple of World Cups? By that I mean, are the majority of the players born/raised/produced in Europe?

 

Tired legs and brains are the direct result of poor player management by the coach. Granted, it is a difficult task to balance player rotation while maintaining momentum and building game-time familiarity within the players. Too much rotation can result in disjointed play and risk results. Too little rotation results in tired legs and brains, unneeded losses, and failed tournaments.

Again, it is difficult, but the best coaches can do it. That is an extremely important task for all coaches, especially national coaches.

 

You make a good point. My initial post after the game was pretty negative as it came just minutes after the result. While I stand by my premise that there is likely not any future USMNT difference-makers on this roster I do think that the overall floor of talent in our pool has increased significantly and that is something to be proud of.

I do think that the coach deserves some blame for not demanding his team to push the ball more quickly after turnovers but we did create several good chances in this one that just were not converted... against a D that is just not giving up goals. Again, I think the biggest coaching snafu was not benching Beaudry.... that guy is a walking blooper reel. AAR... you are spot on when you say I would much rather watch our team play than Morocco's.

 

That's offensively dismissive and deliberately misinterpreted, but power has its privileges.

If we get to speak in truths, then you either didn't read my comments about City and Liverpool, you haven't watched these teams, or you lack certain levels of tactical nous.

Anyway, USA lost, but we can trust in the sanctity of authority that our coach's decisions were the bestest golly. After all, isn't losing the best sign of excellence, y'all.

 

bottom line...we didn't finish our chances...and if you don't put them away you go home early...it's pretty simple

 

Whether it is the U20 or the senior squad - we have developed talent and skills and good attacking mindset. But we still have a major challenge with teams that park the bus ala low block and have a very strong mindset to let us pound the nail over and over again into the granite while we tire out - and then they just deliver the blow on the counter ....

You could just see it in the eyes of the US squad after the first goal yielded - just a slightly forlorn look. It has been much the same in CONCACAAF against all squads other than Mexico or Canada .... This time for the U20s it was Morocco - it will be someone else in the future - for the U20s and for the senior team ... We need to have a mental and physical approach to counter rope a dope. Morocco executed it flawlessly.

 

Fotmob has the US even worse: 5 completed crosses out of 35. On the rare occasions that we did create any danger from crosses, it was because we had gotten numbers into the box. All of those others were basically just giveaways.

Between this lack of attacking ideas and his failure to add back Kochen at the international break, Mitrovic deserves significant criticism. It's unfortunate because he also did some good things with this group.

EDIT: Just noticed another relevant stat: the US won 11 out of 16 aerial duels. This reflects that on most of our crosses, we didn't have anyone even contesting for the ball.

 

Right. They tried to bate us into giving the ball up in bad spots so that they could counter attack. We didn't give the ball up in bad spots and were still able to create come chances while giving up very few.

 

I don't think crossing was necessarily a big part of the game plan. We had 12 corner kicks and at least a couple of set pieces that were delivered into the box. Some crosses were played in desperation time.

That all adds up to not that many of the 35 crosses being from the run of play during a normal game state. Also, at least four of the crosses -- the one within the first 40 seconds, Gozos that hit the crossbar with Campbell at the far post, the one that drew the PK, and the missed Brennan chance -- were dangerous.

 

6 of their 11 starters yesterday were born in Europe. The other 5 were born in Morocco, and at least 4 of those 5 have some mention of Moroccan youth academies in their bio. (Saad El Haddad was born in Morocco, but the earliest clubs mentioned on his bio are Italian youth academies.)