ASN: Justen Glad Tells ASN:

The 20-year-old Actual Salt Lake participant has established himself as a key contributor on Tab Ramo’s under-20 males’s nationwide group—a squad that’s on the verge of qualifying for the 2017 World Cup in South Korea. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
March 02, 2017
6:25 PM

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AFTER A SURPRISING and well-played victory over Mexico on Monday, the USA U-20 nationwide group is on the verge of securing not solely a World Cup berth but in addition a spot within the CONCACAF U-20 ultimate. The energy of this group has been its protection and Justen Glad has been the anchor of the backline.

Glad celebrated his twentieth birthday the day after the Mexico triumph and was in a reflective temper when requested concerning the group’s gradual enchancment over the course of this match in Costa Rica. He likes this group’s probabilities, each within the quick time period and lengthy.

“We’re doing well right now,” Glad instructed American Soccer Now from the U.S. group’s camp. “If we come out with the same attitude that we did against Mexico with every team, we’re going to be tough to beat with the players we have and some of the players we don’t have on this roster as well. If you combine that with the hard work and the dedication that you saw versus Mexico, it’s going to be very hard to beat us.”

The situations are quite simple for the U.S. under-20s. If the group wins or attracts towards El Salvador on Friday, it is going to qualify for this summer season’s World Cup in South Korea and e-book a spot in Sunday’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship sport towards Honduras. A one- or two-goal loss towards El Salvador will nonetheless see the U.S. group by way of to the World Cup though it will be out of the ultimate. Solely a three-goal loss would remove Tab Ramos’ males.

Happily for the USA, its protection has been stellar and Glad has performed a key function. The US held Mexico with out a shot on aim and the defensive triangle of central defenders Glad and Tommy Redding together with Erik Palmer-Brown, who performed as a defensive midfielder, fully shut down El Tri.

“Of course there’s always an extra motivation when you’re playing Mexico,” Glad defined, including it was his first sport towards Mexico in an official competitors. “A lot of people are watching the games and there is a history there that everyone knows about. It makes it exciting and these are the games you want to play and perform well in.”

“Really it was just a team effort,” Glad added. “We pressed them excessive and did not allow them to get snug on the ball. Our exterior backs did a extremely good job shutting down their wingers. A number of their sport plan was getting the ball out large and serving up balls. We did not actually give them the chance to try this. However throughout the sphere, anytime they tried to get on the ball and join passes we had been throughout them.

“They’d make errors after which we had momentum within the offensive half.”

With an identical effort from that defensive core, El Salvador ought to discover it troublesome towards the younger Yanks. On Wednesday night time El Salvador misplaced to Mexico 6-1. Regardless of that lopsided scoreline, the U.S. is anticipating a harmful and determined opponent—not a demoralized one.

That stated, Glad additionally believes that the stable defensive core will proceed to enhance.

“Every game we are getting better,” Glad stated. “The extra you play with somebody, the extra you perceive what goes by way of their thoughts and the way they see the sport. I’m fairly proud of how we have been taking part in. Erik is adapting very properly to a brand new place he hasn’t performed a lot of earlier than. However that’s Erik. He’s a pacesetter. He’s going to provide you every thing and go away all of it on the sphere. However as a defensive minded participant, having him sit in entrance of us is making our lives simpler.

“He’s an elite athlete and covers a whole lot of floor. He runs individuals off the bottom. It’s very good what he’s been doing.”

In addition to the U.S. performed towards Mexico, Glad nonetheless feels the sting from a foul loss towards Panama to open the qualifying match. 

“The whole team was super disappointed with that loss,” Glad stated. “We showed up and really didn’t put in the work, I guess. That was a wake-up call. I think it actually helped our team. It motivated us to work harder and do more. We learned we can’t go through this tournament and nothing is going to be handed to us each game. We’re going to have to grind it out. That has just helped us build toward our potential.”

It shouldn’t be a lot of a shock that Glad has been among the many group’s greatest performers in Costa Rica. Many of the gamers on the group are nonetheless but to have even a full skilled season of first group soccer. As a substitute most are both in faculty, USL, European youth ranges, or had been just lately drafted into MLS. In 2016, Glad was a daily starter for Actual Salt Lake the place he performed over 2,500 minutes. His performances earned him a brand new and improved contract with Actual Salt Lake that was finalized simply final month.

Glad was additionally a part of the primary U-20 camp of this cycle in Serbia in 2015 and has seen the group evolve thus far. He hopes to complete off the job in Costa Rica and win its first-ever CONCACAF U-20 championship after which proceed to push ahead this summer season and construct upon the quarterfinal end it had in 2015.

“The team has changed a lot,” Glad stated after giving pause for a thought.” The sport and magnificence hasn’t actually modified. My expectation is that we will go so far as we see ourselves going. With the individuals we have now right here, that’s a superb factor.

“I think it’s only going to get better too. We can only go up from here.”