ASN: After a powerful begin in Argentina, Gomez goals for deep U-20 World Cup run

Jonathan Gomez has been among the best U.S. U-20 World Cup gamers to this point in Argentina and ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the Texan concerning the staff’s progress beneath Mikey Varas and his growth at Actual Sociedad in Spain. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
Might 23, 2023
6:30 PM

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THE UNITED STATES U-20 nationwide staff is off to a powerful begin on the World Cup after an enormous 1-0 win over Ecuador on Saturday adopted by a shakey however enough 3-0 win over Fiji on Tuesday. The staff holds ambitions of constructing a deep run in Argentina and Jonathan Gomez, the Man of the Match within the opener, is optimistic.

Gomez, 19, loved a stand-out efficiency within the win over Ecuador. Clearly, he scored a dramatic and beautiful profitable aim in stoppage time to elevate the U.S. staff. However he additionally as stable all through the complete 90 minutes and he did so play whereas taking part in in an unfamiliar function at proper wingback when he usually is a left again. Within the second recreation in opposition to Fiji, Gomez began once more however this time at left again because the U.S. managed the sport and overcame weak ending to finally prevail. Over the primary two video games, he has performed all 180 minutes. 

U.S. U-20 head coach Mikey Varas has made some optimistic selections to this point and placing Gomez on the suitable within the opener was designed to permit him to chop into the center of the sector together with his stronger left foot to create and end alternatives. That’s precisely what occurred when Gomez noticed the cross-field move from Owen Wolff. To date, that has been the U.S. staff’s most vital second in Argentina. 

“I saw the play developing on the right side,” Gomez mentioned of the of the play. “Mikey asked us wingbacks to crash the box. I saw Owen get the ball and I saw him look up. I knew he was looking for me and I saw him hit it with his right. The left back was turning thinking I was going to go wide. I thought there would be space inside. I took my first touch with my chest, and I saw it was just bouncing. I was like – I’m going to hit this. I struck it well.”

Jonathan Gomez’s beautiful winner. Assisted by Owen Wolff. Helpful holdup play by Darren Yapi pic.twitter.com/fn3ofcp0Ob

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) Might 20, 2023

With six factors in hand from two video games, the U.S. staff will now set their sights on Slovakia on Friday with the chance to win Group B with an ideal 9 factors.

For Gomez, his involvement with the U.S. U-20 staff has been a course of as he had been spending instances in each the setups of the U.S. and Mexico by way of 2022. As a local of North Richland Hills, Texas outdoors Ft. Price, Gomez is eligible for Mexico by way of his Mexican-born dad and mom.

In December 2021, Gomez made his debut for the complete U.S. staff in a pleasant win over Bosnia and his shot finally resulted in a rebound that was scored by Cole Bassett for a 1-0 win. However then in April 2022, Gomez performed for Mexico’s full staff in a pleasant in opposition to Guatemala.

Two months later, he was on the provisional rosters for the U-20 groups of each Mexico and the US. He was unable to play for both as a result of an damage and the U.S. staff went on to qualify for the World Cup and the 2024 Olympics whereas Mexico certified for neither.

Since then, Gomez has been solely within the U.S. setup. He made his debut with the U.S. U-20 staff on the 2022 Revelations Cup in September. Then he was with the complete U.S. staff at 2023 January camp. Now he’s again with the U.S. U-20 staff on the World Cup.

“I don’t know if I would say a long process, but I just think that a player with that dual nationality, you kind of weigh both options,” Gomez defined. “You feel a sense of pride in both. I’ve tested both waters but as of right now, I’m here and I’m focused on the World Cup.”

“My first U-20 camp was the Revelations Cup in 2022,” he added. “From that camp to where we are now, I think we’ve made great strides in terms of on the field, obviously playing ability, and then off the field as well. I feel like we’ve become a band of brothers. You can just feel that everyone’s ready.”

For Gomez, one other good thing about taking part in with the U.S. U-20 staff is that it has reunited him with Varas who additionally coached him on the youth ranges at FC Dallas. Gomez has all the time loved his relationship with Varas and it continued after Gomez elected to depart FC Dallas. It’s additionally one thing he expects to proceed after the staff returns from Dallas.

“I personally have known Mikey for years now as he coached me at Dallas. He’s a great person, apart from being a great coach. He’s great at building those personal relationships with all the players… Beyond this tournament, he’s going to have our backs. That’s something I remember he told me a few years back. He’s had my back ever since. I’ve had his back and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be like that with all his players.”

Assembling this U-20 staff has been a tough course of for Varas and the federation. A number of key gamers, primarily based each domestically and overseas, have been denied a launch for the World Cup. Different gamers have been allowed to go, however solely after the group stage.

Whereas Gomez is predicated overseas with Actual Sociedad, he has primarily been with the membership’s second staff and was given a launch. He misses the important thing gamers like Paxten Aaronson and Brian Gutierrez who weren’t launched, but in addition believes that the shorthanded nature of the roster will function a galvanizing drive inside the group in Argentina.

“It’s unfortunate for them, their clubs had their reasons to not release them,” Gomez mentioned. :They’re our brothers. We love them. We want they have been right here. However proper now, the 21 gamers listed here are our gamers… We could be a bit of bit brief right here, however nevertheless many we’ll have, we’ll be prepared. That brotherhood we now have goes to assist us pull by way of and each participant has to play their function – whether or not they play 0 minutes or play each single minute, everybody has to deliver 100% effort on and off the sector as a result of that assist coming in from the bench or wherever goes to be what makes a distinction.”

Gomez has been thought-about one of many high American gamers of this age group for a number of years. A product of the FC Dallas youth system, he began his skilled profession within the USL Championship with Louisville Metropolis proper earlier than the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. In September 21, Louisville Metropolis introduced that it had transferred Gomez to Actual Sociedad in La Liga the place he would start taking part in for Actual Sociedad B.

To date, Gomez has solely appeared for the second staff (final season in he second tier, this season within the third tier) however this season he has made the bench twice for the primary staff – which at the moment sits fourth in La Liga.

“Everything is a process,” Gomez defined. “I think my development at Sociedad has gone well. They have a plan for me, and I think that plan is going well. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to train with the first team, get in with them, even in a few preseason matches or I played in a few friendlies when the league resumed. I got to test out at that level… I think specifically a few things that I’ve gotten better – on my offensive side of the game, my crossing has as improved. On the defensive side, my defensive positioning, defensive clearances, and my 1v1 duels is something that we’ve been focusing on… Any chance to train or play with the first team, you obviously have got to take advantage of it.”

Like every participant making the transfer overseas to Europe, there are tough durations of adjustment each on and off the sector. Gomez is fluent in Spanish, however often struggled when his teammates would converse Basque. However there have been additionally cultural points equivalent to meal scheduling that took time to grasp.

However there may be additionally the difficulty of loneliness that every one gamers shifting overseas should face. Gomez has made himself productive in his time away from soccer. He at the moment takes three on-line faculty enterprise courses and is in frequent contact together with his U-20 teammates, generally by way of PlayStation.

“I go to college online,” Gomez mentioned. “That takes up some of my time as well. I’ll play with some of my friends on the Playstation – some of these U-20 guys actually. We play together. I talked to them and for some of them it is: what do I do now? That’s part of the challenge. All that free time you have and making it productive so you’re not just sitting at home thinking. At the end of the day, if you just sit at home and think, you’re just going to overthink things and then it can get tough.”

For now, Gomez is worked up for the duty forward because the U.S. staff seems to construct off its robust begin to the U-20 World Cup.

“For any kid, it’s their dream of playing in a World Cup,” Gomez mentioned. “Knowing this was coming up, it was on my calendar. I had it in my mind, but I just wanted to put in the work and play well this season to hopefully be called up. I was called up, so I’m very thankful for that. I’m ready to go. Everyone here thinks that we have the players and the team and the bond to win all three group stage games.”