ASN: Sullivan and Luna propel U.S. U-20’s previous Nicaragua 5-0, into quarterfinals vs. Costa Rica

The USA U-20 nationwide staff obtained previous Nicaragua 5-0 on Saturday evening within the Spherical of 16 of the CONCACAF U-20 Championships. That win now units up a quarterfinal agianst Costa Rica with the winner reserving a spot within the 2023 U-20 World Cup. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the sport together with his ideas. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
June 26, 2022
5:30 AM

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THE UNITED STATES U-20 nationwide staff superior to the quarterfinals of the 2022 CONCACAF Championships on Saturday evening with a snug 5-0 win over Nicaragua. Costa Rica now awaits the U.S. staff, and the winner of that sport will earn a spot within the 2023 U-20 World Cup and a chance to play for a berth within the 2024 Olympics.

The U.S. managed the sport from the kickoff however like the primary two group stage video games, had a tricky time scoring early. The truth is, it wasn’t till first half stoppage time when the U.S. took a 1-0 lead. The play began with Diego Luna making a robust run into the field. His cross discovered Quinn Sullivan who headed the ball previous Nicaragua’s Miguel Rodriguez.

Quinn Sullivan’s objective for the US U-20 staff. Nice setup by Diego Luna – who’s going to be enjoyable to look at with RSL this 12 months pic.twitter.com/Tv7jSFLb2I

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) June 26, 2022

Within the second half, the U.S. opened the floodgates. Within the 56th minute, Sullivan was taken down within the penalty field and awarded a penalty. Luna took the following penalty and hit a low shot to the appropriate aspect previous Rodriguez.

Within the sixty fifth minute, Sullivan scored once more for a 3-0 lead. Cade Cowell beat his defender on the left wing and hit an ideal low-driving cross which discovered Sullivan on the again submit for a simple tap-in.

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) June 26, 2022

The U.S. staff scored two extra occasions to seal out the win. Within the 73rd, a tough shot from Caden Clark took an enormous deflection off Dylan Pineda and it was scored as an personal objective. Then within the 87th minute, central defender Jalen Neal was in the appropriate place on the proper time when he tapped in a rebound after a Rodriguez save.

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) June 26, 2022

Listed below are some ideas on the win

Sullivan’s large U-20 numbers

Quinn Sullivan’s numbers for the U.S. U-20 staff since February have been excellent and his two targets (and drawn penalty) proceed with that.

Sullivan now has 5 targets this event, each coming within the final two video games. He additionally has 10 targets for the U.S. U-20 staff over the previous seven video games and none have come from the penalty spot. In his earlier three U-20 video games previous to this event, Sullivan scored as soon as in opposition to FC Dallas, as soon as in opposition to Argentina’s U-20 staff, after which three targets in opposition to River Plate. He didn’t rating within the first two group stage video games however then had three in opposition to Cuba and now two in opposition to Nicaragua.

Youth objective scoring numbers usually should be taken with a grain of salt, however these are huge numbers.

Want to attain early
 

The U.S. U-20 staff must open video games a little bit higher as this event progresses and the opponents change into higher. Cuba was the one time they had been in a position to take the opponent out of the sport early. The U.S. staff has been in a position to generate many of the possibilities, however too usually they let opponents dangle round. Towards Canada, that was an issue and Canada began to get a way of perception that they might compete. It didn’t then assist that the U.S. was taking part in from behind twice.

Costa Rica would be the staff’s hardest opponent to date. The U.S. staff needs to be favored to advance however the U.S. staff must be sharp from the beginning.

Luna is on hearth
 

Whereas Sullivan is the staff’s main scorer, and Paxten Aaronson would possibly probably have the best ceiling of the group, Diego Luna is the X-factor. He’s very gifted taking defenders on the dribble and making large performs that may change the complicated of the sport.

Towards Nicaragua, the U.S. staff at all times had management of the sport, but it surely was Luna’s play on the primary objective from Sullivan that turned management into an precise lead on the scoreboard.

Whether or not or not he’s match to start out in opposition to Costa Rica on restricted relaxation stays in query, however he may very well be a terrific possibility off the bench as nicely.

Waiting for Costa Rica
 

It is a essential must-win sport. It’s much more vital than a possible semifinal as a result of if the U.S. staff doesn’t win in opposition to Costa Rica, it comes away from the event utterly empty-handed. No, U-20 World Cup, no Olympics – nothing.

However the U.S. staff has performed nicely to this point and is gaining steam – so it has given itself the absolute best probability. The one blemish, a draw in opposition to Canada, didn’t price the U.S. staff something within the standings and maybe served as a wake-up name.

The U.S. will as soon as once more have two relaxation days earlier than the Costa Rica sport however will now shift from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula within the north of the nation.

Head coach Mikey Varas has been rotating his squad fairly closely all through the event and can as soon as once more have two days to relaxation his staff. He didn’t fairly begin his finest staff in opposition to Nicaragua with Paxten Aaronson and Marucio Cuevas on the bench. There was, additionally potential starters in Caden Clark, Brandon Craig, and Rokas Pukstas.

Varas ought to have the ability to subject an XI that isn’t too fatigued.

Predicted XI vs. Costa Rica: Scott; Allen, Neal, Craig, Cuevas; Pukstas, Alvarado, Aaronson; Luna, Cowell, Sullivan

Costa Rica comes into this sport on the heels of a 4-1 win over Trinidad & Tobago. The group stage was combined for them as they drew Jamaica and misplaced to hosts, Honduras. Dorian Rodriguez is the staff’s main scorer and he scored two targets in opposition to Trinidad & Tobago off the bench. He has 4 targets in Costa Rica’s prime division over simply 446 minutes. On this event, he has 4 targets in 195 minutes.

For the USA, central protection might be key and if they’ll shut down Rodriguez, they’ll be in fine condition.