A victory early Wednesday over Colombia will ship america under-20 group to the World Cup quarterfinals. A loss, alternatively, can be a serious disappointment.
BY
Josh Deaver
Posted
June 09, 2015
7:30 PM
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UNDER HEAD COACH CARLOS RESTREPO, Colombia’s under-20 males’s nationwide group finds itself in New Zealand after surviving a brutal CONMEBOL qualifying jaunt, together with two ranges of regional competitors throughout which the group went 4-3-2 to earn its third consecutive U-20 World Cup look.
Since ending third in 2003 and subsequently lacking out on the World Cup in 2007 and 2009, the Colombian program has superior handed the group stage in every of the final two tournaments. In 2011, Los Cafeteros made a powerful semifinal run with a formidable roster that included FC Dallas attacker Fabian Castillo and Actual Madrid’s James Rodriguez.
This system hasn’t proven any signal of slowing down lately. Winners of the 2013 South American Youth Championships, the squad completed second to Argentina in 2015, incomes wins over Chile and Brazil within the course of.
Within the run as much as the World Cup, the Colombians battled in the usual sequence of friendlies, however started to lose a few of their luster in current months. After a warm-up loss to Ghana and barely squeaking previous Fiji and North Korea in late Might, Restrepo’s squad has little question dropped in kind.
The group’s woes seem to have carried over into the World Cup. After a nervy win over Qatar within the opening match of Group C, Colombia earned solely a slim draw with Senegal earlier than being blown out by Portugal in Saturday’s group match finale. Regardless of the uneven exhibiting, Colombia completed in second in Group C.
Hoping to ebook a spot within the quarterfinals, Colombia will line up in opposition to the U.S. in a Spherical of 16 conflict late tonight or early tomorrow, relying in your temperament (3:30am ET, Fox Sports activities 1).
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM COLOMBIA
Restrepo rolled into New Zealand with a really related roster to the one he took to CONMEBOL qualifying, with 17 gamers returning to the fold. The vast majority of the 21-man roster options for home golf equipment with a choose few incomes common skilled minutes. The foreign-based contingent—together with gamers underneath contract with Juventus, Udinese, and Chelsea—are nonetheless trying to interrupt by way of to first-team European glory.
What’s apparent: this group is athletic, quick, and really technical on the ball. Though Colombia did not blow the competitors off the sphere, it nonetheless out-possessed each Senegal and Qatar through the group stage. Colombian goalkeeper Alvaro Montero hasn’t been doing his squad any favors in New Zealand, and his shoddy play contributed to the disappointing end result in opposition to Senegal.
Qatar, nevertheless, gave the Colombians an surprising take a look at. Taking part in by way of counter assaults, the Center Japanese challengers have been in a position to carve out the perfect probabilities of the afternoon and with some extra exact ending ought to have taken the factors. If that had occurred, Colombia would possible be watching the remainder of the match on TV.
Colombia’s squad does embody some particular gamers. Proper winger Andres Tello, on mortgage from Juventus, can be a pressure on the wing and doesn’t hesitate to go ahead on the assault. Whoever is deployed at left again for the Individuals—a weak spot in Ramos’ defensive lineup—might want to deal with that risk.
The true star of the group, nevertheless, is midfielder Joao Rodriguez. At present on mortgage in Portugal from Chelsea, the large playmaker has scored two of the three objectives for Colombia within the match, together with a gutsy chipped penalty that supplied the equalizer in opposition to Senegal.
Working from the left aspect of midfield, Rodriguez’s objectives—together with these in qualifying—sometimes originate from deep midfield runs. His fast second step could be very exhausting to mark and can give a line of defense matches if he’s given a chance to run between the centerbacks.
And Rodriguez shouldn’t be the one one to fret about. The Colombians boast a well-rounded scoring assault, with 4 gamers netting at the very least 4 objectives in 16 whole matches this 12 months. Defender Jeison Lucimi and Jarlan Barrera every have 4, whereas Rodriguez and Rafael Borre—who scored the comfort objective within the 3-1 loss to Portugal—have six every in 2015.
Coming off a foul loss within the remaining group match—very similar to america—the Colombians ought to return to a well-recognized recreation plan in opposition to the Yanks. Regardless of some uneven all-around performances, the Colombians have received the possession battle in each match to date and have created greater than sufficient probabilities to present Ramos nightmares.
In opposition to an American squad that has struggled to play nicely with out the ball, Los Cafeteros may very nicely go the U.S. into oblivion, making the Individuals chase the sport till a scoring probability can current itself.
Additionally: Did I point out they’re very quick?
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE U.S.
First, take a look at Brian Sciaretta’s ideas on tonight’s match. Sure, the U.S. roster is proscribed and sure there are actual considerations as as to if the Individuals can deal with knock-out degree competitors.
For me, the Individuals might want to do two easy issues as a way to make this match attention-grabbing. They need to be capable of hold and cycle possession by way of the backline and midfield, and so they should be capable of end their probabilities.
Rating objectives, win recreation. Loopy, proper?
Simpler stated than achieved.
Colombia’s benefit within the possession recreation may stop the Individuals from seeing many clear alternatives. If the Yanks have any designs on the quarterfinals, they should be extra environment friendly. In opposition to Ukraine, midfield engines Gedion Zelalem and Emerson Hyndman have been marked out of the sport, exposing an already-shaky backline that has been struggling to play the ball ahead.
Additionally disconcerting is the group’s tendency to revert to that particular model of American soccer panic: kick it actually lengthy and see what occurs.
One plus for Ramos is that the ambitious-but-not-always-efficient assault of Colombia might invariably result in a state of affairs the Individuals are most outfitted for—absorbing stress and breaking on the counterattack. Regardless, testing shaky keeper Montero is a should.
Regardless of Ramos’ personal defensive considerations, the Colombia protection was simply carved up by Portugal and brought to absolutely the limits by Qatar. If the united statescan get biting large play and ship good service, because it did in opposition to New Zealand, the group ought to be capable of unlock a Colombian backline that regarded undisciplined and rattled after happening early to Portugal.
That is the state of affairs Ramos and firm have been working towards for the previous 18 months. It’s all nicely and good to run by way of CONCACAF and beat up on Myanmar and New Zealand, however robust matches in opposition to Ukraine and knockout spherical contests with Colombia are how U.S. Soccer and the general public at giant will measure progress.
Unfair although it could appear, a loss at this level turns this match into one more youth nationwide group failure. A win, alternatively, in all probability interprets into a certified success.
STARTING LINEUP
After the loss to Ukraine, Ramos conceded that he was strategically resting gamers who have been on yellow playing cards from earlier within the spherical, which can have contributed to the disjointed efficiency.
“Obviously we wanted to win the game,” Ramos stated on U.S. Soccer’s PR website. “But we wanted to get to the second round with our full squad ready to go, and I think we ended the game with everyone available, and everyone’s healthy for the next game so I think we’re in good shape.”
Jockeying for place within the Spherical of 16 gave the impression to be a complete nonfactor for the gameplan versus Ukraine. “At this point any team we play is going to be a good one,” the coach stated.
Ramos additionally revealed his recreation plan for the loss, which sought to maintain the sport from “opening up.” Going in opposition to a possession-oriented group in Colombia, Ramos might attempt to duplicate this technique however with barely upgraded personnel. The returns of Miazga and Payne ought to give the backline a lift.
The massive query is whether or not Marky Delgado reprises his function as a holding midfielder. Kellyn Acosta is another choice, however his performances in CONCACAF qualifying may give Ramos sufficient pause to go away him at left again in the intervening time.
PROJECTED XI
Zack Steffen; Acosta, Miazga, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Desevio Payne; Delgado, Zelalem, Hyndman, Paul Arriola; Bradford Jamieson, Rubio Rubin.
Ideas? Expectations? Feedback? Go!
