ASN: Varas named U.S. U-20 head coach, Revelations Cup roster introduced

After 21 months, the USA U-20 workforce is again beneath new administration. Former FC Dallas assistant coach Mikey Varas has been named because the workforce’s new head coach and the roster has been introduced for the upcoming Revelations Cup in Mexico the place the workforce will face elite competitors. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it down together with his ideas. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
November 04, 2021
11:35 PM

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JUST DAYS BEFORE the primary camp of the workforce’s first camp of the brand new cycle, U.S. Soccer has introduced that Mikey Varas would be the head coach of the USA U-20 nationwide workforce. Alongside together with his announcement, U.S. Soccer introduced the U-20 roster for the upcoming Revelations Cup in Mexico that may function the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia.

Listed here are some ideas about Varas getting the job and the upcoming roster that was assembled earlier than Varas took the job.

The Varas rent

Whereas it is a massive step up for Mikey Varas, he hails from the FC Dallas system the place he was the assistant coach for Luchi Gonzalez and had a hand in working with many high younger American gamers like Ricardo Pepi, Tanner Tessmann, Jesus Ferreira, Jonathan Gomez, and Justin Che.

The choice to take a look at the FC Dallas group is smart. The membership’s first workforce might need had a troublesome season the place it should end manner out of the playoff positions, it nonetheless made the playoffs the previous two seasons. However indubitably, Dallas has been very spectacular in creating high American gamers – a lot of which function on the U.S. nationwide workforce. Even when it wasn’t Gonzalez, hiring somebody from that group who has had a hand of their youth improvement is an effective place to go. FC Dallas proper now appears to be like good on the resume of a coach for a youth nationwide workforce place. As an added bonus, Varas can be fluent in Spanish.

“I am excited for him,” FC Dalls and U.S. worldwide Jesus Ferreira stated on Friday. “He was a great coach. When he was here at Dallas, he would always show me little clips, five or six, after each game we had. That would always help me see what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong… it really improved my game. That is positive for young guys to increase their level. You don’t want to get older and then think you were doing things right, and later learn it was wrong the whole time. That’s a very positive thing he brings to the table. Having him as the U-20 national team head coach, where pretty much everyone is at a professional level now, it helps with that feedback.”

U.S. Soccer interviewed a number of individuals together with FC Cincinnati Director of Participant Growth Larry Sunderland, LA Galaxy II head coach Junior Gonzalez, and Luchi Gonazalez. U.S. was chatting with Gonzalez as lately as earlier this week however couldn’t comply with phrases in time for a deadline. Quickly after, the choice was made to supply Varas the job.

Varas has labored laborious inside the Dallas group and with most of the membership’s high gamers. It stays to be seen how Varas will deal with the step to changing into a head coach but when U.S. Soccer goes to take an opportunity on an inexperienced coach however one which can be younger and promising, Varas checks a variety of containers as a wise rent.  

The Revelations Cup is a troublesome ask as a lot of the gamers are unfamiliar with one another, Varas didn’t have a hand in choosing the workforce, and the competitors may be very troublesome. Nevertheless it ought to a minimum of assist him plan for a important 2022.

Subsequent 12 months, Varas won’t solely be tasked with qualifying the workforce for the 2023 U-20 World Cup, but in addition the 2024 Olympics – which is able to determined on the similar match subsequent summer season (Semifinalists qualify for the World Cup whereas the finalists additionally qualify for the Olympics). If his workforce is profitable at ending U.S. Soccer’s Olympic drought, his private inventory will soar and he’ll certainly have larger alternatives down the highway.

The U.S. U 20 roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Alexander Borto (Fulham/ENG.; South Plainfield, N.J.), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fireplace FC.; Addison, Ailing.)

DEFENDERS (7): Justin Che (FC Dallas; Richardson, Texas), Jacob Greene (D.C. United; Crofton, Md.), Kobi Henry (Orange County S.C.; Lake Forest, Calif.), Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; Lakewood, Calif.), Kayden Pierre (Sporting Kansas Metropolis; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Casey Partitions (Mill Valley, Calif.; San Jose Earthquakes), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United F.C.; Atlanta, Ga.)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; Medford, N.J.), Caden Clark (New York Purple Bulls; Wayzata, Minn.), Daniel Edelman (New York Purple Bulls; Warren, N.J.), Jeremy Garay (D.C. United; Crofton, Md.), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders F.C.; Las Vegas, Nev.), Diego Luna (El Paso Locomotive; Redwood, Calif.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Center Village, N.Y.), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Break up/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.)

FORWARDS (6): Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fireplace F.C.; Chicago, Ailing.), Missael Rodriguez (Chicago Fireplace FC; Chicago, Ailing.), Malick Sanogo (1. FC Union Berlin/GER; Berlin, Germany), Dante Sealy (PSV Eindhoven/NED; Frisco, Texas), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.)

Revelations Cup schedule

Wednesday, Nov. 10 – USA vs. Brazil – 6:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 13 – USA vs. Colombia – 4:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 16 – USA vs. Mexico – 6:00 p.m. ET

Nice place to begin

Usually, earlier U-20 cycles would begin largely with most gamers taking part in at youth ranges on the golf equipment after which because the U-20 World Cup approached, a good variety of gamers would start to interrupt by means of on the first workforce membership degree.

This cycle is much extra superior. Many gamers have already got substantial first workforce minutes and some space already essential contributors to their golf equipment. Ricardo Pepi is already a starter for the U.S. nationwide workforce. Kevin Paredes is an everyday starter for DC United however is now injured and can miss this match for the U-20s and probably the playoffs for DC United as effectively. Cade Cowell, Caden Clark, Gabriel Slonina, Justin Che, and the three Union gamers of Paxten Aaronson, Jack McGlynn, and Quinn Sullivan have all performed important minutes this season.

Clearly, extra will break by means of all through 2022 (and assuming the workforce qualifies for the U-20 World Cup) and by 2023, it will likely be a workforce the consists solely of gamers who’ve substantial first workforce minutes. That is undoubtedly the most effective place to begin the U.S. U-20 workforce has ever had.

Offensive firepower

The U.S. U-20 roster is spectacular on the offensive facet – from the attacking midfielders, to the wingers, to the middle forwards.

Paxten Aaronson and Caden Clark are very efficient attacking midfielders at the start line of a U-20 cycle. Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn are versatile midfielders who can assist in quite a few alternative ways. The wings are additionally in nice form with Dante Sealy and Cade Cowell all taking part in spectacular soccer (though the harm to Kevin Paredes is an enormous loss). Malick Sanogo is a rated ahead at Union Berlin though it stays to be seen how he’ll modify to older age teams after dominating the U-17 Bundesliga final season. Sanogo is the subsequent participant up after Ricardo Pepi who seemingly gained’t play with this workforce (though perhaps he helps this workforce subsequent summer season since Olympic qualifying can be on the road and senior workforce World Cup qualification is over at that time).

Defensive concern

Goalkeeping is strong and Gabriel Slonina is among the most enjoyable younger American goalkeeping prospects in a very long time. He has publicly stated he can be excited by taking part in for Poland so it will be significant for U.S. Soccer to maintain him within the combine with the U-20 workforce to permit him to bond with this system.

After goalkeeping, his workforce’s largest weak spot is on the defensive facet. Justin Che is an excellent defender and possibly the largest defensive prospect on the workforce. He ought to ultimately settle into central protection however at FC Dallas, he has been taking part in with no consideration again. Varas is aware of Che effectively and the place he ought to match at this degree, however Che can solely cowl in so many gamers. He in all probability will play proper again on this camp.

Discovering a central protection mixture is important for Varas early on. It’s in all probability his largest process. Possibly not on this camp, however in January and March he’s going to want to discover a good tandem and construct up its chemistry. The offense will care for itself.

Defensive midfield will probably be fascinating. Daniel Leyva has been a superb passer with the Seattle Sounders from a deeper place however it’s a query mark whether or not he can fill the defensive want for that place. Daniel Edelman, in the meantime, has but to interrupt by means of on the first workforce degree with the New York Purple Bulls however he has seemed promising for the second workforce in USL. He would possibly prove to being an essential gamers this cycle in shielding the backline.

What Varas will need is somebody who can play like Tyler Adams – cowl tons of floor within the deep a part of the midfield, make clever runs into the assault, get a variety of touches, and defend the backline. These gamers are uncommon, however so useful in that they make everybody else higher.

Total ideas

It’s a good roster though getting ready for the extent of opponents that await in Mexico is hard ask. This workforce simply hasn’t performed collectively very a lot and regardless of strong skilled minutes, this workforce must hope that the develops immediate chemistry. It is going to be a problem, however a pleasant studying expertise for each Varas and the gamers.

The very best takeaway, nevertheless, is that it’s a big increase to U.S. Soccer to have the U-20 workforce again. The 2003 and 2004-born age group is proficient and except they have been Ricardo Pepi taking part in for the total nationwide workforce, these gamers haven’t been in a position to get entangled with U.S. Soccer. That has modified. In the event that they’re profitable subsequent summer season, that may open the door to the 2001 and 2002 born gamers to rejoin this system for the Olympics.

It has been 21 months for the reason that final U-20 camp. This can be a massive step in the direction of having the lads’s facet full again and firing on all cylinders.