The US U-20 World Cup roster has lastly been revealed and general, Tab Ramos is bringing a really robust crew to Poland. Some robust cuts needed to be made, however the U.S. crew has the expertise to make a run in Poland. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the crew.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
Might 10, 2019
10:00 AM
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UNITED STATES U-20 head coach Tab Ramos named his roster for the upcoming U-20 World Cup in Poland the place he’ll try to steer the crew on one other deep run on the biannual event.
There’s loads of anticipation for this crew after it received the CONCACAF Championship for the second straight cycle again in November.
Lots of the key gamers from that crew are additionally on that roster together with attacking midfielders Alex Mendez, who was named US Soccer’s younger male participant of the yr in 2018, and Paxton Pomykal, who’s having fun with a breakout season for FC Dallas.
The backline additionally stays principally intact from the CONCACAF profitable crew as Bayern Munich’s Chris Richards and Philadelphia Union’s Mark McKenzie will make up the highest central protection tandem. Whereas Sergino Dest, Chris Gloster, and Matthew Actual stay because the crew’s fullbacks.
The midfield enjoys some vital upgrades from the qualifying crew as DC United and 2017 U-17 World Cup captain Chris Durkin and PSV standout Richard Ledezma are a part of the squad. Durkin had membership conflicts in November whereas Ledezma was coping with accidents on the time. Additionally, making his first main worldwide debut will probably be Edwin Cerrillo who has damaged into the beginning lineup at FC Dallas however has by no means performed with the U-20 crew (with solely very restricted youth nationwide crew expertise in his previous).
The ahead and wingers additionally stay principally intact with one noticeable improve in Celtic FC attacker Tim Weah – who will make his U-20 debut at this event. Weah has not factored into this crew as he had been enjoying with the total nationwide crew all through most of 2018 and the U-23 crew in March.
With that mentioned, right here is the roster together with some ideas.
2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup Roster
(Membership; Hometown; U-20 Caps/Objectives)
GOALKEEPERS (3):C.J. Dos Santos (Benfica/POR; Foxchase, Pa.; 2/0), David Ochoa (Actual Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.; 4/0), Brady Scott (Köln/GER; Petaluma, Calif.; 9/0)
DEFENDERS (6):Sergino Dest (Ajax/NED; Almere-Stad, Netherlands; 8/1), Chris Gloster (Hannover 96/GER; Montclair, N.J.; 11/0), Aboubacar Keita (Richmond Kickers; Columbus, Ohio; 2/0), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; Bear, Del.; 10/3), Matthew Actual (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.; 10/0), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/GER; Birmingham, Ala.; 8/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6):Edwin Cerrillo (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 0/0), Chris Durkin (D.C. United; Glen Allen, Va.; 2/0), Richard Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven/NED; Phoenix, Ariz.; 4/0), Alex Mendez (Freiburg/GER; Los Angeles, Calif.; 15/8), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Texas; 9/3), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas; 8/2)
FORWARDS (6):Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC/CAN; Brampton, Ont.; 12/9), Konrad De La Fuente (Barcelona/ESP; Miami, Fla.; 2/1), Ulysses Llanez (Wolfsburg/GER; Lynwood, Calif.; 11/7), Justin Rennicks (New England Revolution; South Hamilton, Mass.; 13/6), Sebastian Soto (Hannover 96/GER; San Diego, Calif.; 5/2), Tim Weah (Celtic FC/SCO; Rosedale, N.Y.; 0/0)
Total a powerful however younger crew
For the second straight cycle, Tab Ramos will probably be with out the 2 greatest gamers from this age group. In 2017, Ramos was with out Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. This cycle, Ramos will probably be with out Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent – who had been each additionally a part of the 2017 U-20 crew whereas enjoying up a cycle.
This yr, nonetheless, Ramos will have the ability to assemble a really robust beginning lineup if everyone seems to be wholesome. There aren’t many weaknesses among the many first alternative. A number of the backup positions are skinny and a few gamers like Mark McKenzie and Paxton Pomykal are carrying accidents. In the event that they return, nonetheless, it ought to make for a robust squad.
The largest query mark is the backup proper again place. Behind Sergino Dest, there aren’t any gamers who’re snug in that place.
However even for a U-20 crew, this crew is younger. The oldest attainable beginning yr for this event is 1999 and this roster consists of simply six gamers born in 1999. It has 12 gamers born in 2000 – which is shaping as much as be a remarkably robust beginning yr and it has three gamers born in 2001. These three gamers in Konrad de la Fuente, Ulysses Llanez, and David Ochoa, are all eligible for the 2021 U-20 World Cup as properly.
Usually, gamers from the oldest beginning yr are essentially the most dominant on a U-20 World Cup crew. However for simply six out of 21 coming from that yr, this U-20 crew is extraordinarily younger.
Central midfield is the important thing
The largest power of this crew is in central midfield the place the crew enjoys loads of high quality and depth. Chris Durkin needs to be the anticipated starter in defensive midfield whereas Edwin Cerrillo and Brandon Servania present choices to both backup Durkin or begin alongside of him.
In attacking midfield, Alex Mendez, Paxton Pomykal, and Richard Ledezma are three of essentially the most promising gamers the U.S. U-20 crew has had on the No. 8 and No. 10 positions in a number of cycles.
Who begins in aim?
Usually it’s identified who will begin in aim and barely is there an argument. On this crew, that may be a huge query. Brady Scott was the starter within the CONCACAF event in November however he has been coping with accidents and a scarcity of minutes. In the meantime, Actual Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa has been enjoying usually for RSL’s USL crew, the Actual Monarchs.
May Ochoa overtake Scott? It is vitally attainable. Ochoa may be very younger and is likely one of the three gamers eligible for the following U-20 crew. It’s uncommon when a goalkeeper begins for a U-20 crew whereas enjoying up a cycle, however Ochoa would possibly truly make it occur.
Choices abound up prime
Barcelona winger Konrad de la Fuente is likely one of the most fun gamers on the roster and he’ll make his debut in a significant youth worldwide event. Ulysses Llanez can be on the crew and whereas he was the main scorer on the CONCACAF Championship, he may additionally be rusty as he has not performed a lot membership soccer since he joined Wolfsburg after the season’s registration date – the day after his 18th birthday.
However Tim Weah is the most important inclusion on this crew and brings a wealth of expertise. A veteran of the 2017 U-17 World Cup crew, he additionally has a eight caps with the total nationwide crew and has scored for the primary groups of Celtic and Paris St. Germain. Weah can play each middle ahead and on the wing. His versatility will give Ramos choices.
Other than Weah, Ramos additionally has middle forwards Justin Rennicks and Sebastian Soto who each had been a part of the CONCACAF-winning crew. Rennicks was sharp in that event and mixed properly together with his teammates. Sebastian Soto has performed fewer video games with the crew however is coming off a powerful season with Hannover U-19 crew which additionally noticed him make two late cameos for the membership’s first crew within the Bundesliga. In the meantime, Ayo Akinola additionally supplies versatility throughout the entrance line.
Who is just not right here?
Ramos didn’t draw back from saying that there have been loads of good gamers he needed to miss.
“This is always an extremely tough decision to make as a coach,” Ramos mentioned. “There were an additional four or five players who also really deserve to go this time.”
So which had been essentially the most noteworthy gamers not on this crew.
Julian Araujo: The uber-talented Galaxy proper again may also play in central protection. Arajuo was injured 10 days in the past whereas enjoying for the Galaxy and has not returned to the sphere but. Araujo continues to be solely 17 and eligible for the following U-20 cycle.
Brenden Aaronson: The Philadelphia Union attacking midfielder has opened eyes to begin this season and has been an enormous a part of this crew’s success. He suffered an damage within the Union’s most up-to-date recreation but in addition gave the impression to be behind Pomykal, Mendez, and Ledezma.
Christian Cappis: The Hobro central midfielder had an important final camp with the U-20 crew the place he scored a late equalizing aim in opposition to France and a profitable aim vs. Japan. A tall however skillful participant, Cappis can cope with the bodily recreation properly however performed a place that was extraordinarily deep for the U-20 crew.
Jonathan Amon: The lightening fast winger from FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, Amon is a dynamic attacker however Nordsjaelland have video games as much as the beginning of the U-20 World Cup. Additionally, there are excessive variety of wingers on this crew in the meanwhile in de la Fuente, Llanez, Weah, and Akinola.
Frankie Amaya: Frankie Amaya performed so much for the crew this cycle (together with all through the qualifying event and within the 2-0 win over Mexico within the last) and was the primary general decide within the draft in January. He just lately had an important outing for FC Cincinnati in his first skilled begin. He’s extraordinarily versatile however the crew was very deep throughout all of his positions. The return of Ledezma and the inclusion of wingers made him fall on the unsuitable facet of a numbers recreation.
Andrew Carleton: The Atlanta United attacker figured to be one of many crew’s greatest attackers firstly of the cycle however he struggled for enjoying time over the previous yr whereas different gamers raised their respective video games.
