Great Post On The US U-20 Team's College Members...

Remember how the US can't field an entirely professional U-20 World Cup team like most of the rest of the soccer world? Want to know more about those players joining the team from the college ranks? Here you go: yanks-abroad.com has done an outstanding job.

US U-20 World Cup Squad Announced...

Unlike the senior team, Coach Rongen is announcing his roster almost a month before the first match of the U-20 World Cup. Yup, kick off for the Americans in this youth World Cup is September 25th.

GOALKEEPERS - Sean Johnson (Central Florida), Josh Lambo, Brian Perk (UCLA)

DEFENDERS - Gale Agbossoumonde, Kyle Davies, Jorge Flores, Ike Opara (Wake Forest), Anthony Wallace, Sheanon Williams

MIDFIELDERS - Daniel Cruz, Mikkel Diskerud, Dilly Duka (Rutgers), Jared Jeffrey, Aaron Maund (Notre Dame), Brian Ownby (Virginia), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame), Michael Stephens (UCLA)

FORWARDS - Sam Garza (Denver), Peri Marosevic, Brek Shea, Tony Taylor (Jacksonville)

I've highlighted the college players in the above list. 42% of the players are playing college ball. I've got to imagine the professionals will make up more of the starting eleven with the college guys filling in as needed. It is just hard to imagine how the Americans will compete against the rest of the world when 42% of the team doesn't play professionally and the rest of the world does.

Also of note, Soccer by Ives has the US vs. Germany game on ESPN Classic as opposed to ESPN360.com as I listed in my last post. Not sure when USsoccer.com will update their website to show the correct television schedule on their schedule page.

US U-20 WC Television Schedule Announced...

USsoccer.com announced the U-20 Men's television schedule yesterday. Here is the only problem, the first game is on-line only.

9/26: USA vs. Germany - LIVE at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN360.com, 9:55 a.m. ET/PT on Galavision

9/29: USA vs. Cameroon - LIVE at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, DELAYED at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Galavision

10/2: USA vs. Korea Republuc - LIVE at 12:40 p.m. ET on ESPN2, DELAYED at 4 p.m. ET/PT on Galavision

Why is the match against Germany on-line only? ESPN2 for Cameroon and Korea is great...but what is up with Germany only being on-line? That is arguably the biggest match of all three. Well, we'll have to figure out a way to watch, won't we.

U-20 World Cup is coming up quickly!

Players Starting the Fall Season With Some Extra Practice...

While most of the news these days is about David Beckham's return to MLS, the US' performance in the Gold Cup and MLS' drop in attendance, I'd like to remind everyone that we still have the U-17 World Cup and U-20 World Cup coming up this summer/fall. As part of that, many college players are getting some extra credit training in this summer. While their peers are playing on club and/or PDL teams, there are many college players training and playing matches with the young nats.

Tomorrow, July 21st 2009, the US U-20 team heads to Argentina for a 10-day camp with a couple international matches as part of the Copa Cuidad de Rosario. College players making the trip: Brian Perk - GK UCLA, Gale Agbossoumonde - D UCLA, Ike Opara - D Wake Forest, Dilly Duka - M Rutgers, Brian Ownby - M University of Virginia, Dillon Powers - M Notre Dame, Michael Stephens - M UCLA, Sam Garza - F University of Denver and Tony Taylor - F Jacksonville University. Wow, UCLA is going to have some fit players when they return to NCAA action this fall.

Do you think it will help their campaign to have some many players coming in from National Team camp? There is downside, if these guys perform well and make the U-20 WC team they head to Egypt in late September and could be gone for up to one month.

At the same time the US U-17 men are down in Brazil training and playing in the Copa Macae. These guys are still on their club teams and haven't quite reached college. Most of these guys have been part of the US U-17 Bradenton Residency program but I did see one or two who haven't. It was also interesting to see a couple names from the recent Development Academy Starting XI; Riley Wolfe & Victor Chavez. Another common thread...Parade's annual All-American list.

I don't know about you but I am excited for these events later this year.

US U-20's To Train In Florida

The USA Under 20's will be training in Sarasota, Florida from May 23rd to May 28th.

Roster By Position (Club; Hometown):
GOALKEEPERS (2): Josh Lambo (FC Dallas; Middleton, Wis.), Brian Perk (UCLA; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (6): Kyle Davies (FC Dallas; Danville, Calif.), Jorge Flores (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.), Aaron Maund (Notre Dame; Dorchester, Mass.), Ike Opara (Wake Forest; Durham, N.C.), Anthony Wallace (FC Dallas; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Sheanon Williams (unattached; Boston, Mass.)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Danny Cruz (Houston Dynamo; Glendale, Ariz.), Dilly Duka (Rutgers; Montville, N.J.), Jose Gonzalez (Atlante FC; Soquel, Calif.), Jared Jeffrey (Club Brugge; Richardson, Texas), Gerson Mayen (Chivas USA; Los Angeles, Calif.), Alfredo Morales (Hertha BSC Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Brian Ownby (Virginia; Glen Allen, Va.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; College Station, Texas), Guillermo Torres (Longview Lobos HS; Longview, Texas)
FORWARDS (3): Fuad Ibrahim (Toronto FC; Richfield, Minn.), Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas; Rockford, Ill.) Tony Taylor (Jacksonville University; Jacksonville, Fla.)

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14352389.html

Interesting things to note?

1. The return of Jose Gonzalez.
- Jose Gonzalez is an Youth Soccer Internet Legend. He became one when stories about his path to U.S. citizenship came out of his hometown of Santa Cruz. He came here with his parents illegally as an infant and his father passed a U.S. Citizenship test in March of 2006 just in time for Jose to travel with the US Under-18's to Slovakia for a tournament. Then his story continued as he won the ESP Camp Golden Ball as a Sophomore in High School. He dropped off the map after High School but it was found out that he is playing with the youth squads of Atlante F.C. of the Mexican First Division.

Read about his story here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=39068
and here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=39687
and here:
http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=44073

2. No Mikkel Diskerud.
- If you have missed out on his story you will have to check this thread from Bigsoccer.com:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=939469

He is a 19 year old Norwegian-born Arizonian (sp? :D) who has played for US U-20 squad and the Norwegian U-19's. He has yet to make his final decision on which National Team he will represent. Good news is that he was invited, but is too busy with his club to attend the camp. He has scored 3 goals from Midfield this year.
http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=4582

3. No Bryan Arguez, Vincenzo Bernardo, or Guiseppe Nazzani.
-There are some questions over whether these players are ready to play for the U-20's or whether Rongen has lost interest. It would be a real shame if Bryan Arguez failed to make the 2009 World Youth Championship team after being an underage player on the 2007 team.

4. Ike Opara is back.
- He is arguably the best Under 20 defender in the NCAA right now so it is good news if he is healthy.

5. Guillermo Torres
- He appears to be the little brother of Jose Francisco Torres. Hopefully he has as much or more talent than his older brother. This is his first ever USYNT Camp.

6. Gerson Mayen
- He was rumored to be attracting attention from El Salvador(country of his parents), but he is apparently still interested in representing the United States. This is great news as he has 4 assists in MLS this season and has shone in his few starts and multiple substitute appearances.

7. Sean Johnson, Gale Agbossoumonde, Amobi Okugo, Sam Garza, and Billy Schuler
- They are not here after participating in Qualifying.
Agbossoumonde and Okugo (both 1991's) are with the USA Under 18's on a trip to Portugal:
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14352384.html

Contact me at USvsIreland AT gmail.com

US U-20 Team Off To A Good Start...

Last night the US U-20 team kick started their quest to reach the U-20 World Cup this summer with a 3-0 pasting of Jamaica. Goals from recent MLS draftee Peri Marosevic, Rutgers Freshman Dilly Duka and UNC man Billy Schuler carried the US to the comfortable win. The match featured more professionals than college kids but the US educational system was represented. The US can clinch with a win on Sunday against Honduras.

A Few Questions With Brandon Manzonelli

Brandon Manzonelli was nice enough to take some time out of his day to answer a few questions for our blog. Thanks to Brandon for the time and answers.

Me: Would you mind giving a small background of how you got to be where you are?

Brandon:
While I was playing at Scott Gallagher, Manchester United came and put on one of their soccer schools. The coaches really liked my style and told me if I ever came to England to contact them and they would get me a trial with the youth team at Man. Utd. I went to England a few months later and the coach who told me this had moved to Blackburn Rovers. I trained with them for a few days and they told me they wanted me to come back in a few months for a full trial. When I returned I trained for a full week and they wanted to sign me. Before I signed anything I had also trained with Manchester City and had plans to go train with Bolton and Preston North End as well. Before further exploration in English clubs, Villarreal called and said they wanted me to come over to Spain in 2 days. I went to Spain, trained for a week, played in a tournament, scored against Barcelona, and after a total of 2 weeks in Spain, signed a 3 year contract. I played in Spain for a year but was not able to obtain a European passport so I was not able to play there anymore. I came back home, trained at a couple mls clubs, a couple belgian clubs and ended up signing with the New England Revolution last May.

Me: Who has had the biggest effect on your career so far?

Brandon:
I think my mom has had the most effect on my career as she has helped me achieve my goal of a professional soccer player at such a young age. She flew everywhere from Spain, to England, to Belgium, to France in order to help me get where I want. She allowed me to leave my family and my hometown of St. Louis to Spain for a year at just 16 years old. She believes in me the most which helps me perform.

Me: Your fans know that you have trained in Europe. Which country's league do you think is best suited to your game? (Apart from MLS)

Brandon:
MLS is a nice league, but I don't think it suites me as a player. My style is more technical and face paced. I believe Spain was a great place for me as well as England as there is such great skill in each of these leagues and I am a very skillful player myself.

Me: Which professional player do you model yourself after? Whose playing style do you try emulate?

Brandon:
I used to try and emulate Cristiano Ronaldo during his early years at Manchester United. After viewing his achievements as World Player of The Year, I think it was the right choice. HAHA. I enjoy the way he plays as well as it creates a major impact on the game which to me is the most important thing.

Me: Which part of your game do you have to improve the most?

Brandon:
I need to improve mostly on my left foot. I wish I would have practiced on it a bit more when I was younger but it can still get better the more often I use it.

Me: How have you enjoyed your experiences at the Milk Cup with the current Under 20 National Team? Which players impress you from your time playing with them? Who should we (the fans) be looking out for?

Brandon:
The Milk Cup was a great tournament. I think Perry Marosevic who had just been drafted into the MLS and Anthony Wallace who plays at FC Dallas. Another is Vincenzo Bernardo who plays at Napoli in Italy. There are many talented players on the team but these are players who stood out the most to me.

Me: I’m sure you saw the recent USMNT match against Mexico. How did it feel to make an impact in the game (providing two assists in a 3-0 win) against their U-20’s in July?

Brandon:
It was one of the best feelings playing against Mexico in July. I was very proud to represent the USA against them and I was happy to do well in that game.

Me: What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t pursuing a professional soccer career?

Brandon:
I'm not sure what I would be doing if I wasn't playing soccer. I had wanted to play professionally since 6th or 7th grade so I didn't think about too much else. I even promised my teachers and friends that I would play professionally before I finished high school and it just stuck in my mind as what I wanted to do.

Me: Would you advise young players to take your route (straight to the pros) to the top or go to college?

Brandon:
Playing professionally as soon as I did is not for everyone. There is a lot of sacrifices you must make in order to achieve this and some people may regret not going to college or leaving home and everything they've been around all their life. You've got to have a certain passion and love for the game to play professionally and I think this is how many players excel to the highest levels of soccer.

Me: Do you have any trials lined up? Where will we be seeing you in the next few months/years? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Brandon:
I am currently talking to a few clubs in Europe but we'll see where I end up. In 5 years I hope to be playing in Europe and making my way to the top.

Thank you Brandon!

The Felix Garcia Conundrum

Apologies for being away for so long, I have moved countries and restarted my education in a new (extremely hard) school.

I think that many soccer fans look at problems and fail to understand the complexity of them. Hence the use of the word "conundrum" in the title. According to Meriam-Webster dictionary it is defined as " a question or problem having only a conjectural answer b: an intricate and difficult problem." This is crucial to understanding the scope of Felix Garcia's situation with the Houston Dynamo. It is an extremely intricate problem, and as we are fans with little inside knowledge we can only use what we know to express an opinion on the situation.

Here is what I wrote about Felix in September:

Felix Garcia
Club/College: PDL Laredo Heat
Age: 18; July 30, 1990
Position: Forward
Squad Chance: Almost a lock.

Felix Garcia is a wonderkid. He has been a favorite of Thomas Rongen's so far in this cycle. While all reports say he is "raw," he is a 6 footer with a lot of skill that is waiting to be honed in a professional environment. Apparently he is only a senior in HS this fall, so unless he drops out or graduates early he could still be an amateur by Summer 2009. He is reportedly getting looked at by MFL teams and I'm sure Rongen has been called about him by MLS teams.

To give you a rundown on what has been going on with Felix I suggest you read this article by Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/6248997.html

Basically the very talented Felix signed with Houston, then went AWOL: "Since last week’s introduction, Garcia has walked out of an informal practice and skipped a meeting and mandatory physical. He also left town without notice, which caused him to miss the first week of training camp, actions that might hurt his chances of ever stepping onto the field donning the orange jersey."

No one knows for sure what the problem is. Apparently he is very close to his family and girlfriend saying this at his signing ceremony: "I feel very happy to be here. I came here to play soccer and enjoy my life with my girlfriend. I want to take the opportunity to thank those that had something to do with this. It's a dream come true, and I can't wait to get on the pitch." (MLSNET.com)

It's obvious that the desire is there, and he has never had problems before with the U-20's otherwise the very professional Rongen would have dropped him without a second thought. He has a reputation of being humble and hardworking. Whatever the problem is, it is complex, but it is nothing that should stop Felix from fulfilling his dream.

I hope that fans are patient and realize that Felix can be a great player for the Dynamo. I hope that Houston are in constant contact with Felix and make arrangements to help his family and girlfriend move to Houston if needed. I hope that they involve Rongen (who seems to be Felix's professional mentor at this point) in this transition. I hope that Felix realizes that the best thing for himself, his family, and his girlfriend is for Felix to make his way back to Houston and start his professional career. And mostly, I hope that this is not the last blog post you read about Felix Garcia.

Contact me at USvsIreland AT gmail.com

Looking Ahead to 2009: The Involvement of College Soccer Players

Hey! I am a new blogger here at FCTP! My name is USvsIreland and I am a student who is a massive fan of US Soccer. Hope you enjoy the first piece.

Looking Ahead to 2009: The Involvement of College Soccer Players

       What went largely unnoticed in the furor of our Olympic exploits (or lack thereof) is that the United States sent a Youth National Team to a tournament without a single non-professional player. This by itself is a huge success and it shows that player development has come a long way in this country. It still has a long way to go, but we are showing progress. The fastest way to success is a large and deep pool of professional players. Can we repeat this feat in 2009 with our U-20's? The 2007 U-20 Side had 7 amateurs, most of which were Defenders or Goalkeepers.

Here is a look at some non-professional players who have a shot at making the U-20 WYC Roster:

Felix Garcia
Club/College: PDL Laredo Heat
Age: 18; July 30, 1990
Position: Forward
Squad Chance: Almost a lock.

Felix Garcia is a wonderkid. He has been a favorite of Thomas Rongen's so far in this cycle. While all reports say he is "raw," he is a 6 footer with a lot of skill that is waiting to be honed in a professional environment. Apparently he is only a senior in HS this fall, so unless he drops out or graduates early he could still be an amateur by Summer 2009. He is reportedly getting looked at by MFL teams and I'm sure Rongen has been called about him by MLS teams.

Sheanon Williams
Club/College: NCAA Div I University of North Carolina
Age: 18; March 17, 1990
Position: Right Back/Midfield
Squad Chance: Lock.

Sheanon is a self-described Right Back, Right Midfielder, and Forward. He has been starting at Right Back for the U20's so far. Formerly at Bradenton, Sheanon already has U-17 WC experience and with a lack of any pro option on the right side of defense, I think we will most likely be seeing Sheanon in Egypt in 2009. Will he stay amateur? He has trialed in Holland, and may be waiting for that GenAd contract in the winter.


Ike Opara
Club/College: NCAA Div I Wake Forest
Age: 19; February 21, 1989
Position: Central Defense
Squad Chance: Lock

Opara got a lot of notice for his important part of the Championship winning Wake Forest defense. He started 23 games including the Championship game. At 6 foot 2, he has a strong powerful presence and is great in the air. He has already won everything there is to be won at the college level and if he performs similarly to 2007 he may find himself contemplating a GenAd contract offer this winter.

Perica Marosevic
Club/College: NCAA Div I University of Michigan
Age: 19; May 5, 1989
Position: Forward
Squad Chance: Good Chances, needs to keep scoring.

Peri Marosevic has a fairly prolific scoring record at YNT level for the US. He was at Bradenton and a longtime U-18 player. In order to keep Rongen's attention, Peri needs to keep scoring at the college level once the season starts. While his college stats may not sound impressive (6 goals in 18 starts last season) he was his school's top scorer by 2 goals. Will he stay an amateur? He has trialed in Germany before and may look there or to MLS if he wants to increase his chances of making this roster. His recent 2 goals against Mexico will not go unnoticed.

Richard Balchan
Club/College: Indiana University
Age: 19; January 18, 1989
Position: Defense/Midfield
Squad Chance: Good Chances

Richard is listed as a midfielder with Indiana but has been playing Central Defense for the U20's during the trip to England and at the Milk Cup. So far I have read mixed reviews, but Rongen obviously sees something in him as his repeated call ups show. Rongen may be hoping to teach Balchan this new position in time for the WYC. I don't see a clamor for his signature this winter, but could be one who will benefit strongly from a good WYC showing a la Wynne and Feilhaber.

Chris Agorsor
Club/College: University of Virginia
Age: 18; January 9, 1990
Position: Forward/Winger
Squad Chances: Good Chances

Rongen made some statements about 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year and USSF Academy Player of the Year Chris lately that I interpreted to mean: You're very talented, but you need to improve and the best way to do that is getting your behind over to Europe. This kid is becoming a bit of an internet legend. He has trialed all over Europe, mostly in England and could be going anywhere after this fall season. He has a great chance to make the squad if he keeps making the headlines. Rongen will definitely be following his every move.

Hope you enjoyed it so far stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.

If you have any questions/comments feel free to post them or E-mail me at USvsIreland AT gmail.com.

Thanks!

A New Route To The Pros...

Last year Chivas USA held what seemed to be a publicity stunt. They allowed 2,000 kids try out for the team, taped it and put it on TV as yet another reality show with a prize. One kid won, and he actually played a game in MLS. Jorge Flores's 2007 statistics don't say a whole lot. He only played in one game for 14 minutes. However, Coach Thomas Rongen has decided to include him in an upcoming US U-20 team traveling to Argentina. Good for Flores. He's gone from High School player, to reality tv show winner to professional footballer to US U-20 player. That sounds more like living the American dream then a lot of other stories about how kids got to the pros. Good for the Chivas USA coaching staff for taking the competition seriously and helping a young kid live his dream.

American Salvatore Zizzo Crosses The Pond...

I don't know what it is about UCLA players and Germany, but another UCLA soccer player has signed a professional contract in Germany...this time with Hannover 96. Sal Zizzo was headed into his junior season at UCLA but will put off finishing school to go after the European soccer dream.

Zizzo was one of my favorites to get a Generation Adidas contract in January 2007 because of his stellar performance at the 2006 College Cup as a sophomore. He and MLS didn't come to terms and it looked like we'd see him playing for a NCAA championship in 2007. However, things chance and it looks like we won't get to see that.

Sal grew up in the US youth set up having played in various international tournaments with the U-18 and U-20 teams. He was an All-American in 2005 before enrolling at UCLA. The Southern California native could be in for a shock moving to Germany. Could we see another Landon Donovan situation?

I am disappointed. Sal is an exciting midfielder/forward who can cause chaos on the right wing. During the recent U-20 World Cup he featured heavily in the US' run to the quarterfinals, but he never was in top form since he was in his off-season. I'm not saying he had a sub-par performance, I'm just saying the professional players on the US team showed better. I'm excited to see what this kid can acomplish as a professional player.

With Sal going to Europe his development should accelerate. He's getting into the professional game at a great age and the German system, known for its discipline and rigor, should help him grow as a player. Look for Zizzo to continue featuring in the US youth setup. He should have a great shot at the 2008 Olympics with the U-23 team.

US U-20 Lose In Quarterfinals...Again...

The US U-20 men are making a habit of winning their group and then losing in the next couple rounds. Major League Soccer Talk put together this great history of the US' performance in the U-20 World Cup. They have now accomplished this feat three tournaments in a row.

This is how major tournaments go. They favorites often do well in the group stage and then the effects of many games in a short period of time catch up with them. They run up against an opponent who puts together the perfect tactic to beat them. Luck doesn't shine upon them. Winning a World Cup title takes talent, skill, good coaching and most of all...luck. The US didn't have any luck helping them score goals against Austria this weekend.

I had high hopes. Especially after the US beat Brazil to clinch the group win. When the young nats almost lost to Uruguay my faith was jolted but I convinced myself they would learn from mistakes and come out stronger against Austria. Austria who was clearly an underdog. They hadn't even made it to the final stage of the event in 28 years or something. The US had to win and I was already looking forward to a semifinal match against Spain. Too bad for both the US and Spain that wasn't to be, as it looks like sublime Spain lost to a tough Czech Republic squad.

Uruguay pressed us, didn't let us make good decisions and passes. They kept us from using our most talented players and they almost beat us. Austria came out and did the same thing. But they were able to take it a step further, they broke down our defense and put on incredible offensive pressure getting many shots from right outside the 18 yard box. It is hard to win against a team that plays like that.

I think Austria figured out the biggest weakness on the squad, the defense. Keeper Chris Seitz was hobbling from the first minute and a 50/50 college to professional ratio defensive line was inexperienced and made mistakes. Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore did what they could to balance the inexperience, but they couldn't do it all.

Until next time my friends. Now our hope for a World Championship rests on the U-17s. Their quest for glory starts on the 20th of August when they take on Tajikistan. On paper the US group is much easier this time around. We play Belgium, Tajikistan and Tunisia before hopefully moving on to the knock out stage.

Thanks to Major League Soccer Talk's research I'll have a new sidebar up and running here today. Enjoy.

US U-20s Advance to Quarterfinals...

Last night the US U-20 team looked to be in trouble. In the 73rd minute Uruguay scored a goal, to take the lead 1-0, that capped off a period of time where they looked dominant. In the minutes running up to the Uruguay goal I said to myself, "this is it, it is over." There were many stretches of play where it seemed the US couldn't string two passes together. Where they couldn't find their creative engine, Freddy Adu. Josmer Altidore was out with a knock after being hacked all night long, and he had been the most dangerous American player to that point.

Uruguay played the game right last night. They pressured well. They took the game to the US. They didn't let the US think about passes to make and it forced a lot of errors. I can't even count how many times the US passed to the other team. The US looked like a bunch of amateurs, which is not what they looked like against Brazil.

The starting team was 36% amateur. College players Brian Perk, Julian Valentin, Tony Beltran and Sal Zizzo got the start. Andre Akpan came on for the injured Altidore to bring the college total to five players.

There is an interesting comparison between the professional left starting flank and the right flank. On the left you have pros Athony Wallace & Robbie Rogers, while on the right you have college players Tony Beltran & Sal Zizzo. In my opinion Wallace defended better and Rogers was more dangerous with the ball then their team mates on the other side of the field. Additionally, both Beltran and Zizzo were subbed out of the game. I'm not going to say that the professional players were more talented or more qualified to be there. I am going to say that they were better prepared. The pros are in mid-season shape while the college players haven't played a serious game since the fall of 2006 (yes there is the college spring season, but the NCAA puts a lot of restrictions around practice and playing time in the off-season so it isn't the same as the fall).

Throughout this event the college players have shown they can play, but they've also showed they are not at their peak form. Brian Perk was shaky to start the match and gave up a tough rebound that led to the Uruguay goal. He did improve and we should give him a break since this was his first start in the tournament.

The biggest weakness this American team has is defense. Last night they were shaky and they committed a lot of fouls in dangerous places. They were lucky Uruguay didn't have David Beckham to take the free kicks from right outside the 18. The US will face Austria in the Quarterfinal this Saturday. They had better work on better organization in the back or they will not make it to the Semifinals.

In the World Cup there is always a bit of luck on the side of the eventual champions. Last night the US were lucky Uruguay let up the pressure after their goal, allowing the US more possession and time to create a goal, all be it an own goal. The US dogged a bullet and in the next match they had better control from the start, create good chances early and take a lead into the half. Because next time a squeaker comes around, it could be the other team's lucky day.

US U-20 Men In the Round of 16...

The US got a favorable draw for the knock out rounds of the U-20 World Cup. The path to the championship starts tomorrow, July 11, against Uruguay. Uruguay is certainly the underdog in the upcoming match as they only won one game, against Jordan, in group play. They tied against Spain and lost to Zambia.

The US has beaten the kings of soccer, Brazil. So any other team they play will certainly be nervous to play the giant killers. Similarly the US will play with new found bravado since they beat the big boys.

To my surprise there could be a rematch of the great group stage game if both Brazil and the US advance to the semi-finals. To do that, Brazil has to beat Spain in the round of 16, which will not be an easy task. Argentina, Poland, Portugal and Mexico are on the other side of the knock out tree and will not be seen until the final, should the US advance.

Things could get exciting this week! With a win over Uruguay I'm sure the US will be full of confidence and ready for anything.

Keep an eye on our college friends on the team. They are getting playing time, however I'm not sure Tony Beltran will get the start next time. He played ok but gave up possession a lot against Brazil. The Coach may want to give someone else a shot. Zizzo and Beltran did link up well together but you could tell they were outclassed by their professional team mates in many cases.

U-20 World Cup is Upon Us...

This entire year I've been more excited about the U-20 World Cup then I have the Gold Cup or Copa America. I guess that is the kind of guy I am. I am disappointed to say I won't be able to see much of either event because I am going to be in Minnesota on a Lake without cable television during the majority of the remaining US Soccer events. I also don't get GOLtv despite paying a ton of money for digital cable, thank you Comcast.

Today Thomas Rongen announced his roster. 21 U-20 players will head to a pre-tournament camp this weekend and their first match in Canada is June 30th against South Korea. Seven of the players are college players and depending on their play in the tournament they could skip the fall college season if the right professional team comes calling. I hope MLS will be included in that group as I think the college kids on this team are some of the most exciting prospects the US has seen. However, foreign clubs use this event as a shopping market of young talent. A good performance in Canada will mean big money for the top talent from around the world.

You can check the above link and announcement for the entire roster. The college players follow:
Brian Perk - GK - UCLA
Steve Sandbo - GK - SMU
Tony Beltran - D - UCLA
Ofori Sarkodie - D - Indiana University
Julian Valentin - D - Wake Forest
Andre Akpan - F - Harvard
Sal Zizzo - F - UCLA

The college kids are certainly at a disadvantage to their professional teammates as they are coming off a short spring season and maybe some PDL time while the MLS pros are coming off 10 weeks of full time soccer and the Euro pros are coming off a full season. It will be interesting to see how coach Rongen integrates the professionals and the non-professionals. They're all going to be at different fitness levels.

Keep an eye on these kids, they're our future pros.

A Busy Summer Coming Up for American Soccer...

In addition to a full slate of MLS, USL and PDL games this summer, the international calendar is chock full as well. Most American soccer fans drool over the World Cup, but this off year will provide four separate international Men's tournaments. The senior team is playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the CONMEBOL Copa America. The U-20 team has a World Cup in Canada while the U-17 team will be in Korea. Soccer fans delight, we've got games to watch.

In the past the U-20 team has been dominated by college players from American colleges but that is changing. As professionals start to enter the ranks, the Americans will have to be taken more seriously. There is currently a camp where head coach Rongen is evaluating talent and names on the roster vary from high school kids in the Bradenton residency program, to college kids to MLS players to European professionals. I think when the dust settles the team going to Canada will be made up mostly of professional players, putting the Americans on equal footing with the rest of the world. In fact, Freddy Adu thinks the team is ready to shine in the 2007 tournament. The Americans kick off a difficult group D on June 30th against South Korea, then on July 3rd face Poland and finish group play against Brazil on July 6th. Hopefully Adu can lead the team past some tough competition into the knock out rounds.

The U-17 team will be stocked with a lot more talent we'll see in college some day soon. Most if not all of the players going to Korea with coach Hackworth will be from the Bradenton residency program. This is a good thing for the American's chances because the players will all know each other and there won't be a game wasted as players become familiar with each other's styles. An easier group draw should benefit the Americans. The US U-17's were drawn into Group E along with Belgium, Tajikistan and Tunisia. The US will start against Tajikistan on August 20th, followed by matches against Tunisia on the 23rd and Belgium on the 26th. This will be the place to see some American stars of tomorrow.

The full Men's national team will no doubt rely on all professionals this summer so we won't focus on them. The most interesting thing in my opinion is that MLS Rookie and FCTP Rookie of the Week winner, Michael Harrington, is being named as a possible member of either the Copa America or Gold Cup side. Coach Bradley will certainly pull from a large group since there are two major tournaments so close in time, but has Harrington really proven himself ready for a full national team cap? We'll see I suppose. The Gold Cup roster is expected today as that tournament kicks off in Miami on June 6th.

Enjoy a full summer of games soccer fans!