The United States is going to the U-20 World Cup full of confidence, as left back Jonathan Gómez has said his team has the players to win the tournament in Argentina.
Some of the top American U-20 players, like Paxten Aaronson, Brian Gutiérrez and Jalen Neal, were held back by their clubs, but head coach Mikey Varas was still able to call on a talented group of 21 players for the World Cup.
One of those is Gómez, who is expected to start for the U.S. when they kick off the tournament on Saturday against Ecuador. Speaking to Pro Soccer Wire ahead of the tournament, the 19-year-old was in a confident mood about his team’s chances.
“We want to win the tournament, and we think we have the players to do so,” Gómez said. “So I would say that’s the ultimate goal.”
Gómez is one of four players on the roster who have been capped by the full USMNT, which along with his age gives him an important leadership role on the team.
“We have quite a few 2004 [birth years] in the group and I think two or three ’05s. So me being an ’03, I automatically see myself as one of the mentors,” Gómez says. “Not necessarily because I have senior [national team] appearances, but just because I’m older, I have a little bit more experience. So I try to be [a mentor] for the group.”
𝗨.𝗦. against the world 🌎💪
Head coach Mikey Varas has called up 21 players to represent the 🇺🇸 at the U-20 @FIFAWorldCup in Argentina! ≫ https://t.co/3ZgQoIB5aW pic.twitter.com/vQsmiJZuwd
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) May 10, 2023
Though he’s still a teenager, Gómez is already in his fifth season as a professional. As he rose through the FC Dallas academy (where he was coached by Varas), Gómez was eager to find first-team minutes as quickly as possible.
USL side Louisville City was more than happy to give him that chance, signing the then-16-year-old in 2020. It looked like a risky move to drop down a division at the time, but Gómez doesn’t see it that way.
“It was a risk but it was a risk that I was willing to take,” Gómez said. “Just like if I stayed at FC Dallas, it was going to be a risk knowing that I would have turned down the Louisville City opportunity.
“If I stayed at FC Dallas, who knows what would have happened. Who knows where I’d be right now.”
Right now, Gómez is in Spain with Real Sociedad, which he joined in early 2022. He’s featured for the club’s reserves, appearing on the bench for the senior side a handful of times but has yet to make his first-team debut.
Sitting in fourth place in La Liga, Real Sociedad is in prime position for a Champions League berth. It’s obviously great for the team but could the club’s success be somewhat hindering Gómez’s path to a debut?
“Hopefully they get into Champions League, that’d be unreal for the club,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a victim of the club’s success. I think everything’s going to happen at a certain time and you can’t really rush anything. So I’m just working hard and waiting patiently for when that time comes.”
Gómez — who signed with Paradigm Sports this February — didn’t want to be drawn on whether he’d seek out a loan next season if first-team opportunities didn’t arise.
While he sorts out his club situation, there is also a looming decision over his international future. Gómez, despite his young age, is one of only a handful of players to be capped by both the USMNT and Mexico at the senior level.
Born in Texas to Mexican parents, Gómez said representing both countries so early in his career was a major honor.
“Being Mexican-American, growing up in a Mexican household but growing up in the U.S., you get a little bit of both cultures,” he said. “So then to be able to represent both sides, it’s just an extreme honor.”
The U.S. does have a leg up in one notable area: it qualified for the U-20 World Cup and next summer’s Olympics, in which Gómez is eligible to play. Mexico did not.
Ahead of the USA’s opener, Gómez isn’t taking the opportunity to play in any sort of World Cup for granted.
“It’s any kid’s dream to be a part of any World Cup, whether it be a senior World Cup, U-17, or U-20. So when I got that call, I was extremely excited,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
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