Tag: Diego Luna

USYNT makes hard work out of Fiji in second U-20 World Cup win

Better late than never, right?

The U.S. U-20 national team is proving that late is better than never.

The United States notched a second straight U-20 World Cup win, but were held for over an hour by group minnows Fiji before eventually running out 3-0 victors.

Thanks to Jonathan Gómez thundering home a stoppage-time winner, the U.S. opened their group stage slate with a dramatic 1-0 win over Ecuador. It wasn’t quite that late against Fiji, but what seemed to be the least-challenging game in the group turned into a tall task thanks to some wayward finishing and Fiji goalkeeper Aydin Ashaz Mustahib’s saves.

The U.S. peppered his goal with 31 shots, but despite them camping out in and around the Fiji penalty area, the game was still scoreless after 65 minutes.

Mikey Varas’ side kept plugging away though, and Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna produced an opportunistic breakthrough in traffic.

The floodgates were open, but the goal rush didn’t arrive until the game’s final moments, and it took something special. Cade Cowell decided to see if he could match Gómez on the highlight reel, unleashing a vicious, bending shot from 20 yards in the 88th minute.

Underlining this team’s apparent penchant for scoring very late, Caleb Wiley — like Luna, a substitute on the day — popped up nine minutes into second-half stoppage time to tap home a third after Brandan Craig’s free kick bounced off the post.

While the win doesn’t guarantee the U.S. first place in Group B just yet, it does mean they have a place somewhere in the round of 16. The U.S. will face Slovakia in their group finale on May 26, and will claim the top spot with a draw or win.

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USMNT prospects: Aaronson breaking through in MLS, Fletcher scoring in USL

While Brenden Aaronson is turning heads in the Premier League, his younger brother, Paxten, is breaking through in MLS

U.S. fans are understandably abuzz projecting the 2022 World Cup roster and debating the best hypothetical XI for Qatar. But there are reasons beyond the upcoming World Cup to get excited about the USMNT’s future.

After the World Cup, the U.S. will compete in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia, followed by the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.

The 2022 World Cup is — of course — the most notable tournament, and it’s on deck first. But we can’t help but look ahead to the next generation, so we’ve started a series tracking USMNT prospects to watch.

Here’s our first installment of sporadic check-ins with some of American soccer’s up-and-coming prospects for 2023 and beyond.