Tag: USMNT U-20

Curse of the quarterfinals strikes again as USA crashes out of U-20 World Cup

The U.S. has been eliminated in the last eight for the fourth straight time

For a fourth straight time at the U-20 World Cup, the United States men have been eliminated at the quarterfinal stage.

The U.S. fell 2-0 to Uruguay in the last eight on Sunday, continuing the team’s last-eight curse at this competition.

This may have been the most frustrating of all four eliminations though, as this U.S. team entered Sunday’s match looking like one of, if not the favorite to win the whole tournament in Argentina.

Mikey Varas’s side went into the match in flawless form, having won all four of its World Cup matches while scoring 10 goals and conceding none.

But Sunday’s match in Santiago del Estero was a hugely frustrating affair for a team that was not dominated by any stretch, but which made crucial mistakes at both ends of the pitch to crash out in heartbreaking fashion.

The U.S. saw its tournament-long shutout streak end in the 21st minute after a defensive breakdown led to an easy tap-in for Anderson Duarte.

The U.S. pushed for an equalizer but couldn’t find a decisive moment in the final third. Then, on 56 minutes, disaster struck.

A fairly innocuous cross came in low from the left flank, but Josh Wynder’s attempted sliding clearance ricocheted backwards off his own leg and barely squirmed past Gabriel Slonina for a disastrous own goal.

That proved too much for the U-20s to recover from. When a sure goal from Cade Cowell was blocked off the line by his own teammate, it became apparent that it would not be the USA’s night.

Overall it was a positive World Cup for the USA, which controlled the vast majority of its five matches and played an eye-catching style that also proved rock solid at the back.

But once again, the U.S. will go home disappointed at the quarterfinal stage of a U-20 World Cup. The team can be pleased with its overall display in Argentina, but it’s hard to imagine the U.S. U-20s having a better shot to win a World Cup than it did in 2023.

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USMNT using Nations League, Gold Cup to ‘pressure test’ player pool

Callaghan is focused on creating “a wide, deep player pool” for the 2026 World Cup

The U.S. men’s national team is facing a busy summer, and it sounds like fans should expect a lot of players being tested.

Interim head coach B.J. Callaghan said as much on Thursday, repeatedly emphasizing that one of his major objectives in the coming months is to expand and deepen the player pool with an eye on the 2026 World Cup.

“The main objective that we were trying to accomplish here with the Nations League and looking to the Gold Cup, is how we can expose the most amount of players in our player pool,” Callaghan told reporters in a press conference shortly after releasing his CONCACAF Nations League roster.

While the Nations League squad includes some USMNT stalwarts like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson, there are also three uncapped players (Folarin Balogun, Drake Callender, and Josh Cohen) and four more with three or fewer caps.

The newly-appointed coach noted that in the absence of World Cup qualifying, it will be vital “to make them battle-tested in knockout type of games, tournament group play type of games.”

“It’s two big tournaments for us,” said Callaghan. “An important piece for us [is] to use as many players as possible, to make sure that as we continue on this journey to the 2026 World Cup, these big moments that come across, we have the most experienced player pool as possible.”

Callaghan: ‘Pressure testing’ key

Callaghan made it clear that the focus in the coming months will include identifying new contributors and helping youth national team players take the next step up the ladder.

“It’s the same reason that Mikey Varas is down with the U-20 group, that is a really strong group and doing a lot and having a lot of success,” said Callaghan. “It’s our responsibility to have as many players exposed to high-level, knockout stage, group stage type of environments. That’s going to extend beyond the Gold Cup as well, when we look into 2024 and 2025, when you’re looking at the Olympics and you’re looking at Copa America and all of these tournaments.”

For the 41-year-old, making sure the team is ready for high-pressure environments — especially as the schedule will lack the cauldron that is qualifying in CONCACAF — is an imperative. That means both from the angle of analyzing individual players, and in terms of readying a robust internal culture for a World Cup in just over three years’ time.

“You’re pressure testing your on-field ability, you’re pressure testing each individual’s ability to handle the pressure, and you’re also pressure testing the culture, right?” explained Callaghan. “That’s what holds everything together and allows you to be successful.”

“We don’t know what the 2026 player pool is going to look like,” said Callaghan. “This is what we’re dealing with in the short term, but it’s a much broader picture of how we can prepare a wide, deep player pool for competition as we prepare for 2026.”

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U.S. dominates New Zealand in U-20 World Cup round of 16

The U.S. won 4-0 in a match that was really never in doubt

For the fourth straight time, the U.S. has reached the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup.

Now, the trick will be advancing past the last eight.

The U.S. overwhelmed New Zealand 4-0 in the round of 16 on Tuesday, dominating their opposition for most of the match while also keeping a clean sheet for the fourth straight game.

Mikey Varas’s side, who are the only team left at the World Cup yet to concede a goal, will now face either Gambia or Uruguay on Sunday in the quarterfinal in Santiago, Argentina.

The U.S. opened the scoring in strange fashion. Owen Wolff’s 14th-minute effort didn’t look like it had the power to beat New Zealand goalkeeper Kees Sims, who nevertheless mistakenly thought it was going wide and let it go — only to watch the ball nestle into the far corner.

Despite the fluky nature of the goal, it was no less than the USA deserved. There would be plenty more chances to add a killer second goal, which finally arrived in the 61st minute through Cade Cowell.

It was Cowell’s third of the tournament and there was more to come for the USA, who saw Justin Che clean up a rebound off a counterattack to make it 3-0. Rokas Pukštas then headed home a free kick just minutes after making his tournament debut.

The U.S. has been outstanding at the World Cup so far, winning four straight games by an aggregate score of 10-0 while playing an eye-catching brand of soccer.

Though the U.S. has reached the quarterfinal for a fourth straight U-20 World Cup, it has lost all three of its previous last-eight matches. Varas and co. will be hoping that this year, the fourth time is the charm.

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Cowell and Slonina star as USA finishes perfect U-20 World Cup group stage

The U.S. defeated Slovakia 2-0 behind goals from two San Jose Earthquakes players

The U.S. completed a perfect group stage at the U-20 World Cup, defeating Slovakia 2-0 on Friday to advance as Group B winners.

The San Jose Earthquakes provided both of the goalscorers for the USA. Cade Cowell opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a superb individual effort, while Niko Tsakiris put the game away with a goal in second-half stoppage time.

Though the U.S. controlled much of the proceedings, Gabriel Slonina was called into action on multiple occasions, and his tremendous sprawling save in the first half kept Slovakia off the board.

Slonina has not conceded a goal in three games so far at the World Cup, all of which have been wins for the U.S. As Group B winners, the U.S. will now face a third-place team on Tuesday in the round of 16.

Cowell gave Slovakia fits all game with his pace and close control, but his finishing let him down on multiple occasions. He did, however, find a telling finish in the 38th minute to give his side the lead after bypassing no fewer than four defenders.

Slonina then prevented Slovakia from scoring against the run of play with an outstanding diving stop.

Slovakia took more control as it pushed for an equalizer late in the game, but Tsakiris put the game away by showing real composure inside the box after a pass from Quinn Sullivan.

After defeating Ecuador, Fiji and Slovakia, the U.S. will get two key reinforcements for the knockout stage: Kevin Paredes and Rokas Pukštas will join up ahead of the last 16 after their club sides agreed to release them if the U.S. advanced past the group stage.

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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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Jonathan Gomez delivers late golazo, giving US U20s World Cup win vs. Ecuador

JoGo with a bomb to win it in stoppage time

When Jonathan Gómez said the U.S. U-20 national team had the players to win the U-20 World Cup, he may have been talking about himself.

Earlier this week, Gómez told Pro Soccer Wire that he felt the 21-player squad Mikey Varas had assembled had the quality to win the tournament, and he backed up his point by scoring a stoppage-time rocket to give the United States a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their Group B opener.

For the United States, the match was shaping up to be a frustrating start to the tournament. They held Ecuador without a single shot on goal while forcing Gilmar Napa into five saves at the other end. However, as stoppage time began, the scoreboard still read 0-0, and it was looking like the U.S. would have to settle for a point at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario.

Gómez had other ideas. The Real Sociedad defender isn’t exactly known for his goalscoring — he has three in 90 professional appearances — and as a left back, he’s not known for charging up the right flank.

Nevertheless, two minutes into stoppage time, that’s where the space was, and that’s where he ended up. With the U.S. sending numbers forward in pursuit of a late winner, Gómez picked up Owen Wolff’s crossfield ball before launching a rocket past Napa.

Beyond being a thrilling winner to cap off an assured performance, it sets the U.S. up extremely well in Group B. A win against Fiji (May 23) or Slovakia (May 26) would make advancement to the knockout stage a virtual certainty. A first-place finish in the group is well within reach now, and that would seal a round-of-16 clash against a third-place finisher on May 30.

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Jonathan Gomez: We have the players to win the U-20 World Cup

The left back is in a confident mood ahead of the tournament’s kickoff on Saturday

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.”

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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Che returns to FC Dallas after Hoffenheim declines purchase option

The 19-year-old made just three senior appearances for the club during his loan

Justin Che will return to FC Dallas after Hoffenheim confirmed it has declined its purchase option on the U.S. Under-20 defender.

“Justin and Eduardo [Quaresma] are talented guys with great character who have both repeatedly shown promise,” Hoffenheim sporting director Alexander Rosen told the club’s website.

“However, we agree with the players that they need regular playing time at this stage of their careers to develop continuously. We can’t guarantee them that with us.”

Hoffenheim added that Che had already said goodbye to his teammates after he departed to join up with the U.S. U-20 World Cup squad.

The 19-year-old came up through the FC Dallas academy before he joined Bayern Munich on a brief loan in 2021. After returning to Dallas, where he made 15 MLS appearances in the 2021 season, Che joined Hoffenheim in January 2022 on a year-and-a-half loan.

The defender mostly featured for Hoffenheim’s reserves during his time with the German club, making just three senior appearances over a season and a half.

After he was promoted to Hoffenheim’s senior team permanently in January, Che suffered a muscle injury in February that would spell the end of his time with the club.

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U.S. U-20 coach Varas proud as Frankfurt holds Aaronson out of World Cup

Varas said Frankfurt decided the 19-year-old was too important to be released

U.S. U-20 head coach Mikey Varas said he was disappointed but also proud of Paxten Aaronson after Eintracht Frankfurt refused to release the attacker for the U-20 World Cup.

Aaronson has become a key bench option for Frankfurt after joining in January, having appeared in four straight Bundesliga matches.

The 19-year-old’s development has seen his club side deem him too valuable to release for the U-20 World Cup, which does not take place within the FIFA calendar and therefore doesn’t require teams to let players go.

Aaronson was one of several players held back by their clubs, including Chicago fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady, as well as LA Galaxy defender Jalen Neal.

Losing Aaronson, the top scorer and player of the tournament in last summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship, is a major blow for the U.S. but Varas opted to look at the positives after the ex-Philadelphia Union player was omitted from his 21-man roster.

“In terms of Frankfurt, we had ongoing discussions not just with Frankfurt, but with every club across MLS and internationally,” Varas said on a conference call. “We tried to find the best solutions to cooperate. Unfortunately for us and for Paxten, it wasn’t able to be but at the same time, we’re really proud that Paxten has become such an important part of Frankfurt’s team that they don’t feel that they can release him.”

Even though Varas is clearly aiming to go as far as possible in the World Cup, he emphasized that as a youth national team head coach, player development had to be his top priority.

“We’re disappointed that some players weren’t released but at the same time, our number one priority here is individual player development,” Varas said. “So we’re also proud of the fact that these players have become so important during the cycle that they’re no longer viewed as releasable for this type of tournament.”

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USMNT U-20 World Cup roster: Aaronson out, Paredes in for U.S.

Several clubs prevented players from joining the roster, but Mikey Varas still has a strong team

Head coach Mikey Varas has named a 21-player roster that will represent the United States at the Under-20 World Cup, which kicks off later this month in Argentina.

The squad has been weakened after several clubs blocked their players from competing in the tournament, which does not fall on the FIFA calendar and therefore does not require teams to let their players go.

But Varas has still been able to name a strong roster, with other clubs allowing some key players to represent the U.S. at the tournament.

In a major blow, Eintracht Frankfurt did not release Paxten Aaronson, the top scorer and player of the tournament in last summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said last week the club wouldn’t release midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady — which remained true even after Hendrickson was sacked this week.

The LA Galaxy have also prevented defender Jalen Neal from joining the squad, with the 19-year-old becoming a starter this season.

Interestingly, Croatian club Hajduk Split said last week it wouldn’t be releasing midfielder Rokas Pukštas, but the 18-year-old is on the roster.

Kevin Paredes, who has become a regular with Wolfsburg this season, was also on the squad in a boost for the U.S., as was Atlanta United’s rising left back Caleb Wiley.

Varas said on a conference call that Paredes and Pukštas would be joining the team after the group stage, should the U.S. advance.

The U.S. kicks off Group B play on May 20 against Ecuador then faces Fiji on May 23 and Slovakia on May 26 to close out the group.

The top two finishers from each of the six groups, as well as the four best third-place teams will advance to the round of 16.

USMNT U-20 World Cup roster (caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS: Alexander Borto (Fulham/ENG; South Plainfield, N.J.; 2/0), Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 4/0), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.; 5/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Justin Che (Hoffenheim/GER; Dallas, Texas; 6/0), Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 10/1), Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 13/1), Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.; 11/0), Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad/ESP; Keller, Texas; 6/0), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.; 5/0), Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC; Louisville, Ky.; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls; Warren, N.J.; 10/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; Sunnyvale, Calif.; 16/4), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Middle Village, N.Y.; 16/2), Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.; 12/1), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.; 5/3), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC; Anchorage, Alaska; 4/0), Owen Wolff (Austin FC; Austin, Texas; 3/1)

FORWARDS (4): Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.; 7/2), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Va.; 6/2), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 15/7), Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.; 3/0)

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