The next great stars of world football take center stage every time the U20s World Cup comes around. Stars like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Paul Pogba made their names and kickstarted their careers thanks to an inspired run in this tournament. For the first time in four years, there is a U20 World Cup and an underdog hungry to show who they are! The USA U20s made the quarterfinal of the last U20 World Cup; this time, they’re looking for a little bit of revenge and the chance to show that this is a sleeping giant on the Worlds stage.
US U20s look to make a splash in World Cup
The U20 World Cup is always a fun event! The next generation of stars can be made here while competing to be champions of the world. This US U20s side is ready to show that they are a team on the rise; that they could win this tournament and ramp up the hype leading to the 2026 World Cup.
For the US U20s, they will look to go through Group B play against Ecuador, Fiji, and Slovakia and then make a knockout round run. After falling short in the Quarterfinals of the last U20 World Cup, this squad is relentlessly ready to show that they can go even further in the tournament.
This US team is ruthless in their attack, dominating in their midfield, and resilient in their defense and goalkeeping. If there was any time for a US U20s team to make a run and win the tournament, this would be the time.
Union trio looks to have a huge impact
The 21 players who will represent the USA on the Worlds Stage may all be under 20, but they have incredible professional experience already. The roster is filled with starters, role players, and bench players of pro teams from around the world. Here’s a look at the roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 21-Alexander Borto (Fulham), 12-Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas), 1-Gaga Slonina (Chelsea).
DEFENDERS (7): 17-Justin Che (Hoffenheim), 5-Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union), 2-Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy), 14-Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy), 13-Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad), 3-Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC), 4-Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC).
MIDFIELDERS (7): 6-Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls), 10-Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), 8-Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), 20-Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split), 15-Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes), 18-Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC), 16-Owen Wolff (Austin FC).
FORWARDS (4): 9-Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), 11-Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), 7-Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), 19-Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids).
You’ll see three names on the roster from the Philadelphia Union; defender, Brandan Craig, midfielder, Jack McGlynn, and forward, Quinn Sullivan. These three are poised to be very important pieces to the success of the US U20s. All three should get some starts in the tournament, and could just give them the confidence to progress into star status after this tournament!
USA vs Ecuador to kick things off
In the last iteration of this tournament, the US U20s fell in the quarterfinals to Ecuador. They start the 2023 tournament in the group stage against that very side. While the squads are completely different, there is no doubt that the USA is out for revenge in this matchup.
Points in these group stage matches are oh so important for all nations in this competition. With the four best third-place teams making the Round of 16, getting positive results in the first games can create a huge boost to the confidence of making the knockout rounds. Could this be a driving factor in the US U20s motivation to hit Ecuador hard?
We’ll see how this game goes, it will be a feisty one for sure and could be the most difficult game for the USA in Group B play. Should this game not go USA’s way, they will have a great bounce-back opportunity on Tuesday against Fiji; they then will finish Group B play against Slovakia on Friday. The US should be able to get out of this group, and depending on their showing against Ecuador, could be favorites to win it. Don’t miss out on seeing the future of World football, and the USMNT today!
Be sure to return to Philly Sports Network for more Philadelphia Union and other soccer content!
Follow our Union team on Twitter:
Tim Lovenguth | Justin Friedberg | El Parcero Philly
Zach LoBasso | Steve Beavon | Liam Jenkins
Eric Frysinger | Paul Frenzel | Jimmy King
Doop on Union fans!
Mandatory Credit: Philadelphia Union
