The semi-annual FIFA U-20 World Cup is here, and the United States men’s national team is on-hand in New Zealand ready to make some noise. The U.S. youth squad is in the second match of the tournament. It’s a star-studded group, lead by coach Tab Ramos, who also serves as assistant coach to Jurgen Klinsmann with the full international team, and expectations are high. The U.S. has tried and failed to win the U-20 world cup 13 times, something every player and fan involved is hoping to change.
USA vs. Myanmar 2015 live stream: How to watch the Under-20 World Cup online
The U-20 World Cup is finally set to kick off in New Zealand, and an exciting group of Americans are looking to make a deep run in the competition.
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The team's first match is against Myanmar, generally regarded as one of the minnows of the tournament, but the rest of Group A, featuring host New Zealand and a talented Ukraine, is potentially tricky. The U.S. managed to avoid the toughest teams in the tournament, but will still have to perform well to get through the group before facing a rough run through the knockout rounds. Many are hoping for a deep run in this World Cup from the U.S.; almost anything would be considered an improvement after they finished at the bottom of its group, with just one point, in Turkey two years ago.
Myanmar is something of an underdog in this World Cup. They shocked all of Asia when they rocketed, seemingly out of nowhere, to claim a qualifying spot -- beforehand no one expected the hosts of the qualifying tournament do much of anything. Led by German coach Gerd Zeise, Myanmar overcame all the odds and beat a tough United Arab Emirates side to secure World Cup qualification. They play organized football and are tough to break down. The United States squad can’t treat this as a walk in the park or they may be in for a rude awakening. Myanmar have never played in the U-20 World Cup before, so expect them to do everything they can to leave a lasting impression on the tournament.
Key player -- Gedion Zelalem (United States)
Zelalem is probably going to be the most interesting player to watch throughout much of the tournament. Almost certainly the United States' most talented player, Zelalem offers the U-20 team their best creative threat and potentially a dynamic force in attack. There's also a fair amount of risk involved -- since he was only recently given FIFA clearance to play for the United States at the international level, Zelalem has only played in one match with the U-20s, a friendly last week against Australia. How well Zelalem blends in will bear close scrutiny, and it's good that the United States' easiest group match is likely their first one. If he does well, the U.S. could make a whole lot of noise in this tournament. If not -- let's hope there's a good plan B.
Key factor -- Preparation and focus
This U.S. U-20 side might be one of the most talented the country has ever assembled. With the likes of Zelalem, Emerson Hyndman, Bradford Jamieson IV, Shaquell Moore, Matthew Miazga, Rubio Rubin, Marco Delgado and Cameron Carter-Vickers, this team represents a generation of top talent that offers much promise to the future of the United States’ soccer program. The trouble is that the group hasn’t always played up to the level its capable of.
The qualification process was bumpier than it needed to be thanks to points dropped to Panama and Guatemala, and several of the U.S. youth squad's later matches were tighter than they probably needed to be. If it can stay focused and plan well, this squad has the talent to beat any team in this tournament. If it can't, the U.S. might not make it out of the group stage. How well they approach these matches could make or break the entire World Cup for the U.S.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, Midnight ET, 4 p.m. local
Venue: Toll Stadium, Whangarei, New Zealand
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. -- English), NBC Universo (U.S. -- Spanish), TSN5 (Canada)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 GO (U.S. -- English), NBC Universo Now (U.S. -- Spanish)
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