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U.S. U-20s held to 0-0 draw in friendly

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photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Poor finishing for the U.S. U-20 national team nearly cost it a result against a team made up of players from southern Florida, but Zac MacMath came up with a big second half penalty kick save to end the match at 0-0 on Thursday afternoon.

After D.C. United homegrown player Ethan White committed a questionable foul, MacMath rescued the United States by making a good save to his left on a shot from current University of South Florida Bull and former U.S. U-18 forward Hasani Sinclair. The shot was hit hard and placed well, but MacMath guessed correctly and parried it away for a corner kick.

The makeshift Florida team, which had Bryan Arguez in its starting lineup, may have lost a big opportunity on the penalty kick, but it was the United States that blew multiple opportunities. Poor finishing horrified the Americans despite them dominating possession and making most of the game's chances.

"We just missed our chances," said Juan Agudelo, who is leaving the U-20 camp later on Thursday to join the U.S. senior national team in Carson, Calif. "We just have to keep focused and finish our chances when it counts. Obviously, we're going to go back and practice finishing because we should have had some goals there."

Agudelo, who started the game out right in a 4-2-1-3 formation but ended the first half centrally after switching with Conor Doyle, had one of the more clear opportunities for the United States. The New York Red Bulls forward anticipated a kick from the goalkeeper and was able to block it. With the ball bouncing right next to him, Agudelo settled it before floating a shot over the helpless goalkeeper, but it went just wide.

With a completely different set of field players on in the second half, the United States continued to waste multiple opportunities to break the deadlock. Second-half substitute Omar Salgado was the main culprit, missing at least three good chances for the Americans.

"We're in our third day. We've hit it pretty hard (in practice) so we had to fight through a little bit of heavy legs today," U.S. U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen said. "The quality wasn't there, but I'd like to think that during this week we'll continue (to improve) and have a better performance on the 9th, when we play an intra-squad game for all the MLS coaches, and then we finish up with a game on the 12th.

"It's for us to determine which guys are going to make the 20-man roster to go to qualifying, so we're playing some guys out of position at times as well to see how they fit in. Overall, it's still a good exercise for us."

Two players who Rongen was assessing are newcomers Alex Zahavi of Maccabi Haifa F.C. in Israel and Fabian Huerzeler of FC Bayern Munich. Each played the first 45 minutes with Huerzeler enjoying the stronger of the two performances.

"He had a pretty good game," said Rongen. "We wanted to see some players with our first unit, so to speak, and he was one of those guys and Zahavi was the other guy. That was important for us. We got a little bit of a gauge now, and while we're going forward we up the ante in terms of playing longer minutes. We'll see if there's a continuation of good soccer.

"(Huerzeler)'s a smart player, he's very comfortable with the ball. I thought for the first time that we've seen him really in a game situation, I was quite happy with him."

Other Americans who player well were Moises Hernandez and Joe Gyau. Hernandez was solid defensively and joined in on the attack with several good runs down the left. Gyau made dangerous runs as well, and nearly assisted on a goal, but Salgado saw his chance off Gyau's feed hit the post.

USA's first half XI (4-2-1-3): Zac MacMath; Zarek Valentin, Gale Agbossoumonde, Perry Kitchen, Greg Garza; Amobio Okugo, Fabian Huerzeler; Sebastian Lletget; Juan Agudelo, Conor Doyle, Alex Zahavi.

USA's second half XI (4-2-1-3): Zac MacMath; Sebastien Ibeagha, Ethan White, Sacir Hot, Moises Hernandez; Kelyn Rowe, Moises Orozco; Alex Molano; Bobby Wood, Omar Salgado, Joe Gyau.

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What do you think of the U.S. U-20s being held to a 0-0 draw? Think Huerzeler will earn a permanent spot in the starting 11? Surprised Agudelo, Salgado and the rest of the team missed so many chances?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. has anyone considered that hoyos’ employers are ‘forcing’ him to play with the argentine u-20…..perhaps he wants to continue to stay at estudiantes and him participating declaring for argentina is contigent….perhaps he is not as daring as salgado….though one could argue that if hoyos really wanted to play for the US he would just leave….it seems rongen has been trying and estudiantes won’t release him

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  2. You set up these camps when its convenient. U20s have qualifying to prepare for, so that dictates their timing. The article notes they are playing a match in front of MLS coaches, so the draft-eligible guys can be judged.

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  3. The game was a good one, and was controlled by the U20s for the most part, but both teams had possession and scoring chances were available both ways but the U20 did have the majority of the scoring opportunities against a decent side, they played a local squad of current pros, ex pros, and college players from the South Florida area and even had 2 Hermann Trophy winners (Chris Gbandi and Luchi Gonzalez) and were coached by FIU Coach Munga and Boca Raton coach Marcelo Castillo

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  4. generalizations dont apply here. The “no finishers” is a poor argument to use against this team. Yes they struggled here, but this U20 squad is chalked full of finishers

    Agudelo, Reulas, Salgado, Wood are all hyped finishers

    Havent seen enough of doyle, but he’s scoring for Derby’s reserves (and finding some PT with the 1st team).

    Then you look at players that most likely wont make the roster. McInerney and Saad have a good nose for the goal, problem is they are in a pool that is simply too deep.

    Dont look too much into this result. 3 days into camp and they’ve been working hard in practice. We could have easily been up in goals this match

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  5. agree with the other 2, dont blow this result out of proportion. This is also pretty much a similar squad that beat Canada 7-0 in a 2 game series.

    whats scary is we didnt even have Gatt or Reulas on the roster. Come quals or even WC, our team will be deadly (hopefully)

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  6. my guess is Traffic doesnt want to sign him to Miami b/c if they do that will be his 2nd team within a year. In other words he’s there for the time being. I would expect them to attempt to keep him fit and look to shop him around this winter.

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  7. you never know how he’ll develop. I mean in only a year of play he went up from 3rd team to the seniors with his club. It will be a tough road but for all we know he could pan out. More likely then not we’ll see him back in the states. Argentina is a tough roster to crack

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  8. Hoyos has spent the bulk of his life in the States, however, he did not partake in any level of youth national soccer in the states, and has spent the past 3 years in Argentina. Rongen has approached him and even Hoyos mentioned he wanted to play in a US U20 camp (though team conflicts).

    Problem is that Argentina has the pedigree the US does not. If they come calling can you blame a kid for accepting? Especially since he’s ingrained in Argentine culture? He still has the chance for that 1 time switch if he gets captied to Argentina. But please dont go blaming Rongen or USSF on this one

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  9. The played a local squad of current pros, ex pros, and college players from the South Florida area and even had 2 Hermann Trophy winners (Gbandi and Luchi Gonzalez) and were coached by FIU Coach Munga and Boca Raton coach Marcelo Castillo

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  10. Do not be so hard on these guys. Most US players are not poor but no finishers. I wont even go into names. Of course, it is the most difficult skill to learn but player selection and subsequent coaching are responsible too.

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  11. “but did mention that Jack Mac is not at the level of competition with this particular group of forwards”

    Where did Rongen say this? I can’t find it anywhere, a link would be appreciated…

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  12. This is similar to the 4-3-3 that Arsenal runs with Fabregas slightly above wilshere and song. It’s esentially a 4-3-3. Everyone gets coaught up in formations…. 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1, 4-3-1-2, 4-3-2-1, etc….. People tend to look at numbers and see a static formation, but all formations are dynamic, it depends how they are employed….. City and Arsenal both ran out a “4-3-3” yesterday, but it took all of 8 minutes to determine they were running two entirely different strategies within those numbers on paper………….

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  13. That seems like a very very aggressive second half, especially the midfield. Not a single defense mid on. Interesting, wonder if it would be successful in a meaningful game.

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  14. Maybe, But Fabian is not a D-MID he’s more of a CAM then anything. like Lletget, that’s why I had him behind Juan with Zahavi and Lletget/doyle (until sub) as wingers.

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  15. On MLS.com there is an interview with TR and he had high praise for Fabian and also cited Joe Gyau and Alex Zahavi as guys who stood out.

    He appears to like Omar Salgado, Lletget, but did mention that Jack Mac is not at the level of competition with this particular group of forwards

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  16. I was really just joking. Rossi (in particular) and Subotic hurt because they were high profile and in a position of need. But i think we win more of these than we lose. Bunbry and Huerzeler are two “wins” that come to mind. If you’re going to blast US soccer for the ones that get away, you have to acknwledge the ones we win.

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  17. I kind of like this formation….I suppose it’s similar to a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, but it is probably a more accurate description of how the senior team would play if they had Altitore, Landon, and Dempsey up top and Holden playing the role that Lletget plays, with Bradley and Jones as the two holding midfielders.

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  18. I believe it was more like this

    —————Doyle——————
    Zahavi————————-Agudelo
    ————————————–
    ————–Lletget—————–
    ——Okugo————Huertzeler—–
    ————————————–
    Garza—–Kitchen—–Boss——-Zarek
    ————————————–
    ————–MacMath—————–

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  19. ————–Doyle—————–
    Zahavi———————–Agudelo
    ————————————
    ——Lletget—–Huerzeler———
    ————-Okugo——————
    ————————————
    Garza—–Kitchen—-Boss——Zarek
    ————————————
    ————-MacMath—————-

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  20. Simple answer to all this – don’t read too much into a friendly. If the final score has been 6-0, or 10-0, I would have had the same reaction.

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  21. Rongen has done everything he can. Hard to blame Hoyos for being seduced by Maradonna and Veron over in South Africa during the World Cup and the thought of playing for a perennial powerhouse like Argentina.

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  22. OK so who didn’t start the first half because there are 12 players on the first list? I know you say Doyle and Juan switch postions but who was left off.

    Was this the starting line up?
    ——-Juan——–

    –Zahavi——–Doyle–

    ——-Fabian——-

    Greg Garza-Amobio Okugo

    –Zac–Perry–Gale–Zarek–

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  23. Right? This gets ridiculous. One step forward, one step back — for every Diskerud there is a Subotic. I don’t know the state of USA scouting/player development, but it seems to me that if we have AMERICAN BORN players, regardless of their parents’ nationality, playing in leagues like Argentina, we should do everything in our power to convince them that, with them in the team, the US really can challenge for a WC in 2014, 18 and 22 . . .

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  24. What’s with Bryan Arguez? He’s only Adu’s age (so plenty of time to get better . . .) — is he not even good enough for Miami, or does he have attitude problems?

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  25. Why is Michael Hoyos (Estudiantes) in the Argentina U-20 and not the USA U-20? I know he’s of Argentinian descent, but wasn’t he born and grow up in California? Is he another G Rossi situation?

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  26. Wait…an American team with poor finishing?????? (just busting their b###s. I think this is our most talented U-20 team ever. just frustrating every American team has the same problem. “I believe that children are our fuuuutuuuuure….”)

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  27. Hmmm. Poor finishing is not good. BTW, is anyone else perplexed at the fact that the combine and the U-20s (and the USMNT camp) all overlap? There should be a few U-20s at the combine, no?

    Reply

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