The U.S. Under-20 national team takes on Cameroon today (12:30pm, ESPN) in a match it needs to win to keep its hopes of advancing to the second round going.
The Americans dropped a 3-0 decision to Germany in their opening match, while Cameroon opened its tournament with a 2-0 win vs. South Korea. A win is even more pressing a need for the United States today after South Korea tied Germany, 1-1, earlier today.
I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow the match here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
———————
FINAL– After two matches the Americans are second in the group and face last-place South Korea with a chance to secure a place in the second round. After the disappointment of the Germany game, today's victory will taste extra sweet as the U.S. team heads into Friday's match brimming with confidence.
That's all for me. Thanks for following along here. Feel free to share the rest of your post-game thoughts in the comments section below.
———————
FINAL– Thomas Rongen stuck with his 4-3-3 and it eventually paid off. He gets the credit today after getting the blame after the first match. Yes, Cameroon helped with its awful finishing and horrible defending, but the Americans came in and delivered in a game few could have imagined they could run away with.
———————
FINAL- USA 4, Cameroon 1. WOW. Who saw this coming? Cameroon's defensive organization completely fell apart and the Americans managed to torch them on the counter repeatedly. Dilly Duka stole the show, while Arguez, Taylor and Ownby scored goals. The Americans are in great shape heading into their final group match against South Korea.
———————
93rd Minute– Banana Yaya gets the yellow for slamming the ball. Yeah, a guy named Banana getting a yellow is funny.
———————
93rd Minute– Wow, Ownby nearly gets his second goal. I love this kid.
———————
90th Minute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!! And it's BRIAN OWNBY. Yes, that's right, Brian Ownby, with the breakaway and finish. Great goal and great job to silence his critics (including myself, who did say I wanted to see that). USA 4, Cameroon 1.
———————
89th Minute– One minute to go.
———————
87th Minute– Are we at the point in the match where Larrionda starts developing a rash from not giving a red card yet?
———————
86th Minute– Wow, Cameroon just wastes a look from in front of goal, mis-hit it with a heel. Awful shooting today from the Africans.
———————
84th Minute– Count me among those hoping Ownby does something in this final six minutes to take some of the heat off him. If he scores a goal or sets one up, or simply makes no mistakes, I'll gladly give the kid some credit for coming in and helping hold the lead.
———————
82nd Minute– Eight minutes to go. Cameroon with another wasted possession.
———————
81st Minute– Wow, Flores stripped, leading to a breakaway, but the shot goes into the side-netting. Ugly play, USA gets lucky again.
———————
79th Minute– Ownby with a yellow card for a foul. He'll miss the final group match vs. Korea. No, it's not wrong to be happy about that.
———————
78th Minute– I'm all for fresh legs coming into the match, but inserting Ownby and Powers into this match feels like a death wish for Rongen. Will they repay his faith in them?
———————
76th Minute– Jeffrey got a yellow at some point for a challenge.
This has to be the least safe 3-1 lead ever held in U.S. soccer history.
———————
75th Minute– Ownby played no part in the penalty, but the game has turned since the sub was made.
Dilly Duka is coming out, Dillon Powers in. Huh?
———————
74th Minute- GOAL CAMEROON!! Banana Yaya converts the PK. USA 3, Cameroon 1.
———————
73rd Minute– Brian Ownby comes into the match and just like that, Cameroon draws a penalty. WOW. Opara gets the yellow for the penalty foul.
———————
72nd Minute– Okay, at this rate you have to love Jorge Larrionda if you're a USA fan. Yes, there maybe a red card or two shown, but any USA match he refs turns into an instant classic.
And yes, I know this means we'll see a red card before the end of the game.
———————
72nd Minute– Will Shea beat a defender today? He's about 0-for-20 today. I could be off by one, but still.
WOW, Cameroon with another chance that goes high.
———————
70th Minute– Taylor on a breakout, but he sends it high.
Crazy game, Cameroon has thoroughly dominated possession and created more chances, but the USA is winning a blowout.
———————
69th Minute– Duka with a great game today and somewhere the Red Bulls are writing a nice 'Thanks for Nothing' note to MLS for not letting them sign the Rutgers midfielder.
———————
68th Minute– The way Cameroon plays you can rest assured there will be more goals, one way or another.
———————
66th Minute– Duka definitely meant to shoot that on goal, you can see on the replay that he's sizing up the keeper. WOW. What a goal and what a game.
———————
66th Minute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!! WOW, Dilly Duka with a CRAZY CHIP Goal that had to be a cross. USA 3, Cameroon 0.
———————
65th Minute– Cameroon CLOSE again!!! The pressure is pouring on the USA defense.
———————
64th Minute– Wow, loose ball almost fell to Duka's feet, after a Shea cross was misplayed. That would have been an easy tap-in.
———————
63rd Minute– No, New California isn't a state that exists, so you didn't miss anything.
———————
63rd Minute– At what point does the USA swap in a midfielder for a forward?
———————
62nd Minute– Save PERK!! The shot went right at him and once again he catches it cleanly.
———————
61st Minute– Cameroon with a dangerous free kick at the left corner of the area. Williams with a yellow for the foul. It sure looked like he was shoved in the back before the foul.
———————
60th Minute– Free header JUST wide by Cameroon. That was close.
———————
60th Minute– Cameroon misses BY INCHES. Corner for the Africans.
———————
59th Minute– Shea with a blast that the Cameroon keeper save. Duka doing very well this half.
———————
57th Minute– Cameroon has talent and shows flashes, but lacks some organization in its attack. The U.S. team needs to stay disciplined because Cameroon will pounce on a mistake.
———————
55th Minute– Not a bad rebound from Taylor, who missed that clear look early but has since contributed a goal and assist.
———————
51st Minute– Regarding the USA's second goal, Tony Taylor scored on a feed from Duka. It was Duka who raced in on goal after catching Cameroon on the counter, he slipped the ball to Taylor, who tapped home into an open net.
———————
50th Minute– Jeffrey sends a clear look high. Cameroon is in trouble.
———————
48th Minute- USA is up 2-0 now. I'll find out what happened.
———————
HALFTIME– Will we see Samuel Eto'o's little brother come in for Cameroon?
———————
HALFTIME– What changes will Rongen consider at halftime? I have a feeling he stands pat and sees how Cameroon comes out. A shifting of the current personnel into a 4-4-2 would work to start the half.
———————
HALFTIME– For those of you wondering, my comment at minute 44 does qualify as a jinx of Cameroon. Sorry Cameroon.
———————
HALFTIME– USA 1, Cameroon 0. An ugly first half ends beautifully for the Americans, who will count themselves lucky to be leading.
———————
45th Minute– Opara headed one at goal that forced a save, Taylor pounces on the rebound and dishes off to a wide-open Arguez. Nice finish.
———————
45th Minute- GOAL USA!!!! Bryan Arguez with the finish from right in front of goal. USA 1, Cameroon 0. Taylor with the pass to set up the goal.
———————
45th Minute– Cameroon's head coach, Ezra Hendrickson, looks a bit concerned. Not sure why. (No, that's not Hendrickson).
———————
43rd Minute– At what point does Thomas Rongen decide that he's seen enough of this 4-3-3 and switches to a 4-4-2?
———————
42nd Minute– Agbossoumonde with a bad giveaway that leads to a Cameroon counter, but nothing comes from it.
———————
37th Minute– Okay, it's early, but does anybody else see a Diskerud for Taylor sub coming?
———————
35th Minute– Has anybody seen Jared Jeffrey today? I mean I've seen him, but he's been pretty quiet today.
———————
33rd Minute– TAYLOR HIGH!!! What a chance wasted by Taylor. He had a look from 12 yards out and misses by a foot.
———————
32nd Minute– Not a bad ball in from Sheanon Williams. He's looked good at right back today.
———————
30th Minute– Shea turnover. You appreciate the willingness to take people on, but at some point he might want to think about passing the ball.
———————
27th Minute– Is there a better name in this tournament than Banana Yaya?
———————
25th Minute– Wow, dangerous cross from Cameroon that Opara does well to clear away. Americans lucky not to be down.
———————
23rd Minute– A little better from the USA lately, but still not enough in terms of passes strung together and steady possession.
———————
22nd Minute– Yellow card for Cameroon's Charley Fomen, his second of the tournament. The free kick is hit well high by Arguez.
———————
19th Minute– If you're Tony Taylor do you start thinking that you should have brought a lawn chair to sit in?
———————
17th Minute– Nice idea for a through-pass by the Americans, but just a touch late and ruled off. Cameroon isn't going to apply tons of pressure in midfield so there should be some chances for the Americans to create.
———————
14th Minute– Another Cameroon corner kick. That would make for a good drinking game, but we can't do drinking games for a U-20 match, that would just be wrong.
———————
11th Minute– Cameroon is earning corners, but the Americans are dealing with them. Cameroon with more of the ball early. Not good for the USA.
———————
8th Minute– Nice save by Perk. Did well not to give up a rebound on a strong shot right at him.
———————
6th Minute– Brek Shea with an early turnover to negate a potential USA breakaway. Shea needs to be more careful with the ball. He's prone to turning the ball over a bit too much.
———————
3rd Minute– Ike Opara did away with the Mohawk. I suppose most would after that first loss.
Announcer points out that referee Jorge Larrionda once gave five penalties in one match. Is anyone really surprised by that?
———————
1st Minute– And we're off.
———————
PRE-GAME– Nice shades being worn by the Cameroon head coach. I always wondered what happened to the leader of the Riffs.
———————
PRE-GAME– Yes, the Cameroon striker Etienne Eto'o, No. 15, is the younger brother of Inter Milan's Samuel Eto'o. He starts out on the bench for Cameroon.
———————
PRE-GAME– The game is set to begin and yes, we're seeing a 4-3-3 from the USA again.
Dillon Powers, Kyle Davies, Brian Ownby, Gerson Mayen and Mikkel Diskerud are on the bench after starting the first match. None of those are real surprises save for Diskerud.
———————
PRE-GAME– Here is the USA starting lineup:
——-Shea———–Cruz———–Taylor——–
———————-Jeffrey————————-
————–Duka———-Arguez——————
Flores—-Opara—–Agbossoumonde—-Williams
————————Perk————————–
Kyle Davies is on the bench and available for today's match. Mikkel Diskerud is available but on the bench today.
———————