One game, one ticket to the Under-20 World Cup.
Those are the stakes tonight as the United States takes on Guatemala tonight in the U.S. Under-20 CONCACAF quarterfinals in Guatemala (10pm, ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes). Beat the host team tonight and the Americans punch their ticket to the Under-20 World Cup on Colombia this summer.
The Americans are heavily favored tonight, but anything is possible in regional competition. The United States will need its high-powered attack to keep scoring goals and put the match out of reach for the Chapines.
SBI will be providing commentary on tonight's match so please feel free to follow along. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
How is Blatter not “the Blatter of North America”?
i agree. they need to settle it down. it must be tough under all that pressure but this is where you justify the hype. if this team is truly special they’ll find a way to win this game.
Gulati should be fired for other things but he has nothing to do with this.
If the USSF doesnt change Gulati in the next cycle he is going to turn into the Blatter of North America.
Gulati didnt change coaches for the U-17, u-20 and senior team. Even when there were no good results from the last cycle.
So The U-17 and u-20 need to show some results or else fire the coaches or the Puppet Master.
When did Guatemala move to South America? Did they move it or something?
I hope and pray Rongen is finally fired. The “it is only for development” argument will finally die when these talented individuals are robbed of a chance to showcase their skills for the world cup scouts.
yep. its a tough game against a home side (especially with young players) but in a youth wc you face much better competition than guatemala and the pressure in a wc is intense.
Rowe is plain Wack!! Guy hustles, but finishing is not part of his game.
Looking kind of scattered. This is what happens when you have two clear chances in the first 5 minutes and miss them both…
yeah but rongen said he had a knock and thats why he didn’t start (according to that video thing ives posted earlier).
only saw from the 20th minute on, but they need to calm down. Literally each possession is no more than 2-3 passes. I know the field sucks, but these players are better than this. I wonder how many have played in an environment like that? I was surprised by the crowd size and loudness.
It’s random luck that we’re facing the home side in the crucial game, how are Gulati or Blazer to blame for it?? If Guatemala had won their last game, we wouldn’t be playing them. Did Gulati make Guatemala finish second in their group?
Really? haha Kitchen made a lot of mistakes and Macmath needs to control his area he has the size to do it. Guatemala is supposed to be an inferior team and being at home doesnt turn them into Barcelona.
Ref is Mexican, not South American.
So yeah, even worse for us.
levity appreciated 🙂
That’s a ridiculous comment.
Yet another world cup qualifyier in which the US has to beat the home side to advance. Despite the fact that we dominated the group stages. Total BS. Gulati and Blazer get a fricken clue or leave.
In what tourny do you make the clear first or second best team beat the hometown side to advance? Only FIFA and CONCACAF tourneys
Even with 52% of possession….
Please don’t leave out Bruce Arena anon.
i must be blind or something, i thought I saw a guy out there with a black shirt on, must have been the 12th man for guatamala wearing blue.
Yup, stoppage time will be 2 mins as well. Gotta love cheap South American refs and fans, its FAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN-TASTIC!
This is Bob and Mike Bradley’s fault. Also Sunil Gulati.
At least this ref is consistent, we should have been a yellow on that last foul. OMG. These guys are killing each other out there. Rongen needs to make a few changes and tell his boys to simmer down out there.
Horrible half of play from the Americans. They are making Guatemala look like world beaters…. Very poor display, with what seems no chemistry in the midfield…
good luck with that. the ref will do nothing. book it. such is life for the US in international soccer. it’s as predictable as Old Faithful
feed off that inevitability and serve it up cold!!!
He is on the bench waiting to get in….
plenty of great chances for the young US guys; Rowe being off target must change
woods injured
What ref?
Welcome to futbol de sud america.
I agree. I didn’t think time wasting in the first half was ever a good tactic, apparently Guatemala knows something we don’t. The U.S. is getting fouled all over the place, no foul on that out of bounds tackle? The player for Guatemala could have seen red!
are these Guatamalans gonna lay on the ground for the next 60 minutes..uggh
This game is being played at about a 10/10 in effort and running. No way these boys will hold up at this pace over 90. The pace is too much, we will create some chances.
This is ridiculous. This team is cheap shotting US players when they can. Then they are determined to kill off the game and its not even half time yet. The ref has got to do something.
Gyau looks like the real deal. Did you see that footwork in the corner? Incredible!
This whole team is overrated. Rongen sucks. They are playing frenetic soccer with no ability to possess. This potential U-20 world cup disaster falls on the coach…again.
For whatever reason Rogen has sat Salgado and wood…. They look worse then I have seen this team play ever.
MacMath and Kitchen are overrated.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, Guatemala scores in the 33rd minute…. Come on guys let’s get it back.
wow we should definitely chill on the hype of this u 20 team. They have some brilliant moments but they look real shaky at times too. Still lots of work to do.
concacaf has a live free stream in English. You just have to register, which takes only a few minutes.
wow, only in spanish that is really lame ESPN. come on now
@dcunited: Boskovic with a fierce strike! He wins it for #DCU, 4-2 on penalties!
well, that was a foul uncalled there…and an injury
any website playing it in english
here we go
in spanish by the way…weeeeeeak sauce.
Just ESPN3.com
Thanks to Ian in ATL for asking that question.
Are*
Ate any of you guys in Guate right now?