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):
You got pwned, dude.
It is one game, lol welcome to football, sometimes Barca loses to inter Milan. Sometimes Spain loses to the US. It happens.
This is devastating to U.S soccer!!!! I can’t believe it whatsoever. Rowe is one of the biggest chokers in U.S soccer history. Wasted opportunities through out the whole game. The ball should have been played through GYAUN and only him. This man right here is a beast. I feel for Gyaun,Garza,Letget.
For those that think this team isn’t as important as the senior team are plain remedial. This is as important as the senior team. Today’s loss takes our youth system 2 steps back in the process.
Najar should have played for Panama instead.
LOL. This whole competition was being held in Guatemala. Not just this game.
How can they not be overrated and overhyped? They lost to Guatemala and did not qualify for the u-20 world cup? If its an orange call it an orange.
The kids dominated possession, lost due to two defensive blunders. I have been catching all these games and this team is for real. Do i think Rogen is a senior team coach, no. I personally think all us teams need upgrades in that aspect. Until we can improve on our coaching, we will always have days like these.
Most teams aren’t good when they are trailing in matches. At any level. That’s why taking an early lead is good.
This is not a USA problem. In fact we’re known around the world for being better than most sides at playing from behind.
you and DCUPedro making sense to me.
can’t believe many (any?)of the Americans had ever played in that kind of hostile environment before, and with so much on the line. good experience for them hopefully to learn and grow from so they are better able to deal with it when it presents again
Didn’t the U.S. win their group, and should then host? Makes sense to me…
If Hurzeler was good enough to get run with GER there is no way we were going to get him anyway.
He’s not at this point, so its not a threat.
somebody has to host the tournament right? its not anyones fault guatemala finished second in their group.
the official is a whole different story…refs in north/central america suck big time. you’re absolutely right about that one.
My fantasy team gets kitchen back for the weekend, now to see if he plays.
Cheers to you mate! There is work to be done if the US is ever going to win anything important period.
According to SBI night commentary, Wood was not one of the substitutes and I didn’t see him on the bench.
He is injured regardless.
I didn’t know Haitians were Latinos? I got to go tell my Haitian friends that they should be speaking Spanish instead of French.
Rongen needs to go. He has been U-20 coach for almost how long, a decade or something? There have to be consequences for thing like not qualifying for the World Cup, which is definitely a bit embarrassing. The last 10 or 15 minutes were sheer panic as we punted ball after ball as far as we could.
Man, there were tons of people who watched the highlights vs. Surinam and who looked at these guys club resumes and said they were going to potentially win the World Cup. One guy even said we should be considering Rongen to coach the USMNT (!!!!!)
So that cuts both ways. Things at the U-20 level are neither as bad or as great as they seem.
Not playing in the U-20 won’t materially hurt these guys’ development at all, I’d say. It helps get exposure for guys from country’s like Guatemala and Gambia, but these US guys will get noticed if they play well at their clubs. Its as simple as that. One less thing to distract me at work this summer.
yep. it still sucks to have what is hyped as your best u-20 team ever be the first team in 8 cycles not to qualify though.
this format was just bad luck though. one game elimination against the host is just a tough spot for a kid.
so they’re gonna leave the US setup b/c we lost a game? Okay, goodbye. That’s not the way people think, Hurzeler didn’t leave the German team b/c they sucked. That’s literally one of the worst complaints I’ve ever heard. Yeah, that kids gonna run to the Israeli team b/c they’re constantly winning games?
Please. They lost one game. Guatemala defended beautifully. They had, from what I saw, two opportunities and they finished on both. They played way over their heads. Congratulations to them, and anything else is just petty and small-minded.
Just think about the opportunity to be scouted at the world cup that is now lost. This team screwed up big time tonight
Yeah great job keeping the same u20 coach for more than 2 cycles, the same coach that snubbed Subotic and did an awful job in the last u20 world cup ooh and he didnt even make it to this one. Great job Gulati I hope you keep the same coach for the next cycle.
I wish we could blame the ref or bad luck but the US just was not that good. It’s probably a good thing they lost as they would have been embarrassed at the WC and perhaps now they can stay in the MLS and develop their skills a bit. And perhaps now Rongen will finally get the boot. I just could not believe that we did not have a single player who would make a one-touch pass when presented with the opportunity. Too much dribbling, too much desperation (starting from the opening whistle). I think this group was feeling the pressure of an all-or-nothing game and wasn’t ready for it.
“There is NOTHING I hate more than when a player from Central or South America does a backheel or some other attention getting move that sends the crowd into an instant uproar. These plays usually don’t unlock the defense and just look cool…”
Yes, in this part of the world, that is a regular part of the game. Which itself, is a form of entertainment. Christ Almighty.
Listen excuses, excuses! A team like the US goes to hostile territory imposes conditions and puts 5 in thru sheer willpower. This is lame soccer!
Yes there is tacking with two feet. Its a disgrace, its sometimes carded and very dangerous but its not “cheating” as you say. I operate from the premise that words mean things and when people use them they should know what it is they are saying, or not saying. There is a difference between cheating and being disgraceful in many different things, including soccer.
For example, Manny Ramirez is a disgrace to the game of baseball. However, is not a cheater, uses performance enhancing drugs.
Obviously I’d like to beat guatemala regardless of time-wasting tactics. Or better yet, never let a side like guatemala be in a position to employ such tactics.
But the referee getting in on the fun with his oh-so-deliberate walk all the way to valentin(?) on the sideline to issue a yellow for taking a throw from the wrong spot was beyond comical.
So professional these concacaf officials.
Wonder if the dude on here who was saying that more U-20’s should be playing with the senior squad and that THOMAS RONGEN should coach the USMNT is going to come eat his crow. Probably not.
Folks, get real. These kids are just that. kids. This qualification format is stupid. Nothing is ever as bad or as great as it seems after a U-20 game!
Best thing about Ives boards….. People watch one U20 game and claim they are overrated and over hyped lol. Love it
The whole lot looked very disappointing. Wasted chances, VERY poor defending on both goal, just a very poor showing all around.
un-freaking-believeable..
it’s not Rongens job to teach players how to trap the ball and pass the ball properly. Maybe this team just isn’t as good as we all thought and were told they were
F. Just once I’d like to see the US win something productive.
You know, I was going to let this go, but you’re a bigot. “A player from Central or South America.” Good grief, what word did you want to use, Joe? You like flashy Latino players when their surnames are Agudelo and Altidore, probably. Please take a hard look at yourself and what comes out when your team loses. And you’re not my archenemy, pal. You’re an Internet Tough Guy who seems to have posted here dozens of times.
Can someone please fire rongen say goobye to Alexander Zahavi and Fabien Hurzeler they will not join the team and will most likely stay with israel and germany
U.s. should have finished better. By the way, this ref sucks the big linga
There seems to be some pretty good individual talent, but they simply didn’t play well as a team tonight.
Sad
USA sucked and guatemala didnt foul once.
And beyond that, what a freaking joke that the top team has to play in such a hostile away environment with an official from a federation that hates that team.
very sad result and very poor sportmanship from guatemala diving and feigning injury all over the place and not playing the game after scoring
So upset, dominate the second half, except for one major blunder. This team doesn’t know how to play from behind…..
Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
Another overhyped generation.
Damn joke, Rongen.
Freaking damn joke with your long ball trash.
don’t believe the hype.
-p.e.
PATHETIC!
This isn’t the way to play even if you’re not trying to score.
You’re splitting hairs. Is there a kind of play that is disgraceful that is not cheating? Have it your way. Sorry we lost, homer.
What side are you on jig? Jeeeeeezzz