By IVES GALARCEP
The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team will look to maintain its perfect record at the Under-20 World Cup tonight when Tab Ramos’ side takes on Ukraine in a Group A decider (3am, Fox Sports 1).
The Americans enter after an emphatic 4-0 thrashing of World Cup host New Zealand, a match that saw breakout performances from several U.S. players, including Gedion Zelalem, Rubio Rubin and Bradford Jamieson to name a few.
A tougher test awaits tonight, however, as Ukraine enters after a 6-0 drubbing of Myanmar. The U.S. needs win or draw to secure first place in the group, while the loser of this match will be facing a tough Round of 16 matchup against the winner of the Portugal-Colombia Group C decider on Saturday.
SBI will be providing live commentary on tonight’s match so please feel free to follow the action here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Tonight’s commentary is after the jump):
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Whether they had qualified or not, this was our boy’s first real test of the U20 World Cup.
What the heck was Ramos thinking?
I hate those conservative bunker-ball tactics, especially when there’s absolutely no reason for them. They give you a chance against superior teams, but when you play them against a team like Ukraine you have the ponies to beat, you frustrate the crap out of your players and put the inferior team on the front foot.
By the time he got around to letting his players play, Ukraine was full of confidence…they got their break with that long free kick, and at that point it was a bunch of frustrated players with no rhythm trying to chase the game.
Which is what happens when you play for a draw. Now all the good feeling is gone and everybody’s doubting one another…and doubting the coach.
BAD coaching job tonight. When you’ve got a fast attacking team that’s been taught to be aggressive and proactive, you live and die by that. This was just cowardice on Ramos’s part…and he got these guys skunked tonight.
Truthfully our players just are not as good. Its not that hard to figure out.
Good as in consistently good. Oh well. Not surprising given our lacking soccer culture and mindset.
Probably a true statement but “football mentality” mumbo jumbo is not productive. The reality is they are better but not 3-0 better. We played a B lineup in the back and they exploited it. Shaq Moore should ride the bench the rest of the way and Delgado is a terrible D Mid. Acosta should be D mid and someone else at left back. They clearly attacked our fullbacks all night. I think Payne would have shut down the attacks on the right. and Miazga would have won some aerial balls for us on both sides of the pitch. Tab played for a draw and we got punked by a better team much worse than we should have. 1-0 or 2-1 would have been a reasonable defeat. 3-0 is a kick in the teeth.
Ukraine did put in a showing that makes the 3-0 scoreline fair. Blame the coach or the backline all you want, but the truth is the midfield could not hold the ball or really be a threat to relieve pressure on defense. Even when Sonora and Rubin entered the game, there was no difference. In fact, that’s when 2 of the 3 goals came in, with no American response. Flopping for penalties is not gonna cut it. Ukraine was the first actual test against a team that can plan and the U.S. needs to turn things around quickly. Portugal or Colombia will gladly put them to the sword if we see a repeat performance of tonight.
Quite an overreaction. This is a poor result and we should expect better but your comment about “soccer culture” is misplaced. Do you remember what the “soccer culture” was twenty years ago? Since you probably weren’t born yet, I’ll tell you – there was none. No one watching soccer, no one talking about soccer, no games on TV, no professional league. The soccer culture we have now is a million times bigger and far beyond what I thought possible back then. People want us to be like Europe immediately but they forget the game has the #1 sport there for over 100 years.
Could Not agree more well said + 1000
Nice job from New Zealand looks like doing enough to move on in a 3rd place spot.
What I find even more frustrating about lineup and strategy changes is that this game was so important. I’d take a 2nd yellow to any of our players in exchange for the opportunity to face Senegal-Qatar winner in first elimination game.
Frustrating all around. Lineup was watered down, game plan was too passive, wall didn’t jump, PK broadcast, and good attacking chance at 0-1 whistled dead when our guy was obviously onside.
I blame this in Ramos. Seemed like the team was trying to tactically get a draw. Didn’t really play to win. I’m not really all that concerened. But this lose could cost us with having to play Senegal, Portugal, and Columbia. No pushovers.
Team just not mentally prepared at all for that match and were punished. Only positive I suppose is Rubin should be pretty fresh for the next one.
Ramos has to take a big part of the blame for this game. Once they scored on us we started to play.
Called it. We never play well against the Eastern block countries. After the 1st 15 minutes we turned into a lamb. Giving Ukraine all that possession built their confidence.
Why change our strategy from the previous games? We always give these teams to much respect, when you aren’t pressing the ball, most of the time you will lose.
Red didn’t do us any favors either.
The “Eastern Block” countries? Is it 1985?
I’m sayin’ if the ref and Ukraine do not cooperate immediately, we’ll send the FBI
Pretty frustrating game; to have stayed up late for this. Payne and Rubin were really missed.
Well this is depressing
We are getting punked. Weak performances in CM and questionable tactics getting punished hard.
tactics, exactly, I think Tab deserves blame on this one. The U.S. Has too much talent to sit back and defend and once they were down they were not able to turn it on. I’m still optimistic that they will play well in their next game
Good Lord. He was inside by 1.5 yards!
Eff’ing FIFA.
No matter the final score, you have to be proud that the vuvuzelas did not belong to Americans.
WOW. It way always gonna be a draw folks. Good night!
and off a b*llshit foul too
Not an encouraging first half. Ukraine seemed quicker to the ball and their passing was better. And, is it just me, or did the ref seem to favor Ukraine? There certainly were some calls and non-calls that were suspect. Let’s hope the boys come out with more enthusiasm in the second 45.
Perhaps but how much of the possession was Ukraine passing it around the back then trying a long ball. I didn’t think they really created many chances.
Everything came on the break after a turnover. They can’t break down or defense.
The ref did favor them. They flagged us offside and out of bounds on a couple of occasions when it clearly wasn’t the case and spared them any calls and allowed them ride our mids and forwards.
They couldn’t break us down except when the wrestled a ball away from us in their half or eventually turned it over. We were lost, but not after they we’re allowed to completely kill our momentum
Not hard to see why Shaq Moore was unattached and then signed for a 3rd division team. He has been awful in this tourney. He can’t even get throw ins right.
We’re clearly the superior team. This is frustrating to watch. A lot of calls against us in the first half completely killed any momentum we had. Some were fair some were absurd. Ukraine were generally able to more physical with us without being penalized for it.
Not a great half, appear to be playing for the result,
Ukraine seemed happy to pass it around the back for a few minutes then hit a long ball. At some point they’ll have to push for a goal, a draw does nothing for them.
They’ll probably receive a penalty from a very soft, but technically correct call.
Not a great half, appear to being playing for the result,
Jacked up for this. Let’s go boys!
+1