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USMNT U-20s fall in World Cup opener vs. Ukraine

The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team has some work to do.

The U.S. team opened its Under-20 World Cup campaign on the wrong foot on Friday, falling, 2-1, to Ukraine in their Group D showdown. The Americans were undone by a 51st-minute header from centerback Denys Popov, and failed to find a response against a Ukrainian side that was defensively organized and tough.

The result leaves the Americans in third place in their group following Nigeria’s 4-0 rout of Qatar earlier on Friday.

Serhiy Buletsa opened the scoring for Ukraine in the 26th minute, latching onto a long ball and finishing to the near post past Brady Scott. Buleta beat Sergino Dest on the play, getting holding off his challenge before firing home.

The Americans responded well, finding the equalizer a mere six minutes later through a Brandon Servania finish. The United States combined down the middle on the play before going out wide, where Tim Weah raced to the ball and unleashed a potent low cross that Servania raced onto for the finish.

A set piece six minutes after halftime saw Ukraine jump back in front. Popov took advantage of lax marking on a corner kick, nodding the ball on frame with ease after centerback Chris Richards appeared to lose track of him.

The Americans next square off with Nigeria on Monday.

Comments

  1. My 2 cents on today’s match -Sloppy passing in the 1rst half, not enough continuity. Pomykal needs to play the no. 10, not the wing. Weah (IMO) is a LW or a false 9. Servania is a no 6 but so is C-Durk, why we deployed 2 no. 6s? Ramos knows! Mendez best position is the 8, where he won CONCACAF best player, but was the 10 in today’s match, except for a few long strikes & a strike inside the box, he was pretty absent. C Durk distribution was better than Mendez. Servania was absent in the second half. Dest offensive game is Awesome but his defense has a lot to be desired. CB combo was excellent, no matter the score line. 1rst time watching Konrad, his combination play with Dest was good to see! We didn’t have many thru balls or play direct, which I think is the strength of this team. Looking forward to Monday! FYI- US hasn’t won any continental youth tournaments until 2017- U20s. Now, we have 2!! Concacaf U20 has been going on since 1962! #Cautiously Optimistic

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  2. We have a great prospect of players I’m going to be optimistic. I’m tired of deception with the U.S. at all levels when they don’t live up to expectations. Today was a lost opportunity ukraine were on their heels the first half and U.S. didn’t continue to pressure and off a counter they scored first. I’m sure we will get to the next stage but more selfishness is needed in the midfield and a a central forward up top for crosses from the wings to have other offensive options when teams are really defensive. To ukraines credit in the second half they defended well but for the talent we have we should have done much better. All games set the tone and matter. Our teams need to read rivals on the pitch. The U17 U.S team vs Mexico lost the final in similar fashion they where playing so much better the first half with two missed chances on goal with much better players than mexico and loose in extra time when they could have finished game in first half instead they let their rival grow in confidence . Praying for better at the senior level and with some of these players integrated very soon. USA let’s go!!!!

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  3. The US played well. Ironically, Ukraine won by playing how the US used to play–long ball counter attacks and converting a set piece. Now we are playing more like Barcelona and got done in by a team that played like we used to. I thought we were a bit unlucky and Ukraine played very well defensively. When Ukraine went more to a high press they forced a lot more turnovers and they made it more difficult for the US to get the ball up field to begin the attack. That allowed the Ukrainian side to get set on defense when the US crossed the midfield. I think the main criticism of the US is that sometimes they didn’t move the ball quickly enough. Because 4 3rd place teams go through, according to the commentator, if they just draw Nigeria and beat Qatar, they have a decent chance of going through. Ideally, they will beat Nigeria. Nigerian teams are usually large and athletic but often lacking in defense, so it will be interesting.

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    • Props to the Ukraine playing like we used to comment. I felt like we were Argentina at times and then all the sudden Ukraine would counter and do what we used to do best. Beyond frustrating.

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  4. Very annoyed and pissed off. This means Ukrainian league is better than MLS and they will be ahead of us in the future. What was going on with Weah he was invisible the whole game. Why was Tyler Booth not called in? Durken is good only at MLS and not even good at youth national team level. Scott the goalkeeper needs to eat more carbs and protein and hit the gym he is a skinny flemsy weak breakable stick. Smh

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    • The Ukrainian League is ranked the 9th best in Europe so yes it is better than MLS. Shaktar and Dynimo are ranked 14th and 23rd (where a lot of the players are from) so yes they are better than teams in MLS. I have no idea where the bottom of the Ukranian League would be but it doesn’t matter if all the players come from the top couple. Hard to use domestic league as a predictor for the future though as top players from both countries will likely play abroad.

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    • The Ukraine created very little and were outplayed. Difference was two bad defensive plays and coaching. Instead of playing direct once the Ukraine bunkered in, the US tried to play quick short passes. They should have at least varied their play to create more space. Weah, Richards, Pomaykl, De Lafuente, Dest, Goster and Mendez will all be playing for the Senior team. Even though they lost, this is the most talented team I’ve seen since the Adu, Bradley Altidore U20.

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    • The last time I checked Weah, Mendez, Soto, de la Fuente, Dest, Richards, Gloster, etc. are all plying their trades in Europe or abroad. Where did the comparison of MLS vs Ukrainian league come from?

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      • They not playing firat team minutes they are playing in like 4th division on youth reserve teams. Their were MLS based player on starting 11 Durken and Servania etc. Ukraine has mostly domestic players that dominated our European based and MLS players. Notice I said Ukraine will be ahead of us in the future senior team was what I was meaning with that statement. Last time we played Them senior level, Brooks and Onyewu were our CB and we looked awful.

    • I take issue with your statement that they dominated the US players. The US had more possession, the game was probably played more in the Ukrainian half of the field, and the US had a number of chances and probably more shots on goal.

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    • What level do you think the American’s kids are playing at? Pomykal just became a starter in Dallas this season, Durkin is a bench player for DCU but does have 20 starts, and Weah with his handful of games for PSG and Celtic. The rest are reserve and youth league players. Several of the Ukraine guys have Champions League and Europa League experience and the keeper is a Real Madrid property who mad 5 appearances 4 starts in La Liga on loan to Leganes. The Ukrainian teams have been running academies for years, the MLS academies are behind that’s why you see so many players coming from FCD and RSL the two that have been working at it the hardest.
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      Finally, youth level WC success has very little bearing traditionally on NT success. Four years ago, so those players would be starting their prime years now, the semifinalists were Serbia, Mali, Senegal, and Brazil. 2011 players should be in their primes now, the Champs were France, of course they were led by Pogba, but the others like Sanogo who has no FNT caps, Thauvin who has bounced around and played 1 minute in Russia last Summer, Zouma who has a good EPL career but 3 FNT caps, Bahebek who doesn’t have any NT caps. Also that year Iraq and Ghana were in the semis, how did those teams do in the WC last year? Its ok to be disappointed we lost but the gloom and doom seems over done.

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  5. Bummer. We got caught a couple times on the right side. Frustrating. Just needed a bit more in the final third. Nigeria game is huge now. Great to see Konrad play for the first time.

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