By Mike Woitalla and Charley Nordin
At the last U-20 World Cup, in 2015, no collegians saw action for the USA. This time around, Coach Tab Ramos has been fieldingCal goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, New Mexico defender Aaron Herrera and Maryland midfielder Eryk Williamson.
Williamson started in theUSA’s 3-3 tie with Ecuador and in its 1-0 win over Senegal, and was late sub in the 1-1 tie with Saudi Arabia that earned the USA first-place in Group F. With the suspension DerrickJones for the round of 16 game against New Zealand (Thursday morning, 7 a.m. ET FS1, Telemundo En Vivo), Williamson is likely to return to the starting lineup.
Eryk Williamson
“It’s exciting, we’ve prepared two years for this,” said Williamson, whose golazo in a 2-1 win over El Salvador at theConcacaf Championship clinched the USA’s World Cup berth. “It’s been a long cycle and we made it out of our group and we’re just excited for this next round. It’s aknockout round, it’s the best part of the tournament. It’s a win or go home.”
On paper, the USA has gotten the most favorable second-round matchup. New Zealand managed toscore in just one of its games, a 3-1 win over Honduras after a 0-0 tie with Vietnam and before a 2-0 loss to France. But Williamson says his team won’t be underestimating the Kiwis.
“New Zealand is a hard-working team, it’s a team that’s not going to give up on any play and you know they run the ball out even if they know that the ball is going to goout,” he said. “So we just have to know for 90 minutes it going to be a battle and you know it’s kind of who can suffer more towards the end of the game. It’s just going to begrit for 90 minutes. “
Central defender Justen Glad had been recovering from injury but helped the USA pull off a 1-1 tie with Saudi Arabia while playing a man downafter coming on at halftime.
“New Zealand likes to press,” Glad says. “We watched a little video yesterday on them and the first 10 minutes when they played France you cantell they were all over them from the start and if we come out asleep or anything like that they’re going to create chances and be dangerous.
“I think especially the last gameagainst Saudi Arabia was kind of a wake-up call that every game at this point is challenging and every team can beat any team. So we just have to come out every game with the same mentality andattitude and hopefully get the win and keep on going.”
Englandknocks out Costa Rica
With a 2-1 win over Costa Rica, England advanced to the U-20 World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1993. South American champion Uruguayadvanced with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia and Zambia beat Germany, 4-3, in overtime.
Under-20 World Cup, Round of 16
May30
Venezuela 1 Japan 0
South Korea 1 Portugal 3
May 31
Uruguay 1 Saudi Arabia 0
England 2 Costa Rica 1
Zambia 4 Germany 3
June 1
Mexico-Senegal (3:30 a.m. ET, FS1, Telemundo)
France-Italy (7 a.m. ET, Telemundo En Vivo)
USA-New Zealand (7 a.m. ET FS1, Universo, Telemundo En Vivo)
U-20 World Cup: Results and Schedule
Two U.S. players lift youth titles in Mexico
NorthernCalifornia product Jonathan Gonzalez, who was in the USA’s U-20 World Cup qualifying squad, started in both legs of Monterrey’s 4-2 aggregate win over Pumas inMexico’s Clausura U-17 final series against Pumas. Texas product Alejandro Zendejas, formerly of FC Dallas, started for Chivas Guadalajara and scored in its 3-2 aggregate winover Club America in the U-20 final series.
Zendejas played in eight MLS games for FC Dallas in 2015 and started for the USA in the 2015 U-17 World Cup before FC Dallas sold him to Chivas Guadalajara for a Gonzalez, who joined Monterrey in 2014, was the youngest player in the USA’s 2017Concacaf U-20 Championship winning squad and made one appearance in the tournament. Gonzalez also played for Monterrey’s U-20s in the Clausura 2017 tournament and captained the U.S. U-18national team in its runner-up finish at the Slovakia Cup in April.
Zendejas has played one Liga MX for Chivas, a 24-minute appearance last August, and hasplayed in four Copa MX games for the first team.
U.S. U-17 girls head to San Diego
The U.S. U-17 girls national team coach Mark Carr has called up 24 players for a June 2-11 training camp inChula Vista, California that will serve as preparation for a July trip to China. Included in the roster are three players taking part in their second U-17 cycle: forward JordanCanniff and defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kate Wiesner, who were on the U.S. team that played at the 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.
Thisgroup is at the start of their cycle in which they will aim qualify for the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Uruguay.
U.S. U-17 women’snational team:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Angelina Anderson (Mustang SC; Danville, Calif.), Alisa Crooks (Spokane Sounders; Spokane, Wash.), Lindsey Romig (IMG Academy;Midlothian, Va.).
DEFENDERS (7): Michela Agresti (FC Stars of Mass; Swampscott, Mass.), Tori Hansen (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), Makenna Morris (Bethesda SC; Germantown, Md.), NataliaStaude (Tophat SC; Atlanta, Ga.), Kennedy Wesley (So Cal Blues; Rossmoor, Calif.), Astrid Wheeler (Concord Fire; Atlanta, Ga.), Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC; Monrovia, Calif.).
MIDFIELDERS(6): Ainsley Ahmadian (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Croix Bethune (Concord Fire; Alpharetta, Ga.), Talia DellaPeruta (Tophat SC; Cumming, Ga.), Mia Fishel (San Diego Surf; San Diego,Calif.), Sophia Jones (De Anza Force; Menlo Park, Calif.), Maggie Pierce (CASL; Cary, N.C.).
FORWARDS (8): Enzi Broussard (IMG Academy; Carrollton, Texas), Jordan Canniff(Richmond United; California, Md.), Sunshine Fontes (Honolulu Bulls SC; Wahiawa, Hawaii), Lia Godfrey (JFC Storm; Fleming Island, Fla.), Payton Linnehan (FC Stars of Mass.; Douglas, Mass.), SamanthaMeza (Dallas Kicks SC; Dallas, Texas), Diana Ordonez (FC Dallas; Prosper, Texas), Kalyssa Van Zanten (Eclipse Select SC; Buffalo Grove, Ill.).
These Honolulu Bulls players are coached by my former teamate in college. OCC and CSUDH. Now Stub Hub Center.