By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
So far so good for the U.S. Under-20 national team.
The Americans finished undefeated atop Group F at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and they are looking for more.
They believe they can go a long way in the knockout round.
“We want to win this tournament,” defender Erik Palmer-Brown said after the 10-man U.S. recorded a 1-1 Saudi Arabia. “We can’t take a second off, ever again. I think we have the quality to go [far] in this tournament.”
The USA has shown great resilience. It road its first two games behind a 17-year-old striker who was a surprise selection to the team. Josh Sargent scored twice to help rally the side to a 3-3 draw with Ecuador in the opener and he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory past Senegal.
“Do-or-die situations always change the mentality,” said Brooks Lennon, who scored against the Saudis. “I think when you go into the game, you focus on doing your job and doing it to the best of your ability because you know this could be your last game. And especially at such a quality tournament like a World Cup, you don’t want it to be your last game. You fight to the end if you have to. No matter what happens you just play your best.”
Tab Ramos talks about the U.S. reaching the knockout stage and winning its group at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Korea. TAB'S VIEW: Ramos on U.S. U-20's winning its group, reachinCourtesy of U.S. Soccer/Wazee Digital
تم نشره بواسطة Michael Lewis في 29 مايو، 2017
Courtesy of U.S. Soccer/Wazee Digital
USA head coach Tab Ramos certainly like what he saw of his team, saying he was “very proud of the effort the guys made today especially being down a man for 47 minutes.”
“Being able to hold onto the result I thought it was tremendous,” he said via a video provided by U.S. Soccer. “I think the players should be going into the next round with a lot of confidence now. Obviously, we took first place and that’s exactly where we wanted to be.”
The USA will take on New Zealand in the Round of 16 in Incheon Thursday.
