The USA has a tough task ahead of them to make it out of a group containing Spain, Ghana and France.
The USA has been trying to leave its mark on soccer for a while now. The senior side hired Jürgen Klinsmann to renovate the team in an effort to sustain a good FIFA ranking. Development starts at the grassroots level though and the US really has their work cut out in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. France, Ghana and Spain are all talented squads.
The bulk of France’s squad plays in good French clubs. Amongst the ones who do not ply their trade in France is a certain Paul Pogba of Italian champions Juventus. Pogba has been making waves in Serie A. Many clubs are reportedly interested in the youngster. Spain of course needs no introduction while Ghana always does well in international tournaments.
Most of the Spanish players ply their trade in excellent Spanish clubs. The level of football in Spain is incredibly high as we all already know. Also, the U-21 side was recently crowned the champions of Europe. Spain’s talent shows no signs of drying up. The country has consistently produced brilliant youngsters and is continuing to do so. The style of football also is aesthetically pleasing; they all play tiki-taka of course.
Ghana won the tournament in 2009 under their current coach, Sellas Tetteh. They have finished finalists in this tournament before. Ghana knows how to step up in the matches which matter. In the 2010 World Cup, the senior side was one penalty kick away from the semifinals. Considering the caliber of the teams in this group, this is indeed the group of death. France and Spain are the obvious favorites to come through this one. The French took fourth place in the previous edition.
Most of the players in the United States squad play in the MLS. Two members of the squad play in Germany; Caleb Stanko plays for Freiburg while Mario Rodriguez plays for former German champions Kaiserslautern. Cody Cropper, their keeper, plays in Southampton. The USA has a good team but can they challenge the three big names in their group?
In recent years, the team has shown that they are capable of playing the big nations. Their recent record in the tournament is good despite the fact that they did not qualify in 2011. With the right tactics, the USA can oust the three other nations in this group. They will have to be at their best throughout the group stages as each of these teams is capable of punishing every little mistake.
How far do you think the US will progress? Let us know your thoughts!
Match Dates and Timings:
21st June:
France vs. Ghana (11:00 am EST)
USA vs. Spain (2:00 pm EST)
24th June:
France vs. USA (11:00 am EST)
Spain vs. Ghana (2:00 pm EST)
27th June:
Spain vs. France (2:00 pm EST)
USA vs. Ghana (1:00 pm EST)
The bulk of France’s squad plays in good French clubs. Amongst the ones who do not ply their trade in France is a certain Paul Pogba of Italian champions Juventus. Pogba has been making waves in Serie A. Many clubs are reportedly interested in the youngster. Spain of course needs no introduction while Ghana always does well in international tournaments.
Most of the Spanish players ply their trade in excellent Spanish clubs. The level of football in Spain is incredibly high as we all already know. Also, the U-21 side was recently crowned the champions of Europe. Spain’s talent shows no signs of drying up. The country has consistently produced brilliant youngsters and is continuing to do so. The style of football also is aesthetically pleasing; they all play tiki-taka of course.
Ghana won the tournament in 2009 under their current coach, Sellas Tetteh. They have finished finalists in this tournament before. Ghana knows how to step up in the matches which matter. In the 2010 World Cup, the senior side was one penalty kick away from the semifinals. Considering the caliber of the teams in this group, this is indeed the group of death. France and Spain are the obvious favorites to come through this one. The French took fourth place in the previous edition.
Most of the players in the United States squad play in the MLS. Two members of the squad play in Germany; Caleb Stanko plays for Freiburg while Mario Rodriguez plays for former German champions Kaiserslautern. Cody Cropper, their keeper, plays in Southampton. The USA has a good team but can they challenge the three big names in their group?
In recent years, the team has shown that they are capable of playing the big nations. Their recent record in the tournament is good despite the fact that they did not qualify in 2011. With the right tactics, the USA can oust the three other nations in this group. They will have to be at their best throughout the group stages as each of these teams is capable of punishing every little mistake.
How far do you think the US will progress? Let us know your thoughts!
Match Dates and Timings:
21st June:
France vs. Ghana (11:00 am EST)
USA vs. Spain (2:00 pm EST)
24th June:
France vs. USA (11:00 am EST)
Spain vs. Ghana (2:00 pm EST)
27th June:
Spain vs. France (2:00 pm EST)
USA vs. Ghana (1:00 pm EST)
