U.S. Youth Revolution Underway After Shock Win Over France At U20 World Cup

U.S. Youth Revolution Underway After Shock Win Over France At U20 World Cup

The U.S. men's national team failed to make the last World Cup; now the U20 has made the quarterfinals of their own with a shocker over France.

Jun 4, 2019
U.S. Youth Revolution Underway After Shock Win Over France At U20 World Cup

Tab Ramos pulled the strings to perfection in the second half.

The United States are carrying the Concacaf torch to the quarterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup and couldn’t have done it in much more dramatic fashion. Facing a second-half deficit against the tournament favorite, Tab Ramos’ side produced a spirited second-half performance to overcome France by a score of 3-2.

Sure, some may think the U.S. may have had no business being in this game as France dominated for large spells and certainly looked the superior side, but the beautiful game can be a cruel one depending on your perspective, and the Stars and Stripes couldn’t care less about the statistics at the end of the day.

They entered the tournament carrying their own set of lofty expectations and were given a wake-up call with an opening loss to Ukraine. With the roster full of young talent developing in Europe and others assuming key roles for their MLS clubs, there is ample reason to believe that this generation can take the U.S. national team to the next level.

It came as no surprise, however, that France began the match with the advantage in possession, while the U.S. found themselves absorbing pressure and enjoying just 25 percent of the ball in the opening 15 minutes. A few decent chances on the counter painted a picture of the gameplan Tab Ramos’ team was implementing in the early going.

When they did gain control of the ball, midfielder Richie Ledezma was the brightest spot on the field thanks to his desire to drive forward and open up space for teammates. He nearly opened the scoring but his effort went just wide of France and Fiorentina keeper Alban Lafont.

Paxton Pomykal has enjoyed a breakout season for FC Dallas and has been one of the better creators in the league so far in 2019. Unlocking his potential requires the ball at his feet in advanced positions, so there were worrying signs for the U.S. with how deep he was dropping in an attempt to get on the ball.

France continued to probe and a managed couple of efforts from distance, but they were comfortably dealt with by U.S. keeper Brady Scott. Not long after, striker Sebastian Soto opened the scoring for the Stars and Stripes against the play. A lightning-quick counter attack led by Ledezma sent the team up the pitch and he played a clever through ball for Soto to curl into the far post.



Pomykal remained on the field after suffering a knock in the 35th and the game really changed in the subsequent minutes. Les Bleus were increasingly able to find pockets of space and Mickael Cuisance did just that near the penalty spot and struck the outside of the post. A few minutes later, France found their equalizer through Amine Gouiri with less than five to play until the half.

The U.S. went to a high press and France were able to escape the pressure with ease. A cutting ball found Gouri flying into the box and he confidently finished into the far corner. This halftime whistle blew with the score level, but France were enjoying the lion’s share of possession and were outshooting the U.S. 9-2.

France started the second stanza where they left off and had a credible handball appeal waved off by the official in the 50th minute. Steady pressure eventually paid off five minutes later as Moussa Diaby — perhaps the best player on the pitch — streaked into the box. His poked effort ricocheted off the post and fell to Nabil Alioui, who smashed home to grab the lead.

Ramos deserves a massive amount of credit for his second-half substitutions. The match was altered considerably in favor of his side when the manager elected to replace Konrad de la Fuente with Ulysses Llanez and Richie Ledezma with Justin Rennicks in the 63rd minute. Following their introductions, the U.S. began to gain a foothold and strung together a handful of promising forays forward.

Llanex produced an explosive run through the midfield in the 69th and saw his rocket from distance sail inches over the crossbar. It ended up being a sign of better things to come; just six minutes later Llanez initiated play and found Timothy Weah just beyond the top of the box. The PSG forward split three defenders with an intelligent ball to release Soto and he wrong-footed Lafont to pull level at 2-2 and inject life into a team that some may have been expecting to wither in the second half.



The U.S. weren’t content to play for extra time, and the comeback was made complete with just under eight to play in regulation. Right back Sergino Dest unleashed a blistering strike that proved too much for Labont to handle, and his spill gifted Rennicks the chance to slot home for an improbable lead in the dying minutes.



The lone blemish on Soto’s record on the day came when he failed to convert a goal that would have completely sealed the result. He was slipped through at the top of the box and had the opportunity to round the keeper but Lafont grabbed before the U.S. striker could get a shot away. The French threw numbers forward in search of an equalizer, but their efforts fell short as the final whistle blew and the U.S. bench exploded in celebration.

We already knew the talent is there, but today’s performance gave credence to the belief that his group of players has the mental fortitude to match their lofty expectations and playing ability. Next up for the Yanks is a date with Ecuador in the last eight of the tournament on Saturday, another side that has no shortage of attacking flair.