U20 USA TEAM/news and latest results

[Ricochet]

http://www.turfmonster.com/content/?ContentId=1178

US request FIFA backing for Adu

US Under 20 national team manager Thomas Rongen is waiting on FIFA approval to add new DC United signing Freddy Adu into his World Championship squad.

Should approval be gained, the 14-year-old will replace injured San Jose Earthquake Arturo Alvarez on the 20 man squad that will compete in the United Arab Emirates from November 27 to December 19. The U.S. submitted their official tournament squad to FIFA on November 14, but any listed player can be substituted with FIFA approval in the event of injury up to 24 hours in advance of a team's first match.

Alvarez has been suffering with a groin injury for the past two weeks and underwent a physical today with the San Jose medical staff that ruled him out of the tournament.

"This is a great disappoint for myself and the team, and obviously for Arturo," said Rongen. "After looking closely at the situation, though, it became apparent that Arturo was not going to be able to go to the UAE at 100 per cent. He has been a big part of this team and we know that we will miss his contribution greatly."

Alvarez played in 13 games over the past two years with the U.S. Under-20s, nine of which were international matches. The 18-year-old forward became an integral part of the team during 2003. This year, Alvarez notched his first goal with the U-20s when he scored the game-winner against Norway in the Madeira International Tournament in Spain this March.

"We are fortunate to be able to bring a player like Freddy into the team as it is a natural fit for us and he has similar qualities to Arturo," added Rongen. "I think he can provide us with the same type of play in terms of ball handling and effectiveness as a weapon off the bench."
Adu, who is currently in Residency with the US Under-17s, signed a multi-year contract with Major League Soccer. He has been designated as a Nike Project-40 player and will be eligible for the 2004 SuperDraft, which will be held on January 16, 2004, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"I am extremely, extremely excited to be able to represent my country again in a world championship," said Adu. "When I represented the U.S. at the U-17 World Championship, I always thought, 'you never know when you will get another chance, it may never come.' And now, I am getting another chance, right away. I am very grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to it."

Adu’s only cap with the US Under-20 was against Japan on October 8, in a friendly at a training field at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Adu came on as a substitute in the 74th minute as the US fell to Japan 2-1.

The team will travel to UAE on Saturday, Nov. 22 and conduct a week of training before the tournament.

[Frank Cunha]

I can't believe Eddie Gaven was not call for the U20 World Cup team, and his playing for the U23

[Ricochet]

I know, I also would like to see Gaven play in the U-20 WC.

[Frank Cunha]

Rongen Selects 20-Man Roster for FIFA World Youth Championships

11/13/03 6:38 PM




CHICAGO (Nov. 13, 2003) — United States Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen named his 20-player roster that will represent the U.S. at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates from Nov. 27-Dec. 19. Of the players selected, 15 were part of the squad that took second in Charleston, S.C., in November of last year to qualify for the USA’s fourth consecutive World Youth Championship.

The team will travel to UAE on Saturday, Nov. 22 and conduct a week of training before the tournament, which will include a friendly against Panama on Tuesday, Nov. 25 in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. was drawn into Group F and will play all three of its games at Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The Under-20s will open the tournament on Nov. 29 against Paraguay, before meeting Germany on Dec. 2, and finishing group play against South Korea on Dec. 5. Every U.S. match at the World Youth Championship can be followed live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. All three U.S. games will also be televised in the U.S. on Galavision (see schedule below).

“All of these players have worked hard to convince me and the rest of the coaching staff that they are ready to compete at the World Championship,” Rongen said. “We’ve been preparing for two years now and I believe this team is ready for the challenge they will be faced with in UAE. We have a mix of college and professional players that can hopefully lead us out of our group and towards our ultimate goal of getting to the final.”

Rongen selected a squad with a large amount of professional experience, as eight players are currently playing in Major League Soccer and two players playing professionally in Europe. Additionally, exactly half the squad will bring world championship experience as ten players on the team participated with the U.S. in the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.

Leading the team is D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey, who topped the U.S. Men’s National Team this year with 15 appearances and snagged his first goal of his career with a dramatic game-winning strike against Costa Rica in the Third Place match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Convey, who has played with the U-20s since 2000, already has experience in the FIFA World Youth Championship as he played in the tournament two years ago in Argentina.

A pair of MetroStars, forward Mike Magee and defender Ricardo Clark, just completed their rookie MLS campaigns with impressive performances. Clark played in 28 of 32 games during the regular season to lead the MetroStars in minutes played, while also scoring three goals and notching one assist. Magee played in 29 games and finished tied for second in scoring with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Both players have been instrumental to the Under-20 squad the past two years as Clark leads the team with 42 appearances and Magee leads the team with 18 goals, while also registering three assists for a team-high 41 points.

Dallas Burn forward Ed Johnson is also expected to play a major role for the U.S. in the United Arab Emirates. Over the past two years, Johnson leads the team in international goals with eight in 16 starts. Johnson will not only bring a knack for finding the back of the net, but also a stack of experience as the forward participated in the 2001 Under-17 World Championship.

The other MLS professionals include Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Arturo Alvarez (San Jose Earthquakes), Jordan Stone (Dallas Burn) and Santino Quaranta (D.C. United).

Two other players are currently getting experience playing overseas in Europe as midfielder David Johnson and defender Zak Whitbread are young professionals with Willem II (Holland) and Liverpool (England) respectively. Both Johnson and Whitbread were part of the U-20 MNT roster for the L’Alcudia International Tournament in Spain this past August. Johnson led the team with two goals to help the U.S. secure third place in the tournament.

Rounding out the rest of the nine spots on the U.S. roster is a collection of the top college players in the nation. Both U.S. goalkeepers, Steve Cronin (Santa Clara) and Ford Williams (UNC), have helped their schools push into the top ten rankings at some point this season. Cronin has been stellar between the pipes for the Broncos, recording eight shutouts and allowing just 10 goals in 17 starts. Over the past two years, Cronin has been the clear No. 1 ‘keeper for the U-20s as he has started in 34 of the teams’ 55 games, collecting a 14-9-11 record.

The U.S. defense will be solidified by college standouts Chad Marshall (Stanford), Ryan Cochrane (Santa Clara), and Craig Jared Klass (University of Washington). All five defenders have been integral cogs in the U.S. Under-20 squad over the past two years as each player is near the top on the team in appearances and starts. The trio, along with defenders Drew Moor (Indiana) and Jordan Harvey (UCLA), has helped the U.S. secure 22 shutouts and post a 28-12-15 record over the past two years, outscoring their opponents almost two to one (94 goals for, 50 goals against).

Two Big Ten standouts, forward Knox Cameron (Michigan) and midfielder Ned Grabavoy (Indiana), are coming off stellar college seasons as both were leading their respective teams in both goals and assists at the end of the regular season. Both players have been major contributors on the field for the Under-20s over the past two years, as Grabavoy leads the team with seven assists and Cameron is second with six assists to go along with his seven goals.

Forward Clint Dempsey will also be looking to contribute in UAE. The Furman University standout has recorded 15 goals and 18 assists in three years of college, but has yet to notch a point in just eight international matches with the Under-20 MNT.

The U.S. qualified for UAE ’03 by taking second place in Group B of the CONCACAF Under-20 final qualifying tournament in Charleston, S.C., in November 2002. The U.S. opened the qualifying tournament in Charleston with a 2-0 win against Haiti, and then secured its ticket to their fourth straight World Youth Championship with a 1-0 victory over El Salvador. The U.S. rested five players for their final match against Canada and fell 3-2, allowing Canada to finish as the group winners.

The 24-team field at the FIFA World Youth Championship will be divided into six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group and the four best teams among those ranked third at the end of the first round qualifying for the Round of 16. All of the matches during the tournament will be played in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai and Al-Ain.

At the most recent World Youth Championship in Argentina ’01, the U.S. team advanced out of their group, but eventually fell 2-0 to a tough Egypt side in the Round of 16. The U.S. managed to finish second in Group C play with four points, despite falling to China 1-0 in its opening match of the tournament. Led by DaMarcus Beasley, who notched two goals, the U.S. beat Chile 4-1 in their next match, while Kenny Arena provided the team’s lone goal in its 1-1 tie with Ukraine in its final match of group play. The five goals in the final two games pushed the U.S. into the next round as it finished tied for second place with China with four points, moving on with a superior goal differential.

Fans and media can follow the team’s journey through the World Championship by clicking on FIFA World Youth Championship at the competitions page of ussoccer.com.

U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team
FIFA Youth World Championship Schedule

Date Opponent Venue Kickoff Television (Galavison)
November 29 Paraguay Abu Dhabi 5:45 p.m. local / 8:45 a.m. ET 8:30 a.m. ET (live), PT (delayed)
December 2 Germany Abu Dhabi 5:45 p.m. local / 8:45 a.m. ET 8:30 a.m. ET (live), PT (delayed)
December 5 South Korea Abu Dhabi 8:30 p.m. local / 11:30 a.m. ET 1:30 p.m. ET & PT (delayed)
December 8,9 Round of 16* TBD TBD TBD
December 12 Quarterfinals* TBD TBD TBD
December 15 Semifinals* TBD TBD TBD
December 19 Third Place Match* TBD TBD TBD
December 19 Final* TBD TBD TBD


No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown Club/College
12 Alvarez, Arturo M 5'9" 145 06/28/85 Houston, Texas San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
17 Cameron, Knox F 6'3" 205 09/17/83 Bronx, N.Y. University of Michigan
11 Clark, Ricardo M 5'10" 140 05/21/83 Jonesboro, Ga. MetroStars (MLS)
5 Cochrane, Ryan D 6'0" 155 08/08/83 Portland, Ore. Santa Clara University
10 Convey, Bobby M 5'8" 150 05/27/83 Philadelphia, Pa. D.C. United (MLS)
1 Cronin, Steve GK 6'2" 190 05/28/83 Fair Oaks, Calif. Santa Clara University
14 Dempsey, Clint M/F 6'1" 170 03/09/83 Nacogdoches, Texas. Furman University
19 Grabavoy, Ned M/F 5'6" 145 07/01/83 New Lenox, Ill. Indiana Univeristy
20 Harvey, Jordan D 5'10" 160 01/28/84 Mission Viejo, Calif. UCLA
15 Johnson, David M 5'11" 160 01/16/84 Venice, Calif. Willem II (Holland)
7 Johnson, Ed F 6'0" 170 03/31/84 Palm Coast, Fla. Dallas Burn (MLS)
8 Klaas, Craig Jared D 5'7" 165 08/23/83 Cherry Valley, Ill. University of Washington
13 Magee, Mike F 5'9" 150 09/02/84 Long Grove, Ill. MetroStars (MLS)
3 Mapp, Justin M 5'11" 160 10/18/84 Brandon, Miss. Chicago Fire (MLS)
4 Marshall, Chad D 6'2" 165 08/22/84 Riverside, Calif. Stanford University
16 Moor, Drew D 6'0" 170 01/15/84 Dallas, Texas Indiana University
9 Quaranta, Santino F 6'1" 185 10/14/84 Baltimore, Md. D.C. United (MLS)
6 Stone, Jordan M 5'9" 145 03/16/83 Allen, Texas Dallas Burn (MLS)
2 Whitbread, Zach D 6'3" 180 01/10/84 Liverpool, England Liverpool (England)
18 Williams, Ford GK 6'3" 190 02/20/84 Raleigh, N.C. University of North Carolina


Team Staff

Head Coach: Thomas Rongen
Assistant Coach: Cle Kooiman
Goalkeeper Coach: Dave Dir
Team Coordinator: Erik Carlson
Doctor: Dwite Dahms
Doctor: Mel Hayashi
Trainer: Steven Jurch
Trainer: Sheldon Lo
Scout: Roberto Lopez
Equipment Manager: Bryan Rosenbaum
Press Officer: Neil Buethe

[Frank Cunha]

S. 3, Paraguay 1

The Associated Press
11/29/03 2:29 PM


ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The United States rallied to beat Paraguay 3-1 with three second-half goals Saturday in a FIFA World Youth Championship opener.

Ed Johnson tied the score eight minutes after halftime, Mike Magee put the Americans ahead in the 67th minute, and captain Bobby Convey sealed the victory in the 81st.

Julio Dos Santos scored for Paraguay in the sixth minute.

Freddy Adu, the 14-year-old who recently joined Major League Soccer, did not get in the game for the United States.

In the day's other Group F game, South Korea defeated Germany 2-0.

In other tournament games Saturday, Japan beat England 1-0, Ivory Coast topped Mexico 2-1, Colombia tied Egypt 0-0, and Ireland edged Saudi Arabia 2-1.

[Frank Cunha]

the three goals where scored by MLS players. Ed Johnson [Dallas], Mike Magee [Metrostars], Convey [DC United].

[Soccerdad]

I watched the game on GALA, they played good, Conveys left footer from the top was beautiful. Johnson played a hell of a game.

[Frank Cunha]

Those Johnson plays for Dallas?

[BethlehemFC]

Ed Johnson has been with Dallas a few years already I think.

[goalmirivan]

USA got a nice team, :mrgreen:

[Frank Cunha]

The victory gave the U.S. three points and pushed them to the top of Group F (after South Korea's 2-0 victory over Germany). The U.S. will face Germany in the second game of the tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 5:45 p.m. local (8:45 a.m. ET) at Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match will be televised live by Galavision beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET (delayed on the West Coast at 8:30 a.m. PT), and can also be followed live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics

[Frank Cunha]

U-20 Players Selected for Training Camp: next cycle begins Jan 3-9 at Home Depot Center
By TDS, 11.28.2003.


The following players have been selected by U-20 National Team coach Thomas Rongen to participate in the first camp for the next National Team cycle. The camp will be held at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. The camp will run from Jan 3-9.

Adu, Freddy
Alvarez ,Arturo
Ashe, Corey
Barrett, Chad
Capano, Craig
Curfman, Steven
Dalby, Greg
DiRaimondo, John
Flores, Sergio
Freeman, Hunter
Gaven, Eddie
Germani, Chris
Gonzales, Guillermo
Hall, Will
Kartunen, Andrew
Marfuggi, Phil
Norman, Nate
Owen, Brandon
Phelan, Patric
Spector, Jonathan
Szetela, Daniel
Watson, Jamie

[Frank Cunha]

to starter in 20m
Galavision to televise the game live in the USA

[Soccerdad]

http://rma2.ussoccer.com/publish.sps...&matchid=10559

match tracker live now for the game

[Frank Cunha]

thanks
but I got Galavision, I believe in the West Coast they will show it a little later

I will see if I can post here some of the scorer's