Can the U.S. U-17 team beat Germany?
By Brent Latham
ESPN Insider
Still alive in the under-17 World Cup, Wilmer Cabrera's American team might nevertheless find it hard to escape the sense that it has let a golden opportunity slip away. A second-place finish in a relatively weak group has put the team in a difficult spot, with red-hot Germany on the schedule next. What began as a promising World Cup run looks destined to end Thursday with yet another knockout-round loss.
Of course things could still turn out differently. What we've said numerous times on this blog has played out at this tournament -- anything can happen at this level. But Germany has been by far the best team in the tournament to this point, rolling through the group phase unbeaten with a plus-10 goal difference, while demonstrating some Bundesliga-level talent along the way.
Now, to win a knockout-round match at the Under-17 World Cup for the first time in more than a decade, the U.S. will need to play by far its best game on both sides of the ball.
"From the first second we wanted to win the group," Cabrera said. "But I can go on thinking that we can continue in this competition, and thinking ahead. Now this is an opportunity for us."
The opportunity could have been a much better one for the Americans. The team had its destiny in its hands at every turn of the group stage. Even after a tough loss to Uzbekistan in the second group match, a win against a solid but overmatched New Zealand on Saturday would have given the U.S. first place and a more reasonable path to the quarterfinals.
<OFFER>Instead, the U.S. dominated the Kiwis but couldn't find the net. The Americans outshot New Zealand 20-4 and monopolized the chances until captain Marc Pelosi was sent off with a second yellow for an unnecessary shirt tug in 69th minute.
"The kids came out with energy, with the desire to win and the desire to prove that they're a very good team," Cabrera said. "We had the ball, we created the chances. But in soccer, having the ball and creating chances isn't what makes you win, it's putting the ball in the net."
If much of the situation is of its own making, the U.S. also suffered what could be considered a little bit of bad luck after the match on Saturday. Having finished in a deadlock with New Zealand for second place, tied on goal differential and goals scored, lots had to be drawn to determine the order of finish in the group. The U.S. won that draw, finishing second. But New Zealand probably came out better off, heading to play surprise group B winner Japan, while the U.S. gets the rampant Germans.
The Americans will now have to put it all together in a hurry. And they'll have to do it without their captain. Pelosi's red card suspension comes just as he was starting to show the dangerous form that made him a player to watch coming into the tournament.
But even without its captain, there are some signs the U.S. may be able to compete with the Germans. The offense was clicking on all cylinders Saturday, after Cabrera replaced Paul Arriola in the starting lineup with Alfred Koroma. His pairing up front with Mario Rodriguez makes for an athletic and strong combo, which will be tough for any defense to handle.
The midfield also got into the offensive act against New Zealand with greater confidence and authority than it had in previous matches. Pelosi and Alejandro Guido found success running at defenders and created numerous chances.
The only thing missing was a goal against a defense that had as many as eight players clogging the box at times. But there's probably not much reason to worry that the problems putting the ball in the net are permanent. This team has always been very good at finishing its chances, and that should continue if it can create any against the Germans.
But that could be the problem. The European runners-up are organized and tactically skilled and won't give the Americans a ton of time on the ball to pick apart their defense. They also will have witnessed the successful game plan Uzbekistan employed to defeat the Americans last week -- pressuring the midfield into turnover after turnover while locking down central lynchpin Guido.
"If we have to play tomorrow against Germany, or whoever is in front on us, we're going to play the same way," the coach said. "We've been training the same way for two years, and we can't change now. [We are] a team that shows concentration, personality, and quality, and we have to do that now. Against Germany we'll play the same, managing the ball, trying to keep good shape, and trying to score."
With Cabrera unlikely to change the game plan, the key on Thursday will be which American midfield turns up -- the one that dominated New Zealand, or the one complicit in the loss to Uzbekistan.
Only if the midfield, and the rest of U.S. team for that matter, plays to the fullest of its ability will the team have a shot to knock off the Germans. Any other caliber of performance, and the only thing in the cards will be yet another knockout-round loss -- the Americans' fifth in a row at Under-17 World Cups -- and the loss of a great opportunity to go deeper into a World Cup.
By Brent Latham
ESPN Insider
Still alive in the under-17 World Cup, Wilmer Cabrera's American team might nevertheless find it hard to escape the sense that it has let a golden opportunity slip away. A second-place finish in a relatively weak group has put the team in a difficult spot, with red-hot Germany on the schedule next. What began as a promising World Cup run looks destined to end Thursday with yet another knockout-round loss.
Of course things could still turn out differently. What we've said numerous times on this blog has played out at this tournament -- anything can happen at this level. But Germany has been by far the best team in the tournament to this point, rolling through the group phase unbeaten with a plus-10 goal difference, while demonstrating some Bundesliga-level talent along the way.
Now, to win a knockout-round match at the Under-17 World Cup for the first time in more than a decade, the U.S. will need to play by far its best game on both sides of the ball.
"From the first second we wanted to win the group," Cabrera said. "But I can go on thinking that we can continue in this competition, and thinking ahead. Now this is an opportunity for us."
The opportunity could have been a much better one for the Americans. The team had its destiny in its hands at every turn of the group stage. Even after a tough loss to Uzbekistan in the second group match, a win against a solid but overmatched New Zealand on Saturday would have given the U.S. first place and a more reasonable path to the quarterfinals.
<OFFER>Instead, the U.S. dominated the Kiwis but couldn't find the net. The Americans outshot New Zealand 20-4 and monopolized the chances until captain Marc Pelosi was sent off with a second yellow for an unnecessary shirt tug in 69th minute.
"The kids came out with energy, with the desire to win and the desire to prove that they're a very good team," Cabrera said. "We had the ball, we created the chances. But in soccer, having the ball and creating chances isn't what makes you win, it's putting the ball in the net."
If much of the situation is of its own making, the U.S. also suffered what could be considered a little bit of bad luck after the match on Saturday. Having finished in a deadlock with New Zealand for second place, tied on goal differential and goals scored, lots had to be drawn to determine the order of finish in the group. The U.S. won that draw, finishing second. But New Zealand probably came out better off, heading to play surprise group B winner Japan, while the U.S. gets the rampant Germans.
The Americans will now have to put it all together in a hurry. And they'll have to do it without their captain. Pelosi's red card suspension comes just as he was starting to show the dangerous form that made him a player to watch coming into the tournament.
But even without its captain, there are some signs the U.S. may be able to compete with the Germans. The offense was clicking on all cylinders Saturday, after Cabrera replaced Paul Arriola in the starting lineup with Alfred Koroma. His pairing up front with Mario Rodriguez makes for an athletic and strong combo, which will be tough for any defense to handle.
The midfield also got into the offensive act against New Zealand with greater confidence and authority than it had in previous matches. Pelosi and Alejandro Guido found success running at defenders and created numerous chances.
The only thing missing was a goal against a defense that had as many as eight players clogging the box at times. But there's probably not much reason to worry that the problems putting the ball in the net are permanent. This team has always been very good at finishing its chances, and that should continue if it can create any against the Germans.
But that could be the problem. The European runners-up are organized and tactically skilled and won't give the Americans a ton of time on the ball to pick apart their defense. They also will have witnessed the successful game plan Uzbekistan employed to defeat the Americans last week -- pressuring the midfield into turnover after turnover while locking down central lynchpin Guido.
"If we have to play tomorrow against Germany, or whoever is in front on us, we're going to play the same way," the coach said. "We've been training the same way for two years, and we can't change now. [We are] a team that shows concentration, personality, and quality, and we have to do that now. Against Germany we'll play the same, managing the ball, trying to keep good shape, and trying to score."
With Cabrera unlikely to change the game plan, the key on Thursday will be which American midfield turns up -- the one that dominated New Zealand, or the one complicit in the loss to Uzbekistan.
Only if the midfield, and the rest of U.S. team for that matter, plays to the fullest of its ability will the team have a shot to knock off the Germans. Any other caliber of performance, and the only thing in the cards will be yet another knockout-round loss -- the Americans' fifth in a row at Under-17 World Cups -- and the loss of a great opportunity to go deeper into a World Cup.
