The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team wrapped up Group A play on Friday night with a 7-0 win against Suriname.
It was an extremely easy process for the United States U20s, which outscored its opponents 39-2 on the way to claiming first place in the group. The accomplishment secured progress to the Qualification Phase of the U20 Concacaf Championship, where the U.S. will battle against Costa Rica and Honduras for a spot in the World Cup.
Lining up against Concacaf minnows such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname, it’s been a series of romps for the United States. Even so, the U.S. hasn’t done as well as perhaps the score lines suggest. At times the team has struggled to be sharp in the final third, lumped balls forward and hesitated to connect play in midfield. This despite having the edge in talent to dominate their opponents, both on the score sheet and run of play.
Still, the team has gotten the job done to this point and can bring in reinforcements; the competition rules allows head coach Tab Ramos to make six changes ahead of his next game, slated for November 16.
Below is a look at five players that have excelled through this point in the competition.
