[OFFICIAL] 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup Thread [P+R]

[Run DMB]

Just watched USA - Poland, brilliant stuff from our boys. Freddy Adu silenced his critics. Sal Zizzo is performing above all expectations. If he keeps playing like this, I've got a feeling he'll bypass MLS and go straight to Europe. Szetela is about the last guy I would have expected to score three goals in two games, but he's in great form right now.

Our defense is not very good, however, and I fear that fact will be exposed when we play Brazil. Beltran is not a natural defender, but he's the best right back we have available. Wallace is athletic, but raw and unpolished. In central defense we have Sturgis, who is excellent, but the problem is finding another CB to play alongside him. Valentin has the size but lacks quickness and his distribution could be better. Sarkodie is a solid defender with great pace, but he's a bit undersized at 5'9. Still, I would rather have Sarkodie against teams who don't have big aerial threats or send in a lot of crosses.

 

[Bobby]

It seems ESPN is broadcasting the USA games, and Galavision is televising the Mexico games. Other than that, I haven't found any other games besides I think the Argentina vs. Czech Rep, and Brazil vs. Poland. Unless they're on digital cable, which I don't have anymore.

ESPNU has some others.

 

[Hopeunited]

anyone know what channel this would be on for the united states? any of the games since im from the boston area of the us and id love to see the games. I also have gol tv and fox soccer channel incase its on one of those?

You can watch the games online at CBCSports as a last resort. I posted the link on the first page.

PS: hot damn, goals galore last night.

 

[bbranco10]

thanks a lot guys, too bad i wont be able to see portugal play other than online

 

[Thelonious]

So, who's the consensus ****tiest outfit repping thus far? The Scots? Kiwis? Even Canada? I can't decide, man.

Probably New Zealand, our only player at a professional club pulled out just before the tournament, and our other player at a professional club decided to play for Scotland. At best a couple of guys might earn MLS or A league contracts but most will remain amateurs. Still 2-0 to Portugal was a good result but I fear Mexico will destroy us.

 

[Yossarian]

LOL@ having the choice of playing for either the Kiwis (dog turd) or Scots (donkey turd) in soccer, man. That sounds funny to me. What a kick ass dilemma, eh?

It's like having to choose between a Yugo or a Vega......if I had the same option, I think that I'd opt to join the army as a grunt and serve in the frontlines/most dangerous detail in Iraq than have to bear the severe humiliation and shame of having to suit up for either of those NTs, man.


Thelonious, you know I love you, brah, but tell yer Kiwi folk to stick to being second rate Aussies and tossin' about that obese version of the football.


btw.....seriously now. How did you guys gain entrance into this tourney?

 

[Thelonious]

Australia left the Oceania confederation, which leaves us having to beat the mighty nations of Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands to qualify. I think only the Solomons and Tahiti take Football seriously, the others play Rugby and also have like 90 % obesity so are rubbish at football. We are pretty much gifted entry.

 

[Yossarian]

LOL@ those overweight Polynesians and that sham of a qualification, man.


thnx for the peaceful and professional reply in the face of such provocation and total disrespect, brah.

 

[Hopeunited]

NZ was aight, man. They held their ground for a bit, and had the chance to score 2 goals, if wasn't for the terribly poor composure in front of goal. I'd say they played better than our glorious home team.

 

[Bobby]

Australia left the Oceania confederation, which leaves us having to beat the mighty nations of Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands to qualify. I think only the Solomons and Tahiti take Football seriously, the others play Rugby and also have like 90 % obesity so are rubbish at football. We are pretty much gifted entry.

Better hope you never face Vanuatu in the final.

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

Aguero/Morales are legit, man. These two kids have impressed me a ton, man. But Argentina as a whole so far has been phenomenal. They're by far the smartest, most technically gifted team in this tournament from what I've seen.


breath-taking soccer, man.

Well probably because Argentina, along with Brazil and the european sides, is a team where all the players take part the senior or at times in the reserve team in a club of a competitive league. See the guys that played yesterday.

-Romero: Even though i think he's still dodgy at crosses it he played very few matches as Racing Club's starter before being transfered to AZ Alkmaar.
-Fazio & Insúa: Insúa i know only played a single match for Liverpool in the top team i don't know abouit either one performances in the reverses of their clubs(Sevilla & Liverpool), both played great for the U20 so far, Fazio in particular was a great found since in Argentina he was playing at a second division club(Ferrocarril Oeste, which could be getting relegated to the 3rd division) and i don't know if Insuá got to play a single match at Boca's reserve before being transfered to Liverpool.
-Cahais: Starter in many matches for Boca this past season, as a central back something uncommon in Boca's history that a youth central back getting high recognition.
-Banega: Like a Cahais, except that he appeared in the Clausura, quickly became an unremovable starter too, often compared with Gago.
-Yacob: Still a promise but had some above average performances at Racing.
-Sanchez: Idem Yacob, but with more continuity throught the season.
-Moralez: Idem Sanchez, but better in my opinion.
-Escudero: A very skilled guy who was an un questionable starter at Vélez Sarsfield.
-Zárate: Idem. Escudero, Zárate was a top scorer in the Apertura even.
-Agüero: An exceptional case if there is, with 17 years he became a vital starter at Independiente, this past season he played a good amount of matches for Atlético de Madrid and even scoring goals, this is the second U20 World Cup he plays.
-Piatti: Plays regularly for Estudiantes, hardly as a starter, but he scored very nice goals and also scored important goals for Estudiantes' championship.
-Cabral: Another kid of Vélez's school, he played a variety of matches in the second half of the season with very nice performances, sometimes as a starter sometimes coming from the bench.
-Di Maria: Even though Rosario Central had a so-so season, this guy played 25 matches and only scored 6 goals, even though he was their best player another young and skilled attack midfielder like Escudero, who in fact got replaced by Di Maria in the match against Panama, i don't know why he isn't a starter at the U20, he was important in the qualifiers, he may be a starter from now on since Escudero seems to be missing the rest of the thing due an injury.

 

[::shinji::]

I agree with Hopeunited... I hate to say it but I think Canada was the worst I've seen so far. New Zealand had no technical ability and their midfield was an open highway but they at least had some fight in them and made a game of it. Canada was nowhere and a non-threat vs. Chile, I think we're better than that but it was a really, really dissapointing display out there.

 

[Thelonious]

New Zealand play well as a team and are pretty well organised, though we will probably pack 10 men behind the ball against Gambia and then try to play a long ball to the strikers, we probably won't get thrashed but I can't see us scoring a goal, especially with our rubbish strikers.

 

[Yossarian]

Well probably because Argentina, along with Brazil and the european sides, is a team where all the players take part the senior or at times in the reserve team in a club of a competitive league. See the guys that played yesterday.

-Romero: Even though i think he's still dodgy at crosses it he played very few matches as Racing Club's starter before being transfered to AZ Alkmaar.
-Fazio & Insúa: Insúa i know only played a single match for Liverpool in the top team i don't know abouit either one performances in the reverses of their clubs(Sevilla & Liverpool), both played great for the U20 so far, Fazio in particular was a great found since in Argentina he was playing at a second division club(Ferrocarril Oeste, which could be getting relegated to the 3rd division) and i don't know if Insuá got to play a single match at Boca's reserve before being transfered to Liverpool.
-Cahais: Starter in many matches for Boca this past season, as a central back something uncommon in Boca's history that a youth central back getting high recognition.
-Banega: Like a Cahais, except that he appeared in the Clausura, quickly became an unremovable starter too, often compared with Gago.
-Yacob: Still a promise but had some above average performances at Racing.
-Sanchez: Idem Yacob, but with more continuity throught the season.
-Moralez: Idem Sanchez, but better in my opinion.
-Escudero: A very skilled guy who was an un questionable starter at Vélez Sarsfield.
-Zárate: Idem. Escudero, Zárate was a top scorer in the Apertura even.
-Agüero: An exceptional case if there is, with 17 years he became a vital starter at Independiente, this past season he played a good amount of matches for Atlético de Madrid and even scoring goals, this is the second U20 World Cup he plays.
-Piatti: Plays regularly for Estudiantes, hardly as a starter, but he scored very nice goals and also scored important goals for Estudiantes' championship.
-Cabral: Another kid of Vélez's school, he played a variety of matches in the second half of the season with very nice performances, sometimes as a starter sometimes coming from the bench.
-Di Maria: Even though Rosario Central had a so-so season, this guy played 25 matches and only scored 6 goals, even though he was their best player another young and skilled attack midfielder like Escudero, who in fact got replaced by Di Maria in the match against Panama, i don't know why he isn't a starter at the U20, he was important in the qualifiers, he may be a starter from now on since Escudero seems to be missing the rest of the thing due an injury.

NICE! That's a pretty thorough writeup on your team, brah....good stuff.

Yeah, you can tell just by their style and overall demeanor that these kids are used to playing highly competitive pro ball, you know? Their soccer IQ, awareness and feel for the game is very well developed and belies their ******* age, you know?

 

[treble41]

Oh, you can get links to u-20 games and other football from www.myp2p.eu (go to the weekdays secion to see the list unless it's a Saturday or Sunday, then you gotta click uh Saturday or Sunday).

 

[night]

Watching Gambia and New Zealand right now.. Average game..

 

[Moreira_Benfica]

Pele just pulled a Deco with that tackle

 

[Johnny_Big]

I lmao'ed when Pele did that frantic tackle. What a whore

0-0 HT between Mexico and Portugal. There hasn't been many chances of goals, excepting that free-kick from Gama and that crazy play by Dos Santos, but it has been a quite entertaining match, imo, the players are giving their best.

As for Portugal, Antunes and Zequinha so far are being huge. Antunes is in control of the left flank, nothing goes by there. Zequinha is a warrior, fantastic. Bruno Game is also doing some good stuff.

There was so many talk yada yada yada about Pelé? Well, I think he is playing awful. Good physical, but seems to get nervous against technical players.

I think we can win, but please, guys, be careful with Dos Santos. Just put the physios marking him

 

[Mauricio]

Very physical game, both teams defendign well.. until now

We are depnding to muhc in what Gio and Vela can do, we can win rthis but looks very difficult, a draw would be good to, looking at our goal avg.

 

[Moreira_Benfica]

Thats a weak call