The USA kicks off CONCACAF qualifying for the 2007 Under-20 World Cup Wednesday night when it plays Haiti in the first game of a doubleheader in Panama City, Panama. The game kicks off a 6:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on GolTV.
The USA has qualified for every U-20 world championship since the launch of MLS. The last time it failed to reach the finals was in 1995, the year before its launch.
With six MLS players, four taken in last Friday’s SuperDraft and three players with foreign clubs, there are more professional players on the 2007 U.S. qualifying roster than on any past qualifying roster at this age group. Freddy Adu (Real Salt Lake), Josmer Altidore (N.Y. Red Bulls), Quavas Kirk (L.A. Galaxy), Nathan Sturgis (L.A. Galaxy), Danny Szetela (Columbus Crew) and Tim Ward (Columbus Crew) all have at least one year of experience in the league, while Bryan Arguez (D.C. United), Amaechi Igwe (New England Revolution), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake) and Anthony Wallace (FC Dallas) all recently signed with the league. Rounding out the professionals are three players representing three different countries in Europe – Robbie Rogers (Heerenveen-Netherlands), Johann Smith (Bolton Wanderers-England) and Preston Zimmerman (Hamburg-Germany).
On paper, the USA will have an easy time claiming one of the two Group A berths for the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada. Panama has qualified for the last two world championships, where it lost all six games, giving it the worst record in the history of the U-20 competition. Haiti and Guatemala have never reached the U-20 World Cup finals.
The USA faces Guatemala (featuring American University freshman Dor Yasur) on Friday (TV: GolTV, live, 6:30 ET) and Panama (coached by former star Julio Cesar Dely Valdes) on Sunday (TV: GolTV, delay, 7 pm ET).
- MAKING A LIST: U-20 Pros
PROS (YEAR)
13 (2007)
8* (2005)
8 (2003)
6 (2001)
4 (1999)
*Three players were drafted by MLS clubs after qualifying began.