Wolfgang Suhnholz this week guides the U.S. under-20 squad into its final — and most telling — test before the World Youth Championship begins next month in Argentina. The 29th Festival International Espoirs of Toulon — popularly known as the Toulon Festival — brings to France eight of the finest U-20 teams on the planet, including four that have qualified for the June 17-July 8 World Championship. Suhnholz’s squad, making the Americans’ seventh appearance in Toulon, will battle Italy, two-time defending champion Colombia and fellow Worlds qualifier Netherlands in Group A of the May 24-June 2 Festival. Japan and France, also bound for Argentina, battle with Poland and Portugal in Group B. All of the U.S. games will be shown live on Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Espanol. The schedule is below. Suhnholz has not taken to France everybody he’s considering for the World Championship roster. Professionals Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes), DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew) and Devin Barclay (Tampa Bay Mutiny) have remained with their clubs. Injuries have deprived Suhnholz of defender Ricky Lewis, midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Kenny Cutler, and forwards Gus Kartes and Abe Thompson. Soccer America talked with Suhnholz about the 18 players he’s using at the Toulon Festival. His analysis: GOALKEEPERS D.J. COUNTESS (UCLA) The Yanks’ No. 1 netminder stood between the pipes as the U.S. U-17 team reached the semifinals of their world championship 18 months ago in New Zealand. He’s been Suhnholz’s top choice since the U-20 team was formed in January 2000. Suhnholz says: “All-around, he’s a very good player, and his confidence level is extremely high. The team seems to play a notch better when he’s in there. He’s a gamer — he can change things around in a game with a good save. He’s got great hands, is very good in the air; the only thing he really has to improve on — and he is improving — is his distribution, his long-range distribution.” DOUG WARREN (Clemson) Top shot-blocker and Countess’ top understudy, he came to the U-20s from the U-18 squad. Suhnholz says: “He’s all cool, TOO cool. A little too laid back — a little too calm for my tastes. He’s very good on the line. His only problem is coming out of goal. His distribution is OK, but on the line he’s fantastic.” DEFENDERS NELSON AKWARI (UCLA) U-20s’ captain is a fixture in central defense, as he was as co-captain of the U-17 semifinalists. Suhnholz says: “Probably the backbone of the team. He’s a rock. He’s captain for a lot of reasons. A very level-headed young man, and for the last year and a half he’s probably been our most consistent player, I’d say. He organizes very well in the back. He’s very good distributing out of the back. Once in a while, I wish he could get a little more on the other guys’ cases. He should be more vocal. He’s vocal, but once in a while he should get angry a little more. Sometimes he’s too nice to the guys in front of him.” JOSE BURCIAGA (Kansas City Wizards) Left-sided defender who joined the Kansas City Wizards as a Project-40 player this season; can also play on the left side of midfield or as a defensive midfielder. Was dropped from the squad prior to the CONCACAF qualifying tournament. Suhnholz says: “Defensively, he’s good, very strong in the air, and when he goes forward, he’s got a good left foot. He didn’t play last year for 6 months [while determining whether to turn pro or go to college], and his quality dropped. Mooch [Myernick] took him with the P-40s to Vancouver and Seattle, and he did well, was one of the best players. That’s why I brought him back in. He’s always been with us — on the borderline — but he’s a great prospect. He’s a fighter, a pretty hard-nosed kid.” CHARLES KAZLAUSKAS (NEC Nijmegen, Netherlands) Central defender from the Milwaukee area who headed to Europe about a year ago and plays for NEC’s under-19 squad. He was invited into the U-20 camp in April. Suhnholz says: “He wasn’t really in the regional pool when we watched the regional tournament a year and a half ago in San Antonio. We were contacted by somebody in Holland and brought him into camp. He’s a good player, reminded us a little of Jaap Stam — he has no hair, is big, about 6-foot-1, and he plays a little bit like Stam.” OGUCHI ONYEWU (Clemson) Right-sided defender is happiest when on the attack, and he demonstrated at the U-17 World Cup. Suhnholz says: “He’s a physical specimen, extremely good in the air, defensively very strong. Unfortunately, when he goes forward, he thinks he’s Pele. He tried to take people on [rather than combining with teammates]. Otherwise, he’s very talented.” PHILIP SALYER (Maryland) Consistent left back who can step into midfield. Quietest player on the U.S. team. Suhnholz says: “He’s a machine, after Akwari our most consistent player of the last year and a half. He reads the game very well defensively and always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. Offensively, he’s good — he’s scored some goals, had some assists. He runs forever. He can run for two days and he’s still the same. His timing is very good when he goes forward, and he can create opportunities for players.” DAVID WAGENFUHR (Creighton) Left-sided defender/midfielder who can also play at defensive midfielder, was called in for his U-20 first camp in April. Suhnholz says: “He’s a good player, and I wished we’d had him in camp longer and earlier. There are some things he has to learn. He’s a talented kid, a left-footer, with a tremendous shot with his left foot, and he crosses the ball well with his left foot. He could be a little better in the air. Very versatile.” ALEXANDER YI (UCLA) Akwari’s partner in central defense here and with the U-17s is in talks with Italian club Brescia. Suhnholz says: “An extremely talented defender. Technically very good, has a lot of ability, could be a little better in the air — but he has improved in that. If he makes up his mind that [playing soccer] is what he really wants, he’s going to have a great career in front of him. I think he has not made up his mind whether he wants to play professional soccer or become a doctor — or whatever — and that’s why, once in a while, he doesn’t have his consistency. That’s the difference between him and Akwari. Akwari knows exactly what he wants. Alex is a very smart, bright kid, but deep inside he’s not really settled with himself.” MIDFIELDERS KENNY ARENA (Virginia) National team coach Bruce Arena’s son is one of two defensive midfielders cleaning up behind the talented attacking quartet of Donovan, Beasley, Convey and Conor Casey. Suhnholz says: “I would call him a role player. Physically, he’s very strong, and he’s very good in the air. He could be a step faster or quicker, and his weakness is that sometimes he plays — how can I say? — a stupid ball. He plays the lazy pass. Otherwise, he’s done pretty good overall. He’s given us strength in midfield, especially in qualifying. He’s a battler, the type of player we’ve been craving in midfield — because we’re very technical, and he does a lot of dirty work. He’s all bite, even in practice. He makes everyone go a little harder.” BRIAN CARROLL (Wake Forest) If Arena is the ball-winner in midfield, Carroll — the Americans’ other DMF — is the distributor. Suhnholz says: “He’s been absolutely brilliant for us. He’s a workhorse in midfield, a running machine — like Salyer, he can run for two days-plus. Technically, he’s pretty good. His distribution is normally pretty good, but in the last camp he kind of gave the ball away too much. He’s the type of player who can mark somebody out of the game if you need him to. He closes people down pretty good, is smart in midfield.” BRAD DAVIS (Saint Louis) Left-footed attacking midfielder surprisingly returned from injury to play in the qualifying tournament, but a red card in the qualifying finale will force him to the sidelines for the opener in Argentina. Suhnholz says: “Very incredibly talented. He has everything. He’s technically very good, has a tremendous shot, can bend the ball better than anybody. He has good vision. He’s physically strong, good in the air. I probably can see him developing very quickly to become one of the players in the next two or three years making it to the full [national] team. He has to be on the field — he’s that good.” KELLY GRAY (Portland) Versatile player who can perform nearly anywhere on the field — up front, in the back, all spots in between. Suhnholz says: “Mr. Everything. My god, I fell sometimes bad for him because we play him everywhere. Since the middle of last year, he’s been fantastic for us. He was a little on his way out [of the team] — we thought as a center forward he wasn’t playing strong enough. He was struggling playing for us up front. Then we tried him once in the back, and he did fantastic. He’s played for us as center defender, outside defender, in midfield, and he’s done very well for us. Last camp, we had to play him up front, and he scored three goals. He’s technically very good, can hit the long ball — over 50 yards, he’s right on spot. He’s pretty good in the air — for his size, he should be better — and he’s got a feel for the game. He’s another one hard to keep out of our lineup.” KYLE MARTINO (Virginia) Creative midfielder who’s playing time has been hindered by the presence of Donovan, Beasley and Convey. Suhnholz says: “He’s our genius. He can be a genius — he’s great, or not at all. Very gifted, a very emotional player. If things are going for him, he can be unbelievable. If it’s not going for him, then his game goes down very quickly. Technically, he’s pure technique. Probably the most gifted one. Sometimes he has incredible ideas, great vision. His only problem: I’m always trying to get him to play the ball a little quicker. He holds onto the ball a little too long for the international level. If things are going good, and he plays the ball quick, he’s fantastic. If he starts holding it too much, he plays too much for the gallery.” LOGAN PAUSE (North Carolina) Another newcomer to the pool, can play in central midfield or on the right. Suhnholz says: “He came into camp later, and because of that he doesn’t want to make a mistake. He played a little too careful for my tastes. On the other hand, I like him. When he goes forward, he can cross the ball incredibly well. He defends pretty well for a midfielder but needs to be more aggressive. He was a nice surprise.” SETH TREMBLY (Colorado Rapids) Versatile player who has played wide in midfield and on the back line. Part of the U-17 semifinalists and a P-40 player since 1999. Suhnholz says: “He’s very well-rounded, can play any position on the field. He played for us in qualifying as a man-marker against Costa Rica, and he played an excellent game, totally had his guy under control. Tactically, he’s very good; technically, he’s pretty good. He’s good with both feet, loved to hit the ball across the field. Overall, he makes up for his size [5-foot-6, 145 pounds] with energy — he’s a very energetic player. He’s got a lot of experience, and he’s not afraid to say something on the field. He’s a little outspoken in a good way, likes to energize the guys a little bit.” FORWARDS CONOR CASEY (Borussia Dortmund, Germany) Big but skillful forward who left for Europe after his sophomore season last fall at the University of Portland. Was a starting striker on the U-23 team that finished fourth at the Sydney Olympics. Suhnholz says: “It’s very crucial that Conor [is coming] to Toulon. We haven’t seen him for awhile, since qualifying. Physically, he’s very strong, a good target player. Sometimes I get on his case — the type of player he is, he goes too often to the outside. He should be more physically present in the middle. He’s a very talented young man, otherwise he would not be playing for Dortmund.” ALECKO ESKANDARIAN (Virginia) Soccer America‘s College Freshman of the Year last fall is a left-footed goalscorer. Was left off the qualifying roster. Suhnholz says: “He’s made a great jump. I think last time [during preparations for the qualifying tournament], he didn’t make it — he was on the borderline. I think he used that as positive energy to come to the next camp, sort of ‘I’m going to show you.’ That’s a great attitude. You’re not punishing people by not taking them along, but you are hoping that they’ll come back the next time and really do good, and he’s done that. I think he realized that being a great college player, well, you need a little more for this level. He’s doing very well for us. He’s dangerous in front of the goal, has incredible quickness, a great left foot, and he loves to score goals. He’s not just a goalscorer, he LOVES to score goals. He’s a good combination player, and the little bit he lacks in size [5-8, 155] he makes up for with a big heart. He’s a little hurt — he broke his wrist — but he should be OK. Naturally, we’re looking at him for the left side, but he could be an alternative up front. If we play Conor Casey up front, we have a different [look] than if we play Alecko up front. Alecko needs someone to play with him up front. Conor can play alone up front.” U.S. SCHEDULE AT TOULON FESTIVAL (all times ET) May 24: vs. Italy, noon. May 26: vs. Columbia, 10 a.m. May 28: vs. Netherlands, 1 p.m. May 31: Semifinals, noon and 2 p.m. June 2: Third-place match, noon; championship game, 2 p.m. Note: All games listed will be shown live on Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Espanol.