For all the talk of fighting spirit and well-crafted chances, Ken Pendleton of USSoccerPlayers says that poor defending was “the biggest problem” for the U.S. U-20s — not to mention the senior national team. The U-20s were dumped out of the World Cup quarterfinals by a more organized Austrian team. And it wasn’t just Austria’s two goals: three U.S. starters — Michael Bradley, Anthony Wallace and Julian Valentin — would have missed the semifinal had the U.S. advanced thanks to accumulated yellow cards, while another five would have been in danger of missing the final, underscoring the greater problem of wild tackling and (in some cases) needless fouling.
For Pendleton, right backs Tony Beltran and Tim Ward were the biggest culprits against Austria, while Nathan Sturgis and Valentin in the center weren’t much better. Wallace, too, ultimately had a bad game on the left, especially after Martin Harnik was introduced late in the first half. And, of course, it was Wallace who was sent off in overtime for a sliding tackle he never looked like winning. In the end, though, poor concentration from the visibly injured Chris Seitz led to Austria’s first goal. That, coupled with the entrance of Harnik in the 37th minute, changed the game in Austria’s favor.
The biggest positive from the U-20 tournament was the consistent play of Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Bradley (arguably the best U.S. player). Together, they certainly staked their claim to being the senior national team’s future; indeed, Pendleton thinks they have “a chance of becoming the country’s first world-class outfield players.”