BY SCOTT FRENCH in Mendoza, Argentina The U.S. under-20 team, buoyed by an impressive victory over Chile in its second World Youth Championship encounter, takes on Ukraine Saturday afternoon with a second-round berth on the line. The Americans likely will advance to the Round of 16 even with a loss, but they need a tie or better to ensure passage, and a victory would enable them to avoid a showdown with tournament favorites Argentina or Brazil. Not that that matters. “You know what? I really don’t care,” U.S. coach Wolfgang Suhnholz said. “There’s always going to be somebody there. You always have to face the next opponent. It really doesn’t matter if it’s Brazil or Finland or whatever. “I have a lot of people around me going, ‘What happens if …,’ and everybody is trying to give me what they think the thing is, who we could play or whatever, and I’m not one of those. I know if we take care of business, then whatever comes out of that will be our next challenge. “I have no idea if we have to go where or whatever. Other people are worrying about that. I worry about the soccer part.” Ukraine is on top in Group C with four points, ahead of China on goal differential, but their clash with Suhnholz’s squad is considered far more difficult than China’s against struggling Chile in the second match of the doubleheader at Malvinas Argentinas. The United States can grab the top spot in the group and remain in Mendoza for the second round with a victory as long as China is unable to defeat the Chileans, who have been outclassed by the Ukrainians and Americans in their first two matches. Second place, which the Yanks can clinch with a victory and a Chinese win, might be a more enticing option. Finland or, less likely, Egypt awaits in Buenos Aires for the Group C runner-up; the champion can expect Paraguay, which tied France on Thursday, in the second round if the third-place teams from Groups A and B fail to advance. That seems the likeliest scenario. Four of six third-place teams move on the final 16, and Jamaica would need an improbable triumph Saturday over Argentina in Buenos Aires to earn the berth in Group A. Egypt, which like Jamaica has one point, can advance with a victory over Finland, which would almost surely send the Finns home. In Group B, in Cordoba on Saturday, Brazil can improve to 3-0 with a victory over Canada, which has been outscored, 7-0, in losses to Germany and Iraq. An expected German victory would likely eliminate the Iraqis, but a draw would be satisfactory to both sides. Australia (3 points, vs. African champion Angola in Group D on Sunday in Rosario), Netherlands (1 point, vs. Ethiopia on Sunday in Rosario) and Paraguay (1 point, vs. Iran on Sunday in Mar Del Plata) also are in danger of missing the third round as third-place teams. The Americans can end the suspense with a win or tie, and they’re confident they can earn three points on Saturday. “No doubt, [Ukraine is] a good team,” Suhnholz said. “No doubt, they want to make a statement as well, but I think, overall, we’re the better team. And I think our guys, I can feel it, I can sense it. It’s there. They want it bad.” After a poor performance in its opener, a 1-0 loss to China, the U.S. squad played with greater spirit and prowess in dismantling the Chileans on Wednesday. DaMarcus Beasley scored two goals and assisted on another by front-line partner Edson Buddle, and Bobby Convey delivered two superb crosses for goals in the 4-1 romp. Goalkeeper D.J. Countess, suffering from the flu bug that has raged through the U.S. camp, gave an extraordinary performance to deny Chile at least a half-dozen times. The Chileans created far more chances than China had in its victory, product of a more wide-open clash, but the U.S. defenders said they felt far more comfortable in the four-man back line than in the three-man alignment Suhnholz employed in the tournament opener. Suhnholz will likely stick with four defenders — Oguchi Onyewu, Alexander Yi, Nelson Akwari and either Philip Salyer or Ricky Lewis. Salyer is Suhnholz’s first choice, but he is just getting over the flu and won’t start unless he’s capable of going 90 minutes. Two changes are anticipated in midfield, with Brad Davis — who made a strong impression off the bench — stepping in for disappointing Kyle Martino on the right flank, and Kenny Arena making his tournament debut at defensive midfielder in place of Brian Carroll. Arena’s size and grit better matches the tall, physical Ukrainians than does the smaller Carroll’s talents. Arena, the son of U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, is not at strong on the ball, but Landon Donovan has made midfield defense his priority. “I think it’s important we have a good presence in the midfield because in the China game, I thought they just ran through us — they were all over us in the midfield,” Donovan said. “I just wanted to concentrate on defense first and let these guys do what they know how to do, and Bobby and Beas and Edson all took care of business up top, so I could just concentrate on helping defensively. “It takes pressure off [the attackers] if they don’t have to worry about defending as much, and I don’t mind doing it. Someone has to do it, and I don’t mind doing it — it’s good for me. It’s a learning experience for me, and if it helps the team, that’s good.” Ukraine, so impressive in a 4-2 win over Chile but outplayed for the most part by China in scoreless draw, is led by forwards Olekci Byelik, Ruslan Valeev and Andri Gerasimenko. Coach Anatoli Kroschenko’s squad, which is stationed in the same hotel as the Yanks, probably will be content to sit back and counter, as it needs only a draw to finish second and claim the desired spot opposite Finland or Egypt in the Round of 16. The Americans will require Beasley and Convey to make the most of limited space and need another strong showing by big, mobile Buddle to break down the wall the Ukrainians will likely construct near the top of their box. The third-place team would face second-round matches in Buenos Aires against Argentina or in Cordoba against Brazil, the most impressive teams through the first two matches of FIFA’s U-20 championship. PROJECTED LINEUPS United States: D.J. Countess (UCLA); Oguchi Onyewu (Clemson), Alexander Yi (UCLA), Nelson Akwari (UCLA), Philip Salyer (Maryland) or Ricky Lewis (Clemson); Kenny Arena (Virginia), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes), Brad Davis (Saint Louis); DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire), Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew). Ukraine: Vitaly Rudenko (Chernomorets); Vitali Komarnitskyy (Ironi, Israel), Bogdan Shershun (Dnepr), Sergi Symonenko (Torpedo Moscow, Russia); Sergi Danylovskyy (Karpaty Lviv), Sergi Khystev (Stal Alchevsk), Volodymyr Bondarenko (CSCA Kiev), Andri Smalko (Borysfen Boryspol); Olekci Byelik (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ruslan Valeev (Dutynham, Netherlands), Andri Gerasimenko (Dynamo Kiev).