Third-place finish in Alor Setar group is good enough to set up date with Uruguay Despite losing its last two games, the United States advanced to the second round of the World Youth Championship in Malaysia as one of the four best third-place teams. After losing to Ireland 2-1 and Ghana 1-0, the United States finished third in Group C to advance to the second round, where it faces Group A champion Uruguay at Shah Alam Stadium outside Kuala Lumpur. Head coach Jay HoffmanÆs boys had an anxious wait after falling to Ghana, their fate hinging on the outcome of the subsequent Ireland-China game. A one-goal Chinese win would have dropped the U.S. to fourth place, but Ireland held on for a 1-1 tie despite having goalie Derek OÆConnor sent off. Still the U.S. might not have advanced. It had finished ahead of South Africa, the third-place team in Group B, but then had to wait for the final day of group play (June 23) in Groups D, E, and F. Results of those games left the United Arab Emirates and Paraguay with worse records than the United States, which has now advanced past the first round of the last three Under-20 World Cups in which it has competed. It finished fourth in 1989 and reached the quarterfinals in 1993, eventually falling to Brazil 3-0. “This was our immediate goal all along,” said Hoffman. “This is an incredibly competitive tournament, and our matches in Group C were among the most tightly contested among the 24 teams.” Two games ended in ties and the other four were decided by one goal. By contrast, Brazil beat South Korea 10-3 with six goals coming from star Adailton, and the UAE twice lost 5-0 yet still advanced as the No. 4 third-place team when it beat Ivory Coast 2-0. After falling to Ghana in its opener, Ireland came out storming against the United States. The Irish struck twice in the first 25 minutes off set pieces. The United States pulled a goal back in the 40th minute. Jorge Flores converted a penalty kick after Josh Wolff was taken down in the box. John OÆBrien, set free by Wolff, and Chad McCarty, off a corner kick taken by Joey DiGiamarino, had the best U.S. chances in the second half, but the Irish held on for the win. Ghana dominated the United States, finishing with a 17-5 edge in shots, but the Black Meteors only managed one goal. Peter Ofori-Quaye, who plays for Greek club Kalamata, scored in the 33rd minute on a header. The United States was constantly under pressure against Ghana, whose squad features five starters from the team that won the Under-17 World Cup two years ago in Ecuador. Goalie Andy Kirk kept the United States in the game with a series of miracle saves. The best U.S. chances in the second half fell to Sasha Victorine, off a DiGiamarino free kick, and McCarty from close range.