After qualifying for their fifth consecutive U-20 World Cup, the United States will kick off group stage play against Ecuador. With a talented team at his disposal, head coach Mikey Varas will look to do better than the 1989 U-20 side that finished fourth in Saudi Arabia.
Philadelphia Union’s Quinn Sullivan will be key to the attack, but with players like Gabriel Slonina, Keven Paredes, and Justin Che in the squad, there is a strong presence from the European leagues on the roster as well.
The United States and Ecuador are familiar sides with both teams meeting during the 2019 U-20 World Cup where Ecuador knocked out a United States side including Tim Weah, Chris Richards, Konrad de la Fuente, and Mark McKenzie. That’s a group that shows how important this tournament can be as a number of players from that roster are now in the senior team picture.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, May 20 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario — San Juan, Argentina
- TV: None | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Storylines
United States: There was a late change with Michael Halliday being added to the squad on Friday to replace the injured Mauricio Cuevas. Halliday was a member of the squad that won the Concacaf U-20 Championship and was also called into the March training camp as a reward for his strong start to the season with Orlando City
Ecuador: Led by Kendry Paez, a 16-year-old midfielder with Independiente del Valle who will join Chelsea when he turns 18 this is an experienced side. Forward Nilson Angulo has been capped by the senior side and will be someone for the United States to focus on in the match.
Prediction
Depth is where the United States will overwhelm teams late in matches and this one will be no different as the team pulls out a late victory to kick the World Cup off on the right foot. Pick: United States 2, Ecuador 1