USA Clinches Spot In FIFA U-20 World Cup Knockout Round With 1-0 Victory Against Qatar

Match Report

USA Faces Winner of Group E on Tuesday, June 4, at 11:30 a.m. ET on Fox and Universo Families of Networks

 

TYCHY, Poland (May 30, 2019)—The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team secured a berth in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup knockout round with a 1-0 victory against Qatar. Tim Weah broke through for the USA with a late goal in the 79th minute via an assist from Alex Mendez. With the win, the USA finishes second in Group D and will face the winner of Group E in the Round of 16 on June 4 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS

Team

W

L

D

GD

Pts.

Ukraine

2

0

1

2

7

USA

2

1

0

2

6

Nigeria

1

1

1

2

4

Qatar

0

3

0

-6

0

 

Despite dropping its first two U-20 World Cup matches, Qatar came out undeterred in a fierce first half. A USA team that dominated possession in each of its first two games in Poland saw Qatar hold the ball for spells and threaten in transition. While Brandon Servania sounded a shot right at Qatar goalkeeper Shebab Mamdouh in the early going, the USA had trouble establishing its rhythm and goalkeeper David Ochoa, making his first World Cup start, was called into action a number of times. Center back Chris Richards did well to steady the back line against a number of Qatari forays into the final third.

After the break, stops and restarts interrupted the flow of the game. Ochoa made another set of nice saves to open the half, and while the USA was awarded a number of corners and free kicks from dangerous spots, the red, white and blue wasn’t able to convert the opportunities into goals. Two direct free kicks from just above the 18-yard-box from Mendez sailed just high and wide.

Ulysses Llanez came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute to provide an instant attacking spark, and some opportunistic play from Mendez in the 76th minute set up the game’s lone goal. As Qatar tried to play out of the back, Mendez rushed in to poke the ball out from a Qatari defender and played it up to Weah. The young attacker hit a shot over the sliding Shehab Mamdouh to put the U.S. on the board. In the final minutes of the game, the USA was awarded a penalty kick after Servania was taken down into the box. Alex Mendez went to the spot for the U.S., but Mamdouh made a leaping save to deny the attempt.

Up Next: The USA will learn its opponent for the Round of 16 on Friday, May 31, after the final matches of Group E. The U.S. squad will face the Group E winner, either France or Mali, at 11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 4 at Bydgoszcz Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The game will be broadcast on the Fox and Universo families of networks.

Social: Follow the U-20 #USMNT on Facebook; Twitter and Instagram.


Goal Scoring Rundown:

USA – Tim Weah (Alex Mendez), 76th minute:
Qatar regained possession of the ball deep in its own end and tried to play out of the back on the right side when Alex Mendez pounced on a soft pass. The midfielder sent the ball into the center for Tim Weah, who shrugged off his mark with a deft touch before facing the goalkeeper and sending a firm, well-placed ball into the middle of the net. USA 1, QAT 0 FINAL


Goalkeeper Saves:

USA – David Ochoa, 37th minute: After a lapse on a pass back, Ochoa came out to make a stellar sliding save against Hashim Ali, who had snuck in behind the back line. Ochoa clipped the attempt with his heel and the rebound was sent just outside the right post.

QAT – Shehab Mamdouh, 38th minute: Mamdouh bobbled his save of a cross from Chris Gloster, teeing up Sebastian Soto from close range near the post, but the striker misfired into the side netting.

QAT – Shehab Mamdouh, 90+5th minute: Second-half sub Richard Ledezma picked off a loose ball from two defenders in the arc at the top of the 18-yard line and stepped inside to give himself space, firing off a laser that Mamdouh managed to redirect over the bar with his fingertips.

 

Additional Notes:

  • The USA advances to the knockout phase of the U-20 World Cup for the 11th time in its 16th appearance at the tournament.
  • Four players entered the game with a yellow card from a previous match: Chris Gloster, Chris Durkin, Alex Mendez and Konrad de la Fuente. Durkin and Mendez will not be available for the USA’s Round of 16 match after each receiving another yellow card against Qatar.
  • U.S. U-20 MNT head coach Tab Ramos made three changes from the previous starting line-up, adding David Ochoa, Mark McKenzie and Brandon Servania for Brady Scott, Sergiño Dest and Paxton Pomkal. McKenzie wore the captain’s armband.
  • Tim Weah’s goal represented his first at the U-20 level in his third appearance. He has one goal at the senior international level and scored nine during the 2016-17 U-17 cycle, including three at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.
  • Alex Mendez picked up his team-leading 18th U-20 cap.

  

 

- U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team Match Report -

 

Match: U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team vs. Qatar

Date: May 30, 2019

Competition: 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup - Group D

Venue: Tychy Stadium; Tychy, Poland

Attendance: 3,651

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. CET)

Weather: 50 degrees; mostly cloudy

 

Scoring Summary:      1          2          F

USA                             0          1          1

QAT                             0          0          0

 

USA – Tim Weah (Alex Mendez)         76th minute

 

Lineups:

USA: 12-David Ochoa; 4-Mark McKenzie (capt.), 5-Chris Richards, 13-Aboubacar Keita, 3-Chris Gloster (15-Matthew Real, 90+2); 16-Brandon Servania (20-Richard Ledezma, 84), 6-Chris Durkin, 8-Alex Mendez; 17-Konrad de la Fuente (18-Ulysses Llanez, 63), 9-Sebastian Soto, 11-Tim Weah

Subs not used: 1-Brady Scott, 21-CJ Dos Santos, 2-Sergiño Dest, 7-Julian Araujo, 10-Paxton Pomykal, 14-Edwin Cerrillo, 19-Justin Rennicks

Head coach: Tab Ramos

QAT: 18-Shehab Mamdouh, 8-Andri Syahputra, 9-Yusuf Abdurisag, 10-Khaled Mohammed, 11-Abdulla Nasser (7-Abdulrasheed Umaru, 79), 12-Homam Ahmed (3-Ahmed Alminhali, 74), 13-Ali Malolah, 15-Bahaa Mamdouh, 16-Hashim Ali, 17-Mohammed Waad (6-Nasser Alyazidi, 85), 19-Ahmed Suhail (capt.)

Subs not used: 1-Salah Zakaria, 4-Abdollah Ali, 5-Youssef Ayman, 14-Eisa Ahmad, 20-Ahmad Yasser, 21-Marwan Badreldin, 2-Nasir Peer

Head coach: Bruno Miguel

 

Stats Summary: USA / QAT

Shots: 17 / 12

Shots on Goal: 9 / 7

Saves: 7 / 8

Corner Kicks: 5 / 1

Fouls: 12 / 19

Offside: 0 / 1