The U.S. Men's Under 20 Team Beats Brazil

Alright, this happened a couple of days agao, but I am finally getting around to all the soccer news. The U.S. Men's Under 20 National Team beat Brazil for the first time in four matches, 2-1 on Friday. The win gives the U.S. an unbeaten streak in Group play in last three U-20 World Cups. Josmer Altidore put both goals in the net for the U.S. assisted by Freddy Adu as the U.S. captured the group with two wins and a tie for seven points and a strong lead over the rest of the group.

Altidore, the youngest player on the U.S. side at 17, plays professionally for the MLS New York Red Bulls. With a goal in each half, the U.S. may have found a solution to the long term lack of a strikers for the men's senior team. Both Altidore and Adu are racking up impressive scoring streaks as is Danny Szetela and Andre Akpan. So far in the U-20 World Cup, four players have scored three goals and three of them are U.S. players, Adu, Altidore, Szetela and Argentina's Sergia Aguero.

The United States will play Uruguay next on July 11. Uruguay is coming off a tough loss to Zambia in their final round of group play and maybe a tough match up for the U.S. squad. But Uruguay has scored only three goals in three games, versus the offensive explosion of the United states, which has tallied nine goals in three games, including the 6-1 blowout of Poland. The U.S. speed and the morale boost of a Brazilian win should be able to blunt the Uruguay anger.

With the deepest pool of talent the U.S. has fielded in a long time, with 14 players playing professionally, this year is the best chance for the Americans to advance. In the past two U-20 World Cups, the U.S. has lost once in the round of 16 and once in the quarterfinals. If the U.S. wins, they will play the winner of Austria/Gambia in the quarter finals. A win in the quarter finals could see the U.S. playing Brazil again or Spain, which has looked very good in this tournament. The soonest the Americans could face their other South American nemesis, Argentina, is in the finals. The path to the finals looks good for the U.S. squad and here is hoping they maintain the outstanding performance.