The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup kicks off in Argentina later this month and United States Head Coach Mikey Varas has made the hard decisions – some by choice and some not – to put together a competitive squad that debuts May 20 against Ecuador in Group B.
It’s easy to forget what a gargantuan task it is to manage the USMNT and for the U-20 squad, that is doubly so. With one of the largest pools of talent in the globe, the U.S. presents the not-so-enviable task of having to whittle that down to a list of 21 players.
Adding to the difficulties? Convincing teams to release their young players for the tournament.
But Varas doubled down on his selection process speaking with reporters earlier this week, noting his confidence in the squad.
“We had ongoing discussions with every single club; there was a lot of dialogue back and forth,” said Varas. “We're disappointed that some players weren't released, but at the same time, our number one priority here is individual player development. So we're also proud of the fact that these players have become so important during the cycle that they're no longer viewed as releasable for this type of tournament.
“What I'm saying more than anything is we're really confident in the guys we have on the roster, that they're going to be able to come here, and if anybody doubts them at all, to embrace that underdog mentality.”
International Talent Comes Aboard
Varas and his staff will count on the talents of several Europe-based players, including keepers Gabriel Slonina (Chelsea) and Alexander Borto (Fulham), defenders Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad) and Justin Che (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), midfielder Rokas Pukštas (Hajduk Split), and forward Kevin Paredes (VfL Wolfsburg).
For the last two, Varas had to compromise with Pukštas joining after the Croatian Cup final on May 24 and Paredes after the Bundesliga season ends on the 27 – a vote of confidence on his reduced squad that they’ll make it past the group stage that concludes on the 26 with a match against Slovakia.
“They’ve both become important members there,” said Varas, “and so we were flexible in terms of making sure we had the best roster possible, and also giving them more opportunities.”
Club Decisions Open Doors
Going back to Varas’ understandable bout of frustration with clubs not releasing their youngsters, he will not count on regular players like the Philadelphia Union’s Paxten Aaronson, the Galaxy’s Jalen Neal, and Chicago Fire’s Brian Gutiérrez.
However, he was able to look elsewhere and offer spots to up-and-comers like Colorado Rapids striker Darren Yapi and Austin FC’s Owen Wolff – the son of ATX head coach and USMNT legend Josh Wolff – coming off a remarkable match against the Timbers where he assisted on the equalizer past regulation.
“What we love about Owen is Owen’s got a fighting spirit. Also, he plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he's not afraid of confrontation. And on top of that, he's very skillful and very smart,” said Varas. “You see that in the MLS games and how he fought his way into that starting lineup from last year to this year.”
Looking to Make a Deep Run
Varas, who’s also been working as an interim assistant to Anthony Hudson with the senior squad, understand his role in the greater machinations of U.S. soccer and has vowed to translate success in Argentina to promotional opportunities with the USMNT.
“What separates this group is the culture, the people that we have in the room, who they are in terms of being good people, having growth mindsets, and loving to compete under pressure and having high standards – this is something that we're going to galvanize around,” he said.
“I would say the biggest challenge is clearly how the group handles the pressure of playing a World Cup. So when you play a World Cup, it's natural that there's going to be added pressure and added nerves, and how we handle that as a group collectively will be really important. But we will be ready.”
The U.S. will also face Fiji in Group B and one could surmise by Varas’ confidence that he expects his group to be present with his entire roster for the round of 16 starting May 30.
This article was originally published on 90min as USA U-20 World Cup roster announced: Varas ‘confident’ of his team.
