After a tough battle vs. Qatar (1-0 full time score), the United States U20 have officially advanced to the round of 16 and will now face one of the world’s powerhouses in France. While not an easy game, similar to past efforts, Tab Ramos’ team showed perseverance, grit, and a determination to grind out the win despite not every play coming off. Generally speaking, the U20s have looked more comfortable in an underdog role so far, and given Weah/De La Fuente/Dest’s blistering speed, Soto’s clinical finishing, and Pomykal’s playmaking abilities, we think the United States could do some serious damage to France on the counter. Not to mention that Chris Richards has been an absolute rock on defense for the young team.

That said, while the U20 World Cup is now in the midst of decision time, the Gold Cup is right around the corner and the United States is set to play Jamaica on Wednesday as its first preparation game. Importantly, Berhalter has announced a 28 man roster specifically for the game (see roster selection here), which could feature several USMNT debuts including Duane Holmes, Tyler Boyd, and Jackson Yuell.

The game will likely serve as an important criteria for Berhalter when evaluating the final roster selection, but we are sure that the final Gold Cup roster will have several changes still to come, with prominent players such as Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams set to join the group a bit later.

As always, please feel free to email us at hello@onegoal.us to let us know what you think about our newsletter!

Star of the Week

Djordje Mihailovic (20, Lemont, IL) - Chicago Fire, MLS

Our Star of the Week goes to Djordje Mihailovic, who is finding his form just in time for the Gold Cup. In a 3-3 tie versus DC United, Mihailovic was one of the best players on the pitch for the Fire and crowned his performance with a goal from a long-range effort.

One-touch shooting: We’ve said this before, but Mihailovic’s ability to take a strike with his first touch of the ball adds a certain amount of danger to the final third for both the USMNT and the Chicago Fire. He showcased that skill once again this week after the DC United defense was unable to fully clear the ball and Mihailovic capitalized with an opportunistic strike from about 30 yards out. The long-range effort was deflected, which made it virtually impossible to save for Bill Hamid, though we think Mihailovic deserves a ton of credit. Without a clean, driven strike like his, the ball never would have ended in the back of the net.

A player for special moments: More than just this strike, Mihailovic was among the most active players in the Chicago Fire offensive (64 touches), shining with five (!) key passes on the night, often integrating Katai or Sapong into play. Similar to his finishing technique, we believe the most impressive part of Mihailovic’s game is his ability to keep the ball moving (and the game quick) with one-touch passes out of pressure. While a skill that may not always set up the direct assist to a goal, it’s invaluable to any team. Moreover, Mihailovic sought out several other shots (three shots total) and ended the game with an 85% pass accuracy, rounding out an all around stellar performance for the 20-year-old playmaker.