Three more wins, that's all that it takes for this United States side to lift the U-20 World Cup as the winner of their match versus Uruguay will meet Isreal in the semifinals. Mikey Varas has led them on an impressive run through the tournament where they now own a shutout streak that has reached 360 minutes. The only team that didn't allow a goal during group stage play, the Baby Yanks have been dominant from the first moment that they've stepped on the pitch and they've grown in confidence as the tournament continues.
While the United States have been favorites in their matches, it's one thing to play like it and that's where coaching comes into play. Varas has them making the most of their talent advantage as even with a 4-0 victory over New Zealand in the round of 16, there's plenty of room for improvement in the finishing department.
With teams like England, France, and now Brazil all out of the tournament, it has the U.S. thinking why can't they win the whole thing?
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, Jun. 4 | Time: 5 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades -- Santiogo del Estero, Argentina
- TV: FS2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Storylines
United States: Varas may be tempted to rotate his lineup to get the dynamic talents of Kevin Paredes and Rokas Pukstas involved but the back three has been so effective with stopping the opposition. Strength in depth allows him to be able to make changes late to keep the opposition off their game, and if the things are working, why change it?
Uruguay: Another team advancing on the strength of their defense, the only squad that has breached Uruguay's defense is England who scored three goals to win Group E. Outside of that match, Uruguay have been excellent scoring six goals and allowing none over their other three matches but they will have a slight setback versus the United States with Luciano Rodriguez suspended. They were able to hold Gambia scoreless even being down a man for an entire half while scoring a winner of their own. That's a team to be feared.
Prediction
Facing a team that can match up with some of their top attackers, the USA will have a tough time but that's where depth comes through as they have too much talent to be stopped in the tournament. Pick: United States 2, Uruguay 0
