U.S. Under-20 Team
Arriola on US U-20 Game: 'I Am Confident We Will Win'
With a win today against El Salvador, the United States under-20 team will lock up a place in this summer's World Cup. A loss, however, will send the young Yanks home. Paul Arriola is ready for the challenge.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS. The United States U-20 team is set to take on El Salvador tonight (5pm Fox Sports Plus. Fox Soccer 2 Go), with the winner securing a spot in this summer’s World Cup in New Zealand. The loser? Eliminated.
Being forced to take part in this type of game was not part of Tab Ramos’ plans. Winning Group A and securing an automatic spot in the World Cup was the goal and priority. After a rocky start to the CONCACAF Championship tournament in Jamaica, however, the Americans had to battle through a series of hard-fought wins just to make it to today's showdown.
For Paul Arriola, the tournament has provided plenty of challenges and rewards. After the first two games, Ramos elected to switch from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-2, with the taller and more physical Bradford Jamieson IV and Ben Spencer playing up top. The result was that Arriola was removed from the starting lineup and forced to come off the bench.
“Playing full games the first couple of games and then in the last three where I came off the bench—anytime I play I am just thankful,” Arriola said. “Whether or not I am in the starting lineup is not my decision, it’s the coach’s decision. The best thing I can do is make it hard for him. Every time I get in, I have to prove something, I have to give something.”
Arriola, 19, has been a leader on the team throughout most of the cycle, and with team captain Kellyn Acosta missing a bulk of the tournament with an injury, Arriola has had to exhibit even more leadership—despite coming off the bench.
In the second half of Wednesday's game crucial against Trinidad & Tobago, Arriola made the United States' offensive play of the tournament when he sped past his defender to the end line and then sent in a dangerous cross to Jamieson. The Los Angeles Galaxy striker finished for what prove to be the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory.
“Any time you are not starting and you feel like you deserve to be starting, you are going to feel a little down,” Arriola said. “But this is a quick tournament with a lot of games in a little amount of time. I know exactly what I am capable of and the coaches do as well. Against Trinidad, when I went in, I knew something had to be done and what I do best is usually running at players and using my speed to get by people. I was fresh and we were able to use that I’m still happy about that.
"Whether I am starting or coming off the bench on Saturday, I know I have to give something. Hopefully I do.”
On the current U.S. U-20 team, there are four players from Club Tijuana in Mexico: Amando Moreno, John Requejo, Fernando Arce Jr., and Arriola. Requejo has been a revelation at left back, starting every game for a backline that has been very difficult to break down.
Requejo and his Tijuana teammates are close friends and he in particular was very happy for Arriola.
“We obviously know each other and we practice day in and day out at Xolos,” Requejo said. “I’ve known them since the U-18s so there is a good connection and I know what they want on the field. Off the field, we know each other well.
“I am happy for Paul,” he added. “When he came in, he took advantage of the minutes he got in and he was a big part of the goal.”
Aside from an 8-0 rout over a poor Aruba team, Jamieson's strike was the only U.S. goal scored during the run of play this tournament. Conditions have been poor in Jamaica with the fields bumpy and rough. Many of the U.S. players like Arriola, Junior Flores, Tommy Thompson, Romain Gall, and Lynden Gooch are technical and prefer to play with the ball on the ground. That has not been easy for the Americans so far this tournament.
Arriola is adamant that the strength of this U.S. U-20 team is the offense and that with all the talent they have, the lack of goals was “a big deal” to the team. Throughout the rough start, and the recent wins which haven’t seen an offensive outburst, Ramos has been upbeat.
“Tab is a positive guy,” Arriola said. “He likes to stay positive. He understands the way things are. He was a player. He knows that sometimes players aren’t going to make shots or get in the right crosses or that they’ll make mistakes. Sometimes that is how it goes.”
There is now just one game separating the United States from a spot in New Zealand and if the U.S. team qualifies, all the struggles in Jamaica will have been forgotten. The nature of qualifying in CONCACAF is pass-fail and there is often little correlation between performance in qualifying and performance at the World Cup.
All that matters now is getting a win against El Salvador—even if it's another ugly victory for the Americans. And whether he comes of the bench or starts, Arriola has been one of the team’s most productive offensive performers this cycle and he is upbeat for Saturday’s big game.
“We know that teams can sit back on us and most likely that’s what they’ll do,” Arriola said. “But we know at some point we’ll break through. We have the talent, and we have the strength both mentally and physically. Whether it is 90 minutes, 120 minutes, or penalties, I am confident we will win."
Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.
On the current U.S. U-20 team, there are four players from Club Tijuana in Mexico: Amando Moreno, John Requejo, Fernando Arce Jr., and Arriola. Requejo has been a revelation at left back, starting every game for a backline that has been very difficult to break down.
Requejo and his Tijuana teammates are close friends and he in particular was very happy for Arriola.
“We obviously know each other and we practice day in and day out at Xolos,” Requejo said. “I’ve known them since the U-18s so there is a good connection and I know what they want on the field. Off the field, we know each other well.
“I am happy for Paul,” he added. “When he came in, he took advantage of the minutes he got in and he was a big part of the goal.”
Aside from an 8-0 rout over a poor Aruba team, Jamieson's strike was the only U.S. goal scored during the run of play this tournament. Conditions have been poor in Jamaica with the fields bumpy and rough. Many of the U.S. players like Arriola, Junior Flores, Tommy Thompson, Romain Gall, and Lynden Gooch are technical and prefer to play with the ball on the ground. That has not been easy for the Americans so far this tournament.
Arriola is adamant that the strength of this U.S. U-20 team is the offense and that with all the talent they have, the lack of goals was “a big deal” to the team. Throughout the rough start, and the recent wins which haven’t seen an offensive outburst, Ramos has been upbeat.
“Tab is a positive guy,” Arriola said. “He likes to stay positive. He understands the way things are. He was a player. He knows that sometimes players aren’t going to make shots or get in the right crosses or that they’ll make mistakes. Sometimes that is how it goes.”
There is now just one game separating the United States from a spot in New Zealand and if the U.S. team qualifies, all the struggles in Jamaica will have been forgotten. The nature of qualifying in CONCACAF is pass-fail and there is often little correlation between performance in qualifying and performance at the World Cup.
All that matters now is getting a win against El Salvador—even if it's another ugly victory for the Americans. And whether he comes of the bench or starts, Arriola has been one of the team’s most productive offensive performers this cycle and he is upbeat for Saturday’s big game.
“We know that teams can sit back on us and most likely that’s what they’ll do,” Arriola said. “But we know at some point we’ll break through. We have the talent, and we have the strength both mentally and physically. Whether it is 90 minutes, 120 minutes, or penalties, I am confident we will win."
Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.
