Photo Paul Rudderow

One of the roster challenges the Philadelphia Union will almost certainly face later next month is the absence of three homegrowns during the FIFA U20 World Cup from May 20 through at least May 26, perhaps through June 4, and improbably June 11 since June 11 would mean making the final. We do not yet know when head coach Mikey Vargas wants to gather his squad and leave.

Number four center back Brandan Craig, recently starting left midfielder Jack McGlynn, and frequently substituting striker Quinn Sullivan are expected to make that squad barring injury or illness.

Changes to the tournament

The tournament was not held in 2021 because of the COVID_19 pandemic. Indonesia, the 2021 hosts, were given the tournament this year by FIFA to help the Indonesia football authorities promote the game there.

Tournament arrangements have become problematic. On June 28, 2022, Israel upset France 2-1 in the semifinal of the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, thus finishing second and qualifying for a U-20 world cup for the first time. Indonesia, the most numerous Muslim country in the world, has long supported Palestine and does not recognize Israel. At first protests against Israeli participation were informal, and there were unofficial speculations that would place the Israelis on the majority Hindu island of Bali to sidestep difficulties.

But early in March the Governor of Bali sent a letter to Indonesia’s sports ministry requesting Israel be disqualified, refusing to host them on the island. On March 29, the day originally scheduled for the tournament’s draw, FIFA removed Indonesia as host and therefore as a participant since hosting was how the Indonesian U-20 team had qualified.

On April 17 the Argentine Economics and Sports ministries jointly announced Argentina as replacement hosts, and therefore participant, with the announcement confirmed moments later by FIFA.

Travel from the United States to Argentina is north-south for five and a half thousand miles and involves changing one to three time zones. Travel to Indonesia would have been east-west for nine thousand miles and crossing nine time zones (if departing from Southern California).

The tournament itself

The tournament draw took place last Friday. The match schedule and host cities were published minutes thereafter. Match times and consequent broadcast information are yet to come.

The United States was one of the six first seeds and was drawn into Group B along with Ecuador, Fiji, and Slovakia. As a first seed the U. S.  will not travel during the group stage. They will play all three group stage matches in San Juan, a metropolitan region of half a million in the foothills of Argentina’s Andes Mountains. The surrounding region is the second largest wine-growing area in the country.

Its climate is desert-like. A reservoir on the San Juan River hydrates both people and crops. San Juan’s Southern Hemisphere latitude is roughly the same as Savannah, Georgia’s Northern one. But its altitude is slightly above 2,000 feet while Savannah’s is slightly above sea level, and Savanna is a lot wetter. Argentina’s late May and early June correspond roughly to Georgia and South Carolina’s late November and early December.

For those imagining approximate playing conditions, think South Carolina’s lower Piedmont (to make allowances for altitude) without rainfall, and with probably more wine than beer.

USA Games

Ecuador finished fourth of four qualifying from CONMEBOL, ahead of new hosts Argentina who did not make the final round. Fiji finished second of two from Oceania. Slovakia won a playoff against Austria to qualify as fifth of five from UEFA.

If the U. S. advance

The knockout stage round of 16 begins May 30.

The tournament’s other three cities are

• Mendoza, a 2.5 hour drive from San Juan,
• Santiago del Estero, Argentina’s oldest city, almost eight hours from San Juan by road, and
• La Plata, the capital region of Buenos Aires province, a 90-minute flight to the coastal city