2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup preview

[BAK]

2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup preview

Next generation of stars will gather in Egypt later this fall.

Last Updated: Friday, September 18, 2009


 

Brazil's Giuliano, right, is just one of several young stars to keep an eye on at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt. (Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images)Soccer fans will be able to catch a glimpse of the sport's future later this month when 24 of the best youth teams gather in Egypt for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The soccer equivalent of the world junior hockey championship, the U-20 World Cup has launched the careers of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport, including Diego Maradona, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho.
The same players who will compete in Africa later this month will be the same ones who will star at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, so the U-20 tournament offers a window into the future.
This year's U-20 World Cup features an open field, and with reigning world champion Argentina watching from home (the South American powerhouse failed to qualify), the title is up for grabs.
So, what country will come out on top?
CBCSports.ca offers a quick breakdown of all the teams and major players to watch.
ASIA

How they qualified: The United Arab Emirates won the 2008 Asian U-19 Championship, and will be joined in Egypt by finalist Uzbekistan, and semi-finalists Australia and South Korea.
Australia: The Socceroos boast three players with senior national team experience in defender Daniel Mullen, midfielder James Holland and forward Mitch Nichols. Australia can also call upon Alex Cisak, a backup goalkeeper with English club Leicester City.
South Korea: Egypt marks the 11th time South Korea has participated in the U-20 World Cup, and after bowing out in the first round in five of their last six appearances, the Asian powerhouse will be looking to make amends.
United Arab Emirates: The reigning Asian champions will be relying on forward Ahmed Khalil, top scorer and tournament MVP at the 2008 Asian U-19 Championship, to lead the attack and supply them with goals in Egypt.
Uzbekistan: Their last appearance came at the 2003 tournament when they lost all three of their first round matches. Midfielder Sherzodbek Karimov will have to be at his best in Egypt if Uzbekistan has any hope of qualifying for the second round.
How the tournament works

The 17th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be contested in Egypt from Sept. 24 to Oct. 16.
The 24-team tournament will be staged in five cities, with the semifinals and final slated to take place in the capital of Cairo.

The field of contenders is divided into six round-robin groups. The top two teams in each group, and the four best third-place teams overall, advance to the second round.

• Group A: Egypt, Italy, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago
• Group B: Nigeria, Spain, Tahiti, Venezuela
• Group C: Cameroon, Germany, South Korea, United States
• Group D: England, Ghana, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
• Group E: Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Czech Republic
• Group F: Honduras, Hungary, South Africa, United Arab Emirates

After the group stage, the tournament takes on a single-elimination format.

AFRICA

How they qualified: Ghana won the 2009 African Youth Championship to qualify for Egypt, as did runners-up Cameroon and losing semi-finalists Nigeria and South Africa. As the host team, Egypt received automatic entry into the tournament.
Cameroon: The Young Lions make their return to this tournament after a lengthy absence - Cameroon was knocked out by Mali in the second round in the 1999 competition in Nigeria. This time around the Cameroonians will rely heavily on goalkeeper Francois Beyokol and defender Charley Fomen.
Ghana: Ransford Osei, currently on loan with Dutch club FC Twente, was named MVP of the 2009 African Youth Championship and finished as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals.
Nigeria: The Flying Eagles are a team in transition after Nigerian officials recently appointed former international and Olympic manager Samson Siasia to take over the coaching duties from Ladan Bosso.
South Africa: Underestimate the South Africans at your peril. The young Bafana Bafana side raised a lot of eyebrows at the 2009 African Youth Championship when it upset the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, before losing to eventual champions Ghana in the semifinals.
Egypt: As host nation, the Egyptians obviously have a big advantage, but aside from relying on the support of local fans, they also have a talented team, led by dangerous striker Mohamed Talaat.
EUROPE

How they qualified: Germany stamped its passport for Egypt by wining the 2008 UEFA U-19 Championship. Tournament runners-up Italy, Czech Republic and Hungary (semi-finalists), and England and Spain also qualified.
Czech Republic: The Czechs did well to reach the final of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, narrowly losing to Argentina. They followed that up with an inspired run at the 2008 UEFA U-19 Championship on home soil, so they'll be one of the dark horse teams to watch in Egypt.
England: Coach Brian Eastick's team has to be considered one of the tournament favourites. Chelsea midfielder Michael Woods and Arsenal defender Gavin Hoyte are two of the biggest names on a talent-rich English team.
Germany: The European champions enter this tournament brimming with confidence, and why shouldn't they? Disciplined in defence and well-organized midfield, the Germans also look dangerous in attack, with Bayer Leverkusen forward Richard Sukuta-Pasu leadin g the charge.
Hungary: Midfielder Vlagyimir Koman has valuable pro experience, having played in Italy's top two divisions the past three years, but that likely won't be enough to propel the Hungarians into the next round.
Italy: The Italians have never done well in this tournament - their best showing in four previous appearances were a pair of quarter-final showings - so the Azzurrini have a point to prove in Egypt, on top of wanting to equal the senior team's World Cup victory three years ago in Germany.
Spain: FC Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic will miss the tournament because of a thigh injury, but Spain still has plenty of talented players it can call upon, chief among them being Arsenal midfielder Fran Merida.

 

[BAK]

10 players to watch at the FIFA U-20 World Cup

Keep an eye on these young stars in Egypt

Arsenal midfielder Fran Merida will try to guide Spain to glory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt later this month. (Phil Cole/Getty Images)


Which youngsters will break out at the 2009 FIFA World Cup in Egypt and become soccer's next big superstars?
Here are the top 10 candidates:
Giuliano Victor de Paula, Brazil

Known simply as Giuliano (don't all the great Brazilian players go by a single name?), this attacking midfielder is one of the hottest prospects in South America and is being touted as the next Ronaldinho. Already a star with Internacional, one of the top pro clubs in Brazil, Giuliano is renowned for his dribbling ability and visionary passing skills.
Abel Hernandez, Uruguay

The teenaged striker first shot to fame with Uruguayan side Central Espanol, scoring five goals in his first four games as a pro. Since then, he signed with Italian club Palermo and scored five goals for Uruguay at the 2009 South American Youth Championship, finishing as the tournament's joint top scorer.
Gavin Hoyte, England

A former captain of England's U-17 team, Hoyte should figure prominently for his country in Egypt. The Arsenal defender, currently on loan to Watford, can play at left or right fullback, but his best position is centre-back, where he can anchor the back line with poise and maturity. Older brother Justin, also a defender, plays for Middlesbrough.
Fran Merida, Spain

A product of FC Barcelona's youth system, Merida signed with Arsenal while still a teenager, leading the Catalan club to taking legal action. No wonder they were sour about losing Merida, a technically proficient midfielder whom Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has labelled an "absolutely amazing talent."
Hernan Perez, Paraguay

The attacking midfielder was one of the best players at the 2009 South American Youth Championship, scoring five goals in seven games and playing a prominent role in helping Paraguay finish second overall in the tournament. Perez's greatest asset is his versatility, as he can play on either wing, as a midfield creator or up front as a target man.
Brian Perk, United States

The U.S. has a proven track record of producing top-notch goalkeepers, and Perk could be the next in a long line of American shot stoppers to take the game by storm. Still in school at UCLA, Perk showed great maturity beyond his years at the CONCACAF qualifiers when he posted four consecutive shutouts.
Roger Rojas, Honduras

This 19-year-old striker has it all, balancing speed, acceleration and a natural goal-scorer's instinct - he scored four goals in six games during the CONCACAF qualifiers. He's currently playing for Honduran club Olimpia, but Premiership side Wigan Athletic has been tracking Rojas and it's only a matter of time before he makes his way to England.
Ransford Osei, Ghana

Currently on loan with Dutch club FC Twente, Osei lived up to his reputation as an opportunistic goal machine by finishing as top scorer (seven goals) and being named tournament MVP at the 2009 African Youth Championship. Possessing explosive speed and good skills off the ball, the Ghanaian will give defenders all they can handle in Egypt.
Cho Young-Cheol, South Korea

Still only 20, this South Korea striker has turned a lot of heads since making his pro debut for Yokohama FC in Japan's top division. He famously scored 10 goals against Guam in the qualifiers for the 2008 Asian Youth Championship and was a member of the South Korean team that participated at last year's Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Germany

The Bayer Leverkusen star endeared himself to the German public when he scored the winning goal in extra time against the Czech Republic in the semifinals of last year's European U-19 Championship. He followed that up with another winner against Italy in the final, and big things are expected of him in Egypt.

 

[BAK]

Previous Winners
Tournament winners

• 1977 - Soviet Union
• 1979 - Argentina
• 1981 - West Germany
• 1983 - Brazil
• 1985 - Brazil
• 1987 - Yugoslavia
• 1989 - Portugal
• 1991 - Portugal
• 1993 - Brazil
• 1995 - Argentina
• 1997 - Argentina
• 1999 - Spain
• 2001 - Argentina
• 2003 - Brazil
• 2005 - Argentina
• 2007 - Argentina

 

[Oxlade-Chamberlain]

hivi under 20 jack wilshere hatokuwepo kwani upande wa england? na juzi niliona kwenye hile under 17 wa nigeria waliingiza wachezaji karibia 15 wako over 17 lol fifa waliwastukia jamaa walipimwa mifupa.baada hapo nigeria wamekataa kuwapima wengine lol

 

[BAK]

Cameroon secure a solid start


Matthew Kenyon
BBC Sport, Cairo

Cameroon get off to a winning start at the U-20 World Cup in Egypt

Cameroon got off to a winning start at the U-20 World Cup in Egypt on Saturday. Goals from Andre Effa and Germain Tiko gave them a 2-0 victory over South Korea in Suez.
Although the African Youth Championship runners-up sometimes looked shaky at the back, the margin of victory should have been larger.
Germany's 3-0 win over USA in the other Group C game puts Cameroon second in the table on goal difference.
The young Lions nearly suffered disaster in the first minute, when slack defending allowed the Koreans a shot from close range which cannoned away off the post.
But they got into their attacking stride shortly afterwards, taking advantage of their superior power to fashion a number of chances.
Brice Owona was put through on goal but fired over the bar from ten yards out and Olivier Boumale was denied by the goalkeeper after a strong run.
Then, with nearly 20 minutes gone, Andre Akono Effa broke down the right and unleashed a speculative shot which the Korean goalkeeper Bum Young Lee could only palm into his own net.
It was poor keeping, but the goal also gave Cameroon's strikers encouragement to shoot from distance - a habit which caused them to squander several good chances to extend their lead before the break.
Several other opportunities went wasted in the early stages of the second half, but with 64 minutes played a perfectly delivered free-kick allowed substitute Germain Tiko to head home and make it 2-0.
At the other end Canon Yaounde goalkeeper Francois Beyakol was strong enough to cope with the Asian side when they did break through.
Cameroon's next match is against the USA on Tuesday, also in Suez.

 

[BAK]

Nigeria stunned in opener


Matthew Kenyon
BBC Sport, Cairo

Nigeria loses their opening game against Venezuela 1-nil

Nigeria began their U20 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Venezuela. Nigeria were reduced to 10 men just before half time when midfielder Lukman Haruna was shown a red card.
However the remaining players went on to a second half performance that will give them hope for the future.
Venezuela's Yonathan del Valle got the only goal of the game, just before the break.
Both teams struggled to deal with the pace and bounce of the artificial pitch in the Al Salam stadium in Cairo.
A strong, blustery wind also made life difficult for the players.
Nigeria's keeper Uche Okafor was forced into a series of impressive saves early on and did well to keep the scores level.
The Flying Eagles had chances of their own in the early stages but bad luck and poor control denied them.
Instead their cause was dealt a hammer blow in the 39th minute, when Monaco's Lukman Haruna was sent off for a late challenge.
And it was made worse on the stroke of half-time when Venezuela striker del Valle was allowed to pounce on a loose ball and put the South Americans into the lead.
Nigeria coach Samson Siasia clearly had strong words at half-time because the team came out with renewed vigour, albeit hampered by being a man down.
A series of corners nearly bore fruit with King Osanga going close and substitute Ibok Edat seeing his first touch cleared off the line.
Two minutes later he had another chance, but could only push it behind for a goal-kick.
It was a hugely improved performance by the Flying Eagles in the second period but they could not break through and their campaign begins in disappointing fashion.
Much more will be needed against Tahiti and Spain.

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

BAK,

shukran kwa hizi updates. Nashangaa no African team has won this
U-20 World Cup.