USA vs Uruguay score, result, highlights as U20 World Cup magic runs out in quarterfinals again

By | June 4, 2023
0 Comment

All the promise, all the electricity, all the defensive gusto shown by the United States through the 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup escaped them in the quarterfinals yet again.

The United States were downed 2-0 by Uruguay, failing to produce any sustained attacking possession and conceding two ugly goals in the process. Anderson Duarte opened the scoring in 21st minute, and an own-goal from Josh Wynder sealed the deal early in the second half. 

The U.S. had little to offer up front, as Cade Cowell and Diego Luna were stymied throughout the match. Players up and down the U.S. lineup made uncharacteristic errors, highlighted by Justin Che’s awful tackle which allowed Uruguay in for the opener. The passing was wasteful and the U.S. midfield was unable to maintain significant spells of possession.

Uruguay will advance to the semifinals where they will take on Israel, while the United States have been eliminated in the quarterfinal round of a U-20 FIFA World Cup for the fifth straight time.

The Sporting News is following the USA vs Uruguay match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

USA vs Uruguay final score

Starting lineups:

USA (3-5-2, right to left): 1. Slonina (GK) — 17. Che, 5. Craig, 4. Wynder (Gomez, 69′) — 2. Halliday (Pukstas, 55′), 18. Vargas (Edelman, 55′), 10. Luna, 8. McGlynn, 3. Wiley (Sullivan, 69′) — 16. Wolff (Paredes, 46′), 9. Cowell.

Uruguay (3-5-2, right to left): 12. R. Rodriguez (GK) — 13. Matturro, 16. Fa. Gonzalez, 2. Boselli — 4. Ponte, 8. Chagas, 5. Diaz (Homenchenko, 77′), 15. Sosa (Garcia, 69′), 10. Fr. Gonzalez — 11. De los Santos (de Ritis, 77′), 7. Duarte (Siri, 57′).

USA vs Uruguay live updates, highlights, commentary

FULL TIME: USA 0-2 Uruguay

Everything the United States did well through the first four matches of this U-20 World Cup fell apart all at the same time, and Uruguay deservingly advance to the semifinals.

The attack was stifled, the midfield was overrun, and the defense was mistake-prone, seeing Uruguay come away with a relatively comfortable victory all things considered. The U.S. produced very few really dangerous chances up front, and while they displayed a sense of urgency as the game wound down, they were all together unable to create a true moment of brilliance or influence which would allow them back in the game.

Uruguay have a great chance now as they take on Israel in the semifinals, after the AFC nation took down mighty Brazil in the previous round.

USA vs Uruguay: Second Half

90+3 min: Mathias de Ritis is booked for shoving his hand in the face of Jack McGlynn, who seemed to be pulling the Uruguayan’s shirt before he took de Ritis’s fingers to the eyes.

90+2 min: Kevin Paredes is hacked by Santiago Homenchenko, and it looked to be a yellow card offense, but the only player already booked in this match escapes a second. On the set piece, Daniel Edelman blasts the ball over the crossbar.

89th min: Chance, Uruguay! So close to the nail in the coffin! Substitute Mathias de Ritis sheds Justin Che with a cut inside onto his right, and he fires a vicious low effort that flashes just wide left, with Gaga Slonina not able to reach it had it been on target.

Eight minutes of stoppage time are shown by the fourth official, a boost for the U.S. who need two goals.

85th min: Diego Luna wins yet another free-kick, and shows his frustration for the repeated fouling. He’s been exceptional this whole tournament, and is leading the comeback charge late here against a bunkered Uruguay.

82nd min: Uruguay players are screaming for a stoppage as Mateo Ponte was down behind the play, but the referee doesn’t give it and the U.S. are under no obligations to put the ball out, and eventually Diego Luna is fouled. In the aftermath, the first yellow card of the match is shown to Santiago Homenchenko for booting the ball away.

79th min: Chance, USA! Oh no, the U.S. should score but instead are so unlucky! A U.S. free-kick delivery isn’t cleared, and falls to Cade Cowell inside the penalty area. Cowell cuts centrally onto his right and shoots, and while his effort looks destined for the top corner, the ball can’t make it through the trees, hitting his own teammate Rokas Pukstas en route.

76th min: Again Justin Che produces an exceptional defensive moment as Juan Cruz de los Santos gets free on the counter but Che marks him up and keeps him from getting a shot off while the rest of the defense clears.

Uruguay make two more changes, as de los Santos comes off alongside the captain Fabricio Diaz, with Santiago Homenchenko and Mathias de Ritis entering.

73rd min: Uruguay nearly have a way through but Justin Che makes an excellent tackle one-on-one against Nicolas Siri. Che had been beaten initially, but he recovered and made a very physical tackle without fouling. Uruguay wanted a penalty but it’s rightly waved away.

69th min: Ignacio Sosa appears to have picked up an injury and limps off (very slowly), to be replaced by Damian Garcia. The U.S. make a double change as well, with Jonathan Gomez and Quinn Sullivan coming on, replacing Josh Wynder and Caleb Wiley. Those are the final two changes afforded to Mikey Vargas.

66th min: Chance, USA! Cade Cowell is growing in influence, and he gets on the end of a vertical ball down the left, but his shot is stopped by Randall Rodriguez! The effort was from a very tight angle, which allowed Rodriguez to cut off the shooting space, but Cowell lifted the ball well and forced the Uruguay goalkeeper to make a really skillful stop.

63rd min: A shot from Cade Cowell is tame, and easy for Randall Rodriguez to collect. Just the second shot on target for the United States in this match, joining the flick by Josh Wynder at the end of the first half.

56th min: GOAL! URUGUAY! It’s an absolute HORROR for the United States, as Josh Wynder puts it into his own net, and now they have a mountain to climb.

A cross from the left was not destined to meet any Uruguay attacker, with nobody arriving in the middle, but Wynder didn’t seem to know that, and he slides to clear the cross. He completely mis-hits the clearance, and the ball deflects past Gaga Slonina and into the net. Slonina got a fingertip to the slow-roller, but it wasn’t enough. Shades of Jeff Agoos against Portugal in 2002.

Uruguay makes a substitution in the immediate aftermath, removing the earlier goal scorer Anderson Duarte and replacing him with Nicolas Siri.

54th min: The U.S. have a half-chance as Diego Luna gets on the ball free on goal, but he can’t control it properly and Uruguay recovers. Mikey Varas is readying another pair of changes, with Dan Edelman and Rokas Pukstas both entering into the midfield. They replace Michael Halliday and Obed Vargas.

47th min: The U.S. have shown an immediate attacking intent, and Cade Cowell wins a free-kick from about 27 yards out shaded to the left. The U.S. produce an interesting training ground routine that sees Cowell get on the end of it with an audacious flick, leaping and meeting the ball with his left foot behind his back, but it leaps harmlessly over the bar. That wasn’t too far away!

Kickoff: As expected, the U.S. will make a halftime change, with Owen Wolff brought off and replaced by Kevin Paredes. That’s a positive change, as Wolff struggled mightily in the attack through the opening 45 minutes, taking too long on the ball. Expect Dan Edelman to arrive soon as well, regardless of how the second half proceeds.

HALFTIME: USA 0-1 Uruguay

Well, the United States will be happy to be trailing by just a goal after that half completely dominated by Uruguay. The U.S. made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes on both ends of the pitch, including on the lone goal by Anderson Duarte.

All-in-all, the U.S. will still consider themselves very much in this match thanks to the slim deficit, but Mikey Varas has to consider changes at the break considering how little influence his side had on the match. Daniel Edelman could be a candidate to come on, as could Kevin Paredes.

USA vs Uruguay: First Half

45th min: Chance, USA! Well, could you imagine if that had gone in?!?! Josh Wynder crops up in the penalty area and meets a corner, producing an utterly audacious back-heel which surprises everyone…except Uruguay goalkeeper Randall Rodriguez who somehow saw that coming and pounced on it immediately. That was an impressive effort that was destined for the inside of the far post, but Rodriguez had other ideas.

43rd min: Uruguay are looking so comfortable right now, and are producing highlight reel moments on the ball. Juan Cruz de los Santos electrifies the crowd (and sends the broadcaster onto cloud nine) with a silky smooth touch to settle a long ball while on the run. The U.S. is hardly troubling their South American opponents.

36th min: Finally the U.S. get a lengthy buildup of possession into the Uruguay attacking third, only to see Jack McGlynn to take a low percentage shot from miles out, which is blocked by a defender right in his face. The U.S. are making uncharacteristic mistakes of judgement at the moment. They’ve been quite poor since their bright start through the opening 10 minutes.

33rd min: The U.S. survive another Uruguay buildup down the left flank, and have a goal kick, but lose it immediately in midfield. The U.S. has no ability to maintain possession, and Uruguay continue to sit on the ball in midfield until they find a runner vertically or a wide man making a run.

The absence of Daniel Edelman is being felt right now. Mikey Varas may think about bringing his captain on at halftime, because the current iteration of the U.S. midfield just isn’t able to make anything happen. Their only good movements have come on balls over the top.

26th min: Uruguay have been the better side since the goal, and the U.S. are under real pressure. Another counter-attack requires a block by the U.S. defense to cut down the buildup, conceding a corner.

21st min: GOAL! URUGUAY! It’s a rare moment of nightmare defending from the United States, and Uruguay go in front! Justin Che completely whiffs on a last-ditch tackle with nobody back behind him, allowing Chagas to cut laterally for Anderson Duarte in front of goal.

That’s the first goal the U.S. have conceded this entire tournament, and now they’ll have to chase the game! Che’s missed tackle is a glaring mistake, forcing Josh Wynder to leave Duarte in the middle completely unmarked, and nobody from the U.S. midfield got there to help cover.

19th min: After a deep free-kick for Uruguay that sees Gaga Slonina come out to punch, U.S. defender Josh Wynder requires treatment. He looks to be ok thankfully, after going down following a collision in the scrum of that free-kick delivery.

14th min: Uruguay have their first truly dangerous moment of the game, but Gaga Slonina is there to stymie the South Americans. First he goes full stretch to punch away a cross from the left, and then makes a simple save on a shot from the same side at a very tight angle.

12th min: The U.S. again cause problems for Uruguay, this time with a vertical ball from Cade Cowell who springs Justin Che, but the U.S. defender is dispossessed before he can get a shot off.

In the aftermath, Owen Wolff is whistled for a physical foul which probably deserved a yellow card, but only receives a strong talking to from the official, with the game still in the early stages. Uruguay players aren’t happy about that.

8th min: I doubt that Mikey Varas wanted to solely attack Uruguay with Route One tactics, but it’s working every time. They very nearly spring Cade Cowell who sneaks between two Uruguayan defenders with a streaking run, but the deep ball from their own half is just barely short and cleared. They’ve caused significant problems for the Uruguay back line with deliveries over the top.

4th min: The U.S. are causing problems on the counter, and it’s again Michael Halliday who almost gets clean through on goal, but the Uruguay defense just manages to recover and dispossess the U.S. full-back. Justin Che then puts a follow-up over the bar.

2nd min: Well, the U.S. aren’t far away just moments into the match! A cross from the left flank somehow gets by Sebastian Boselli who completely whiffs on a clear, and it nearly reaches Michael Halliday at the far post, but it goes just agonizingly out of reach as the Orlando City man stretches for it!

Kickoff: They’re under way in Santiago del Estero, Argentina! Gaga Slonina wears the armband with regular captain Daniel Edelman only selected to the bench today.

USA vs Uruguay: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

5 mins to kickoff: By far the best U.S. attacker in this competition so far has been Cade Cowell, and he currently sits on three goals, in the hunt for the 2023 U-20 World Cup’s Golden Boot award. He has some work to do in that department, however, as the leader Cesare Casadei has six, after scoring again in Italy’s 3-1 win over Colombia in the quarterfinals.

15 mins to kickoff: There’s a real buzz about this match, considering that Israel — not Brazil — advanced to the semifinal, readying to meet the winner of this game. That’s not to say that Israel are any slouch, clearly deserving of their spot in the final four, but surely the chance at reaching a final without having to take on Brazil is a mouth-watering prospect for both these sides.

Who will take advantage of the opportunity? The Israeli players will surely be up for such a huge matchup, as they were jubilant after taking down the giants Brazil.

30 mins to kickoff: For Uruguay, head coach Marcelo Broli makes two changes to the expected lineup, inserting Ignacio Sosa and Rodrigo Chagas into midfield, at the cost of a forward as Luciano Rodriguez hits the bench due to suspension. Rodriguez was sent off in first-half stoppage time last match against Gambia, which left both teams at 10 men.

40 mins to kickoff: The lineup is out a little later than expected, but it’s business as usual for Mikey Varas, with a couple of small changes. Michael Halliday and Obed Vargas enter the lineup after coming off the bench in the Round of 16. Kevin Paredes remains on the bench, while Jonathan Gomez and Daniel Edelman are withdrawn. The latter two are surprising swaps, as they both have played extremely well throughout the tournament.

1 hour to kickoff: Marcelo Bielsa has just been hired by Uruguay to lead the senior national team, and he called in his first squad as the man in charge yesterday. It features a number of players currently on this U-20 roster, proving how promising the talent in this side truly is.

Some of those called in include starting goalkeeper Randall Rodriguez, defenders Sebastian Boselli and Mateo Ponte, captain Fabricio Diaz, and forwards Anderson Duarte and Luciano Rodriguez. 

USA vs Uruguay lineups & team news

From here on out, it’s unlikely that USA head coach Mikey Varas will make too many tactical changes from game to game, only swapping players out when needed.

It was thought Kevin Paredes was likely to enter the starting lineup in place of Owen Wolff now that the Wolfsburg man has joined the squad and integrated into the tournament, but he’s again on the bench as Wolff starts. Obed Vargas enters, taking the place of captain Daniel Edelman.

Otherwise, the lineup should look similar to that against New Zealand, with no traditional No. 9 up front. Darren Yapi is available to play that role, but the U.S. attack has looked bright in the absence of a true target striker, with Diego Luna and Cade Cowell looking exceptionally dangerous working together up top.

Jack McGlynn, Josh Wynder, Niko Tsakiris, and Luna are all one yellow card away from a suspension and would be forced to sit out the semifinal should they be cautioned again. The good news is that the yellow card slate is wiped clean after the quarterfinal stage.

USA confirmed starting lineup (3-5-2): Slonina (GK) — Che, Craig, Wynder — Halliday, Vargas, Luna, McGlynn, Wiley — Wolff, Cowell.

USA subs (10): Carrera (GK), Borto (GK), Gomez, Ferkranus, Edelman, Tsakiris, Pukstas, Sullivan, Paredes, Yapi.

There are just two players on the entire Uruguay U-20 roster playing for a club outside of their home country. Center-back Alan Matturro plays for Italian club Genoa, having made his Serie B debut this season, while fellow defender Facundo Gonzalez plays for the youth team of La Liga side Valencia.

Defensive midfielder Fabricio Diaz, who captains the team, is considered a top prospect. He was called up to the senior national team as a COVID-19 replacement for Matias Vecino in March of 2022 (although he did not see the field) and he was named to the country’s 55-man preliminary roster for the 2022 World Cup.

Luciano Rodriguez is the team’s main goal scoring threat, but he has not yet found the net in this tournament and is suspended for this match due to a red card against Gambia last time out. Matias Abaldo and Franco Gonzalez each have two goals to lead the way for Uruguay in the competition, but Abaldo is out injured.

Uruguay confirmed starting lineup (3-5-2): R. Rodriguez (GK) — Matturro, Fa. Gonzalez, Boselli — Ponte, Chagas, Diaz, Sosa, Fr. Gonzalez — De los Santos, Duarte.

Uruguay subs (10): Machado (GK), Arbio (GK), Antoni, De Ritis, Garcia, Homenchenko, Ferrari, Abaldo, Siri, L. Rodriguez.

How to watch USA vs Uruguay

  • Date: Sunday, June 4
  • Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: FS2 (English), Telemundo (Spanish)
  • Streaming: Fubo, Fox Sports GO, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo

The match will be televised in the United States in both English and Spanish.

Fox has the FIFA broadcast rights for English-language, with this match shown on FS2. Meanwhile, it will be broadcast in Spanish on Telemundo.

Both broadcasts can be streamed on Fubo, which is available on a free trial for new users.

Each broadcaster’s streaming platform will also carry the broadcast for authenticated users (with verified cable, satellite, and telco packages).

USA vs Uruguay U-20 betting odds & lines

The United States are considered slight favorites in this match, having dominated for much of the U-20 World Cup so far, but Uruguay are considered worthy opponents, only listed as minor underdogs.

The betting market is also unsure whether goals will be scored, given the U.S. defensive strength throughout the tournament, but also considering Uruguay scored seven goals in three group stage matches. 

  USA
win (90 mins)		 Draw Uruguay
win (90 mins)		 Both teams
to score Y / N		 Over / Under
2.5 goals		 USA
advance		 Uruguay
advance
BetMGM
(USA)		 +138 +230 +185 -145 / +100 -120 / -120 -140 +100

Source