USA under 20 capitulate to the unfancied Austrians; finishing and defending woeful in 2-1 defeat. 

 

New stadium, great skyline, soon to host the final, Toronto welcomed Austria and the US for this quarter final.  The National Soccer Stadium crowd was sparse and the rain came in to dampen the supporters of both nations. 

 

Yellow card problems for Rongen; four starters on a yellow; Adu; Wallace; Bradley and Valentin and Ferrari; they are favourites so just have to play well to move into the semis.  Altidore and Adu were working well together and Seitz was back on the field, his mobility not deemed a huge obstacle. 

 

Top scorer Hoffer sat on the bench for the start.  Austria's yellow cards were held by Madl, Panny and Stanislav and substitute Rasswalder. 

 

The US started brightly, but the first half chance fell to Suttner, a free kick from distance that went high and wide. 

Rogers was involved early; receiving a nice step over from Altidore in the left channel; he was tackled by the Austrian defence, he feeds in Adu; again on the left; the Salt Lake midfielder is hauled back by the third defender he beats.  The free kick goes near post and is cleared. 

Szetela tries the ball into space for Beltran but just a touch too long, then Beltran is involved with Altidore on the right, a nice one two move which is thwarted behind for a corner kick. Adu is the game changer, beating the Austrians on the right touchline he crosses the ball into the box and Altidore is there, heading beyond Zaglmair from between two defenders. 

The rain starts and gets pretty heavy at times, this causes the ball to move off the turf faster and make footing a little dicey. 

Austria immediately starts to play more attacking football.  A corner kick is won and Proedl and Morgenthaler have opportunities before the US clears. 

Adu, Zizzo and Rogers work a move well only to finfish with a soft shot on goal. 

Okotie breaks for a long ball but is beaten to it by Sturgis.  Altidore feeds in Adu and the youngster shoots but misses the opportunity for the more dangerous return ball. 

Valentin; tasked with marshalling Okotie; does his job formidably with a well timed tackle to deny an opportunity to the Austrian. 

The experience of the Austrian manager; Gludovatz; leads to an early substitution, Morgenthaler coming out for Harnik.  This has immediate dividends, the new man helps force and opening for Kavlak who shoots from thirty yards, Seitz can only push the ball outwards and is lucky to be able to save a close range shot from Harnik with his face. 

Adu's runs on the left continue to cause problems and he combines with Rogers again who feeds the ball back to Adu, the first shot is blocked and an onrushing Szetela has his shot blocked as well; obdurate Austrian defending. 

Another midfield mistake allows Proedl to shoot at goal from distance; Seitz can only parry and Okotie is the quickest to respond to the loose ball; twisting and turning against a static defence he slots the ball between Seitz and the near post; notwithstanding the man on the line.  Sloppy USA 'keeping and defending. 

 

Rongen and Gludovatz keep things the same going into the second half. 

 

USA hasn't got their heads into the game at all, Austria easily maintains possession without threatening, the US can't seem to string any passes together, have almost no movement or tactical acumen. 

The first real chance is Okotie's and he misses badly, the US off that particular hook; it still doesn't get the US motivated. 

Altidore combines with Adu to win a free kick, Adu send it over Wallace.  Bradley forces and opening solo but Zaglmair saves the effort. 

A free kick for Austria, Kavlak fires it in and Seitz clears, the clearance falls to Junuzovic who hits the post. 

Another late opportunity for Adu after more good work on the left, he elects to shoot and eschews the simpler and more effective pass, he comes away with a corner kick. 

Hackmair gets a late opportunity after some sloppy American defending but can only fire the ball wide. 

Adu opens up Austria again but Altidore is blocked. 

 

Extra Time starts and the USA have got their heads on again, Rogers crosses from the corner flag and the three Americans in the box watch it sail by without attacking it. 

Ward can only head his clearance to Okotie and is lucky the Austrian can't get his shot; the substitute is equally bad moments later with a poor cross after excellent work from McCarty. 

Adu starts to tick, he feeds Altidore but the forward is well marshaled by Austria, he makes space on the left only to deliver a harmless cross/shot high and wide, he does better on the left but a heavy first touch takes him too far wide and he can only shoot into the side netting 

Austria break and when the USA looses possession, Zizzo fouls Okotie and Suttner's free kick hits the wall, Bradley doesn't clear and the Austrians come at the US again, Wallace tackles, sliding in and is carded, his second and he's off. 

Hoffer comes in for the Austrians, replacing Junuzovic.  Poor USA defending doesn't clear the ball and Proedl is able to get a shot off, it hits the post but Hoffer is there to bundle the ball over the line. 

In the second half of extra time the US struggles to get forward and when they loose the ball in the centre Okotie wins a corner kick.  Proedl, excellent on set pieces and at the back forces a save from Seitz.  Adu wins a free kick and Ferrari isn't up to the far post delivery, Austria break but is let down with a poor cross. 

More inept defending from the US allows Kavlak a shot but Seitz is equal to it. 

As the US come forward chances on the break fall to Austria, their first big chance is put wide and the second; two versus one; is wasted, Hoffer chooses to shoot instead of passing and after beating Seitz hits the far post. 

Adu creates with his runs at Austria, a lovely ball into Altidore finds the Red Bull shooting instead of playing it back to Adu and then Adu is profligate, choosing to shoot when a pass would have yielded a better scoring opportunity. 

 

Rongen must be seething; his team barely made a canter in the second half and often looked poor on crossed and set pieces.  Poor decision making in front of goal saw opportunities wasted.  Seems that the USA has trouble playing when the elements are against them. 

 

Gludovatz will be delighted to take his team into the semi finals.  His first two substitutions changed the game; his players defended well and made the most of the conditions.  He will miss Madl and Stanislav for the semi final though.

 

Pretty dire; twelve yellow cards is worthy of a tough fought Liverpool derby; the players were playing the game not kicking each other and it was a treacherous surface.  The referee will point to the laws but twelve yellows weren't at all in the spirit of this one, FIFA should send him home. 

 

 

Austria:-

ZAGLMAIR

PANNY

PROEDL

SUTTNER

STANISLAW

KAVLAK

JUNUZOVIC (HOFFER 103)

HACKMAIR

MORGENTHALER (HARNIK 37)

MADL

OKOTIE (PIRKER 121)

 

Bookings:-

Stanislav

Kavlak

Junuzovic

Madl

Hoffer

 

Goals:-

Okotie 43

Hoffer 105

 

USA:-

SEITZ

STURGIS

BRADLEY

SZETELA (MCCARTY 63)

ROGERS

ADU

ALTIDORE

WALLACE

ZIZZO (FERRARI 106)

VALENTIN

BELTRAN (WARD 81)

 

Bookings:-

Sturgis

Bradley

Szetela

Rogers

Wallace (R)

Valentin

 

Goals:-

Altidore 19

 

Referee:-

Martin Hannson (SWE)