If the current batch of US Under-20 national team players want to keep their World Cup dreams alive, they will need to rebound from this weekend's frustrating loss.
Unfortunately for the young Americans, they will be facing a team with plenty of motivation.
The US Under-20s are set for their second Group B match in the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Costa Rica on Tuesday night (5:30 pm ET, Facebook Live), but have a difficult task on their hands in the form of Haiti. The Haitians currently sit in first place in the group after mauling Saint Kitts and Nevis, 5-1, on Saturday, and collecting another three points at San Jose's Estadio Nacional would guarantee participation in the next round of the competition.
Tab Ramos' side is in a more dire situation. After losing 1-0 to a 10-man Panama side on Saturday, the Americans need to bounce back against Haiti. A loss could eliminate the US if Panama beat Saint Kitts and Nevis, as is expected, in the day's earlier game (3 pm ET, Facebook Live). A draw would keep the US alive, but a win is what they'll be chasing in order to give themselves better chances of advancing during the final round of Group B games on Friday.
The Americans will have to improve drastically in the attack after the weekend's flat showing if they wish to have a chance at coming out on top vs. Haiti, but they will be without midfielder Tyler Adams due to the nasty tackle that forced him out of the match against the Panamanians. That means the attacking burden will fall on the shoulders of players like Real Salt Lake's Brooks Lennon — and they'll have to deliver if the Americans don't want to say goodbye to their World Cup aspirations.
