U20 World Cup

USMNT U20s player ratings vs Ecuador: Jack McGlynn catches the eye before Jonathan Gomez's late stunner seals opening World Cup win

Peter McVitie
Last updated
Comments (0)
Jonathan Gomez USYNT 2023
Getty
A stunning stoppage-time strike from the right-back sealed three points for the USYNT in its first game of the tournament

Jonathan Gomez fired the United States to a 1-0 win with a late goal against Ecuador as Michael Veras' team got off to a perfect start in the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.

The Stars and Stripes started strong in their opening Group B match, but the South American side managed to grow into it and kept them under pressure. Despite the dangerous presence of Jack McGlynn and Caleb Wiley and the trickiness of Diego Luna, it was right-back Gomez who got the decisive goal after 93 minutes, just as it looked like the game was set to finish all square.

GOAL rates the United States U20 players from Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in San Juan...

Editors' Picks

  1. Goalkeeper & Defence
    Getty

    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Gaga Slonina (6/10):

    Did not have many dangerous shots to deal with as Ecuador failed to get an effort on target.

    Jonathan Gomez (8/10):

    Blasted in the winning goal from outside the box after a lovely piece of control. An energetic display on the right side overall and he had a dangerous moment earlier in the second half when a low shot was saved.

    Justin Che (7/10):

    A solid presence at the back with a few blocks to keep Ecuador from getting through on goal.

    Brandan Craig (7/10):

    Quality performance overall with strong tackles and blocks as well as plenty of passes from the back.

    Joshua Wynder (6/10):

    Did not do well in a couple of one-on-ones but was well positioned to stop a few of Ecuador's attempts.

  2. Midfield
    Getty

    Midfield

    Jack McGlynn (8/10):

    Pulled off some gorgeous passes and chipped in with some strong tackles in midfield. His team's brightest player in this game.

    Gavin Wolff (5/10):

    Got forward to help support the attack but a fairly quiet game.

    Obed Vargas (6/10):

    Made a vital block to prevent his side going 1-0 down in the first half and worked hard, covering a lot of ground to get up and down the field.

  4. Attack
    Getty Images

    Attack

    Caleb Wiley (8/10):

    A dangerous presence with some lovely passes and good runs. Saw one long-range shot pose a threat early in the second half and then had an even bigger chance cleared shortly afterwards.

    Diego Luna (6/10):

    Had a hard time when sent through to face the Ecuador defence on his own but had more joy when he could drop back to link up with his team-mates. Unlucky to see a shot go just wide after capitalising on a terrible clearance.

    Quinn Sullivan (5/10):

    Had some decent moments but struggled to break through before being replaced after 65 minutes.

  5. Subs & Manager

    Darren Yapi (7/10):

    Replaced Sullivan with the task of putting the Ecuador defence under more pressure and was a big threat with his runs and composure on the ball.

    Daniel Edelman (6/10):

    Brought on for the last 20 minutes but was unable to impact the game.

    Niko Tsakiris (N/A):

    A last-minute introduction.

    Mikey Varas (7/10):

    His team were strong throughout, preventing Ecuador from ever getting through on goal and there were plenty of strong displays to give him confidence that his side can compete in this tournament.