U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team closes out Toulon Tournament with 1-0 loss to Korea Republic

SAINT-RAPHAEL, France – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team fell 1-0 to Korea Republic in the Group A finale of the 41st edition of the Toulon Tournament at Stade Louis Hon.

The USA went 1-3-0 at the tournament and finished fourth in the group as head coach Tab Ramos made frequent lineup changes throughout the event in preparing for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Now all eyes are on the global stage when the USA opens with Spain on June 21 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The U.S. U-20 MNT’s 21-player World Cup roster will be released Friday.

The U.S. held a 12-9 shots advantage against South Korea, but Han Sung Gyu tallied the game’s lone goal in the 62nd minute for the victory. The goal stemmed from a light touch on Shane O’Neill’s back pass to goalkeeper Cody Cropper. Cropper had to step up toward the top of the box to try to clear, but Kim Seunghjun pressured with a shot. Cropper made the save a good 16 yards off of his line, but Seunghjun got the rebound and dished to Sung Gyu who found the left side of the frame for the 1-0 lead.

Cropper made four saves on the night, including a key foot step in the 22nd minute against Cho Suk Jae.

The U.S. had three shots on goal for the night, all coming from Victor Pineda.

Pineda’s closest chance came in the second half in the 46th minute, when his header was saved by South Korea’s second goalkeeper Ham Seokmin, splitting time with Kim Dong Jun. Danny Garcia crossed the ball in from the left, Pineda headed toward the right side of the frame and Seokmin stopped the shot near the goal line and prevented any chance of a rebound.

South Korea nearly put the match out of reach in the 79th minute. Lee Changmin was one-on-one against Cropper at a difficult angle from the right side, so he crossed the ball in to second-half sub Heo Yongjoon, whose shot was bound for the goal. But U.S. midfielder Mikey Lopez retreated for a clutch block save at the goal line to keep the deficit at one.

Additional Notes:

• Defender Oscar Sorto and center back Shane O’Neill made their first starts and appearances of the Toulon Tournament against Korea Republic. O’Neill joined the team late in the tournament as he had stayed back in the U.S. to compete for his MLS club team Colorado Rapids.
• Victor Pineda started for a second straight game as he works his way back from the torn meniscus injury he suffered in late 2012.
• The U-20 MNT’s starting 11 featured eight players with Development Academy ties – seven former players and current LA Galaxy Academy defender Oscar Sorto.
• The U.S. lineup also included seven players who started against Mexico in the final of the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship on March 3: Cody Cropper, O’Neill, Juan Pablo Ocegueda, Mikey Lopez, Wil Trapp, Benji Joya and Danny Garcia.
• The U-20s moved to 5-5-1 overall in international play this year.

-U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team vs. Korea Republic
Date: June 5, 2013
Competition: Tournoi Espoirs de Toulon (Toulon Tournament); Group A
Venue: Stade Louis Hon; Saint-Raphael, France
Kickoff: 11 a.m. ET
Attendance: —
Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA                        0 0 0
KOR                        0 1 1

KOR – Han Sung Gyu (Kim Seungjun) 62nd minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Cody Cropper; 14-Oscar Sorto (2-Eric Miller, 76), 4-Caleb Stanko (capt.), 17-Shane O’Neill, 3-Juan Pablo Ocegueda (15-Kellyn Acosta, 63); 5-Mikey Lopez, 6-Wil Trapp; 8-Benji Joya, 20-Danny Garcia, 7-Victor Pineda; 11-Daniel Cuevas
Subs Not Used: 9-Alonso Hernandez, 10-Collin Martin, 12-Kendall McIntosh, 13-Dillon Serna, 16-Jordan Morris, 18-Jeffrey Payeras, 19-Alfred Koroma, 21-Javan Torre, 24-Marlon Hairston
Head Coach: Tab Ramos

KOR: 1-Kim Dong Jun (21-Ham Seokmin, 41); 14-Song Juhun, 15-Jung Hyuncheol (10-Lee Myung Jae, 80), 3-Kim Yong Hwan, 4-Yeon Jeimin (capt.); 8-Lee Changmin (2-Sim Sangmin, 55), 12-Kang Yun Koo, 20-Han Sung Gyu (5-Woo Jusung, 72); 17-Kim Seungjun, 9-Kim Hyun (22-Heo Yongjoon, 55), 19-Cho Suk Jae
Subs Not Used: 6-Kim Sunwoo, 7-Ryu Seungwoo, 11-Kang Sangwoo, 13-Park Jongjun, 16-Jang Hyunsoo
Head Coach: Lee Kwang Jong

Stats Summary: USA / KOR
Shots: 12 / 9
Shots on Goal: 3 / 6
Saves: 4 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 11 / 13
Offside: 1 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Danny Garcia (caution) 25th minute

Officials:
Referee: Flores Rodrigues (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Rodrigues Gorrocino (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Lopes Carrillo (MEX)
Fourth Official: Soares Dias (POR)