The United States secured a 1-0 victory against Ecuador in their opening match of the U-20 World Cup. The game lacked inspiration from both sides, and it wasn’t until the stoppage time that left-back Jonathan Gomez scored the winning goal for San Juan. The game was streamed on ESPN+ and featured few chances until Gomez sealed the win.
Ecuador had a missed opportunity in the first half when American striker Diego Luna went wide despite having an empty goal. Ecuador’s teenage sensation striker Kendry Paez failed to hit a single shot on target.
The American team finished second in their group after Slovakia defeated Fiji 4-0. The US has a chance to secure a place in the next round with a win against Fiji, while Slovakia could do the same against Ecuador.
The tournament’s first goal was scored by New Zealand’s Norman Garbet in the 80th minute, securing a 1-0 victory against Guatemala in a Group A match. In the following match, Argentina beat Uzbekistan 2-0 to take over qualification as the tournament’s host nation from Indonesia.
Indonesia’s hosting of the tournament became a subject of protests due to its Muslim-majority population’s opposition to Israel. FIFA was forced to delay the move significantly since Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.