The United States go into their game against New Zealand full of confidence with star midfielder Jack McGlynn claiming the side is capable of winning the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup.
“We believe we can win it all,” McGlynn told MLS Soccer as his side prepared for their Round of 16 tie with New Zealand, to be played on Wednesday (5.30am NZT).
“That’s why we’re here, and that’s why we’ve done so well so far. We all believe in each other to the fullest and trust each other on the field, so I think as long as we keep doing that, we can go all the way.”
Main photo: Jack McGlynn plays for Philadelphia Union, in the MLS. Photo credit: Philadelphia Union.
The United States side is brimming with confidence after winning all three of their group games, and not conceding a goal at the tournament in Argentina.
While New Zealand are trying to create history by reaching a quarter-final for the first time, the United States are aiming to make their fourth successive appearance in the last eight.
United States head coach Mikey Varas says past success has motivated his group to want to push the boundaries more.
“Our job is to make sure we go out and put in a performance that gives the best chance of winning the next game and that’s it.”
Meanwhile, the United States will benefit from the late arrivals at the tournament of forward Kevin Paredes and midfielder Rokas Pukštas, whose European clubs agreed to release them for the knockout stages.
Paredes plays for German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg while Pukštas helped Hajduk Split beat Šibenik in last week’s Croatian Cup final.
Fixture
Game to be played on Wednesday May 31, 2023
United States v New Zealand
Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, 5.30am (NZT)
More about the New Zealand v United States game
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READ MORE: Our stories from the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup >>>>
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