Tab Ramos has been eager to get Konrad De La Fuente right into a U-20 camp for many of the cycle. Now with the World Cup quick approaching, the La Masia product is lastly enjoying with the group and had a standout debut in a 2-2 draw with France. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the Miami native.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 23, 2019
3:55 AM
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THE UNITED STATES U-20 group is within the remaining preparations for Might’s World Cup and the competitors to make the ultimate 21 participant roster is intense. After the group gained CONCACAF in November, there are much more gamers rising and constructing instances to make the ultimate reduce.
Konrad de la Fuente, 17, is likely one of the most enjoyable prospects on the group. The Miami space native is at present a member of FC Barcelona’s U-19 group and has been gaining useful expertise within the UEFA Youth League the place he has a aim and an help in seven appearances up to now.
He’s additionally one of many youngest gamers within the present U-20 pool, is eligible for the 2021 U-20 World Cup as nicely and has has performed with U.S. youth groups because the U-14 degree. U-20 head coach Tab Ramos has been attempting to herald into camp for awhile however launch points have been an issue. With this camp, he’s lastly in a position to be a part of the squad for the ultimate camp earlier than the beginning of ultimate World Cup preparations.
“I know [Tab] has been trying to bring me into U-20 camps,” de la Fuente advised ASN Thursday night time from Spain. “I am happy I was able to make it to his one. I am just trying to take advantage of this one. I am really excited to be part of this team. It’s a great group of guys and I think the team can do big things. I think we can compete really well against the best teams in the world.”
And in his debut with the U.S. U-20 group in opposition to the highly effective French group, de la Fuente didn’t disappoint as he scored a key aim because the U.S. group erased a 0-2 deficit and performed to a 2-2 draw.
2-2 yesterday in opposition to France ???? pic.twitter.com/7EbHiAUgXU
— Konrad De La Fuente (@konradjr) March 23, 2019
The suitable footed de la Fuente gives Ramos versatility throughout the complete font line in a 4-3-3 setup. (“I think my best position is as a left winger,” de la Fuente described. “I am comfortable at all of the forward spots but mostly as a winger”).
Earlier than becoming a member of the present U-20 group, de la Fuente was most lately with the U.S. U-18 group the place he stood out as one of many group’s finest gamers.
“Konrad is special,” stated former U.S. U-18 head coach Omid Namazi who often labored with de la Fuente. “He is very dynamic with the ball at his feet where he can run at defenders and create goal scoring opportunities for himself. But he is also clever enough to be able to find that final pass to create for others. I used him mostly as a Center Forward (as a necessity) and he was quite good there, but I think he is best utilized as a winger or and off-forward in a 4-4-2.
“Anyway, he can adapt to different game situations as he is a smart and cerebral player who sees the game very clearly.”
Marcelo Palomino, a teammate with de la Fuente on the U-18 group, agrees with Namazi.
“Konrad is a great player, extremely explosive and great on the ball, very forward mentality and can take anyone on 1v1,” Palomino stated. “I think he already is and is going to continue to be a very big asset to the US, and as we saw he just scored with the u-20s against France so he’s someone we definitely want on our side.”
Competitors might be tight to make the U.S. U-20 group because the wingers within the pool encompass Ulysses Llanez, Jonathan Amon, Ayo Akniola, Nick Taitague (at present injured), Andrew Carleton, and presumably Tim Weah. The ahead pool consists of Justin Rennicks, Sebastian Soto, Jesus Ferreira (citizenship pending), presumably Josh Sargent, Folarin Balogun, and Charlie Kelman.
Nice aim by 16 12 months previous American, Konrad De La Fuente for Barcelona’s Juvenil B aspect! pic.twitter.com/C72NqxurOH
— DMV Soccer (@DMVSoccer96) Might 26, 2018
However de la Fuente is completely different. At the moment concerned in FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, De la Fuente is proud to be one of many few Individuals to have performed at La Masia and believes what units it aside is the large high quality of gamers and the superior teaching. Since he’s been there so lengthy, he has adjusted nicely and now not feels completely different attributable to his American background.
“It’s a really good feeling playing against the best players and training with them – learning from along with the coaches every day,” de la Fuente defined. “You gain a lot of experience from that and you get a lot better. Since I’ve been there as a young age, I don’t really feel much of a difference with all the other guys. I am very comfortable there and it’s kind of like my home now.”
How de la Fuente arrived at Barcelona is completely different in contrast with how different American youngsters have made the bounce to Europe. He was born in Florida to Haitian mother and father and moved to Madrid on the age of 10 when his father took a job working for the Haitian embassy in Spain. There he started to blossom as a participant however his break got here when he was enjoying for CF Damm in Barcelona. CF Damm is a membership that focuses on youth improvement and with its robust academy, it helps its gamers progress to the skilled ranks with different golf equipment.
It was not lengthy at CF Damm when de la Fuente stood out and was rapidly introduced into La Masia.
“I was playing at a local club in Barcelona first, La Damm, and FC Barcelona has scouts all over,” de la Fuente recalled. “I caught the eye of one of them and from there they just called me.”
As for finally making the primary group at Barcelona, de la Fuente doesn’t low cost the thought of finally becoming a member of one of many world’s finest golf equipment: “I don’t think it’s impossible. If you work hard, you’ll get opportunities. You just have to make the most of them.”
De la Fuente enjoys dwelling in Spain and barely returns to america attributable to his busy schedule at Barcelona. Within the years forward he’ll apply for Spanish citizenship (which occurs after 10 years of dwelling in Spain however he can start the applying course of after 9 years) which ought to enable him to play all through Europe ought to he transfer past Barcelona. (“For now, I am only an American citizen” he defined. When requested if he had ever been approached by Haiti’s soccer federation, he rapidly stated “not that I know about”).
Konrad de la Fuente’s 4th minute aim vs Inter in Youth League playpic.twitter.com/GPJygXSVRM
— USMNT Movies (@USMNTvideos) October 24, 2018
As a 2001-born participant, de la Fuente doesn’t know lots of the gamers on the present roster outdoors Matthew Actual and Uly Llanez. He insists he isn’t enthusiastic about the subsequent U-20 group and moderately simply making the present roster for the upcoming World Cup this Might in Poland.
Despite the fact that his major focus has been climbing the ranks at La Masia, de la Fuente has been enjoying shut consideration to the event of U.S. Soccer and has been impressed with the expertise among the many U-20 group and believes it’s constructing to one thing particular. If all goes in response to plan, he’ll make his U.S. debut in a serious youth event in only a few months.
“With my club, I am always there and that is what I am focused on but the U-20 World Cup is definitely one of my goals and I definitely want to be there,” de la Fuente stated. “I just have to work to get there. [American soccer] has gotten a lot better over the years. On this U-20 team, there are a lot of players who are playing in Europe who are there doing really well. I think this group can go really far at the U-20 World Cup and that’s where it starts. From there you can build confidence. Eventually you can win it, it’s not impossible.”
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Author : usa-foot
Publish date : 2025-01-26 05:04:56
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