RANCAGUA, Chile (October 12, 2025) – The U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team’s run at the FIFA U-20 World Cup came to an end following a 3-1 defeat to Morocco in the quarterfinals. Despite having the majority of both possession and scoring opportunities, the U.S. ran up against a stingy Moroccan team that stood sturdy in defense.
U.S. head coach Marko Mitrovic made just one change to the side that began Thursday’s Round of 16 match against Italy, inserting Matthew Corcoran in midfield. The U.S. held a dominant 76 percent possession rate during the first half and created two dangerous attempts on back-to-back attacks around the quarter-hour mark. In the 14th minute, right back Frankie Westfield ran on to a ball and crossed looking for Zavier Gozo, but Morocco defender Ali Mamaar cleared the ball out for a corner kick.
Two minutes later, Benjamin Cremaschi played Brooklyn Raines to the end line on the right, where the midfielder crossed again looking for Gozo at the back post, but Morocco goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch acrobatically palmed the ball away at full extension.
A nice passing sequence led to the next U.S. chance in the 28th minute as Raines picked out Niko Tsakiris from the center circle and the midfielder slotted Gozo toward the end line. There, the winger hit a cross that evaded the ‘keeper and clanged off the top of the crossbar.
Despite the U.S. holding the lion’s share of possession, it was Morocco who grabbed the game’s first goal in the 31st minute. The play started at midfield when Saad El Haddad appeared to wrap his arm around Raines to gain an advantage and won possession. He pushed the attack and swung a ball to Othmane Maamma at the right post where the winger’s flick was saved by U.S. goalkeeper Adam Beaudry, but Maamma pinged the rebound back across the goal where Yassir Zabiri was there to tap it home from close range. U.S. head coach Marko Mitrović used one of his two challenges for video review, but referee Kevin Ortega upheld the goal.
The U.S. remained determined and earned a crucial penalty kick just before halftime as Matthew Corcoran swung a looping ball from the edge of the box on the right looking for Nolan Norris at the left post. The defender made a hard run through the area before being tugged down by his shoulder by Morocco’s Ali Maamar. Morocco challenged the call, but it was again upheld by Ortega. Cole Campbell stepped up and confidently slotted a low effort inside the right post, collecting his second goal of the tournament in the sixth minute of stoppage time to send the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
Morocco pushed the attack in the second half, allowing for more back-and-forth play. The African side jumped back ahead in the 66th minute when Fouad Zahouani hurled a long throw-in from the left which U.S. center back Ethan Kohler only got a slight nod on before the call caromed off Wydner and past Beaudry at the left post. Mitrovic again challenged the goal, contending that Zahouani had lifted his foot on the throw-in, but Ortega again upheld the goal.
After a nice build-up, the U.S. threatened again in the 78th minute as Westfield centered a ball for substitute Taha Habroune, but his first-time effort was blocked with a sliding tackle from a Morocco defender. The U.S. recycled the ball, and Peyton Miller chipped it forward for Westfield whose nodded effort swung just over the cross bar.
In the 82nd minute, substitute Reed Baker-Whiting crossed to find Josh Wynder in the area, but his header was well held by Benchaouch. Three minutes later, Baker-Whiting found more space down the left and swung a cross to the back post for Luke Brennan, but his first time shot went over the crossbar.
As the U.S. continued to push numbers forward, Morocco iced the game in the 88th minute after a long clearance from their own end. A miscommunication between Habroune and a charging Beaudry at the top of the area created a chance for Illias Boumassaoudi, who entered the area and centered for Gessime Yassine. With Beaudry scrambling to recover, Brooklyn Raines stood on the line and nearly deflected out Yassine’s forceful shot on target but was unable to do so and the USA’s tournament, one it which it defeated France and Italy by 3-0 scores, was over.
The USA outshot Morocco 14-7 and had 12 corner kicks to three for the North Africans, but in the end, Morocco was more clinical in front of the net and ended the USA’s hopes of making the semifinal of this tournament for the first time since 1989.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- The U.S. advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the fifth consecutive time and ninth overall.
- The USA scored 17 goals from 10 different players over the five-match run, setting team records in both categories at the U-20 World Cup.
- Marko Mitrović made one change to the Starting XI that faced Italy on Thursday, inserting Matthew Corcoran for Taha Habroune.
- Cole Campbell tallied his second goal of the tournament.
- Adam Beaudry, Benjamin Cremaschi and Josh Wynder were the only U.S. players to start all five matches at the U-20 World Cup.
- The USA moves to 7W-6L-1D in 14 matches against CAF opposition at the U-20 World Cup and is 8W-13L-1D in 22 knockout round matches in the tournament.
-U.S. UNDER-20 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Under-20 Men’s National Team vs. Morocco
Date: October 12, 2025
Competition: 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup – Quarterfinal
Venue: Estadio El Teniente; Rancagua, Chile
Attendance: 10,742
Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local)
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
| Scoring Summary |
1 |
2 |
F |
| USA |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| MAR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| MAR - Yassir Zabiri (Othmane Maamma) | 31st minute |
| USA – Cole Campbell (Penalty Kick) | 45+6 |
| MAR – Josh Wynder (Own Goal) | 66 |
| MAR - Gessime Yassine (llias Boumassaoudi) | 87 |
Lineups:
USA: 12-Adam Beaudry; 17-Frankie Westfield, 16-Ethan Kohler, 4-Josh Wynder, 3-Nolan Norris (2-Reed Baker-Whiting, 79); 19-Matthew Corcoran (9-Marcos Zambrano, 76) 6-Brooklyn Raines, 10-Niko Tsakiris (14-Taha Habroune, 75); 20-Zavier Gozo (11-Luke Brennan, 66), 8-Benjamin Cremaschi (Capt.), 7-Cole Campbell (13-Peyton Miller, 79)
Substitutes not used: 1-Gavin Beavers, 21-Duran Ferree,5 -Noah Cobb, 15-Pedro Soma, 18-Luca Bombino
Head coach: Marko Mitrović
MAR: 1-Yanis Benchaouch, 3-Ali Maamar, 4-Imaël Baouf, 6-Naïm Byar, 7-Othmane Maamma (Capt.) (14-Mohamed Hamony, 90), 10-Saad El Haddad (11-Illias Boumassaoudi, 79), 15-Fouad Zahouani, 17-Gessime Yassine (13-Taha Majni, 90), 18-Yassine Khalifi, 19-Smail Bakhty, 21-Yassir Zabiri (9-Younes El Bahraoui, 79)
Substitutes not used: 12-Ibrahim Gomis, 16-Abdelhakim Mesbahi, 2-Ilyass Mahsoub, 5-Anas Tajaourt, 8-Houssam Essadak, 20-Mohammed Kebdani
Head coach: Mohamed Ouahbi
Stats Summary: USA / MAR
Shots: 14 / 7
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 1 / 2
Corner Kicks: 12 / 3
Fouls: 9 / 8
Offside: 0 / 2
| MAR - Ali Maamar (Caution) | 45+1st minute |
| MAR - Saad El Haddad (Caution) | 76 |
| MAR - Smail Bakhty (Caution) | 81 |
| USA – Josh Wynder (Caution) | 90+2 |
Officials:
Referee: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesús Perez (PER)
Fourth Official: Dario Herrera (ARG)
