“We want to compete and we want to win,” is coach Gonzalo Segares’ emphatic message when asked to set out USA’s FIFA U-17 World Cup™ ambitions. His squad’s “bravery, quality in depth and strong team culture” have fuelled his belief ahead of the tournament, which gets under way in Indonesia on 10 November. Those qualities were all on show throughout February’s CONCACAF U-17 Championship. With a semi-final place required to guarantee a World Cup spot, USA’s last-eight showdown with host nation Guatemala was of huge significance – and Segares’ team overcame spirited opponents and a frenzied crowd to win a 5-3 thriller. “We learned so much from that experience,” says Segares, a former Costa Rica international defender. “There were more than 20,000 fans there, the atmosphere was hostile, and it was a difficult environment. It was a big challenge for us, and the team did very well. It was great for the boys to experience that type of atmosphere at such a young age.”

USA went on to finish runners-up at the competition after being edged out by Mexico in a compelling and closely-contested final. Segares is convinced his team can again be title contenders in Indonesia – and also revealed his personal pride ahead of his maiden U-17 World Cup. Segares missed out on the chance to compete in the tournament as a player when Costa Rica failed to qualify for the 1999 edition in New Zealand. “It has taken me more than 20 years to experience a U-17 World Cup,” says the former Chicago Fire full-back. “Since then, I’ve always had it in the back of my mind, but I never knew I was going to have the opportunity as a coach. It is mind-blowing. It will be an honour to represent the United States and showcase our values and our style of play. “It will be a great competition for us, and our main objective is to try to win it. I think we have a good enough team to go for the trophy but, at the same time, our main objective for these guys is to help them develop. We want to challenge these boys, make sure they are getting pushed in a positive way, guide them through the youth national team system and hopefully see them at the senior level.”