The future

As both U.S. and Mexico fans sit disappointed after quarterfinal losses in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, respective supporters from both sides must now gaze to the future with most of these respective players.

The next step for some of the Under-20 players is the Under-23 sides and Olympic qualifying, but some might also contend for playing time with the full national team. More than likely, though, most of these guys won't amount to anything at the senior level.

It's a crap shoot, and even the guys who are sure-fire, can't-miss prospects will take some time to develop. I touched on the topic in my PE column while the tournament was still fresh in our minds.

Mexican supporters point to Gio Dos Santos and Carlos Vela as the players who will guide Mexico to the next level while U.S. fans have high hopes for Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore. Will those guys produce with the full national teams? It's hard imagining them not to. Are they read to carry the burden and responsibility of elevating their national teams and succeeding in meaningful games and the World Cup? That's an awful lot to ask out of youngsters.

It's happened before, though, with the US and Mexico. Rafael Marquez and Gerardo Torrado were teammates on the 1999 Under-20 national team and again at the 2002 World Cup. Landon Donovan played in the World Youth Championship in 2001 and the World Cup the following summer.

More often, though, Under-20 players take time to settle in with their clubs, develop and push for a starting spot with the national team, the few who actually get there anyway.

Mexico's Under-20 side from the 2003 tournament featured Joel Huiqui, Fausto Pinto and Juan Carlos Medina but the last two players were nothing at the senior level before this year. Even now, Medina is a fringe player with some promise while Pinto has established himself after a solid Copa America. Huiqui has all but fallen off the map.

The U.S. team from that year had more success sending players to the full side. Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson each made the 2006 World Cup side. But others from that team are just now gaining opportunities with the full national team, such as Ricardo Clark, Justin Mapp and Drew Moor.

While there may be some from this year's U.S. and Mexico squads who contribute in 2010, odds are against that happening. That doesn't mean it won't happen ever for some, but the payoff might be higher in 2014 and 2018.