The FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile continues with the Round of 16 kicking off Tuesday afternoon. Rising Sounders FC stars Obed Vargas and Reed Baker-Whiting will participate in the opening knockout round with their respective teams Mexico and the United States following their strong performances in the group stage.
With wins over New Caledonia and France, Baker-Whiting and the U.S. were able to finish Group E as the top seed.
Baker-Whiting earned his first start of the tournament when the U.S. battled South Africa in their final group stage match. While the team ended the 90 minutes with a 1-0 loss, Baker-Whiting was impactful in the right-back position. The Seattle native completed 37 of his 45 passes and contributed to two tackles, three clearances, five recoveries and seven duels won. He also played a significant role in the U.S.'s 3-0 win over France; the team managed to score all three of their goals shortly after the defender entered the match in the 84th minute.
The U.S. will now gear up to face Italy in the Round of 16 — who ranked second in Group D — on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. PT.
Vargas and El Tri grinded out two draws against Brazil and Spain in addition to a win over Morrocco to land in the second place spot of Group C.
Vargas' most prominent performance came when Mexico tied Brazil. The box-to-box midfielder had a 97% passing completion rate, contributed to four entry balls into the final third and created two chances for his team. Defensively, he tallied three tackles, one interception and three recoveries.
Upon earning advancement out of the group stage, Mexico will now match-up with tournament hosts Chile at 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday.
You can find the full remaining schedules for both teams and tune-in information below.
Date | Opponent | Time | How to Watch |
Tuesday, October 7 | Chile | 4 p.m. PT | FS2, Telemundo |
Date | Opponent | Time/Result | How to Watch |
Thursday, October 11 | Italy | 12:30 p.m. PT | Telemundo, Peacock |
