Zavier Gozo, Brooklyn Raines and Marcos Zambrano each tallied in the dying moments to lift the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team to an emphatic 3-0 win against France in the team’s second match of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. With the win, the U.S. sits atop Group E with six points from two matches. The USA closes out the group stage against South Africa on Sunday, Oct. 5 (4 p.m. ET; FS2, Telemundo) and can guarantee the top spot with a win or draw. 

In a match that looked destined to end scoreless, despite a hard push from the young Americans in the second half, the USA saved its best for last, beginning in the 85th minute. Playing forward out of the back, Peyton Miler received the ball at midfield and alertly slotted a ball through down the right wing for Luke Brennan who broke into the box and lofted a picture-perfect cross for Gozo to nod home at the left post. 

Three minutes later, Raines pressed and forced a turnover at midfield before pushing the ball to Gozo. Raines continued his run forward and latched onto the end of a pass in the box before tucking a low, right-footed effort past France ‘keeper Lisandru Olmeta in the 88th minute.

The USA wasn’t satisfied with two and bagged one more in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Substitute Matthew Corcoran played a looping ball over the top for Miller who chested down on the right before playing a centering pass for Gozo. The substitute attacker slid through but saw his close-range attempt rattle the cross bar. The ball rebounded back for Zambrano who coolly finished into the left side of the net to cap the scoring at 3-0. 

U.S. head coach Marko Mitrović made two changes from the Starting XI that faced New Caledonia on Monday, inserting Taha Habroune and Peyton Miller. To start the match, both teams alternated spells of possession, but it was the USA who spent slightly more the time on the ball while the French defense was satisfied with staying back to prevent U.S. runs behind the defensive line. Those tactics worked for the French, until they didn’t.

The USA’s first real chance came in the 18th minute. Miller ran down the left toward the touchline before passing back to an onrushing Nolan Norris. The defender struck the ball well, but French goalkeeper Lisandru Olmeta made a nice save.

The next best opportunity for either team wouldn’t come until the 35th minute. Niko Tarkiris won the ball out of a gaggle of players and sent it wide to Frankie Westfield. With time and no defender around him, Westfield fired a shot on target, but it was easily smothered by the French goalkeeper.

The best chance of the first half for Les Bleus came in the 39th minute. Lucas Michal slid a pass from the left side of the box to Rabby Nzingoula. With one touch, Nzingoula found Mayssam Benama running toward the six-yard box, but Benama’s shot barely challenged U.S. ‘keeper Adam Beaudry, who easily collected the ball.

At the hour mark, Habroune brought the ball down the left sideline, beating his defender before finding Tsakiris running into the box. The midfielder cut it back toward the middle of the box, where Cremaschi smacked a first-time effort that seemed headed into the net, only to be denied once again by Olmeta.

The dagger delivered by Brooklyn Raines! pic.twitter.com/vOKLxIqqi4

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) October 2, 2025

It was Habroune again causing issues for the French defense in the 70th minute, dribbling down the left side again and sending a dangerous ball into the box. This time it was Cremaschi trying to get to the end of it, but the goalkeeper smothered the pass just before the U.S. attacker could reach the ball.

France had its most dangerous chance moments later in the 72nd minute. Tadjidine Mmadi won the ball in the midfield and dribbled into the teeth of the U.S. defense before sending a pass wide left to Michel. The forward struck a shot from near the top corner of the box, but Beaudry punched it away.

The USA had withstood the danger and then cracked opened the France defense as Gozo, Raines and Zambrano tallied three goals inside seven minutes to claim an emphatic 3-0 victory. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Zavier Gozo, Brooklyn Raines and Marcos Zambrano each scored their first goals of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• With goals from today’s trio, the USA now has nine different goal scorers through two matches at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, setting a new team record for most goal scorers at the tournament. The previous record was eight, achieved at the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina. 
• The USA improves to 2W-0L-1D in three all-time meetings with France at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.  

-U.S. UNDER-20 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT- 

Match: United States Under-20 Men’s National Team vs. France

Date: October 2, 2025

Competition: 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup – Group E

Venue: Estadio El Teniente; Rancagua, Chile

Attendance: 8,210

Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local)

Weather: 80 degrees, partly sunny

Lineups: 

USA: 12-Adam Beaudry; 3-Nolan Norris, 4-Josh Wynder, 16-Ethan Kohler, 17-Frankie Westfield; 8-Benja Cremaschi (Capt.) (2-Reed Baker-Whiting, 84), 6-Brooklyn Raines, 10-Niko Tsakiris (19-Matthew Corcoran, 62); 7-Cole Campbell (11-Luke Brennan, 74), 14-Taha Habroune (9-Marcos Zambrano, 74), 13-Peyton Miller (20-Zavier Gozo, 62)

Substitutes not used: 1-Gavin Beavers, 21-Duran Ferree, 5-Noah Cobb, 15-Pedro Soma, 18-Luca Bombino

Head coach: Marko Mitrović

FRA: 1-Lisandru Olmeta, 2-Gady-Pierre Beyuku, 3-Justin Bourgault (13-Moustapha Dabo, 72), 4-Steven Baseya, 5-Alyaz Zidane, 7-Lucas Michael, 8-Rabby Nzingoula (19-Fody Sylla, 46), 10-Mayssam Benama (18-Gabin Bernardeau, 90) 11-Tadjidine Mmadi, 14-Noham Kamara (6-Ilane Toure, 46), 20-Djylian Nguessan (12-Anthony Bermont, 46)

Substitutes not used: 16-Tao Paradowski, 21-Justin Bengui Joao, 17-Andrea Le Borgne

Head coach: Pierre Wajoka

Stats Summary: USA / FRA

Shots: 13 / 2

Shots on Goal: 7 / 2

Saves: 2 / 4

Corner Kicks: 8 / 1 

Fouls: 7 / 8

Offside: 1 / 1

Officials: 

Referee: Gustavo Tejera (URU)

Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU)

Assistant Referee 2: Agustin Berisso (URU)
Fourth Official: Dario Herrera (ARG)