Call it the Group of Death or call it the Group of Hope, either way the U.S. U20 Men’s National Team has a daunting task ahead when play kicks off from Group A at the 2013 U20 World Cup in Turkey.

The Americans, led by former USMNT great Tab Ramos, open up against two-time defending UEFA U19 Champions Spain, which is also considered the favorites of the event. The U.S. then faces France and Ghana to close out pool play.

On paper, the group looks very difficult with the prospect of facing the best teams in Europe, but that’s what a youth World Cup is about – the challenge.

Three Keys for U.S. success

Passing: It is a simple part of the game (and development of a player) but it is often overlooked. During the Toulon Tournament in France last month, the U.S. did not take care of possession with the urgency that was needed to be successful on the international stage. Against Spain in the opener, the U.S. cannot afford to lose possession at the same frequency as it has in previous outings against lesser opponents.

Stability in Defense: With Shane O’Neill out for the opening game against Spain due to his red card against Mexico in the CONCACAF Championship, the U.S. is already starting on the wrong foot with personnel in defense. Creighton(m) right back Eric Miller is set to fill the void that O’Neill left, which is a major challenge for the normally solid outside back. DeAndre Yedlin and Juan Pablo Ocegueda are the favorites to start at outside back with captain Caleb Stanko in the center.

Cohesion: Tab Ramos suggested in his pre-World Cup press conference that his team had not had much time together in the build-up to the event in Turkey. However, the core of the U20s has been in camp pretty regularly compared to Spain, France, and Ghana. Spain, for instance, has only been together twice this year. The cohesion among the ranks is one of the big advantages that the U.S. has among the teams in this group.

Sizing Up the Competition

Spain

Spain hasn’t won this particular tournament since 1999, and they haven’t finished higher than fifth at the U20 level since 2003. But don’t let that sway you. This is as talented a U20 side as Spain has fielded in the last decade, and the Spaniards are easy money to win this group, if not the entire tournament.

Spain is absolutely loaded with attackers. Francisco Alcacer is a handful, while Barcelona product Gerard Deulofeu’s tricky work — he also features for the U21 side — on the wing will threaten a makeshift U.S. back line. But as with every level of Spanish soccer, the engine room is the midfield, where Spain is blessed with a cadre of silky smooth operators. Denis Suarez (Manchester City), Juan Bernat (Valencia), Suso (Liverpool) — the list goes on.

Spain didn’t lose once in the UEFA U19 championship in 2012 to qualify for this year’s U20 World Cup. The closest they came? The semifinal against France, which they won 4-2 in a shootout. With the same teams drawn into a group with one another a year on, that appears to be the game of the group.

France

The U.S. is plenty familiar with this talented French youth sides. France’s U21 team blasted the U.S. U20s 4-1 in the Toulon Tournament last month, a Benji Joya goal barely mitigating the extensive damage. Suffice it to say, France is another team that could challenge for the title, with a severe amount of skill up and down the lineup.

The amount of talent on offer here will stretch even the best of teams. Paul Pogba (Juventus), Geoffrey Kondogbia (Sevilla), Florian Thauvin (Bastille) and Lucas Digne (Lille) lead a side that could be one of the darkhorses to win the World Cup. Pogba, Digne and Thauvin have already gotten call-ups to the senior national team, a sure sign of their progress. Pogba in particular will be a mountain of a task, as the holding midfielder has become a rampant breakout star for the reigning Italian champion Juventus.

Ghana

Ghana may not have the immediate global cache of France or Spain, but only the foolish would overlook this small country’s ability to crank out world class players, and at this level especially. Ghana is the defending U20 World Cup champion and has a horde of experienced players descending on Turkey to defend its title.

Combined, Ghana’s strikers alone have 23 U20 caps, most of any team in this group. Ebenezer Assifuah’s return of four goals in six games will have opposing back lines on edge, while Anderlecht’s Frank Acheampong has three goals at the U20 level himself. Ghana is never short on accomplished forwards. In 2009, current Marseilles Andre Ayew had his breakout. One of several could follow his lead this year.

Critically, the back line is experienced, too. There are 24 combined caps to go around here, with Lawrence Lartey (nine) and Richmond Nketiah (five) leading the line. Sixteen of the team’s 21 players play on Ghanian teams.

Three Players to Watch

Cody Cropper: The Southampton goalkeeper is the obvious starter with this squad, which does not really bring much excitement to the position. However, Cropper has been far from perfect in qualifying and the Toulon Tournament. His positioning and ability to read the play have been exposed to some extent, but Cropper is fully capable of keeping this squad in a game when they are outplayed and that may be required for the U.S. to advance.

Wil Trapp/Mikey Lopez: The duo of defensive midfielders on the roster will have big shoes to fill in the center of the park for Ramos’ side. Trapp and Lopez need to keep pace with the shadows they will likely be chasing against Spain and France. If either can hold ground in those games, win possession, and quickly get the U.S. into a counterattacking position, they will have far exceeded any expectations heading into the event.

Daniel Cuevas: The dynamic winger has been a constant worry for the coaching staff, as he seems to pick up injuries at the same frequency stray dogs accumulate fleas. When Cuevas is healthy, he is the most dangerous player in the attack for the U.S. and could be the key to unlocking the opposing defenses with his speed and power on the ball. The U.S. trainers will be working hard to keep the Santos Laguna man on the field.

Projected Starting XI vs Spain

Cody Cropper; DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Miller, Caleb Stanko, Juan Pablo Ocegueda; Wil Trapp, Luis Gil, Benji Joya; Jose Villarreal, Alonso Hernandez, Daniel Cuevas

U.S. Schedule:

U.S. U20 vs. Spain, June 21, 2:00 p.m. (ET), ESPN2, Univision Deportes

U.S. U20 vs. France, June 24, 11:00 a.m. (ET), ESPN2, Univision Deportes

U.S. U20 vs. Ghana, June 27, 1:00 p.m. (ET), ESPNU, Univision Deportes