March 26, 1999
GREENVILLE, SC -- Furman freshman defender Matt Goldsmith was selected on Friday as a member of the United States Under-20 National Team that will travel to Nigeria to compete in the 1999 FIFA Under-20 World Youth Championships.
Goldsmith, from Roswell, Ga., has been a member of the U.S. National Team since 1997 and has been in training for the 1999 World Championships since January. The United States contingent will depart the country on Tuesday, March 30 and will arrive in Kano, Nigeria on April 1, four days before the team's opening match against England.
The U.S. team has been placed in Group E, along with Cameroon, Japan, and England. They will face England on April 5 in Kano, Nigeria in the squad's first match. The US team's second match will be against Japan on April 8 in Bauchi, Nigeria, while they will conclude pool play on April 11 against Cameroon in Bauchi, Nigeria. Tournament play will begin April 14 with the final 16 teams and conclude April 24 with the championship match.
The U.S. team qualified for the FIFA World Championships by finishing first in CONCACAF Group A, which was played Aug. 3-7, 1998, in Trinidad. During the tournament, the USA tied Costa Rica 1-1, beat Canada 6-1, and beat Trinidad & Tobago 6-1.
Goldsmith has played regularly in both qualifying and in the squad's exhibition matches. He and Cory Gibbs of Brown University are expected to play left outside midfield for the US team.
As a freshman at Furman, Goldsmith was selected as an honorable mention All-American by College Soccer Weekly after being named the 1998 Southern Conference Freshman-of-the-Year and first team All-Southern Conference. He scored two goals, both game-winners, while recording three assists on the season for 7 points.
"Matt has a tremendous attitude," said Scmid. "He always gives everything we need. He is a great playmaker and a defender. He is just a good, hard working kid who fills a need in a lot of areas."
US Under-20 National Team - 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship