Jordan Allen has had a steep climb to move into consideration for the U.S. U-20 National Team as it readies for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup next month in New Zealand.
The 20-year-old Real Salt Lake utility man spent the better part of the last year on the training table recovering from a pair of injuries that limited him to just two appearances in his rookie season. Now fully recovered, he took major steps toward reaching the goal of playing in New Zealand with two standout performances in friendlies last week against Qatar and Croatia.
“I think I had a pretty good week. I’m pretty happy with the week I had,” said Allen in an interview with On Frame on ESPN 700 Monday night. “I think I had a good showing for myself.”
It was a hectic week for Allen. He made his second MLS start on Saturday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, playing 64 minutes in a 1-0 defeat at Rio Tinto Stadium. On Sunday, he started the journey to Austria and landed on Monday. Despite that lengthy travel, he played 45 minutes against Qatar on Tuesday in a 2-2 draw. On Saturday – his 20th birthday – he earned the start against Croatia and played 81 minutes in a 1-0 victory.
Allen is playing regularly with Real Salt Lake, already playing 214 minutes and contributing a game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on March 29. Despite that, he still knows he needs to play well when he is called in to that national team camps, particularly considering his lengthy absence.
“I was excited just to get the opportunity because I wasn’t sure if I was going to get it before the World Cup came. So I just wanted to make sure that from the first game that I played in that I was sharp, that I was energetic and that I was offering a lot to the team,” Allen said. “It’s one thing to already be in the team and make the World Cup roster, but it’s hard to come in after qualifying and essentially have to take someone’s spot. So I just wanted to make sure I was offering something and giving Tab Ramos something to think about.”
On a veteran Real Salt Lake team, Allen has the luxury of deferring to players like Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman, among others. However, Ramos has different expectations with the U-20s, where Allen is a primary offensive threat.
Now, after having those expectations on him for a couple of games, he sees how he can include some of that aggressive dynamic in his role with RSL.
“I think it’s something that I can work on and after the experience I had with the 20s, it’s something that I can bring back and maybe force myself into games a little bit more,” Allen said. “I definitely enjoyed this last week. I was more involved in these last couple of games than I have been since I got back from my injury. It’s a big confidence thing and I think it’s going to put me on the right foot moving forward.”
Real Salt Lake will meet the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday night at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT with a national television broadcast on Univision Deportes and a local broadcast starting at 7:30 p.m. MT on KMYU.
The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup runs from May 30-June 20 in New Zealand. The U.S. opens the tournament against Myanmar on May 30 and will play in a group that also includes New Zealand and Ukraine.
To hear Allen’s full interview, click here.
