Benjamin Cremaschi's rise, yet another let down against Morocco: Winners and losers from U.S. run to U20 World Cup quarters

Benjamin Cremaschi hinted at all of this just days before the U20 World Cup began.

"We know that these types of international tournaments could be a huge change for a young player's career - there's a lot of eyes and a lot of people watching," he told FIFA's website.

Following a summer in which the former Inter Miami midfielder was uncharacteristically vocal, Cremaschi more than backed up his words with his play. The 20-year-old tallied five goals and two assists in five matches.

A record-setter for Inter Miami - including becoming the club’s first homegrown USMNT call-up - Cremaschi was known for his usually polite, media-friendly personality. But midway through his third season, his tone changed. He admitted frustration with his minutes and role on a star-studded roster featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and, most recently, Rodrigo De Paul - a direct competitor for his position in central midfield.

“I’m frustrated, I want to play," Cremaschi told reporters in August. "I think the most important thing for me is to be at a very high level, and to get there, I need minutes and experience. I’ve played very little in these recent games, and I don’t think it’s because of my level."

Those comments didn’t sit well with Miami manager Javier Mascherano, who essentially responded with “deal with it.” Three weeks later, Cremaschi was gone - securing a loan move to Serie A side Parma. Despite the public spat, Cremaschi insists he left Mascherano and Messi on good terms.

"People think that we were fighting or that we didn't have a good relationship, but things weren't like that at all," Cremaschi said. "Obviously, I've never spoken about it, never said anything about it. I think he hasn't either, because we both talked about it personally and just kind of left it off... We parted on good terms."

Cremaschi said the lessons he learned from Messi were career-shaping.

"A lot of important players have played in these tournaments," he said. "Whenever I saw the chance, I would try to learn from him [Messi]. I would try to absorb everything that he does: the way he takes care of himself, the way he manages himself, and obviously the things that he does. Great guy, even better player, and it was a very, very good experience playing with him."

While Cremaschi is still far from Messi’s stratosphere, he was the U.S.’s top scorer at the tournament while playing centrally. His assertiveness and tactical vision - traits he often observed in the Argentine great - were on display in Chile, even if on a smaller scale. More importantly, that growth could serve as a blueprint for how Parma ultimately use him once he makes his debut.

One thing is clear: Barcelona's Diego Kochen would have started for the U.S. U20s had he not been abruptly called back by his club team due to injuries at the goalkeeper position. 

On the national team side, it's a huge loss as the program could have benefited from having an extended look at a player who is widely considered the best young American goalkeeper. He's already received senior national team call-ups but remains uncapped, and he currently largely plays for Barcelona's reserve team.

Considering some of the opponents the U.S. faced, this could have served as a development opportunity for the goalkeeper. 

With Kochen out, Mitrovic went with the Rapids' rising young American backup goalkeeper, Adam Beaudry. The 19-year-old showed some glimpses of why he's highly-regarded, but overall was inconsistent. There is a case to be made that the U.S. wouldn't have lost 3-1 to Morocco if a steadier hand was in goal.

San Jose aren't having the season expected in Bruce Arena's first year with the club, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread in 11th place. Regardless of what happens with the club on Decision Day, they can take some optimism into next season from the performances of Tsakiris. 

With the U.S. frontline struggling for consistency, the scoring burden fell on the central midfield, and Tsakiris complemented Cremaschi well in that space. The midfielder scored two goals and had an assist, showing strength in delivering in dead-ball situations. 

Tsakiris had a limited role with the Quakes this season, playing in 10 matches after appearing in 25 in the team's Wooden Spoon season. If this tournament is anything to go by, it could signal he's taken another step in his development. Stay tuned.

Much is expected of Dortmund's Cole Campbell, and he's shown in small spurts why he could be an exciting part of the USMNT's future. 

He's got good pace, has some crafty technical skills, and plays for a team renowned for bringing out the best in young players. Yet, on both the club and now the youth international level, he appears to have stagnated. 

Campbell was heavily linked with a move away from Dortmund after making four league appearances last season, and in this campaign, he's played just 17 minutes in one appearance. At the U20 World Cup, Campbell started all five games and scored a respectable two goals. Yet those stats don't tell the full story. His decision-making, both in scoring and passing opportunities, left a lot to be desired. 

Considering Campbell's pedigree, this was a chance for him to leave an impression. After a mixed tournament, the Houston native remains a work-in-progress.

When the U.S. had success, it was generally powered by the team's promising young MLS core, along with Cremaschi, who just left the league. 

The U.S. had 17 goals scored by 10 different players over the five-match run, setting team U20 World Cup records in both categories. All but two were scored by players who came from an MLS academy. There were some players whose performance generated tangible buzz, including Tsakiris, Gozo and Brooklyn Raines.

All of that reinforces a point that MLS commissioner Don Garber continues to make - the investment in MLS academies is, in fact, paying off. Garber mentioned ahead of the 2024 MLS Cup that the league spends $100 million annually on its academy infrastructure. 

"People really don't fully understand what these clubs are doing to build soccer in the United States and Canada," he said.

Over the past three weeks, American fans got to see a small glimpse of that.

Mitrovic deserves a lot of credit for getting the U.S. to play with an appealing attacking style, and overall, the team performed better in the U20 World Cup than it did, with a different group, at the Olympics last summer. 

That said, this is the second-straight year in which the U.S. capitulated after showing they can go toe-to-toe with some of the best youth international teams in the world. Also, evaluating talent remains a concern. 

Last year, Diego Luna was a shock omission from the Olympic squad - a decision Mitrovic made as he preferred Djordje Mihailovic to the RSL star. This season, he stuck with Beaudry despite the goalkeeper having issues throughout the tournament.

Though there was plenty to be encouraged about from this group, this is a results-driven business. And the U.S. let a massive opportunity to make history slip by - again. Much of that has to fall on decisions made by the manager.