Sporting Kansas City rookie midfielder Mikey Lopez and the United States Under-20 Men's National Team kick off their 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign at 1 p.m. CT today against Spain. The match will air live on ESPN2, WatchESPN and Univision Deportes from Ali Sami Yen Arena in Istanbul, Turkey.
Lopez is one of 21 players on the squad and has made 18 appearances for the U.S. U20's, third most on the squad.
"He’s a two-way player and can play any of the three positions in the midfield," head coach Tab Ramos said. "He can play the 6, the 8 or the 10, but he’s always willing to do whatever the coach needs and certainly he brings huge value to the team.”
The United States was drawn into Group A, considered one of the toughest in the 24-team tournament with fellow foes Spain, France and Ghana. This year's competition marks the 13th appearance for the U.S. at the U-20's biggest stage. The U.S. has advanced out of their group on eight of the 12 previous trips but have never reached further than the quarterfinals.
Fans can also follow today's match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_ynt.
