Editor’s Note: Justin Sousa is correspondent for Scouted Football and a contributor to Massive Report for this story.
Not many knew who Aboubacar Keita was coming into the Under-20 World Cup, but, for reasons good or bad, he is a consistent name brought up in conversations about the United States’ run to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
An inexperienced player both professionally and within the youth international set up, Keita surprised many by beating out James Sands and Sam Rogers for a roster spot. He shocked many more by remaining in head coach Tab Ramos’ starting lineup throughout the entirety of the tournament.