For those who stubbornly apply the reputations of men's international soccer teams to age-group tournaments, this is a game between two of the lighter weight sides remaining in the 2017 Men's U-20 World Cup. Neither Venezuela nor the USA can be described as world football powerhouses of the men's game.
But it would be a mistake to measure these U-20 teams by the standards of their full national teams - not least because those senior men's national teams will play each other a few hours before this U-20 World Cup quarterfinal kicks off. At the full international level, Venezuela is already out of the running for a spot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and it is expected to lose its friendly against a rallying USA team that is re-learning how to play within its limitations under head coach Bruce Arena after the mixed returns of the era of Jurgen Klinsmann's restlessly ambitious stewardship.