GEDION ZELALEM AND RUBIO RUBIN are drawing most of the attention on the United States uncder-20 World Cup team, and rightly so, but keep an eye on Joel Sonora—he could turn out to be a hidden gem.

The Boca Juniors prospect missed January's World Cup qualifying tournament due to an injury but, when healthy, has been a very productive member of the team. 

“I was watching the qualifying matches on my computer and was also following on Twitter,” Sonora told American Soccer Now from New Zealand. “I spent a lot of time preparing to play in that tournament. To miss it with an injury after all that hard work was very difficult for me.”

In the U-20 training camp held in March, Sonora was a bright spot in a 2-1 loss to England at Plymouth. He then had another strong camp in Austria in April. Now with the World Cup team, he is set to be part of a midfield that includes Emerson Hyndman, Zelalem, and Kellyn Acosta.

If there was any doubt that Sonora had the potential to be a difference maker for the U.S. team, the Texas-born midfielder put that to rest in the team’s first tune-up friendly last week against Australia in Gold Coast. With the United States trailing 1-0 in the 63rd minute, Sonora unleased a powerful, curling shot from 25 yards that equalized the game. It proved to be a momentum-changing moment as just a minute later the U.S. secured the winning goal.

“Scoring goals will always give me confidence—either in that game or in the following games,” Sonora said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to have the chance to score those goals in the World Cup.”

While the U.S. U-17 team failed to qualify for the 2013 World Cup, Sonora was the team’s standout midfielder during that cycle. This U-20 team has only a few of the players from that squad in New Zealand—Sonora, Rubio Rubin, Shaq Moore, John Requejo,and Paul Arriola being the key players to move up to Ramos’ team.

If the U.S. U-20 team hopes to contend in New Zealand it will need to maintain possession and attack with creativity with the ball on the ground. In Boca Juniors’ youth teams, where Sonora now plays, he usually features in a central playmaker role. On this U-20 team, he is being used primarily out wide on the right side (but occasionally on the left). Centrally, Hyndman and Zelalem will be handing most of the attacking duties.

For Sonora, he is fine with that arrangement as he feels comfortable playing with the team’s other creative midfielders.

“The players I am playing with right now technically are just incredible,” Sonora said. “We are expecting and hoping that we have a very good tournament. We are doing very well. We are comfortable right now in how we are playing and we know each other well right now.

“It’s great because [Hyndman and Zelalem] also like to play with the ball at their feet,” Sonora added. “It gives you a sense of security that at any point you can receive the ball or spring an attack and knowing that they are thinking the same thing.”

THERE ARE NUMEROUS compelling backstories within this U.S. under-20 team. Hyndman’s grandfather, Schellas Hyndman, was a successful MLS coach with FC Dallas. Cameron Carter-Vickers’ ties to the United States come from his father who was a former NBA basketball player that starred in Europe. Zelalem only became eligible when he earned his American citizenship just weeks before his 18th birthday. Shaq Moore’s father played for Trinidad & Tobago’s national team. Tommy Thompson’s father played for the U.S. national team and the U.S. Olympic team.

Sonora’s background is perhaps the most interesting of all. His father, Diego, played in MLS for the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas). Diego also was a standout defender for Boca Juniors, making 202 league appearances for the club and winning an Argentine title. In 1996, at age 26, Diego became one of Major League Soccer’s first foreign imports from a big club in his prime. At first he played for Dallas but he also enjoyed stints with the Metrostars, D.C. United, and Tampa Bay. He was an all-star his first three seasons and won a title with D.C.

Joel was born In Dallas while his father was playing for the Burn—which is how he established his American citizenship. When Joel was later invited to play for the United States internationally, Diego had no problems supporting his son’s decision the fact that the younger Sonora spend most of his life in Argentina.

“He told me it was for me to decide,” Joel Sonora recalled. “When I thought about it, I told him that I wanted to play for the United States. He thought it was fine and that he would support me.”

Joel hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps at Boca Juniors.

“I grew up with Boca,” Sonora said. “They treat me very well. I understand that it is very difficult to make it to the first team at Boca because they have the resources to go and buy expensive players for the first team. But playing for the first team remains a dream of mine.”

Although Diego has a storied career and Joel is just starting out, the son is about to achieve something the father never did: represent his county at the international level. Diego will be traveling to New Zealand to watch his son’s first appearance in a major international FIFA tournament.

Sonora has been involved with U.S. Soccer’s system for years and while he has been somewhat overlooked due to the high-profile nature of Zelalem and Rubin and a few others, it would not be surprising to see him use the stage in New Zealand to make himself known as one of the best American players of his age group. 

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.