As a young soccer player, it’s the call you’re always hoping to get.

“I’ll never forget when Tab [Ramos] called me when I was in Houston and said he was taking me on his squad to New Zealand,” San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Tommy Thompson said recently. “It’s such a great feeling knowing all that hard work and dedication you put into the different camps throughout the year all paid off with a spot on that roster.”

Two years ago, Thompson was part of the U.S. U20 National Team that headed to New Zealand to compete at the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup. One of the seminal tournaments on the international calendar, the event has become a must-see for the up-and-coming talent on display.

Ahead of this year’s tournament – which includes 11 players with USL experience set to compete in South Korea – we spoke with past and present USL players who got to experience the dream of competing for their country on the biggest stage outside the FIFA World Cup.

2007 – Canada – Anthony Wallace, OKC Energy FC

Wallace played the full 120 minutes as the United States sent Suarez and his teammates, which also included Edinson Cavani, home with a 2-1 overtime victory in the Round of 16. Bradley’s winning goal in the 107th minute provided a massive high, only for a reversal of fortune against Austria in the next round to bring heartbreak to Thomas Rongen’s squad.

“It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but it’s something that we as a team sat down and discussed,” said Wallace. “There are so many different plays that occur in a game, and no matter what happens we can’t lose our train of thought on the ultimate goal. Whether we were down a goal, we knew there was going to be time for us to get a chance and we had to just keep pushing on and make the best of it.

“When you look at the final game, that quarterfinal against Austria, that was also a weird one because I don’t think they were favorites to win that game, but once you get to those knockout stages it’s anybody’s game at that point.”

A decade on, Wallace is now enjoying seeing the next crop of players getting their chance to improve on the performance his side produced in their chance on the big stage.

“It’s great to see,” Wallace said. “The level of young players has risen so much since 10 years ago when I was their age and heading to this tournament, and it’s great to see the progression that has come about. I hope the best for them, that they go out and perform to the best of their abilities and they’re seen by bigger eyes and bigger teams, and just keep improving.”

2009 – Egypt – Brian Ownby, Louisville City FC

Nowadays the number of college players in the U20 squad is more limited, thanks in part to the opportunity for players to turn professional at a younger age in the USL. The manner in which the landscape has changed for young players since Ownby’s time with the team has been rapid.

“It’s something maybe I wish I’d had back then, but for them this is a great experience,” said Ownby. “They’re already playing professionally. They’re playing at a high level. A bunch of these guys are also getting call-ups to their MLS teams, so it’s huge experience for them, and any time you put that jersey on, especially at the U20 World Cup, when you’re representing your country, it’s something to cherish and relish.”

2013 – Turkey – Victor Pineda, Orange County SC

The U.S. was placed in what looked like on paper to be the tournament’s Group of Death, with Spain, France and Ghana the opponents to try and get into the knockout round. The U.S. squad included players like DeAndre Yedlin, Cody Cropper and Kellyn Acosta in addition to the trio of Gil, Villarreal and Trapp, but wasn’t able to find a way through as the likes of tournament Golden Ball winner Paul Pogba (France) and Gerard Deulofeu (Spain) led their sides to success.

Despite the opposition, Pineda is still proud of the way the side approached its group’s opponents – all three of which reached the tournament’s quarterfinals – with France winning the tournament.

“Whoever we played, we weren’t going to change the way we played,” said Pineda. “It could have been so easy for us to sit back and counter against teams like France, Ghana and even Spain, but we came out and we tried to high-press every single team and tried to have our game inputted on them. I think that was something you don’t really see with every national team.”

As Ramos approaches his third World Cup in charge of the U.S. squad, Pineda has nothing but praise for what he learned during his time under his tutelage.

“He’s always positive with the guys. As for myself, I always had him encouraging me to take people on, to use my abilities, to keep going forward,” said Pineda. “I think for the longest time I maybe had coaches who were a little more conservative, or even negative in a way. With [Tab], he didn’t care if you lost the ball. He didn’t care if you had mistakes during the game. He always encouraged you to show up and want the ball and to take people on to make a difference. I think Tab is a great coach, and he’ll have another great World Cup.”

2015 – New Zealand – Tommy Thompson, San Jose Earthquakes

As tough as the exit from the tournament was to take, the overall memory of the side’s experience remains a positive one for Thompson. Now a regular member of the Quakes lineup, he’s looking forward to seeing his teammates from two years ago Erik Palmer-Brown, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Gedion Zelalem lead the team into action this year.

“I think Erik and Cameron are going to do a great job of leading that team,” said Thompson. “I remember Kellyn Acosta was the player [in 2015] that had been through it all before, and the experience he brought to the team definitely helped out when we needed it. I think that experience, knowing all the pressure that lies on every game in the World Cup helps, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Erik Palmer-Brown leads the team this year.”

As for those that are going to get to experience the tournament for the first time this year, Thompson’s message runs along the same lines of that which Wallace, Ownby and Pineda would all pass on to this year’s group.

“Enjoy it,” Thompson said. “There’s no better feeling than representing your country, and having the opportunity to do so at a World Cup at any age is something you’ll always remember. I would let every player know that has an opportunity to play a minute at the World Cup to give everything they have, and play in a way that you’ll never look back thinking maybe you could have done more.”