This weeks rankings catch us up on the events from matchday 3 and 4, the third and fourth games for each MLS team. After four weeks of play there are a few storylines that have caught my eye. First, it’s going to be tough to dethrone Gaga Slonina if he continues to perform as a top end goalkeeper in the MLS at the astonishing age of 17. Ben Bender has been the surprise of the group and looks like a player to pay attention to. Ben is the only American U21 with multiple score contributions. On the concerning side, some of the big name prospects are struggling to carve out consistent roles for their clubs, most notably: Caden Clark, Cade Cowell, Moses Nyeman, Paxten Aaronson, Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan. We’ll see if that changes over the coming weeks. Here are the updated American U21 Impact Rankings in MLS 2022:
#1 | GK, Gaga Slonina, Chicago Fire (2004)
Previous Ranking: 1
360 minutes GA/90: 0.25 PSxG +/-: +2.0
Gaga conceded his first goal in matchday 4, but Chicago is looking really good, especially defensively and Gaga continues to play very well. If he continues to be a top level keeper in the MLS, it’s going to be hard to knock him off the top spot. We’re lucky to be witnessing a star in the making.
The #1 overall pick in this year’s Super Draft skyrockets to number two after back to back fantastic performances in his first two starts as a pro. The Charlotte offense changed when Ben entered the starting lineup. His first assist was off of a cross and his second in open play, followed by his first career goal, a really nice finish. Ben leads this entire category in goal contributions (3) and shot creating actinos (11). Ben is a very smart and skillful player that’s going to start getting US Soccer’s attention if he keeps this up.
John has played every minute of the season for the Red Bulls and continues to look like one of their better players. He hasn’t yet contributed to the scoreline, but he’s had some dangerous chances and he’s been solid defensively and as part of the offensive build up. It’s a matter of time before he gets his first goal or assist this year.
Leon continues to be a key piece to a high performing Union side. He has yet to get too involved in goal creating activities, but he’s a duel monster and is having another solid year, picking up right where he left off last year.
#5 | RB, Nathan Harriel, Philadelphia Union (2001)
Harriel moves up the list after a couple of weeks of strong defensive play and his first assist of the season. Harriel has taken the starting right-back job and doesn’t appear to be looking back.
Philadelphia Union's second goal – a great assist from Nathan Harriel finished by Gazdag at the far post. The 20-year-old right-back impressing this season #dooppic.twitter.com/cVa4gY480r
Obed has been a consistent starter for Seattle between both CCL and MLS. He has the most minutes from any American U21. He’s been up and down, which you’d expect from a 16 year old, but he’s been solid defensively and learning how to make himself more available as an outlet and in the attack. I want to see him continue to drive the ball forward and get more involved in build up.
#7 | CB, George Campbell, Atlanta United FC (2001)
George started matchday 3 with Miles Robinson out with a red card and came in at half for a poor performing Alan Franco in matchday 4. Atlanta has been a bit of a mess defensively this year and George is not without fault. He still has too many mental errors, but he’s outplayed Franco and he’s been an asset sending balls forward. I would expect him to get a chance to start alongside Miles going forward.
With NYCFCs first choice RB out with injury, Tayvon Gray, Andres Jasson has been getting the majority of those minutes. He is converting from winger to right-back and you can see that in his play. He is effective on offense, but struggles defensively. He did get an assist in matchday 3, but he struggled defensively in the CCL collapse and in matchday 4, where he was subbed at halftime.
Tyler has started every match while Atlanta’s high priced Designated Player, Thiago Almada, gets up to speed and fellow DP, Araujo, is out. He hasn’t fully taken advantage of the opportunity. His minutes are likely to soon decrease and while Tyler was solid, I am not sure he made the most of his starts.
Adam Armour goes down in history as the first ever Charlotte FC player to score a goal. It was a header that came off of a corner kick from Ben Bender. Adam has yet to get a start for Charlotte, but has been an impact player off the bench.
Caden got extensive sub minutes in matchday 3, but Lewis Morgan was not interested in passing and struggled to get in the game. He did not come off the bench and matchday 4. Struber’s use of Caden is becoming quite frustrating.
Brian Gutierrez has yet to get a start this season but he has been Chicago’s best attacking option off the bench and I think he’s now pushing for some starts. The recent U-20 call up continues to improve and is becoming a legit prospect for the US. Here is his assist on matchday 4:
So impressed with the improvement from Chicago in the early season under Ezra Hendrickson. U.S U-20 attacker Brian Gutierrez with the nice assist on the Fire’s 3rd goal pic.twitter.com/xfAMkiW0ec
Griffin started the first two matches, did not come off the bench in matchday 3 and subbed in and didn’t do much in matchday 4. With Ted Ku-DiPietro back in the mix, we could see Griffin continue to trend this way.
Matko is a regular off the bench in both MLS and CCL, but has yet to make a major impact. His expected goals are high at this point in the season after missing a couple big chances.
#15 | WING, Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquakes (2003)
Cade Cowell was sick during matchday 3 and came off the bench on matchday 4 in what was a very tough game for San Jose. San Jose and Miami are probably the two most dysfunctional clubs in the MLS right now and Cade is not benefitting from that. It’s surprising to me that he hasn’t started since the first game and I wonder if big changes are coming for San Jose, most notably at the managerial position.
After recording very few minutes in the first two weeks, Cameron has started the last two matches for Sporting KC. He’s had some chances, but yet to impact the team in a major way.
The good news is that Noah Allen was recently awarded a homegrown contract, the bad news is that he’s taken a dip in impact the last couple of weeks. He had a DNP and sub appearance where he was bullied in the air by Brandon Vasquez for a goal.
Moses received a red card on matchday 2 and may have lost his starting spot as a result. He did not start matchday 3 and was an unused sub on matchday 4.
#21 | AM, Paxten Aaronson, Philadelphia Union (2003)
Paxten has shown the flashes that we’re used to from him in the few minutes he’s had. The Union are playing well and he’s yet to find big minutes, but rest assured, he looks ready when the time comes.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.
Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.
Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?
Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps
U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.
Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps
Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.
Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps
Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.
Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps
One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.
Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps
Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.
Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps
U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.
Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps
Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.
Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps
Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.
Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps
Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance.
The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.
It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Header_NextGen
With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.
There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT.
Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.
Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.
It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle.
The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.
Mathis Albert-17-Winger
Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback
Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger
Zavier Gozo-19-Winger
Julian Hall-18-Winger
Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker
Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder
Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger
Neil Pierre-18-Centerback
Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder
Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.
CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.
“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”
New Challenge in Mexico
As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.
“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”
“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”
The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.
“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”
“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”
Back in the U.S.
The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.
“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”
Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.
“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”
USYNT Hero
Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.
In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.
“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”
“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”
On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.
“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”
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