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A breakdown of the 2002 age group

Published

5 years ago

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Last week we broke down the 2001 age group and this week we will dive into the 2002 age group.  This is the second age group that will be broken down in a 5-part series evaluating the core youth national team eligible age groups going from the 2001’s to the 2005’s.  In this we will take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this age group, the high end players, my ideal 23-man roster, and a ranking of the top 25 players.  

When taking a look at this age group, there are not too many strengths but there are a few positives that we can take out of analyzing this age group.  The biggest positive is that there is some truly amazing players in this age group that are amongst the best in the entire youth national team pool.  The players that come to mind for this are Gio Reyna, Kobe-Hernandez Foster, Damian Las, and Bryang Kayo.  The strongest position in this age group is surprisingly, left back where there are four strong prospects in Kobe Hernandez-Foster, George Bello, John Tolkin, and Adam Armour.  This should give USMNT fans hope for the future as this position has plagued USMNT depth charts for a very long time (DaMarcus Beasley can’t come out of the grave and save the position… again).  The second strongest position is the goalkeepers where there is a plethora of talent in Damian Las, Chirutu Odunze, Seth Wilson, Aaron Cervantes, Max Trejo, Chris Edwards, and Brian Dowd.  When USMNT fans look at the goalkeeper depth from this age group and the 2001’s they should feel safe about the position long-term. 

The 2002 age group sadly has more weaknesses than strengths.  While the age group does have the top end quality, the drop off from the top players to the other top 25 players in the age group is significant compared to other age groups which is why there really is not a strong position in the entire age group outside of left back and goalkeeper.  When taking a look at the players in this age group there is much left to be desired for long-term USMNT prospects.  There are a lot of players who will end up having very successful careers in Major League Soccer but there are not many who I think have a real chance at playing in a top European league or for the USMNT.  

Out of all of the youth national team eligible age groups, the 2002’s are the worst and there is a pretty large gap between them and the other age groups.  Their performance at the u17 World Cup exposed the lack of quality in this age group.  When you look at the long-term picture you want two or three players to emerge as USMNT players and the 2002’s do check that box but they should not be expected to go above and beyond like the other age groups can.  I am not expecting the 2002’s to have a large impact in the 2021 u20 World Cup cycle and the 2024 Olympic cycle, especially if Gio Reyna is withheld from participating which is looking incredibly likely.  

Players to watch in the 2002 age group

Gio Reyna

Gio Reyna is the headliner for this age group and in my opinion will be the best player for the USMNT for the next three World Cups.  Soccer is in his DNA as the son of USMNT legend Claudio Reyna and USWNT player Danielle Eagan.  When both of  your parents made it to their respective national teams then it should not come as a surprise that their kids are prodigious players (Gio’s younger brother Joah Reyna is on track to be just as good and one of the best players for the 2007 age group).  

Everyone at Dortmund is raving about the talent of Gio and for good reason.  He has an excellent first touch, he is calm under pressure, he can take on and beat any defender 1v1, he can make the killer pass, he is an excellent dribbler, he can score from distance, his stride is powerful leading to the ability to run past defenders, and he already has the frame of a senior player at the age of 17.  While USMNT are excited about Christian Pulisic’s future, they should ecstatic about Gio’s as he will likely surpass every USMNT player including Pulisic.  

There is only one weakness to his game: mentality.  Gio does have a tendency to be over confident when he knows he is the best player on the field and can lose focus and become disconnected from his team.  This happened the entire 2019 u17 World Cup cycle.  Instead of picking his head up and combining with teammates and breaking down the opposition, Gio would dribble himself into traps and try too hard to put the team on his back which only backfired for him.  However, this only has seemed to be a problem at the youth national team level as Gio has not shown any trace of being a selfish player with Borussia Dortmund’s first-team or u19’s.  As Gio matures over time he will break this habit so this weakness is not something that USMNT fans should worry about, Gio will fix it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vMuMzSJJjw

Kobe Hernandez-Foster

Kobe Hernandez-Foster is a player that many USMNT fans are already raving about and a player that fans should get used to hearing about as he is the best left back prospect the United States has ever produced.  Kobe comes from the LA Galaxy academy where he is one of the numerous talented players that Brian Kleiban has produced.  Out of all of the Kleiban kids, Kobe is the best defender and potentially has the highest ceiling (potentially even higher than Uly Llanez which is a testament to his ability).  

Kobe has every tool that you could want in a left back.  He is fast, strong, a good dribbler, an incredible passer, a dominant defender, and is a dangerous player in the attack.  Kobe is so good on defense that he was a locked in starter for the 2019 u17 World Cup team at center back and was still the best defender on the field by a country mile.  The only weakness in his game is that he is only 5’8 and will get beat often in the air.  While USMNT fans rave about Sergiño Dest they should be even more excited about Kobe as he is a can’t miss prospect. 

Kobe could very well break into the USMNT picture but has one major roadblock ahead and that is breaking into the youth unfriendly Wolfsburg first-team as he will join Wolfsburg when he turns 18 this summer.  Kobe will likely have just as meteoric of a rise as Gio Reyna has had in Germany next season.  Kobe does have competition for the long-term USMNT left back spot with Chris Gloster, Sam Vines, and most importantly, Jonathan Gomez (a 2003 who is another top-tier left back prospect) but make no mistake, Kobe is the most talented of the bunch.  

Damian Las

Damian Las is the next one up in a long line up USMNT goalkeepers.  While David Ochoa is widely believed to be the best goalkeeper prospect the USMNT has, Damian Las is not behind if not just as good as Ochoa.  While Ochoa decided to begin his career at Real Salt Lake, Las decided to head overseas to Fulham which is a club that has been historically friendly to American players. 

Damian Las has fast reactions, is good with his feet, is an excellent shot stopper, and is a commanding presence in his box.  The only weak spot in his game is that he is only 6ft which is relatively short for a goalkeeper.  Las will have a hard time breaking into the Fulham first team but USMNT fans should not be concerned with this as goalkeepers traditionally break through at older ages.  Las will be forgotten over the next few years by many with short attention spans because first team minutes will be few and far in between as expected but his progress should be closely monitored as he is one of the best goalkeeper prospects for the entire 2002 age group world wide.  

Bryang Kayo

Are you a USMNT fan who is often disappointed by the inconsistency of Weston McKennie and wish that he was a little bit better on the ball or that a player like that emerged?  Well look no further because that is Bryang Kayo.  Kayo has even compared himself to McKennie on multiple occasions.  Bryang Kayo is an athletic box-to-box center mid who can cover ground, make defensive plays, make the killer pass, and put the ball in the back of the net.  Bryang Kayo like Kobe Hernandez-Foster, is heading to Wolfsburg in the summer where he will look to fight for a spot in their midfield.  

The current question to ask of Bryang Kayo is when will he emerge as a USMNT player and first team player with Wolfsburg.  Wolfsburg has shown that they are tentative to move academy players into the first team (Uly Llanez finally is in first team training when he should have been months ago) so it is unknown when Kayo will be given a chance to break into their first team.  Some USMNT fans are confident that Kayo can quickly progress at Wolfsburg (looking directly at Charlie Kennan) while others are completely unaware of who Bryang Kayo even is.  For the USMNT, Gregg Berhalter has already vouched for Kayo’s talent when Bryang was selected to the January Camp roster becoming the first player born in 2002 to receive a call up to the USMNT.  Kayo is a player who should be closely monitored over the next few years as he will be an important player for the 2021 u20 World Cup, the 2024 Olympics, and potentially even the USMNT.  

Joseph Scally

Joseph Scally is a truly interesting prospect as he either has an incredibly high floor or a potentially very low ceiling depending on what position he ends up pursuing long term.  Scally has come through the ranks at New York City FC as a right back but may end up being converted to a center back long term. Scally has already been sold to Borussia Mönchengladbach for around $2 million and will join the German club during the 2021 January window after Scally turns 18.

Scally is an aggressive full back who likes to get forward, play dangerous crosses, and win 1v1 battles.  I am worried that at right back, Scally does not have the dribbling skills needed to succeed as an attacking right back in the Bundesliga.  However, if Scally is converted to a center back he would immediately become one of the most skilled center backs and would just need to develop his defending and could quickly become a force in Europe and for the USMNT.  I think long-term, Scally will be good enough to be a right back in Europe but I think his ceiling is much higher as a center back as he has the soccer IQ and the ideal size for a center back. 

Scally has two weaknesses and they are a lack of flair and he often has one major mistake per game.  Scally’s mistake prone tendencies come from him being so young and not being able to retain his focus for a full 90 minute game which is common for young players, I think he will fix this issue over time.  Scally’s skill on the ball as a right back is where I am concerned.  At the u17 level Scally is able to beat players because he is bigger, faster, and stronger than players his age but at the senior level you need more than just athleticism to beat players out wide and I do not see him adding this skillset to his game.  That’s why I think he should move to center back where he does not need to be an elite dribbler and has all of the other tools to truly be a high level center back.  

Chituru Odunze

Chituru Odunze is the other goalkeeper to watch from the 2002 age group.  Honestly, Odunze should not have chosen to play soccer as I think he could have been a great basketball player because he has good hands and is a giant standing at 6’7.  But since Odunze has decided to pursue a career as a goalkeeper he should be regarded as a top USMNT goalkeeper prospect.  Odunze is currently at Leicester City FC and will be under the tutiledge of Kasper Schmeichel for the time being which is a positive situation to be in as he will be learning from an excellent goalkeeper for years.  

Odunze checks all of the essential goalkeeper boxes as he has good hands, fast reactions, and decent foot skills.  The most important asset to Odunze’s game is that he is a giant at 6’7 and that is something that you can’t teach.  If Leicester City’s coaching staff can round out the rest of Odunze’s game then he will end up becoming at a minimum, a top flight starter in Europe.  If Odunze ends up having a better career than Damian Las I would not be surprised as he does have more raw potential but both goalkeepers are amazing USMNT prospects.  

Nico Carerra

Nico Carrera is a player who is underrated by many but is a center back who I think has a bright future.  Carerra is a towering center back from the famed FC Dallas academy.  Nico Carrera is a Mexican-American dual national that will be in the future plans of both the USMNT and El Tri.  Nico Carrera got his citizenship late into the 2019 u17 World Cup cycle and was immediately inserted into the u17 youth national team roster.  Nico Carrera has the potential to make it in Europe in a top flight league in my opinion.  

Nico Carrera is a giant who anchors a team’s back line.  Nico is a good defender and is an aggressive center back who likes to push forward on the ball and with his passing.  Nico most importantly is a vocal leader on the field and is exceptional at organizing a team’s defense.  Nico is also good enough on the ball that he did feature as a defensive mid for the u17 youth national team multiple times.  Nico’s weakness is one that many central defenders his age have as he needs to work on his 1v1 defending.  This is not something that should be used to talk down his skill level as almost every center back at the age of 17 is not an elite defender as this position typically progresses at a slower rate like goalkeepers.  Carrera is currently being sought after by numerous teams in Germany and will be heading abroad in the summer window.  Carrera is a player who I think has a shot at breaking into the upcoming u20 World Cup cycle, the 2024 Olympic cycle, and the USMNT.  

The 23-man depth chart for the 2002 age group

The 2002 depth chart is highlighted by the prospects previously mentioned like Gio Reyna and Kobe Hernandez-Foster as well as other note worthy players such as Sporting Kansas City’s Gianluca Busio, LA Galaxy’s Cameron Dunbar, and Seattle Sounders’ Alphonso Ocampo-Chavez and Joshua Atencio.  Gianluca Busio at 17 years old has already logged over 2000 professional minutes and Joshua Atencio is the most underrated prospect in the entire youth national team system, has already captained the Tacoma Defiance in the USL, and was easily the largest snub of the 2019 u17 World Cup cycle.  

Overall, this roster leaves a lot to be desired which is why players like Ricardo Pepi and Danny Leyva were key players for the 2019 u17 World Cup cycle playing up an age group as they are both born in 2003.  

The top 25 ranking for the 2002 age group

  1. Gio Reyna- Winger/Attacking Mid
  2. Kobe Hernandez-Foster- Left Back
  3. Damian Las- Goalkeeper
  4. Bryang Kayo- Center Mid
  5. Joseph Scally- Right Back
  6. Chituru Odunze- Goalkeeper
  7. Nico Carrera- Center Back
  8. George Bello- Left Back
  9. Alphonso Ocampo-Chavez- Striker
  10. Joshua Atencio- Defensive Mid
  11. Mario Penagos- Defensive Mid/Center Mid
  12. Rubin Hernandez- Striker
  13. Tayvon Gray- Center Back/Right Back/Defensive Mid
  14. Cameron Dunbar- Winger
  15. Gianluca Busio- Attacking Mid/Center Forward/Winger
  16. John Tolkin- Left Back
  17. Sagir David Arce- Striker
  18. Seth Wilson- Goalkeeper
  19. Peter Stroud- Defensive Mid/Center Mid
  20. Gilbert Fuentes- Attacking Mid/Winger
  21. Jonathan Tomkinson- Center Back
  22. Jansen Miller- Center Back
  23. Jack De Vries- Right Back
  24. Sebastian Anderson- Right Back
  25. Griffin Yow- Winger

In case you missed it, here’s a breakdown of the 2001s.

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From Louisville to Lisbon: Joshua Wynder’s Journey with S.L. Benfica

Published

2 weeks ago

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June 13, 2025

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The current state of the USMNT has been at an all-time low since Couva in 2017.  One of the positions in dire situation is Center Back.  Tim Ream will be 38 by the time of the 2026 World Cup.  Chris Richards has too many highs and lows and has not shown his club form with the US.  Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty have yet to perform for the national team.  Miles Robinson, despite what many MLS fans want to believe, is not good enough and makes too many errors, like the second Turkish goal on June 7th, 2025.  Walker Zimmerman has one World Cup left in him and he has a history of making critical errors as well, like the penalty against Gareth Bale in the 2022 World Cup.  Lastly, Mark McKenzie has improved his game since his move to Toulouse, but he is lacking the deserved opportunities and a good partnership.

Our U20 CBs will need to be called up sooner rather than later, either before or immediately after the 2026 World Cup.  The top 3 prospects by fans and analysts are Noahkai Banks, Matai Akinmboni, and Joshua Wynder.  Of the three, Joshua Wynder is the oldest at 20 years old and is part of a club that is world-renowned for their development, S.L. Benfica.

How did Wynder manage to accomplish such a move from Louisville City in the USL Championship to Benfica?  To summarize, Wynder had a breakout season for Lou City at 17 years old in 2022, so much so that he was included in the US U20 World Cup team in 2023. 

LOUvOKC.Photographer: EM Dash Photography

Wynder secured a spot to go on trial at Benfica and passed.  On June 8th, 2023, Benfica officially acquired Joshua Wynder from Lou City for a record-breaking $1.2 million transfer fee, which still stands today.

Louisville City FC, LOUvPIT.Photographer: EM Dash Photography

Benfica registered Wynder with the second team for the 2023/2024 season, who participate in Liga Portugal 2.  Due to Portuguese rules (players play in the youth system until they are 19 years old), he spent the season with Benfica’s UEFA Youth League team and U23 team and only received 21 minutes with the B team until a season-ending injury.  What began as a promising start, with the support of the fans, was cut short after just six matches.  The following season went according to plan for Wynder.  Wynder became a consistent starter for the B team where he started in 29 matches and appeared in a total of 31 matches.  He also scored four goals, all headers from corners. 


His success with the B team made him a fan-favorite and several calls to be called up to the first team by fans on social media.  That day came on April 9th, 2025, when he made the team sheet for Benfica’s Taça de Portugal Semi-Final match against FC Tirsense.  Wynder made his first team debut when he was subbed in at the 76th minute mark of that match.  He made a following appearance on the bench for the first team in their second leg match against FC Tirsense.

As early as November 27, 2024, it was reported by Glorioso 1904 that Joshua Wynder had gained the attention of the Benfica manager, Bruno Lage.  The report further said that Wynder was becoming an option for the next season’s first team.  A similar report surfaced on March 25, 2025, by Record, in Portugal, that Wynder is on track to be with the first team for the 2025/2026 season.  That day may be coming sooner rather than later.  Joshua Wynder will be joining Benfica on their 2025 Club World Cup campaign.  This will be a true test for him to prove to Bruno Lage that he is ready to be part of the first team for the upcoming 2025/2026 Liga Portugal and UEFA Champions League season.  If he is given serious minutes with the first team and performs, Joshua Wynder needs to be considered for the 2026 World Cup or immediately following the World Cup.


Benfica is in Group C of the Club World Cup with Auckland City, Bayern München, and Boca Juniors.  Their first match is against Boca Juniors, 33-time Argentine champions, on June 16th.  Game two is on June 20th against 10-time New Zealander champions, Auckland City FC.  Lastly, their 3rd group stage match is against the 6-time UEFA Champions League winners, Bayern München, on June 24th.

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American Transfers: Stock Up & Stock Down

Published

10 months ago

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September 9, 2024

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The 2024 summer transfer window closed on September 1st and over a dozen Americans made a move in the two-month span.  These players range from youth players, like Mathias Albert, to veteran players like John Brooks.  Some moves were great, and some were not.  This article will review several of these transfers and determine if it was a stock up or stock down.

Sergiño Dest & Malik Tillman to PSV- Stock Up

Both Dest and Malik Tillman went on loan (with option to buy) to PSV in the Eredivisie at the start of last season.  Both had a great season where they could have gone to a better league for this season.  PSV decided to trigger both player’s buy option, making them permanent players for the Dutch club.  These are good moves in my opinion because Dest had a regrettable loan to Milan two seasons ago and a difficult relationship with Xavi Hernandez. 

Dest needs another season (in his case, half a season) with the Dutch club to develop, recover his young career, and show clubs that he can compete in the UCL.  The same goes for Tillman, who needs to further develop his attacking, work rate, and ability to compete in the UCL.  If both can replicate and/or take a step up from their performance from last season, they should return to a top 5 league.  (Note: Bayern has a buy-back option for Malik Tillman)

Santiago Castañeda to Paderborn- Stock Up

The Tampa-born Colombian-American spent last season with the 3. Liga with Duisburg where he appeared in 31 matches with 2 goals and 2 assists.  This season, he is with Paderborn, a consistent 2. Bundesliga club and he already has a goal in 5 starts across all competitions.  This is impressive when you realize that Santiago will be turning 20 years old on November 13th.  US fans (who do not follow USL closely) are just now learning about him and some probably have already written him off because of his background. 

He is taking a similar path as Lennard Maloney, who played in both 3. Liga and 2. Bundesliga before moving back up to the Bundesliga.  In Santiago’s case, he started with Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship before moving to Duisburg.  To add to the move being a stock up because of moving up a league, he is also a CDM, a position that the US is lacking depth at.  Other American CDMs who are in about his age (+/- 1 years old) are Daniel Edelman, Moses Nyeman, Marcel Ruszel, and Ethan Kohler (although, he is being converted to an RB) to name a few.  If he continues down this path, he can become the #1 American CDM in his age group followed by Pedro Soma (who is 2 years younger than Santiago) in the next age group.

Paxten Aaronson to Utrecht- Stock Up

The Paris Olympian will be heading back to the Eredivisie, but this time, he will be joining fellow Americans Taylor Booth and Rickson van Hees at Utrecht.  Paxten had a successful half season with Vitesse where he had 4 goals in 14 appearances.  As a CAM, he is competing against Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman (both being only a year older) for a spot on the USMNT.  Right now, he is not beating either one of them out, even with Gio being injury prone and Tillman’s lack of producibility for the USMNT. 

Gio has had several occasions of great moments with the national team and Tillman is coming off a 24-goal contribution season.  Going back to the Eredivisie would greatly help his development before heading back to Eintracht Frankfurt.  Also, if he has a more productive season than Tillman, then there is an argument to make Paxten the #2 CAM for the USMNT.  Currently, Tillman has 4 goal contributions in 5 matches across all competitions to Paxten’s 1 assist in 4 matches.

Caleb Wiley to Chelsea with loan to Strasbourg- Stock Up

This is one of the players who needed a move this summer and who was able to get an upgrade.  Caleb Wiley arguably has the highest ceiling amongst our U23 LBs.  Now, Strasbourg is employing him more as an LWB, which is, in my opinion, his best position.  Last season at Atlanta, Wiley started as a LW that led to a fantastic form.  When he moved to LB, he became inconsistent and stagnated, but he played more as a LWB and his form went back up.  Along with that and with him turning 20 in December, he needed to get out of MLS. 

We see what happens to players who stay in the MLS too long, i.e. John Tolkin, who has struggled to transition his club form to the USMNT, and Brandon Vazquez, who is now struggling to start for Monterrey and out of the USMNT picture.  Playing in a top 5 league and being developed into an LWB can help him unlock his full potential.  To add, Wiley already has 2 starts, a halftime substitution, and an assist for Strasbourg.

Rodrigo Neri to Atlanta 2- Stock Down

This is one of the most disappointing moves for those who follow the USYNT U20 team and the future state of the USMNT striker position.  Neri’s young career has dramatically fallen in just one year.  He was part of the Atletico de Madrid academy since 2021 but left their U19 team for Valencia U19 to now Atlanta 2.  Based on Be Soccer, Neri had 0 goal contributions in just only 11 matches for both Spanish U19 teams.  7 games in and Neri already has 3 goals and 1 assist for Atlanta 2.  This can either mean he has improved, returned to his Atletico U19 B form (where he had 17 goals in 32 matches), and/or that MLSNP is weaker than División de Honor Juvenil (the league that Atleti U19 is part of).  Either way, we can already see that his lack of goals has impacted his international career. 

The last time that he was part of the team was the U19/20 March camp against Morocco and England.  He was left off the CONCACAF U20 Championship for Keyrol Figueroa and Marcos Zambrano.  This is after being part of the U19 team that participated in the 2023 PanAm Games where he had 1 goal in 5 matches.  Besides that, he had scored a goal against England and a brace against Norway when he was part of the U17 team in 2022.  AS USA even had a piece on Neri back in 2022 calling him the next big thing for the US. 

Usually, this far of a drop would almost take you out of the international conversation but knowing US Soccer’s habit of calling up MLSNP players like Sergio Oregel Jr., there is still a chance that Neri can be back in the conversation in time of the 2025 U20 World Cup.  The only positive thing about this move is that it could help him get his career back on track.

Vaughn Covil to Las Vegas- Stock Down

For Covil’s career, this was the right move to make.  For his international career, it only leaves the Philippines for him.  His chances with England were never going to happen.  2-3 years ago, you could have said he had a chance with the US and even more with Canada with the right development.  Now, he is better off committing to the Philippines if he wants to have an international career. 

It’s a stock down move because it would’ve been better if he had made a deal with an EFL League 2 club than coming to the USL Championship and because he is limited to just one national team instead of four.  Hopefully, he does well at Las Vegas and can get a call-up by the Philippines.

Jonathan Gomez to PAOK- Stock Down

This move is one of the most disappointing of all the transfers this summer by an American.  While at Louisville and with the USYNT, he looked like a future LB/LWB option for the USMNT and another dual national battle with Mexico.  When he went to Real Sociedad and after his successful loan to Mirandes in La Liga 2, things were in an upward trajectory.  He left Real Sociedad (likely because they didn’t want to extend his contract, so they opt to sell him to make a profit) for reigning Greek champions, PAOK.  When it should have been a positive that he will be playing in his first season at a 1st division, it is a negative because of it being the Greek Super League 1.  PAOK is also in the Europa League and that should’ve been a positive for his career, but the Greek champions left him off their UEL roster. 

He is still only 21 years old and if he does well enough for them, then he can move up to a better league in a season or two.  At this moment, he has slipped out of the conversation to compete with Lund, Tolkin, and Wiley to be the future #1 LB/LWB.  To make matters worse, Caleb Wiley’s 2024/25 season has started off well at Strasbourg with 2 starts and an assist.  You could argue that during the 2023 U20 World Cup that JoGo was the better of the two at the LB/LWB position but now Wiley is above him on the depth chart.

Aidan Morris to Middlesborough- Stock Up

Like Caleb Wiley, Morris needed to leave MLS to further his development and avoid the situation that John Tolkin is in.  Even though Morris has been underwhelming for the USMNT, he has the potential to be a consistent player of the 23-26 men roster.  So far this season with Boro, he has been a standout and quick favorite amongst the fans.  Going to the EFL Championship was one of the best choices he could have made as his next stop.  The physicality of the league will teach him how to become more physical and his quick decision-making.  The development could easily put him in the top 4 CDM options for 2026. 

The biggest question for him is, can he transition his great club form to the national team.  If he can pull it off, he can jump ahead of Lennard Maloney and Tanner Tessmann, depending on how he does with Lyon this season.  This is a top 3 move by an American player not just because how the season is going so far for him but because Boro will be competing for promotion and development potential.

Tanner Tessman to Lyon- Stock Up

Tessmann’s transfer saga is one for the books.  He was closely linked to Inter Milan and Fiorentina until both fell apart because of disagreements.  Towards the end of the transfer window, he got a move to a top Ligue 1 club, Lyon.  If he had stayed with Venezia, he still would’ve been playing in a top-five league, but Lyon is the better option.  Venezia will be fighting to stay in the Serie A like they did in 2021/22, whereas Lyon is consistently a top 10 French club, and in many cases a top 5 club. 

To add to that, Lyon is in the UEL.  The season is not going well for Lyon right now, but they can recover and compete for UEFA qualification.  The club and the fans will be more demanding than Venezia because of their prestige, he can learn from veteran players like Matic and Veretout and it would require him to compete for starts.  It’ll be a real test for him after his last time in a top 5 league did not go as well and two great seasons in the Serie B.

All of these will help him take the next step and help him be in the top 3 CDM USMNT conversation.  The battle Tessmann, Aidan Morris, Maloney, Johnny Cardoso, and Tyler Adams (once he returns) for the top 2 CDM spots on the USMNT will be a joy to watch this season.

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Who’s a Keeper?

Published

10 months ago

on

August 21, 2024

By

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

The USMNT has had a solid track record with goalkeepers over the last three decades. There seems to be a problematic situation with their current group. Is this an overreaction or a real concern for the USMNT which is less than 2 years away from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The average age of the last seven USMNT goalkeepers to regularly start in one of the top two tiers in Europe is 27.5 years old and while it took several seasons for Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, and Brad Guzan to settle and have continued success they did while all having the opportunity to be the number goalkeeper for the USMNT.

Where there has been a lot of deserved criticism towards Matt Turner’s play with the USMNT lately it’s clear that he remains the best shot-stopper in the pool, but also clear that a transfer from Nottingham Forest is desperately needed to provide regular playing for Turner. Turner’s foot skills remain weak along with the rest of the USMNT goalkeeper pool very much an area that needs improving. Something they could learn from Tony Meola who was hands down the best USMNT goalkeeper with his feet.

Struggles also continue for Ethan Horvath whose transfer to Cardiff City last February was supposed to provide him with the needed playing time to push Turner for the number one goalkeeper spot of the USMNT but, his performance at Copa America didn’t inspire many, along with a recent match for Cardiff City where he conceded five goals.

DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 27: Matt Turner (L) and Ethan Horvath of United States interact during the United States Training Session at Al Gharafa Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)


November 27, 2022, in Doha, Qatar (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

USMNT Youth Goalkeepers

The current group of USMNT goalkeeper prospects appears to be solid, but if history has proven anything there are no guarantees. The list of the failed USMNT youth keepers over the last decade is long. It includes names like Joe Bendik, Alex Bono, Cody Cropper, Tally Hall, Clint Irwin, Dan Kennedy, and Luis Robles, of the over 15 USMNT prospect goalkeepers who have only been capped 18 times, eight of those held by Bill Hamid.

At the moment goalkeepers Antonio Carrera (20), Matt Freese (25), Chituru Odunze (21), and John Pulskamp (23) are on the outside looking in compared to the goalkeepers listed below.

Currently playing for Fulham U-21 Premier League 2 (Reserve League) Alex Borto (20) who was part of the 2023 U-20 World in May and June, but didn’t receive any playing time will need to increase his current playing time to get more opportunities but, I feel Borto is much lower on the youth USMNT depth chart at the moment.

A regular starter for the Chicago Fire over the last couple of seasons Chris Brady (20) is another highly touted USMNT goalkeeper, who has been held back from regularly being called into USMNT youth camps by his club. A move to Europe would provide him with the next level of competition needed to continue his growth as a goalkeeper.

Who would trust a now 18-year-old who hasn’t had any professional experience to start for the USMNT? Not many but Diego Kochen (18) who is currently with FC Barcelona Atlètic in the Third Division is a name that continues to be mentioned, but highly unlikely in my opinion.

As the starter for all four of the U-23 USMNT Olympic matches Patrick Schulte (23) has earned a call-up to the USMNT. Schulte has had a very strong season with the Columbus Crew which accounts for 8 clean sheets over all matches at the time of this article.

Many fans think Gaga Slonina (20) is the best U-23 goalkeeper in the player pool and is destined to be the number-one goalkeeper after the 2026 cycle. Slonina is currently playing in EFL League One the third division in England. Slonina was the starting goalkeeper for U-20 USMNT where he had four straight clean sheets helping lead the US to the quarter-finals. He also was part of the U-23 USA Olympic team but failed to receive any playing time.


October 4, 2022, (Photo by Christian Hansen/Chicago Fire FC)

Aging or Bridge Goalkeeper Options

The list of recent third and often injured USMNT goalkeepers Drake Callender (26), Roman Celentano (23), Sean Johnson (35), and Zack Steffen (29) provide little to no confidence when looking at a current solution and none are likely to break into the top two of the depth chart but, stranger things have happened in the world of USMNT goalkeepers.

Looking Ahead

With less than 2 years until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’s unlikely that any of the younger USMNT goalkeepers will be able to play at higher levels and contend for the number one spot, which I believe still belongs to Matt Turner, but, Turner needs to do whatever possible to get a transfer to another top five leagues or worse case Eredivisie or EFL Championship as he needs to be playing matches every week to ensure he’s in form and improving headed into the World Cup with the backup position is up for grabs.

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