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A breakdown of the 2003 age group

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In the last two segments of this series we took at look at the 2001 and 2002 age groups. Today we are going to take a look at the 2003 age group. This age group will comprise the core of the 2023 u20 World Cup cycle where they will be looking to not only make a deep run in the tournament, but go on and win the entire thing. The 2003 age group is potentially the best age group that the United States has produced and is on track to be even better than the 2000’s who produced players such as Josh Sargent, Timothy Weah, Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards, Richie Ledezma, Alex Mendez, Chris Gloster, and more. In this article we will take a look at the cycle’s strengths and weaknesses, highlight the top players in this age group, take a look at the depth chart for the 2003 age group, and rank the top 25 players in the age group.

Strengths

The 2003’s are the creme de la creme for youth national team age groups. Every single position does not have just one good player but at least two or three players who will have very good professional careers, some positions are even four or five players deep. The age group has numerous players with the ability to go overseas and play in the top European leagues and the players that are in the second or third string of the depth chart even have the potential to become stars in MLS and a few may actually develop into European level players. Players that are in the top 15 of this age group would likely be top four or five players in other age groups, this age group is that talented. A few players to particularly pay attention to in this cycle are Moses Nyeman, Jonathan Gomez, Ricardo Pepi, Daniel Leyva, and Elton Chifamba but there are other prospects that have some serious promise as well which will be highlighted later on.

The attack for this age group in particular is notable compared to other cycles. The strikers have four players will special talent in Ricardo Pepi, Patrick Weah, Sam Sarver, and Matthew Roou and are only matched by the depth of the 2000 cycle. The wingers are even deeper than the forwards with Dante Sealy, Chris Garcia, Fabrizio Bernal, Kevin Paredes, Patrick Bohui, Cade Cowell, and Tyler Freemann. Cade Cowell has already made his Major League Soccer debut which would make him a guaranteed starter for most age groups and is not even a top five winger for this age group. When the cycle is at full-strength, they will be impossible to keep out of the back of the net.

The midfielder also have extraordinary depth compared to other youth national team age groups. The attacking midfielders are also very deep with Moses Nyeman, Jonathan Perez (who is also an amazing winger), Paxten Aaronson (who may end up being even better than his older brother and USMNT player, Brendan Aaronson), and Selmir Micsic. The center midfielders are stacked with Elton Chifamba, Caden Clark, Javier Casas, and Colby Quinones while the defensive midfielders are equally deep with Daniel Leyva, Tarun Karumanchi, Jack McGlynn, and Sota Kitahara.

The depth does not fall at all with the defenders who are also loaded with talent. The fullback strength for this age group is easily the best of any youth national team age group with Jonzathan Gomez, Mauricio Cuevas, Anthony Sorenson, Noah Hall, Michael Halliday, and Jacob Greene. The center backs are the one spot that does not have notable depth yet but yet again has more potential players than any other age group with Casey Walls, Justin Che, Dante Huckaby, Eric Kizner, Marcus Fernakus, Jalen Neal, Jalen Calloway, Israel Carrillo, and Niklas Dossmann.

What is truly remarkable about the age group is that there is only one foreign based player relevent in the cycle in Niklas Dossmann who is already pretty low in the center back depth chart. There are currently no other players in Europe that have emerged in this age group which means that over the next three years there will be even more players with high ceilings that will break out and stake their place in the 2003 player pool. You can typically bet on one or two foreign based players to break into a youth national team age group’s depth chart.

Of the u20 eligible age groups, the 2003’s are the best age group that the United States has and it is not even close. What matters now is these players breaking into their first teams and getting minutes in Major League Soccer or heading abroad to Europe and finding minutes in a major European league. When you take a look at the 2003 age group and add in the best 2004 and 2005 players then you are looking at a team that has a very realistic shot at winning the 2023 u20 World Cup and should be disappointed if the team does not reach at least the semifinal. The 2023 u20 cycle at full strength would likely beat the five previous u20 cycles (three of them who made quarterfinal runs in 2015, 2017, and 2019) by two or three goals at least. The 2003 age group went undefeated during their u16 cycle during 2018 and 2019 with a record of 8-3-0 (w-d-l) and is showing no signs of slowing down from there. Nothing is a guarantee for youth players, but USMNT fans should be very excited about the potential of this age group long term as they will be relevant in USMNT rosters all the way until the 2034 World Cup.

Weakness

For such a strong age group, there is a weak spot for the 2003’s and that is the goalkeepers. The United States has historically produced amazing goalkeepers but this age group is the outlier in a negative way for the post millennium age groups. Eliot Jones, Anthony Ramos, and Gavin Krenecki are the three best goalkeepers in this age group but it is very likely that none of the three will be relevant for 2023 u20 cycle or the USMNT long term. The best goalkeeper that has played in a 2003 youth national team game has actually been Gabriel Slonina who is born in 2004 who is a very deep goalkeeper age group. When your only weak spot is in a position that has historically been the USMNT’s strength and is very deep in other age groups then the lack of depth in this age group is something fans should not be worried about.

Players to watch in the 2003 age group

Moses Nyeman

Moses Nyeman has long been regarded by many as the best prospect in the 2003 age group. Moses is a Liberian born player who is currently in the process of getting his American citizenship while currently playing for DC United in the MLS and Loundon United in the USL. Moses is an attacking midfielder who is fast, strong for his size, an elite passer, an elite dribbler, has a nose for goal, has an elite soccer IQ, and also is very adept defensively. Moses is a player who has a ceiling of being a true star in Europe and a floor of being a very good player in Europe.

The only weak part of Nyeman’s game is his size. Moses currently 5’5 135lbs so he is likely going to be the smallest player on the field in every game he plays in. Moses will be a late bloomer as DC United will be tentative of playing Nyeman and risking an injury until he ads more muscle to his frame. Even as a late bloomer fans should not cool down on Moses as a prospect, this kid could very well be the solution to the USMNT’s long problem at the 10 position. Realistically, even though Nyeman is undersized, he is ready for first team action with DC United as he will very quickly prove to be too good for the USL as he dissects opposition defenses every single game. Expect Moses to be a regular in the DC United squad by the end of the 2020 MLS season regardless of how short it may be due to COVID-19. Moses will take longer to develop and won’t be a USMNT player by 2022 but this kid is on track to be one of the first names on the USMNT team sheet for a very long time.

Jonathan Gomez

Jonathan Gomez is a player who many consider to be the USMNT’s best left back prospect along with Kobe Hernandez-Foster. Jonathan Gomez is another superstar in the making that has been developed by the FC Dallas academy. Gomez has every tool that you could dream about having in a left back. He is quick, smart, an elite 1v1 defender, an amazing dribbler, can play a pin point cross, and is the best attacking fullback in the youth national team system. The only difference between Gomez and Kobe Hernandez-Foster is that Kobe is a bit better of a defender and more athletic while Gomez is a better attacker and cleaner on the ball.

Jonathan Gomez has recently left the FC Dallas academy and has signed with Louisville City FC in the USL Championship where he will be playing under former u17 national team coach, John Hackworth. Gomez was punished by FC Dallas for making his intentions known that he was going to leave for Europe when he turns 18 and was played at the u17 level where he is age eligible but far above the level of play. As a result of that Gomez decided to leave his childhood club and sign for Louisville City where he will play at a higher level for the next year and a half then he would have at North Texas SC who is in the USL League One. FC Dallas is playing checkers while Jonathan Gomez is playing chess.

European clubs are hot on Jonathan’s trail as he will be a first team ready player when he turns 18 in 2021 and will instantly improve any Bundesliga side that he is in. Jonathan Gomez is not likely to be a USMNT player for the 2022 World Cup cycle as it will likely take him until 2022 to break through in Europe but he constant call up in the 2026, 2030 and 2034 World Cup cycle rosters. Jonathan Gomez and Kobe Hernandez-Foster should give USMNT a sense of relief as we finally have some true left back talent in the pipeline.

Ricardo Pepi

Ricardo Pepi burst onto the youth national team scene in 2018 when he scored an absurd 19 goals in 8 games in the Development Academy. Ricardo Pepi is a tall, lanky striker from FC Dallas with a goal scoring ability rarely seen in prospects worldwide. Ricardo Pepi was a locked in starter at striker for the 2019 u17 World Cup cycle while playing a year up. It does not matter what level Pepi is playing in, he is going to find a way to score goals if his team can get him the ball. Pepi is fast, strong, makes intelligent runs off of the ball, and is a lethal finisher within 30-yards of the net. My favorite quality of Ricardo Pepi’s is his work rate. Pepi will be one of the hardest workers that you see in a game whenever he is on the field and has routinely been lauded by coaches and teammates for his work rate over the last three years.

Ricardo Pepi has the second highest ceiling in the USMNT striker pool after Josh Sargent. Pepi will be a key player for the 2021 u20 World Cup cycle and should he find MLS success in the next two years could potentially break into the USMNT who’s striker depth is very thin while there are very few quality forwards in good form. Pepi turns 18 in January next year and will likely have clubs be bidding for his services the day he turns 18 and could very well be playing in Europe in the later half of 2021 as FC Dallas have the striker depth to be able to sell Pepi and still stay afloat. Ricardo Pepi will be playing in the MLS this year backing up Zdeněk Ondrášek (also known as Cobra) and could very well win the starting position for FC Dallas if he can score goals at the same rate that he has in the USL, DA, and youth national teams.

Daniel Leyva

Daniel Leyva was the other 2003 born player to have a major impact in the 2019 u17 World Cup cycle while playing up a year. Danny is a defensive midfielder at the Seattle Sounders and while he may not be the most exciting player, can control the entire flow of the game with the ball at his feet. Danny was a consistent call up for the u16 youth national team in 2018 but really burst onto the scene after a very successful preseason with the Seattle Sounders. Leyva was brought along to the Sounders preseason training camp with nine other academy players and was the only academy player to remain with the team for the last half of the preseason and was quickly signed to a homegrown contract by the Sounders.

Danny is a extremely intelligent defensive midfielder with a large passing range, veteran level composure, and the natural defensive instincts needed to succeed as a defensive midfielder at the highest level. When on his game, Danny can take control of a game no matter what level he is playing at including against full-grown men at the MLS level. Danny’s main weakness is a lack of athleticism which was exposed at the recent u17 World Cup. Danny is not the quickest player, or is even quick at all. To succeed, Danny needs to be paired with a center mid who can cover a lot of ground in a game (like Elton Chifamba… hint hint) while Danny stays central, puts out fires, and pulls the strings. When Danny was paired with Adam Saldana at the u17 World Cup it quickly showed that you need to have a more athletic midfielder next to him or your team will get overrun quickly. Luckily for Danny, the USMNT has numerous young players like that in Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Paxton Pomykal, and more.

Elton Chifamba

Imagine a combination of Tyler Adams and Darlington Nagbe, that is how you can describe Elton Chifamba. Elton is a athletic midfielder who plays in the Columbus Crew academy. Elton has a great passing range, has a high soccer IQ, can put out fires anywhere on the field, and is press resistant. While Chifamba still has a ways to go until he is at the defensive level of Tyler Adams and doesn’t quite have the same engine that Adams or Nagbe do, the potential is there.

When a team wants to deploy a midfielder that can quickly win back and keep possession then Chifamba should be one of the first names in the roster. While not a player who can go in and pick apart a defense, Chifamba is a good offensive player who is capable of making deadly plays in the final third while helping his side dominate in possession. The largest barrier for Chifamba’s development is his club situation. His future intentions are relatively unknown and the Columbus Crew do not have a USL team so Chifamba will be stuck playing at the u19 DA level for the time being which he will soon outgrow this year. Chifamba will have Darlington Nagbe ahead of him in the Crew’s depth chart if he chooses to sign for the MLS side so he should realistically be looking to head over to Europe because Nagbe will be a very tough player to push out of the lineup. For more information, check out Dillon Payne’s article going even more in depth on Elton Chifamba here.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1248015171127111682

Jonathan Perez

Jonathan Perez currently represents Mexico but has been in United States youth national team camps in the past so until he completely rules out playing for the USA, he belongs in this list. Perez is currently the best player for the Mexico 2003’s and has the definite potential to push either Moses Nyeman or Dante Sealy out of the 2003’s first choice lineup. Perez also is great friends with dual nationals Uly Llanez and Alex Mendez who currently side with the United States so there is a chance that they can persuade him to come back to the USA youth setup. Even though Moses Nyeman is the best prospect in this age group currently, Perez is a player who could very quickly jump up the ranks as his potential is limitless. Jonathan Perez has recently signed a homegrown contract with the LA Galaxy and is yet another superstar prospect that was groomed by Brian Kleiban.

Jonathan Perez is a versatile player who is an amazing winger and even better as an attacking midfielder. Perez is a super skillful player on the ball, can fleece defenders 1v1 at will, can routinely pick out dangerous passes from out wide or centrally, and also has an incredibly accurate shot from anywhere inside 30 yards. Perez’s only weakness is that like Nyeman, he is one of the smaller players on the field and will need to put on some muscle to succeed at the next level.

Perez does have a major career roadblock in front of him because he signed a contract with the notoriously youth unfriendly LA Galaxy. The Galaxy have a long standing track record of being terrible with developing young players so this is a worry seeing Jonathan Perez, Mauricio Cuevas, and Cameron Dunbar all sign first-team contracts. Perez does have the talent to break into the LA Galaxy first team but Guillermo Schelotto will have to break the Galaxy coaching trend of never giving youth a real chance and actually let Perez do his thing at the MLS level which is will soon be ready for before the end of 2020. Even though Perez currently ranks 6th in this age group currently, he should be looked at as a player that could very well move up to the top over the next few years.

Mauricio Cuevas

Mauricio Cuevas is the other top tier 2003 prospect that Brian Kleiban has produced out of Los Angeles. Cuevas has an even larger uphill battle than Perez because not only is he in the same position as being in the notoriously youth unfriendly LA Galaxy, he also has Julian Araujo ahead of him in the right back depth chart which is a massive obstacle where one of the two will have to move to a different club either domestic or abroad if they both want to reach their ceilings. Cuevas and Araujo are very different right backs and both affect the team in different ways. While Julian Araujo is a more natural defender who is an average player going forard, Mauricio is a fantastic player going forward and is an average defender.

Mauricio’s strengths are in his skills on the ball and his athleticism. Mauricio is without a doubt the best crosser in the full back pool in the youth national team system. He can hit a cross on a dime on 99 out of 100 attempts. Cuevas is also a very good dribbler and is pacey enough to get up and down the right flank with ease. Cuevas will have to work on becoming a better 1v1 defender and his defensive positioning if he ever wants to overtake Julian Araujo in the LA Galaxy and USMNT depth chart. Both should not necessarily be viewed as weak points in his game as they are very common for players his age and will develop over time. Mauricio Cuevas has a higher ceiling than Julian Araujo but it all depends on how LA Galaxy handles the development of both players. Realistically, Mauricio Cuevas needs to head over to a lower table Bundesliga side when he turns 18.

Caden Clark

Most hardcore followers of the Development Academy are familiar with Caden Clark after he lit up the u19 DA playoffs with Barca Academy while playing three years up. Clark was named to the USSDA Playoffs Best XI by TopDrawerSoccer after scoring three goals in three games while playing up an age group. Clark used his hot streak over the last year to leverage a move to the New York Red Bulls where he signed a USL contract with NYRB2 where he will spend the next year playing before he moves up to the first team. The most notable part of Clark’s game is his soccer IQ. Clark is good with his feet and knows how to find the right pass but his ability to read the game and process what to do before he receives the ball is what makes him truly stand out. Clark’s time at Barca Academy was well spend rounding out his game to make him a player that you can count on playing as an attacking mid, center mid, or forward.

Clark could be a starter for the 2003 age group depending on the type of team they play against. While Elton Chifamba is a player who you can count on to help you beat a team that is more offensively talented, Clark is a player that this age group could rely on to come in and unlock a packed in defense. Clark being at New York Red Bulls is what makes him a prospect to watch as the Red Bulls have a great track record of properly developing young players (see Matt Miazga and Tyler Adams as recent examples). Clark is a player who could break out over the next two years and emerge as a top USMNT prospect.

Dante Sealy

Dante Sealy is the son of former FC Dallas Scott Sealy and the apple did not fall far from the tree. Dante oozes with skill and has the IQ of a player who’s father was also a professional soccer player at FC Dallas like Dante currently. Dante was the standout for me at the most recent 2003 youth national team tournament where they won the 2019 Nike International Friendlies where Sealy led the team to beat the USA u17 b-team and the Turkey u16 national team and draw against the Netherlands u16 national team. Sealy is a skillful dribbler, makes intelligent runs off of the ball, an incredible athlete, a good finisher and has a fantastic passing range due to a high IQ and vision which is a result of being under his father’s tutelage for many years.

Sealy like Jonathan Perez, has a very good chance to climb the ranks in this age group but has to become more consistent in his performances. At the youth levels he has looked like a man among boys over the last year and at the USL level he has looked like a boy among men. Part of this does result from him being so young and still developing physically so his play in 2020 will need to reflect that he can handle playing against much older and stronger competition. Sealy is a player that has a good chance at playing up a u20 cycle for the current u20 national team as he is the best winger in the 2003 age group and is better than all of the 2002 wingers except for Gio Reyna who is almost a guarantee to not have any involvement for a youth national team ever again except at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024. If Sealy can keep producing like he does at the youth levels in the USL this season then Luchi Gonzalez will no doubt let him prove himself at the MLS at the first opportunity. Because of his club situation, Dante should be viewed as a top tier USMNT prospect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN0HmK88Js8

Casey Walls

Casey Walls is currently the best center back in the 2003 age group. His combination of size, soccer IQ, and technical skills for a center back are what help him stand out. Casey signed a homegrown contract with the San Jose Earthquakes in November 2019 and is the highest ceiling prospect in the clubs system currently. What truly stands out about Casey’s game is his passing from the deep position, Casey is the best passing center back in the entire youth national team pool.

The weakness in Casey Walls’ game is that he is not the fastest player. He makes up for this weakness by being very intelligent with his positioning but he is not a player that you should expect to run down a pacey forward. Casey does have a good shot at breaking into the Earthquake’s lineup sooner rather than later as Matías Almeyda does have the mentality of if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. If Walls can prove in minutes with Reno 1868 in the USL in 2020 then don’t be shocked if Walls is pushing for first team minutes in mid-2021 or early 2022. Walls should be a consistent call up for the 2003 age group and is one to watch as he develops long term.

Chris Garcia

Chris Garcia is a player who just appeared on many fan’s radar as he recently signed a first team contract with Real Salt Lake earlier this year. Chris is a lightning fast winger with the dribbling skills to roast a fullback consistently throughout a 90 minute match. Out of all of the top players in the age group, Chris is the most raw but also has a very high ceiling as he has all of the key qualities that you would want to see in a winger. Chris also is very physically gifted for his age so he could push for minutes quickly at a club who historically has been very good with playing their homegrown players.

Chris Garcia’s weakness is that like Dante Sealy, he can be inconsistent. This is something that is very common for a 17 year old player as he still has to get down the mental side of the game which will come as he becomes a more experienced professional. With Chris being at a club with numerous other homegrown players who will help show him the way, fans should be very optimistic about Chris’ future.

Patrick Weah

Yes, you were correct when you looked at that last name and thought “is he related to George and Tim Weah?”. Patrick Weah is the nephew of George Weah and the cousin of Tim Weah and is good enough to represent the family name with pride. Like both George and Tim, Patrick’s first quality that you will notice is that he is an eye popping athlete. Patrick has the combination of both size and speed that coaches dream of having in a striker. To put it lightly, Patrick is too good for the u17 DA where is currently playing. He literally looks like a man among boys. However, being a physically gifted athlete is not only why he is rated so high, Patrick also has the skill to back it up. Patrick is a fantastic dribbler and a competent finisher just like both George and Tim Weah.

There is one major weakness in Patrick’s game which is his movement off of the ball. Like most 16 year old players, Patrick has not quite figured out how to efficiently move off the ball and playing at a level where he is physically and technically superior than everyone else, he doesn’t have to which is detrimental to his development. Once Patrick has been at the club for a year which will happen next summer, Minnesota need to immediately sign him and loan him to a USL team where he can play against players that can actually give him a challenge. If Patrick is kept at the u19 level next year, then Minnesota United is failing him. Check out Dillon Payne’s article breaking down Patrick Weah here.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1240390297684774912

The depth chart for the 2003 age group

USYNT 2003 03 Best XI

The best defensive back line for this age group is Mauricio Cuevas on the right, Jonathan Gomez on the left, and Justin Che and Casey Walls as the center backs. Cuevas and Gomez will provide an extra spark out wide that will take this team’s attack from being great, to being fantastic. Walls and Che will anchor the back line and will boss the opposition’s forwards while also being able to comfortably keep possession for the team. Should any of the back four need to be subbed off then their backups could all come on and the team would not lose a step as the depth is that good. Even if any of the first two options among any of the back line positions are hurt then there is no reason to worry as Jacob Greene, Jalen Neal, Markus Fernakus, and Michael Halliday can step in with no problem.

The best midfield to run out is Daniel Leyva as the 6, Elton Chifamba at the 8, and Moses Nyeman as the 10. This is a midfield that would dominate in possession, cover the back line well, and create danger in the attack. If you want a team that will be more dangerous in the other team’s half against a team that will sit back and defend, then you could start Caden Clark at the 8, or move Moses Nyeman to the 8 and start Jonathan Gomez as the 10. There are numerous ways that you could set this midfield up, all will likely lead to success. Javier Casas, Jack McGlynn, and Paxten Aaronson are right on the bubble for this roster and fans should not be surprised to see any of them be included in a first choice roster for this age group.

The attack for this age group is what I really think is significant. The best forward trio to run out is Dante Sealy and Chris Garcia on the wings with Ricardo Pepi up top. Both Sealy and Garcia can create danger out wide with ease and feed Ricardo Pepi all the service he needs to put the ball in the back of the net multiple times a game. This attack would have pace, would be technically sound, and if any of them needed to come off the pitch, then Fabrizio Bernal, Kevin Paredes, and Patrick Weah would be able to come on and be equally dangerous in the final third. Not only is the second string good for this roster but the third string players (Patrick Bohui, Sam Sarver, and Cade Cowell) are all good enough to be a threat for the other team if they step on the field. Cade Cowell has already made his MLS debut and is the fourth choice right winger (Jonathan Perez would be played over Cowell at right wing).

The 2003 age group should have the highest expectations that a youth national team cycle has ever had. In 2023, if this group does not make it to at least the semi final then USMNT fans should be relatively surprised. Not only is the first choice roster for this age group good, but the second and third strings would are also filled with incredibly talented players. This age group’s depth all around is abnormally good for a youth national team.

When you move the best 2004 and 2005 players like Antonio Leone, Evan Rotundo, Fede Oliva, Malik Sanogo, Nati Clarke, Chris Brady, Gabe Slonina, Allan Rodriguez, Kenan Hot, Gage Akalu, Leo Torres, and more into the cycle then you are looking at a group that will likely be favored to win in any game that they are in regardless of the competition’s skill level. This age group is special and is likely to yield numerous USMNT players in the future.

I would like to give both Charlie Kennan (@charlie_kennan) and ChuckMe92 (@ChuckMe92Soccer) for collaberating with me to create both the lineup and the top 25 ranking. If you are not following either of them then you are missing out, both of these guys are are two of the most knowledgeable sources for information on the domestic and foreign USMNT youth player pool. I highly recommend that you give them a follow.

The Top 25 Ranking for the 2003 Age Group

  1. Moses Nyeman- Attacking Mid/Center Mid (DC United)
  2. Jonathan Gomez- Left Back (Louisville City FC)
  3. Ricardo Pepi- Striker (FC Dallas)
  4. Danny Leyva- Defensive Mid/Center Mid (Seattle Sounders)
  5. Elton Chifamba- Center Mid/Defensive Mid (Columbus Crew)
  6. Jonathan Perez- Attacking Mid/Winger (LA Galaxy)
  7. Mauricio Cuevas- Right Back (LA Galaxy)
  8. Caden Clark- Center Mid/Attacking Mid (New York Red Bulls)
  9. Dante Sealy- Winger (FC Dallas)
  10. Casey Walls- Center Back (San Jose Earthquakes)
  11. Chris Garcia- Winger (Real Salt Lake)
  12. Patrick Weah- Striker (Minnesota United)
  13. Justin Che- Center Back (FC Dallas)
  14. Fabrizio Bernal- Winger (San Antonio FC)
  15. Tarun Karumanchi- Defensive Mid/Center Mid (San Jose Earthquakes)
  16. Kevin Paredes- Winger/Attacking Mid (DC United)
  17. Sam Sarver- Striker/Winger (Columbus Crew)
  18. Matthew Roou- Striker (Shattuck-Saint Mary’s)
  19. Dante Huckaby- Center Back (Philadelphia Union)
  20. Patrick Bohui- Winger/Striker (Philadelphia Union)
  21. Noah Hall- Right Back (Columbus Crew)
  22. Anthony Sorenson- Left Back (Philadelphia Union)
  23. Cade Cowell- Winger (San Jose Earthquakes)
  24. Paxten Aaronson- Attacking Mid (Philadelphia Union)
  25. Tyler Freeman- Winger/Attacking Mid (Sporting Kansas City)

If you enjoyed this article, check out our breakdowns on the 2001 and 2002 age groups and follow @dkerr0118 on twitter for more information and updates on the USMNT’s youth prospects!

Club News

Winter 2023 Transfer Window Preview

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In a couple weeks we enter silly season. During the month of January, the global football market will open up to leagues across the world and we can expect there to be a lot of action involving American players. 

Why? There are lots of reasons for players to change clubs: 

  1. Not getting enough playing time to develop / stay sharp
  2. Not playing at a high enough level of competition
  3. Not a good tactical fit

Here is a list of players that I believe could benefit from a chance in scenery starting with the most urgent:

IT’S DIRE, GET OUT

WING, Christian Pulisic, Chelsea

Is really dire? Maybe not, but he’s clearly undervalued at Chelsea and Pulisic is too good to not be playing a significant role somewhere. Chelsea is once again linked with every attacker on the transfer market, so clearly he really isn’t in the plans. Newcastle seems to be the favorite to land Pulisic in January and I love the fit. 

WING, Konrad de la Fuente, Olympiacos

Konrad de la Fuente moved to Greece thinking he could get regular playing time after a managerial change at Marseille. Instead, Olympiacos signed a thousand foreign players even though only a set amount of foreign players (5) can make matchday squads, and de la Fuente has been an odd man out. Konrad isn’t in training with Olympiacos or Marseille right now and is instead looking for a new loan for the remainder of the season. 

AM, Richie Ledezma, PSV

Ledezma had the choice to stay at PSV or find a loan this summer and he chose to stay, likely thinking he’d get more minutes than he has. He has the same choice to make in January and hopefully this time he chooses to leave — he needs more minutes to grow. 

RB, Reggie Cannon, Boavista

Cannon is starting every week and that is good, but he is also playing center-back and I just don’t think he’s developed much since moving to Boavista. He didn’t make a World Cup roster which featured four right-backs, so maybe that is a sign that a change is needed? I think it is. 

CM, Gianluca Busio, Venezia

There was a brief moment in time when Busio’s move to Venezia looked like a great one. That seems like a long time ago and now he is struggling to find starts for a club in the bottom third of Serie B. I am sure the market for Busio has weakened, but there still might be interest in Serie A or other leagues where he could benefit from a career reset. 

CM, Eryk Williamson, Portland Timbers

I think it’s very likely Williamson played his last match in Portland. It’s been reported that LAFC would look to trade for him to replace Jose Cifuentes who is likely heading to the Premier League. There has not been a lot of reported interest abroad for Williamson, so a move within MLS is most likely. 

RB, Justin Che, Hoffenheim

Che’s 18-month loan with Hoffenheim looked promising last year when he was getting some appearances towards the end of the season, but with a managerial change he has fallen out of favor and has been stuck with Hoffenheim’s reserve team. I am sure Dallas and Che can end the loan early and hopefully find a better opportunity in Europe. Another half season in MLS wouldn’t hurt either, but I don’t think Che and his team want to go that route. 

THE RIGHT TIME FOR A CHANGE

LB, DeJuan Jones, New England Revolution

It’s not like his situation at New England is bad, he just hasn’t been able to get the attention of USSF. Perhaps a successful move overseas helps energize his stock.

LB, John Tolkin, New York Red Bulls

I don’t think Tolkin has anything left to prove at NYRB and he is ready to make the jump to Europe. Last summer he was connected Anderlecht in Belgium — that level feels like the right next step for him. 

CF, Brandon Vazquez, FC Cincinnati 

Vazquez had a breakout season last year and I think both he and FC Cincinnati should strike while the iron is hot. A top third club in the English Championship could be a great next step for him. 

CB, Joshua Wynder, Louisville City

Wynder was a full-time starter in USL at the ages of 16 and 17 last season and of the top American prospects born in 2005. In order for him to continue to push himself and develop I think he should look to move to Europe or MLS this season. There has been lots of interest reported from both. If it is Europe, he will have to wait until he turns 18 in May, but he could sign a pre-deal like fellow LouCity player Jonathan Gomez did. 

SS, Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia Union

Sullivan likely isn’t happy with his usage rates last season, but Curtin and company were in a tough spot trying to find their young players minutes while pushing for a MLS title. With Cory Burke gone, there might be more striker minutes available within Curtin’s two striker system. That could be enough to entice Sullivan to stay, but my hunch is that he’d like to get his European career started this winter. 

WING, Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquakes

New San Jose Earthquakes manager and former FC Dallas manager and USMNT assistant coach Luchi Gonzalez says he has big plans for Cade Cowell. Are his plans to move him to right-back? Probably not, but I am not convinced another season in the South Bay is the right move for Cade. His development has stalled over the last two seasons and I think a change of scenery would be useful. Joe Scally’s club, Borussia Mönchengladbach has reportedly been interested as have some Premier League clubs. 

CB, Sam Rogers, Rosenborg

Rogers is a former Seattle Sounders Academy player that has spent the last two seasons in Norway. He had a breakout season of sorts for third place finishing Rosenborg playing as the LCB in a three back system, scoring an impressive six goals and one assist. It would be nice to see Rogers see if he can elevate his game to an even higher level of competition. 

DM, Danny Leyva, Seattle Sounders

The Seattle Sounders will have Leyva, Obed Vargas, Josh Atencio and João Paulo competing for midfield minutes next season which leads me to believe that one of the younger guys should leave to get the time needed to advance their career. Vargas and Paulo are coming off serious injuries, so it’s possible that Seattle holds on to all of the guys until the summer when there are less health concerns, but one could go in January. My bet would be Leyva because he is a more attractive prospect than Atencio, but Seattle seems to rate Vargas more. 

CB, Jalen Neal, LA Galaxy

Neal is one of the most first team ready, young center-backs in MLS, but I am not sure he is going to get an opportunity from the Galaxy on the first team this year and it might not come next year either. I think it is time to move to another club within MLS or go abroad where he can play in a more competitive reserve league. Galaxy 2 won’t be in the USL next year, they will be in MLS Next Pro, a big step down in competition, so a loan to a USL club is also a decent option though I’d prefer a higher level than that. 

HEAR ME OUT

WING, Tim Weah, Lille

Weah does not need to be playing right-back and I think there are better clubs and better fits for him out there. I’d like to see him leave even though I don’t think Lille is keen to move him, nor does the market seem to be too hot on him right now. 

CF, Josh Sargent, Norwich City

I am tired of watching Josh play on the wing when he is the best striker on the team. It’s a waste. 

GK, Matt Turner, Arsenal

Matt probably stays at Arsenal to continue their FA Cup and Europa League campaigns, but I think Matt has proven he should be a starting goal keeper for a pretty good club. I’d like to see him do that sooner rather than later. 

CB, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic

CCV has achieved great success and stability at Celtic, but I also think he runs the risk of stagnating. I would like to see Carter-Vickers move to a better league as soon as he can so he can continue to grow. 

CF, Haji Wright, Antalyaspor

What more does Wright have to prove in Turkey? He clearly can rack up goals in that league. I’d like to see him move to a better league and see if he can continue to be an efficient goal scorer. 

I’M INDIFFERENT

All of the guys are in pretty good club situations because they all have key roles and the competition level is fine based on where they are at in their career. 

CM, Yunus Musah, Valencia

There are some big clubs after Musah (Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan), but he’d likely take a hit in playing time initially so I am not sure that is best for him right now. The counter is that nothing is certain and maybe Musah needs to take this opportunity while it is here. 

CM, Weston McKennie, Juventus

Juventus seems like a turbulent situation and perhaps a move to the Premier League would be best for McKennie. Tottenham has been after McKennie for what seems like multiple years. 

LB, Jedi Robinson, Fulham

Robinson and Fulham have been a great story in the first half of the Premier League season, but will they be able to keep it up? Newcastle is reportedly preparing a 15M offer for Robinson and that could be a better long term play for him. 

CM, Johnny Cardoso, Internacional

Cardoso is coming off his best season as a pro and his club finished second in the Brazil. Spanish and Italian clubs seem in on him and a move seems inevitable, but another year in Brazil would not be the worst thing. 

DM, Tanner Tessmann, Venezia

Tessmann is playing some of the best football of his life right now and the new manager trusts him as Venezia fight for their lives in Serie B, but there is reported interest from Serie A clubs. My gut tells me Tessmann should stay and help keep Venezia in Serie B, ride the form that he is in and perhaps he will have even stronger interest in the summer. 

CF/AM, Jesus Ferreira, FC Dallas

Ferreira and Dallas are in an interesting position. Ferreira had a great season last year and Dallas looks like an emerging side in MLS as well. Ferreira also signed a designated player contract last year so his options are more limited in finding clubs abroad that will meet his salary requirements, but Ferreira is at a very critical age for development and he may not be able to grow much more in MLS, so, he likely needs to leave at the end of the next season at the latest. My guess is Dallas is going to go for a MLS Cup this year and then look to rebuild in 2024. 

 

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Summer 2022 Transfer Window Preview

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The summer transfer window is a historically more action packed window where clubs tend to spend more than they do during the winter window. This year it will be an even more important window for players fighting for a spot on the World Cup roster. Gregg has made it clear that for players that are not considered “locks”, how a player establishes himself with his club during the preseason and early parts of the season leading up to the final September camp will be incredibly important. In this article we will look at three categories of US players:

  1. Players looking to take the next competitive step
  2. Players looking for situations that give them a chance to play more consistently
  3. Players who have been rumored to be on the move that I think should stay put

Before we look at potential transfers, let’s catch up on movement that is already planned this summer: 

Planned Moves

GK, Matt Turner, New England Revolution → Arsenal FC

Matt is moving to Arsenal on July 1. Will the move to the Premier League raise his technical level? Or will he get rusty as a backup that rarely gets time in competitive matches.

CB, John Brooks, VfL Wolfsburg → TBD

There hasn’t been a lot of news to report on potential destinations for Brooks this summer. The only credible news I have seen is John being linked with Hoffenheim. Hoffenheim will have a new manager next season and reports are that John’s agent has a good relationship with the club and he is well thought of there. Chris Richards likely won’t be back with Hoffenheim, but young Justin Che is (fellow German-American). Even if it is not Hoffenheim, I think John will have demand from mid table teams in one of the top 5 leagues, but the Bundesliga is where he’ll likely end up.

CB, Kobi Henry, Orange County SC → Stade Reims

This move had been rumored a while ago by ESPNs, Jeff Carlisle. I was starting to wonder if it was just agency smoke, but the deal has been made and Kobi will deliver the largest USL transfer fee in league history at 700K. Kobi is 18 and will likely throttle between the reserve team and the first team. I think he is a few years away from being first team ready. Physically he is close, but he still has a long ways to go tactically and mentally. Be patient with Kobi, it could be a while before we see him play first team minutes with Reims.

RB, Bryan Reynolds, AS Roma → KVC Westerlo

Bryan is headed back to Belgium on another loan from Roma, this time with recently promoted KVC Westerlo. It’s been reported that there will be an option to buy for 7M€. I thought Bryan would be able to get loaned to a slightly stronger club, but I do believe the Belgian top flight is a good level. He was pretty good for Kortrijk FC last year after a Winter loan. I am excited to see what Bryan can do with a full offseason and season with a club that has plans to play him. It can be challenging playing for a recently promoted club, but it looks like Westerlo is looking to make moves and the middle to lower half of the Belgian league is typically more competitive than other leagues.

CM, Luca de la Torre, Heracles Almelo → TBD

What was widely assumed has been confirmed, Luca has an agreement in place to be moved this summer from Heracles, with one year left on his contract so Heracles can get some transfer money from the move. We have learned that this was going to happen whether Heracles get relegated or not. It will be very interesting to see where Luca ends up. He is a player that you really have to watch to understand how good he is and you have to think that clubs in the Eredivisie, that played against him will be excited to have the chance to sign him. Additionally, clubs in top 5 leagues with smart scouting departments will also be interested in him. He is a very skilled player that will be a bargain signing. His G/A stats have never been impressive, but he does so many things to help a midfield.

CM, Taylor Booth, Bayern Munich II → FC Utrecht

This is the planned move I am most excited for this summer. Taylor did not get a loan this year after refusing to extend his contract, so he played at too low of a level with Bayern’s reserve squad. Fortunately, Utrecht saw the talent and signed him on a free. Taylor will have competition in the midfield at Utrecht next year, but if he can breakthrough, he could be a sleeper pick to make the plane to Qatar. 

AM, Brenden Aaronson, RB Salzburg → Leeds United

Brenden is joining former manager and fellow American Jessie Marsch at Leeds United. He is trading European competition for more consistent top level competition in the Premier League. Brenden and Jessie know each other well from their days in Salzburg. It’s a great system fit and Leeds will likely have a lot of roster turnover with pending sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

CB, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic FC Tottenham Hotspur Celtic FC

CCV has decided to return to Celtic after having the best season of his young, but winding career. I love the decision. He’s highly valued im Glasgow (13M transfer!!!), he’ll be in European competitions year in and year out and he’ll be able to continue to develop on the pitch. He won’t be in the most competitive league, but a couple of successful years at Celtic could turn in to bigger offers during the prime of his career.

Players LOOKING FOR A HIGHER LEVEL

GK, Gaga Slonina, Chicago Fire

Gaga’s move to Chelsea seems all but complete as the London club has out bit Real Madrid for young American keeper. It has been said that Gaga will be loaned back to Chicago for the remainder of the season or longer, similar to Caden Clark’s deal with RB Leipzig/NYRB. Gaga has struggled recently for Chicago, but clearly he has shown enough for the biggest clubs in the world to be bullish on his future potential.

LB, DeJuan Jones, New England Revolution

DeJuan is turning 25 this summer and he is one of the better left-backs in MLS. He has not been able to get a real chance from Gregg Berhalter and he needs to try something else to get on his radar. I think if he’s ever going to test himself in Europe, the time is now and New England seems to be in the middle of selling spree.

LB, John Tolkin, New York Red Bulls

John isn’t the splashiest prospect, but he’s really well rounded, mature and he is young. If he can string together some goal contributions this season, I think there will be a good amount of demand abroad. There has been reported interest from RB Salzburg. 

CM, Timothy Tillman, SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Fürth exercised their club option to extend Timothy another year. With Fürth heading to 2. Bundesliga, I am expecting mid-low Bundesliga clubs to come calling and for Tim to get a chance with another club this summer.

CM, Gianluca Busio, Venezia FC

I would be comfortable with Gianluca in this category or the “stay put” category. Venezia spent a lot of money on Busio, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him grind it out and help Venezia get back to Serie A for the 2023-2024 season. There has been reported interest in other Serie A clubs and I would also be happy to see him stay at that level and develop. Either way, Busio needs to continue to develop and figure out what role will be most effective for him. Is he a 6, 8 or 10? He played all of those positions with Venezia last year. I think he his best suited long term to play the 6 if he can manage the defensive responsibilities that comes with it.

AM, Djordje Mihailovic, CF Montreal

Next to Gaga Slonina, Djordje is probably the hottest American commodity in the MLS. There is a lot of reported interest from big clubs and it seems likely that Djordje’s time to go to Europe is now. He just received his first call-up to the USMNT, if the camp goes well, you have to wonder if now is the right time to move to Europe or if he should stay where he is a known commodity and move after the World Cup?

WING, Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquakes

Cade is starting to get into a good rhythm for the post-Almayda San Jose Earthquakes. He is starting consistently at LW and contributing consistently. He’s still raw and the technical aspects to his game have not developed as quickly as you’d like to see. Does he need a move abroad to better develop those skills? Does MLS allow him to rely too much on his athletic ability? If he continues to put him numbers, I could definitely see big name clubs trying to facilitate a move and betting on his rare physical profile. There have been reported interest from Everton.

ST, Jordan Pefok, BSC Young Boys

I don’t think there is much more for Jordan to prove at the current level after winning the golden boot in first year in the Swiss Super League. Jordan is in his prime and needs to see what he can do in a top 5 league. There have been reported interested from Bundesliga clubs with Borussia in their name: Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Both moves would likely be for a substitute role, which I think is fine. I can see Pefok doing well as a 60 or 70 minute sub looking to poach a late goal.

PLAYERS LOOKING FOR MORE PLAYING TIME

GK, Zack Steffen, Manchester City

It’s become very clear that being GK2 at Manchester City isn’t benefiting Zack’s career. He needs to request a loan or permanent move where he can have a better chance to play consistently. 

GK, Ethan Horvath, Nottingham Forest

Ethan Horvath and Nottingham Forest are headed to the Premier League after a magical season. Ethan is the clear #2 at Forest behind Brice Samba. It has been reported that Forest is looking to move Samba, most likely because they are looking to sign a proven Premier League keeper. It would be better for Horvath and the USMNT if he was loaned out where he could be the #1 option, but I just don’t see that happening.

LB, Jonathan Gómez, Real Sociedad 

Real Sociedad B is getting relegated to the third tier of Spain. That’s not a great level for JoGo. Will he get a chance to have a role on the first team or will they look to loan him to a lower table LaLiga club, or potentially a LaLiga 2 club? A strong start to the 2022-2023 season at a good level could be enough to get JoGo into the September camp with an opportunity to take the LB2 job for the World Cup.

RB, Brandon Bye, New England Revolution

Brandon is having a very strong season in New England and has had a couple of nice seasons in the MLS. He is in the prime of his career and has yet to get a cap for the United States. Like DeJuan Jones, the time is now for Bye to test his skills overseas. There is reported interest from Fulham and Lille.

CB, Chris Richards, Bayern Munich

Chris Richard’s 2022/2023 club situation is one of the most important to monitor. Bayern is losing a starting CB, but will Chris earn the right to be a starter? It has been reported that Bayern is going to give Chris a strong look this offseason to have a bigger role with Bayern this year. If that does not manifest itself, Chris has options elsewhere for a loan or permanent deal in Crystal Palace, Southampton and Hoffenheim, where he has had two successful loan spells in the last two years.

CB, Kik Pierie, Ajax

After a solid year with Twente last season, this year has been brutal for Kik. He was injured for the majority of the season and struggled once he returned to the squad. He will be back with Ajax this summer and likely looking for a move. 

CB, Matt Miazga, Chelsea FC

Matt’s loan to Alavés was not a successful one. He had some bright moments early in the year, but lost his starting job and never really recovered. He’ll be heading back to London this summer and looking for a new loan or permanent deal. Is it time for him to come back to the MLS? Or does he go back to the Netherlands or Belgium where he has had the most success?

DM, Johnny Cardoso, Sport Club Internacional

So far this season, Johnny has taken a step back in minutes for Internacional. There has been reported interest in Johnny from the MLS and perhaps some interest from Europe. Maybe it’s time for a new start where he can potentially have a better opportunity to play more and develop?

AM, Malik Tillman, Bayern Munich

Malik is the newest dual-national player to commit to the USMNT and he received his first chance with the team in the June camp. Malik showed flashes of talent, but also looked like a player that needs more senior minutes at the Club level. Malik made his senior team debut with Bayern, playing in both cup, league and European competitions, mainly because of injuries in the squad. i would love to see him get a loan to a lower table Bundesliga team, perhaps one of the newly promoted clubs Schalke or Werder Bremen?

AM, Richard Ledezma, PSV Eindhoven

Richie had a very challenging season in 2021/2022 coming back from a torn ACL injury. He throttled between Jong PSV and the first team, but saw very few minutes with PSV. He did end the season with the longest run-out of the season and contributed his first goal. This is a big summer for Richie. His chances of doing enough to displace Paul Arriola for a World Cup spot, in Gregg Berhalter’s eyes, will be very difficult, but a great preseason with PSV and a key role with the prestigious club would turn some heads. If it does not look like Richie is going to be a key player for PSV next year, he needs to look elsewhere so that can develop on the pitch.

AM, Caden Clark, New York Red Bulls

2022 has not gone to plan for Caden Clark. Many thought he’d be a locked in starter for NYRB this year, but he was used as more of a super sub role early in the year. That was going okay and then he injured himself at a US U20 camp. He is just now getting back into fitness and playing for NYRB. It’s been reported that he isn’t happy with how much time he is getting and that RB Leipzig likely isn’t as well, so it’s possible that Caden goes to Europe this summer on a different loan deal where he can get a fresh start. I think that might be good for him. I am not sure the current NYRB system suits his game very well.

WING, Alex Mighten, Nottingham Forest

Alex Mighten, along with Horvath will get his first chance in the top league in the world. Mighten started the season as a starter when Forest was really struggling. He then was moved to the bench where he was regularly used. In the middle of the season Alex was injured and when he came back he had more diminished role. Alex will train and fight to become a more utilized part of the attacking rotation next year and Forest will likely look to make a lot of moves to strengthen their roster as they head to the Premier League for the first time in decades. It’s possible Mighten gets loaned to a Championship club where he has a better chance to develop on the pitch.

ST, Matthew Hoppe, RCD Mallorca

I don’t think any 2021 Summer transfer turned out worse than Hoppe to Mallorca. He has had 127 minutes in 4 appearances in LaLiga. I was very optimistic about this transfer when it happened, but clearly I was misguided. There have been reports of MLS interest, which I think would be fine, though I think he can play at a higher level. The most important thing for Matthew is to go somewhere and play and build his confidence back.

ST, Folarin Balogun, Arsenal FC

Folarin Balogun is a high priority dual-nat that is currently focused on England, but Gregg is in communication and will continue to leave the door open. Flo received his extended opportunity with a senior team during his loan to Middlesbrough. It was up and down but he showed flashes of his potential. He’ll be heading back to Arsenal this summer and he will most likely look for a new loan deal. There are rumors that Fulham is interested on a loan with an option to buy. 

PLAYERS WHO SHOULD MOVE FOR OTHER REASONS

RB, Reggie Cannon, Boavista FC

Reggie lost his right-back job last season and was moved to right center-back in Boavista’s back three formation. This role is better suited for his skillset right now, but it’s not helping him develop his offensive game. Boavista has also been in financial crisis for a few years. I am not sure if there is a strong market for Reggie, but I do think a move could help him develop a bit more. As of right now, his offensive limitations are limiting what he can bring to the USMNT. 

Players who have been rumored to be on the move that I think should stay put

RB, Sergino Dest, FC Barecelona

Xavi loves him. Xavi doesn’t rate him. Xavi rates him. Xavi wants to sell him. I don’t know what the hell is going on in Barcelona, but what we do know is Serg loves being a Barca player and he is going to fight like hell to be an important player there. It has been recently reported that Dani Alves will not return to Barca, but it’s possible that they are still looking to acquire Cesar AzpilicuetaI — thought I don’t think he would be tough for Dest to fend off for playing time. I think he should stay and continue to fight. 

RB, Shaq Moore, Tenerife 

Shaq Moore is the only American that hasn’t finished his European season. He has one more match to try and help Tenerife get promoted to LaLiga. They play at home in the second leg of the promotion final after a 0-0 draw on the road. MLS clubs tried to acquire Shaq during the Winter transfer window, with the most publicized club being Nashville. Those reports have persisted and it sounds likely that Shaq will be heading to the MLS no matter what happens in the promotion match. I do wonder if Tenerife and Shaq’s position would change if they win and get the promotion to LaLiga. Do they feel Shaq could help at that level? Shaq may never get another chance to test himself at that level. We’ve seen how tough it is as a bottom level club in a top competition. I don’t feel strongly either way. I do think Shaq is still in the mix for a World Cup spot after underwhelming performances in the June window by Reggie Cannon, DeAndre Yedlin and Joe Scally, so a summer transfer to the MLS where he can show what he can do might be the best move for him. 

DM, Tyler Adams, RB Leipzig

Tyler’s playing time took a significant dip when Tedesco took over midseason and pivoted to a more composed, possession based system. Many think Tyler should move on where he is more likely to be an every day starter. I agree, but his place on the USMNT is not in question, so I’d prefer he stayed at Leipzig, try to boost his stock at the World Cup, and then move in the winter. It’s also not the worst thing that Leipzig need him to be better in ball progression to get more time, that is where he needs to develop. As of now, Tyler has been linked to Leeds United and Sevilla. I really like the Sevilla option. 

CM, Weston McKennie, Juventus FC

Juventus is about to sign Paul Pogba, does that mean Weston is on his way out? Not necessarily, though there has been off and on reported interest from Champions League bound, Tottenham. Wes was in the midst of the season of his career before his leg injury. I’d like to see Wes stay with Juventus and play alongside Pogba. That midfield would be fun as hell and I trust Wes to fight and win minutes no matter who is there. 

WING, Christian Pulisic, Chelsea FC

I do not enjoy Chelsea fans as much as the next guy or gal, but they are a top club and I do not prioritize Pulisic being an every match starter. I prefer the load management he gets at a super club like Chelsea. Would I be upset if he want to say, Liverpool, absolutely not. Anytime you can play for a manager like Klopp, you do it, but if Pulisic does stay at Chelsea through to the winter window, I would be fine with it. 

WING, Konrad de la Fuente, Olympique Marseille

Konrad has immense talent, but does Konrad have the drive to be great? I have no idea, but he had an up and down first season as a consistent senior player and there were reports of a lack of work ethic and desire. Marseille will be in the Champions League next year and I would prefer Konrad work his tail off to get back in the rotation at the club that gave him his first big chance. 

ST, Haji Wright, Antalyaspor

Haji’s successful loan ends with Antalyaspor at the end of June at which point he will return to SönderjyskE, but that is almost certainly temporary. Antalyaspor will certainly be interested in retaining Haji’s services on a permanent move, but there will likely be competition. It’s been reported that one of the biggest clubs in Turkey, Galatasaray, has interest and will likely drive the price up. I would love to see Haji return to Antalyaspor and build off of a career year with one of the more promising young managers in Europe, Nuri Sahin. 

 

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Club News

Luca de la Torre

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In 2021, many USMNT players have upped their game to where every camp roster can be seen has having anywhere between 5 and almost a dozen “snubs” (depending on how mad online you get). One such player that has upped their game in my eyes has been Luca de la Torre. As someone who watches a lot of Heracles Almelo over the past 2 seasons, I think he has shown a skillset that could contribute to the USMNT either off the bench or as a rotational starter. Some might ask “Really? Heracles? You watch that club?” and the answer is yes. I think it started with about a month’s stretch of matches where there wasn’t a “top five league” USMNT pool player with a match the same time as Heracles, so I tuned in and kept tuning in.

RECENT HISTORY AND POSITION CHANGE

I’m always going to be perplexed why there wasn’t more hype around Luca post-2017 u20 World Cup. 1 goal and 4 assists (legit assists, too) are good numbers. Remember all the hype Josh Sargent had during that u20 WC? Luca assisted half of his goals. But there was no loan in the works or seemingly no interest of a transfer, just back to the Fulham reserves with an occasional cup appearance. He had small injuries here and there, but it feels like Fulham either didn’t take care of him or his agent told him to stay put. This isn’t a shot at the club as a whole, because some excellent players have come from there. But this specific situation doesn’t feel like either one of the parties did as much as they could.

He showed up to Heracles Almelo on a free transfer as a winger in the summer of 2020 after his Fulham deal ran down, but manager Frank Wormuth (former German u20 coach and DFB Head of Coach’s Education courses for 10 years) quickly decided his future was as an 8 and worked with him to catch him up to the level needed. He started lining up as an 8 around December 2020 and had positive outcomes. Some work was needed defensively, but the on-the-ball and in-possession things were clicking immediately.

RETURN TO THE USMNT AND TURNING DOWN THE GOLD CUP

His work did not go unnoticed. He received a callup from Gregg Berhalter to the March 2021 USMNT camp and looked very good in both substitute appearances. The calls for a look in the summer got louder but club commitments made things complex.

Heracles started preseason *very* early. One of the earliest in all of Europe. They played a dozen preseason matches. If Luca went to the CONCACAF Nations League, he would’ve had a 15-day offseason after the Costa Rica match instead of a 5-week offseason. Going to the Gold Cup meant he would’ve missed the majority of Heracles’ preseason and potentially lost his spot in the starting XI. I don’t think it would’ve happened, but the only opinion that matters here is Wormuth’s and he’s very particular about certain details for his team.

HERACLES’ CURRENT SEASON

The preseason for Heracles didn’t start well as they lost their center back captain to crosstown rival FC Twente. When asked, Wormuth bluntly said “They could pay him more and we could not.” A 4-3-3 against PSV on opening day resulted in a 2-0 loss. Wormuth quickly switched to a 4-2-3-1 and it started to look better. Had some good results early, but the team has had mostly bad luck and poor finishing since their draw against Ajax.

Leading attacker Rai Vloet was suspended by the club while under police investigation for being involved in an alcohol-related car crash (where a 4-year-old died). He was reinstated on January 10th with the investigation still ongoing. 2nd best attacker Ismail Azzaoui tore his ACL for the third time and is out for the season. And Delano Burgzorg, who is a very-frustrating player to watch but is still their leading scorer, is out “until early 2022”. That’s a lot of goals (22) from last season that have been unavailable.

LUCA’S CURRENT SEASON

We are one match over the halfway point in the Eredivisie season, so it would be a good time to evaluate Luca de la Torre’s performance so far.

On matchday 1 he played what looked to be a “rotating 6” with Kiomourtzolgu in a 4-3-3 and it didn’t go well. Heracles were without their best defender, Marco Rente, and had to play their true 6, Lucas Schoofs, at CB. Not optimal when playing PSV in your first match. But over the course of the season, he’s typically played in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. However, he has recently been the “10” for the club through multiple attacking injuries. His style is one of progressing the ball quickly to the wingers/strikers or combine with the fullbacks when the play has slowed down. There are many passes I’ve seen him give to left back Giacomo Quagliata and thought “that would be a money pass to Antonee Robinson” as many of those passes have put an overlapping fullback into a good position of attack. Recently, a long switch to LB Quagliata and back heel to RB Fadiga in the match vs. Groningen are great examples of Luca making passes that put players in positions of strength.

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As far as *who* he has completed the most passes to, Quagliata and Fadiga are #1 and #3 on the list with CB Knoester at #2 The passes to Knoester are usually to either reset a possession or a quick switch. The left-footed Knoester is one of the better ball-progressing CBs in the league, so it’s rarely a pointless back pass from de la Torre. He does well to position himself as cover when the fullbacks are released, especially on the left side.

For a box-to-box player, the numbers are all there. High number of duels, dribbles, and has a lot of distance covered.

Current Eredivisie rank:

Duels won – 21st with 97 (10th among midfielders)

Dribbles completed – 9th with 31 (73.8%), 2nd in % completed among those w/ 30+ attempts.

Distance covered – 2nd with 209 kilometers while playing the lowest number of minutes of anyone in the top 10 (Note: the distance data from the Cambuur match hasn’t been added yet).

Pass completion in opponent’s half (min. 500 total passes) – 7th at 84% and is the first player not from the top 3 of PSV, Ajax, or Feyenoord.

MORE STATS

Now to really get in the weeds, he has an Open Play xA of 1.64 (ranks 42nd and leads Heracles) and has an xT (Expected Threat) of 1.01 (ranks 77th). Considering his team, good numbers, not great.

However, his xT Through Carries is 0.46, which is 34th in the Eredivisie and above players such as Steven Berghuis, Albert Gudmundsson, Joey Veerman, Frankie Midstjo, and Riechedley Bazoer. He is one of the better midfielders at progressing the ball through carries in the league.

The question I hear most is “If he’s so good, why doesn’t he have any assists?” I made a YouTube video that gives a bit of an answer to that question while showing other things.

Stat site Soccerment gives his overall passing performance a score of 60. Which is good enough for 8th in the Eredivisie. It comes with 8 factors:

Passes own half p90, Pass accuracy own half, Passes opp. half p90, Pass accuracy opp. Half, Long passes p90, Long pass accuracy, Forward passes %, Possession losses p90

This is some good Eredivisie company for a player in the bottom half of the table to be in.

BALL PROGRESSION

His ball progression is impressive in both the eye test and the statistical analysis. Thanks to Robin Wilhelmus, he’s attempted 156 progressive passes with 138 completed (88.5%). Only two of those were in his defensive third. That’s 8.19 progressive passes in the middle and final thirds per 90. Here’s how that number compares among other USMNT midfielders:

de la Torre – 8.19

Acosta – 5.13

Adams – 4.12

Lletget – 3.79

Roldan – 3.66

Busio – 2.67

McKennie – 2.50

Note: The data for Luca is from a Dutch stat site and the other players data is pulled from fbref which doesn’t count the defensive 2/5th of the field. Luca’s numbers don’t count the defensive 1/3, so there’s a 6-7% difference in counting progressive passes via field positioning. It’s not a perfect comparison but it’s the best I can do with the resources I have.

He’s also had 43 progressive runs so far, which is 2.6 progressive runs per 90. He’s had 113 passes or carries into the attacking third in 17 matches, or he gets the ball into the attacking third 6.8 times per match.

So that’s a combined total of 199 progressive runs and attempted progressive passes in 17 matches.

He’s known as a dynamic, ball-progressing 8, but he’s also able to ride out windows of pressure from the other team and defend space or even straight up man mark a player. In the match against Ajax, Berghuis had trouble getting the ball in the right middle third and it’s no coincidence Luca’s role was as the left-sided pivot.

He’s also extremely effective at pressing. He has 388 pressures, which is 23.4 per 90 and he ranks in the 90th percentile in the Eredivisie in pressure regains.

I just gave a lot of numbers because the eye test shows he’s having a good season and the numbers more than back it up.

He’s given away two penalties this season. The one against NEC Nijmegen was not good. Giveaway and untimely/freak-out tackle while down a goal and a man. The one against Vitesse? The more I watch it, the more I’m surprised the official called it. In re-watching the whole match, the official let a lot of physical play go in the 1st half (with an outright shove on Luca by Bazoer) yet called a soft hand from behind on the shoulder in the 18. On one hand, you can’t give attackers the chance to go down, yet the call didn’t go with the tone the official set both before and after the penalty.

As far as Heracles goes

They’ve been very unfortunate with injuries, but even when healthy they’ve had trouble simply putting the ball in the net. The most recent match v. Cambuur is their season in a nutshell. 3.52 xG for Heracles vs. 0.44 xG for Cambuur and it ended in a 1-1 draw.

In matches against Vitesse, Heerenveen, PEC Zwolle, Sparta Rotterdam, and Go Ahead Eagles, they earned 1 point. Why is that significant? Heracles’ xG for those matches is 5.61 to their opponents’ 5.39. While it’s a somewhat small sample size for xG, the fact they have just 1 point and couldn’t snatch a win at some point shows their performance in front of goal.

The 2nd half of the season will be interesting to watch. He’s one of Heracles’ top performers (CB Rente being the other). There have been pundits taking notice of what he can bring and there’s a feeling he’s on the radar of most Eredivisie clubs.

Heracles have an option for another year, but in the Eredivisie that would mean a 25% salary increase. Heracles supporters think it will happen and want it to happen. I do think he will be valued as long as he’s there. When Heracles lost to the nine men of Go Ahead Eagles 4-2, that was the only match Luca did not play in because of traveling back from the US. After the game, Wormuth said “We did not look like a real team in the last 15 minutes.” The fact Luca was not available 100% factored into that statement being made.

SO…WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE USMNT?

First, I’m not going to turn this into being “anti-This Player”. There are a lot of players who haven’t played particularly well for the USMNT that still get paid a lot of money to play soccer as their job. They make more money in one year than I do in five years. I view that as an overall success in life. Now that I’ve said that…

I personally think Luca can do a job better than other players who’ve had well over 1k minutes in the Berhalter era and for that, I’m disappointed he only has 13 WCQ minutes. I think going forward he should be in the WCQ group (hopefully as early as January). I think he would be a great off-the-bench option if midfield ball progression isn’t happening with the starters. Even if he doesn’t do anything that wows the crowd, he’s fairly ball secure and usually keeps the play moving within 3 touches. And he knows some of the core from the CONCACAF grind of the u17 and u20 level. He spent time in u17 residency with Pulisic, Adams, and McKennie. Familiarity is already there.

He’s also shown he’s fine defensively. 6.87 tackles, interceptions, and passes blocked per 90. He’s much better at off-the-ball positioning to make the ball go elsewhere this season, too. When he wins the ball, he does so in a way that either gets it up the field quickly or gets it to the LCB so he can start the possession.

If you asked for one sentence why Luca de la Torre should be in the WCQ picture moving forward, it would be: “A ground-covering 8 that constantly looks for quick progressive passes to overlapping fullbacks.”

Strengths

  • Plays quickly
  • Combines with fullbacks well
  • Covers lot of ground; Called “Superfit” among TV pundits in the Netherlands
  • Can hold the ball until a progressive opening develops
  • Can do a job defensively and in the press

Weaknesses

  • Finishing
  • Can be “too safe” w/ passing in the opening 10-15 minutes
  • Struggles in duels against players much larger than him
  • Rarely defends set pieces, usually in a one or two-man wall or cleans up outside the 18 on corners

 

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find Eredivisie stats since they are harder to find than the top 5 leagues. The original idea of this article is to help those USMNT supporters that don’t watch Heracles Almelo weekly. And since the Venn Diagram of USMNT supporters and Heracles supporters is basically two separate circles except for me, I figure I’d get to writing. Thank you @lambertsmarc, @RobinWilhelmus, @JohnSpaceMuller, and @CarlonCarpenter for all their help with statistical data and how I can/should interpret it.

 

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