Welcome to the American Youth Soccer Media Survey!
13 analysts were tasked with the following task: Rank the top 10 players in each age from ‘01-’09. Points would be awarded on a scale of 10-1. 10 points for 1st place, 9 for 2nd place, 8 for 3rd place, 7 for 4th place, and so on. Each analyst contributed to assessing as many age groups as they felt knowledgeable for. The age groups that each analyst contributed for are listed below. The total points were tallied up for a composite ranking. The goal of this is to give a “combined rankings” of the media, yet to also show where opinions diverge from analyst to analyst.
For ties, the first tiebreaker was how high the “high” vote for the tied player was, and if still tied, the second tiebreaker was how many of that “high” vote players had. There wasn’t a need for a third tiebreaker.
The following players were deemed ineligible to be ranked having been provisionally cap-tied to another nation: Luca Koleosho, Devan Tanton, Noel Buck, Adrian Pelayo, Cole Campbell, Fidel Barajas, Alejandro Granados, and Christian McFarlane, along with plenty of others who are provisionally cap-tied to another nation.
Analysts were asked to give some quotes to explain their views. Not all did so, but roughly half did, and their quotes will help you understand how the results ended up being what they were.
The highest ranked player in 2001 was unanimous: Folarin Balogun.
As one analyst put it: “I selected Balogun as a 2026er in the 2019 Scuffed Future Draft for all the same reasons the USMNT recruited him so heavily post-COVID – his talent is simply undeniable and has been for quite some time. Balogun is the type of striker the American development system simply doesn’t produce, complete footballers with positional intelligence.”
Put another: “Unquestionably the number 1 here”
The vote for second place was very close with Johnny Cardoso beating out Taylor Booth by one point.
The case for Cardoso: “If it wasn’t for Balogun committing to the US, Johnny would be the #1 player in his year group. People are still getting used to him because they don’t watch Brasileiro, but we have seen what he can do for us so far this year. A bright future for Johnny and keep in mind, Brazil was looking at him before he was cap-tied.”
The case for Booth: “Very versatile and dynamic player. Been one of the top 01’s for like 7 or 8 years.”
The fourth player who made all ballots was Bryan Reynolds. He placed no higher than 3rd yet no lower than 6th. All the analysts saw him in a similar range.
Summed up one analyst: “All the tools in the world but he switched to right back relatively late and still is undergoing some growing pains as a result. He is beginning to really put it all together, but faces stiff competition for the USMNT RB spot.”
One player that had some volatility in how the analysts viewed him was Konrad de la Fuente. He only made 7 of the 13 ballots, but 2 of the ballots had him in the top 4.
One of his proponents sold him this way: “One of the most, if not the most, promising player in this year before his move to Marseille. He has had a difficult time since that 1st season ended with Marseille where he may never live up to the hype, but if can sort things out, he can be a top LW option for the future.”
2002 (13 ballots):
1. Gio Reyna: 129
2. Yunus Musah: 117
3. Malik Tillman: 102
4. Joe Scally: 90
5. John Tolkin: 58
6. Ted Ku-DiPietro: 52
7. Kristoffer Lund: 50
8. Gianluca Busio: 45
9. Bernard Kamungo: 29
10. Damian Las: 14
11. Max Dietz: 6
12. Nico Carrera: 5
13. Agustin Anello: 4
14. Josh Atencio: 3
15. Jonathan Tomkinson: 2
T16. George Bello: 1
T16. Peter Stroud: 1
T16. Julian Gaines: 1
It was nearly unanimous for Gio Reyna. 12 of 13 ballots had him #1. 1 ballot didn’t.
The analyst who didn’t said: “Controversial opinion, Musah over Reyna. Will get 100+ caps without major off-field/injury questions. Can’t question Reyna’s ability. We don’t produce many as good. For various reasons, can he be trusted long-term?”
The many Reyna proponents had this to say: “Another unquestioned #1 and the highest ceiling in our national team pool currently.”
“Most talented player the U.S. has ever produced to this point, full stop.”
“The player with the highest ceiling of all the players right now. Injuries have sadly limited his minutes, but whenever he plays, he is one of the best if not the best player on the pitch.”
The other four player to be on every ballot were Malik Tillman, Joe Scally, John Tolkin, and Kristoffer Lund. The analysts had the following to say about them.
Tillman: “Has beaten out Saibari at PSV as a loanee. That should tell you what the coach sees in him.
Scally: “He’ll get 100+ caps without ever being one of our 5 best players. He’s reliable. I’ll take it.”
Tolkin: “The question with Tolkin was always if he’d be able to hold his own on the defensive side of the game. Tolkin spend 2021 and 2022 proving he could before exploding as an offensive contributor for the Red Bulls in 2023. The Red Bulls won’t let him go cheap.”
Lund: “After just a few matches, he has become a starter for Palermo, who are in position for promotion to the Serie A. He has looked good so far in the 2 matches for the US, best so far for the #2 LB spot. Only time will tell if he retains that spot, goes up to #1, or falls down.”
2003 (13 ballots):
1. Ricardo Pepi: 130
2. Kevin Paredes: 99
3. Paxten Aaronson: 88
4. Brian Gutierrez: 82
5. Jalen Neal: 75
6. Jack McGlynn: 61
7. Jonathan Gomez: 47
8. Diego Luna: 47
9. Alex Alvarado: 28
10. Cade Cowell: 24
11. Justin Che: 13
12. Daniel Edelman: 8
13. Caden Clark: 6
14. Dante Sealy: 5
15. Danny Leyva: 3
Ricardo Pepi got first place votes from every voter in the 2003 category. One of only 3 to be the unanimous 1st place in their age group.
Put one analyst: “Best ‘03 by some distance.”
Kevin Paredes got second place. He made every ballot, was 2nd on seven ballots, and wasn’t lower than 7th on any of them.
Said one analyst: “Technically good enough, but needs to match his competitors physically. Ceiling just as high as anyone in the pool.”
Paxten Aaronson got third place. He also made every ballot. He placed no higher than 3rd, but no lower than 8th.
One analyst stated: “Already showing more promise than his older brother, but he does need to bulk up if he wants to improve his game. We might see a situation where Paxten makes it on the 2026 World Cup roster and not Brenden.”
Brian Gutierrez finished 4th. He placed on 12 of 13 ballots, and had two votes for 2nd place.
One analyst was a huge fan: “One of my favorite MLS guys to watch and an absolute mystery as to why he’s still in MLS. A European move should be coming.”
2004 (12 ballots):
1. Chris Brady: 106
2. Gaga Slonina: 94
3. Caleb Wiley: 87
4. Rokas Pukstas: 86
5. Brandan Craig: 51
6. Owen Wolff: 41
7. Noah Allen: 37
8. Antonio Carrera: 35
9. Quinn Sullivan: 25
10. Alex Freeman: 22
11. Zach Booth: 18
12. Damion Downs: 17
13. Darren Yapi: 14
14. Jackson Hopkins: 7
15. Jack Panayotou: 7
16. Kobi Henry: 4
17. Korede Osundina: 4
18. Cody Baker: 3
19. Thomas Williams: 2
20. Joel Imasuen: 1
Chris Brady finished in 1st place. He placed on all 12 ballots, was 1st on 6 of them, and no lower than 5th on any.
One analyst was very enthused about Brady’s potential: “His upside is as high as any young American. Not unreasonable he’s a top 10 Goalkeeper in the world eventually.”
Another who was just as enthusiastic said: Best goalkeeper in the pipeline, dramatically underrated at this point. One of the better goalkeepers in MLS, and should be close to the senior National Team picture.
However, not everyone agreed Brady was the best ‘04, let alone the best GK in the age group. Finishing second was Gaga Slonina. He placed on every ballot, had three first place votes, and finished no lower than 8th.
Said one analyst who ranked him first: “Our highest-rated GK in the youth pool and perhaps the one to succeed Tim Howard. He does have great competition in Diego Kochen. The race for the future #1 GK for the USMNT will be exciting.”
Placing in third was Caleb Wiley. He placed on 11 of 12 ballots, including one first place vote.
Put one analyst about Wiley: “Look, his defense is a major work in progress, but he’s very athletic and has technical quality.”
The last to place on all ballots in this age group who placed on all 12 ballots was Rokas Pukstas. He placed no lower than 9th on any, had a first place vote, and overall finished 4th.
His first place voter stated: “I believe he stands a shot of making our 2026 World Cup roster as a midfielder. That’s how high I am on this kid’s potential.” Another high on him stated: “Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Pukstas flashes fearlessness and crafty play from the 8 that reminds me of a young Weston McKennie. A strong second half to his year at Hajduk Split and Pukstas should have plenty of suitors in bigger leagues.”
Two players who had some big proponents, although not everyone, were Brandan Craig and Alex Freeman. Each had a second place vote, although they only finished 5th and 10th respectively.
One analyst on Craig: “Passing is a difference maker. Very good defender. Just needs his chance in MLS.
One analyst on Freeman: “Amazing athlete and he’s technical. He has so much potential. Can do things going forward at RB no other American fullback can.”
2005 (12 ballots):
1. Benja Cremaschi: 97
2. Josh Wynder: 84
3. Obed Vargas: 82
4. Reed Baker-Whiting: 79
5. Esmir Bajraktarevic: 71
6. Kristian Fletcher: 56
7. Niko Tsakiris: 55
8. Rodrigo Neri: 39
9. Serge Ngoma: 25
T10. Marcos Zambrano: 9
T10. Grayson Dettoni: 9
12. Miggy Perez: 9
13. Brooklyn Raines: 7
14. Brandon Marshall: 6
15. Nolan Norris: 6
16. Santiago Suarez: 5
T17. Gavin Beavers: 3
T17. Emi Ochoa: 3
19. Wyatt Nelson: 2
20. Sergio Oregel: 1
21. Chris Thaggard: 1
Finishing first was Benja Cremaschi. He placed on every ballot, had 5 first place votes, and was no lower 7th on any ballot.
Said one of his first place voters: “The first touch is rough, but man can he play. Work rate and off-ball-movement is special.”
2nd through 4th was extremely close, separated by only 5 total points. Josh Wynder finished second. He placed on every ballot, including two first place votes, and placed no lower than 7th on any ballot.
Said one of his first place voters: ““Doing well in Benfica from the games I’ve seen. Just awaiting his opportunity with the first team, which will come eventually.”
Obed Vargas finished third. He had 3 first place votes, and was no lower than 9th on any ballot.
One of his first place voters made the case for him as the best ‘05: “One of the highest, if not the highest-rated 8 the US has for a U20 player. He can become a very important player for the US. The only thing stopping us from having him for the senior team is Mexico.”
Finishing fourth was Baker-Whiting.
Said one analyst high on Baker-Whiting: “A two footed outside back with the strength to muscle off veteran players and the skill to play devastating crosses. It’s no wonder he’s watched from Europe.”
The last 2005 to place on all ballots was Kristian Fletcher. While he placed no higher than 3rd on any ballot, all analyst were fans of him.
Said one: “We have so few quality wingers. He’s one of the better ones.
Another player that had a few big proponents was Serge Ngoma.
Said one: “Has looked bright but injuries held him back in 2023.
Said another: Athleticism and a sneaky good right foot. That’s Ngoma’s game in a nutshell and like is the case with Cade Cowell, it’s often enough to cause nightmares for MLS defenders. He’ll have to round out his game to get into the Men’s National Team picture.”
2006 (11 ballots):
1. Pedro Soma: 104
2. Diego Kochen: 95
3. Keyrol Figueroa: 65
4. Noahkai Banks: 61
5. Matai Akinmboni: 60
6. CJ Olney: 42
7. Matthew Corcoran: 31
8. Adrian Gill: 22
9. Taha Habroune: 21
10. Oscar Verhoeven: 14
11. Owen Presthus: 9
12. Cruz Medina: 11
13. Aiden Harangi: 9
14. Byce Jamison: 9
15. Jude Wellings: 7
16. David Vazquez: 6
T17. Chris Aquino: 5
T17. Adem Sipic: 5
T19. Dylan Borso: 5
20. Tyler Hall: 4
T21. Shakir Nixon: 3
T21. Julian Eyestone: 3
T21. Paulo Rudisill: 3
T24. Micah Burton: 1
T24. Tahir Reid-Brown: 1
T24. Bajung Darboe: 1
T24. Lalito Moreno: 1
Finishing 1st in 2006 was Pedro Soma. He was the only player in the 2006 age group to place on every ballot. 5 ballots had him 1st, and 6 had him 2nd. The other player garnering first place votes was Diego Kochen. He also got 6 place votes, yet he was 3rd on one ballot, and left off another altogether.
Third place through fifth place was very close. Keyrol Figueroa finished 3rd. Other than Soma and Kochen, he was the only player to get a 2nd place vote. He was however left off two ballots. CB’s Noahkai Banks and Matai Akinmboni and Noahkai Banks finished a point apart, with Banks edging it. Both were featured on 10 of 11 ballots, and had a high finish of 3rd.
2007 (8 ballots):
1. Peyton Miller: 60
2. Caden Glover: 59
3. Nate Worth: 50
4. Santi Morales: 27
5. Axel Perez: 24
6. Adyn Torres: 22
7. Axel Kei: 17
8. Justin Ellis: 12
9. Zack Campagnolo: 12
10. Zavier Gozo: 11
11. Kyrome Lumsden: 10
12. Neil Pierre: 9
13. Ben Manfroy: 7
14. Nelson Hernandez: 6
15. Jonathan Shore: 6
T16. Brady Boulanger: 5
T16. Ruben Ramos: 5
17. Davi Alexandre: 5
T18. Luis Rivera: 4
T18. Drew Baiera: 4
T21. Stiven Jimenez: 3
T21. Zeke Soto: 3
T23. Gavin Turner: 2
We had a very close race for first place. Peyton Miller and Caden Glover finished one point apart. Miller placed on all ballots, had 3 first place votes, and a low of 8th place. Glover also placed on all eight ballots, with a low of 6th and 1 first vote.
Close behind them in 3rd place was Nate Worth. He was placed on 7 of 8 ballots, and had two 2nd place votes.
Interestingly, Justin Ellis was able to finish in 8th place from only placing on two of eight ballots. That’s because those analysts placed him 3rd and 7th.
2008 (6 ballots):
1. Maximo Carrizo: 54
2. Nimfasha Berchimas: 53
3. Jude Terry: 41
4. Julian Hall: 40
5. Luca Moisa: 21
6. Jamir Johnson: 21
7. Ramiz Hamouda: 17
8. DeCarlo Guerra: 17
9. Jack Mize: 17
10. Pedro Guimaraes: 15
11. Chris Cupps: 11
12. Gio Villa: 7
T13. Tanner Rosborough: 3
T13. Camron Estala: 3
14. Aidan Stokes: 3
T15. Tanner Adams: 2
T15. Ollie Tan: 2
17. Dylan Judelson: 2
18. Isaac Tortola: 1
First place in 2008 went to Maximo Carrizo. He placed on all 6 ballots, including two first place votes. No ballot had him lower than 3rd.
Second place in 2008 went to Nimfasha Berchimas. He only finished one point behind Carrizo. He placed first on 4 ballots, was featured on every ballot, and had a low placing of 6th.
Third place went to Jude Terry. He had a second place vote, and no ballot had him lower than 7th.
Fourth place went to Julian Hall. He placed on 5 of 6 ballots, and had two second place votes.
Finishing fifth was Luca Moisa, in a tiebreaker over Jamir Johnson. Moisa placed on 4 of 6 ballots, and had a high finish of 2nd place. Johnson placed on 4 of 6 ballots, and a high finish of 5th place.
2009 (4 ballots):
1. Cavan Sullivan: 40
2. KK Spivey: 33
3. Linkon Ream: 27
4. Omar Hassan: 21
5. Adri Mehmeti: 20
6. Chelo Avalos: 19
7. Mathis Albert: 16
8. Ethan Degny: 9
9. Tobias Szewczyk: 6
10. Nick Morella: 6
T11. Javier Martinez: 4
T11. Warren Boyce: 4
T13. Van Parker: 3
T13. Peter Molinari: 3
T13. Daniel Wright: 3
T17. Tyson Espy: 2
T17. Jakob Garcia: 2
T19. Duncan Green: 1
T19. August Nystrom: 1
Cavan Sullivan joined Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi as the only players to win their age group unanimously. Sullivan placed first on all four ballots for 2009.
Second place was KK Spivey. He finished second on three of four ballots, and 5th on the other.
Linkon Ream finished third. He finished 3rd on three of four ballots, and 8th on the other.
Fourth through sixth was separated by two points. Omar Hassan finished fourth. He placed on all four ballots. He placed no higher than 4th, but no lower than 9th. Adri Mehmeti finished fifth. He placed on only three of the four ballots, but that included a second place vote. Sixth place was Chelo Avalos. He placed on only three of the four ballots, but that included a 3rd and a 4th place vote.
The following players made every ballot sent in for their age group: Balogun, Johnny, Booth, Reynolds, Reyna, Musah, Scally, Tillman, Tolkin, Lund, Pepi, Paredes, Aaronson, Brady, Slonina, Pukstas, Cremaschi, Vargas, Wynder, Baker-Whiting, Fletcher, Soma, Miller, Glover, Carrizo, Berchimas, Terry, Sullivan, Spivey, Ream
Highest Ranked Per Vote: This shows how high each player was ranked per vote for their age group. Of course, the initial comparison was to players in their own age group, not to players in any age group, yet it does give you an idea, on average, of who the absolute highest-rated players were. There was a statistical tie for the first two players, but the rest where tied tiebreakers were capable of breaking the tie.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.
Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.
Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?
Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps
U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.
Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps
Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.
Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps
Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.
Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps
One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.
Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps
Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.
Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps
U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.
Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps
Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.
Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps
Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.
Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps
Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance.
The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.
It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Header_NextGen
With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.
There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT.
Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.
Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.
It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle.
The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.
Mathis Albert-17-Winger
Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback
Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger
Zavier Gozo-19-Winger
Julian Hall-18-Winger
Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker
Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder
Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger
Neil Pierre-18-Centerback
Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder
Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.
CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.
“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”
New Challenge in Mexico
As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.
“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”
“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”
The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.
“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”
“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”
Back in the U.S.
The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.
“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”
Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.
“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”
USYNT Hero
Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.
In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.
“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”
“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”
On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.
“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”
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