Club News

Bert’s 10 Biggest 2019 Snubs

Published

6 years ago

December 4, 2019

Beyond The Groupies: The 10 Biggest USMNT Snubs In 2019

As a USMNT fan, listening to Greg Berhalter (Bert) constantly refer to his core players as “The Group” is like hearing the pompous popular kid in high school brag about his social exploits with his “bros.” Infuriating!

We need not mention the indefensible number of minutes that so many unqualified players received in the dismal first year of his tenure, as that hymn has been sung widely and loudly. In fact, rather than mock, let’s embrace this new group with an endearing moniker. Since Bert uses the term “The Group” so frequently, henceforth the core members of this inner circle will be called…..wait for it…..Groupies!

But this piece will not focus on them, but rather the snubs. Specifically, who were the 10 most slighted players under Gregg Berhalter in 2019? Let’s have a look.

1. Duane Holmes, CM, Derby County. The most shocking omission of the fall roster by a wide margin is the creative, dynamic midfielder making his trade in the English Championship. Last spring, Holmes was Derby County’s second highest-rated player on WhoScored behind only Mason Mount, who – BTW – is now starting for both Chelsea and England.

Holmes then donned the shirt in a pre-Gold Cup tryout camp and provided the only display of riveting soccer through his 20-minute cameo in the abysmal 1-0 loss to Jamaica. An injury kept him out of the Gold Cup, but his resurgence for Derby this fall should have assured his spot for what – now in hindsight – was an important match in Toronto against Canada in the Nations League. Instead, Groupie idol Christian Roldan got another call-up and almost secured his first-ever USMNT assist…..for Canada. (Since Bert is not counting, we will: that’s 19 USMNT appearances for Roldan as an attacking midfielder, with no goals or assists. Zero.)

Bert had the opportunity to redeem himself in the follow-up home Canada fixture. But another Groupie, Sebastian Lleget, was deputized instead. In his defense, Lleget played well but does not offer the attacking capabilities that Holmes does.

Most worrying about this snub is that Camp Cupcake is up next, where neither Holmes nor any European-based players will be able to compete against the MLS contingent. Since he has not yet established himself as a Groupie, come spring time Holmes’s roster spot will likely fall behind (insert the name of a mediocre MLS attacking mid who has a strong January showing against an Antiguan B Team). Depressing.

2. Antonee Robinson, LB, Wigan. Robinson’s casting-out might be the most infuriating because Berhalter Apologists plainly manufacture new reasons for boxing him out. With the unveiling of the now-abandoned “inverted right back” role in the spring, the Apologists said we simply needed a stay-at-home LB, not one with Robinson’s attacking assets and undisciplined defense. So the 27-year-old, never-capped Daniel Lovitz would suit just fine.

Next, in a pre-GC friendly against Jamaica, when he was half-heartedly thrust into a 3-5-2 formation that Bert had never – and has not since – employed, Robinson played very poorly. His detractors immediately cited this performance to keep him out of the conversation, ignoring the obvious, looming LB warning signs. They must have cringed in the GC final when Mexico changed their formation at halftime expressly to attack 31 y/o, slow-of-foot LB Tim Ream. (By this time, Lovitz had been promoted to “savior off the bench”/ “last attacking substitute” role for the GC Final. He did not play the part well, but whose fault is that?)

Most recently, the haters will point to Robinson’s subpar performance against a Canary Islands club team that was broadcast primarily on pirated cable. And that would be just silly. The match featured about two dozen disparate U-23 players from ~15 leagues that had practiced together for 2 days. (Oh, and their interim coach had already his full-time MLS tenure prior to the tournament.) Meanwhile, across the pond in Cuba, Bert’s System shifted its focus to attacking LB Lovitz, who bumbled forward and cantankerously quibbled with Cuban players as about 730 onlookers stared in bemusement.

This snub has become obnoxious. Robinson is and has been an absolute stud for Wigan and showed capably against Mexico, Colombia and Brazil in the USMNT shirt in 2018. Besides displacing Lovitz, Robinson should be looked-at for winger options, where neither Tyler Boyd or Paul Arriola has overwhelmed in 2019, and nor has Jordan Morris covered himself in glory against a non-Cuban opponent.

3. Richie Ledezma, CM, Jong PSV. Some might find his spot on this list too high, but if you watch him with any regularity, you see that his craft is unparalleled in the current (or prior!) USMNT player pool. Any argument that it’s “too soon” or that he belongs in U-23 camps is nonsensical when you watch how poorly the senior team’s midfielders take opponents on, pivot off defenders, charge with the ball into open space, and hit inch-perfect passes to attacking teammates more than 10 yards away. Kind of….all the things Ledezma does really well!

Did we mention Mexico lingers?

If USMNT faithful felt anxious by Sergino Dest’s Netherlands courtship, buckle-up for El Tri’s media blitz on Ledezma as he gets his first-team PSV appearance, which is bound to be before the Olympic qualifying window. (Read: he will not be made eligible for Olympic qualifying by PSV.) Mexican media has already dubbed him “The Mexican Pulisic,” and regularly posts about his achievement on their social media platforms. He should have been in the Toronto squad, where he might have actually provided a reasonable justification for subbing-off Christian Pulisic after 60 minutes. And we would have ended the Mexican courtship.

4. Julian Green, CM, Greuther Furth. Some USMNT fans will not allow his name to be uttered simply due to his premature hype. But a strong series of run-outs under Dave Sarachan – he scored against France, for the love of the Crest! – and a Top 15 FotMob Player Rating in Bundesliga 2 surely should have earned him a look in the 30-man Gold Cup squad. (In fact, he was not even on the preliminary 40-man roster; Andrew Guttman, Marlon Fossey & Greg Garza were.) He could have been a more creative attacking mid or wing option, both of which he played in 2018 for USMNT against better teams than Mexico.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iq8g5GjYA8

His uneven performances mean he might never be a Groupie without a move to Bundesliga I, which he will have to earn, since it will not happen through a Furth promotion. If he does get there and earns minutes, Bert’s underperforming CM Groupies will be under enhanced pressure, as Bert has shown inclination to start guys playing in top five European leagues.

5. Ventura Alvarado, CB, Nexaca. I will confess to not having watched Alvarado much beyond compilation videos, but a lot of very talented evaluators, whose judgment I trust, have. Even those not intimate with his on-field acumen can see this much: the 27-year-old has captained Nexaca to consecutive Liga MX playoff appearances, and we have all seen how Liga MX clubs shred their MLS counterparts in CONCACAF Nations League matches.

To those that argue the CB spots on the senior team are settled, I will remind readers that Omar Gonzalez was a USMNT player on the 2019 Gold Cup team. That is pathetic; surely Alvarado deserved to be on the roster ahead of him, to say nothing of an aging, rigid Tim Ream or the technically flaccid Walker Zimmerman.

6. Cameron Carter-Vickers, CM, Stoke City. CCV is lower on this list than Alvarado, despite having higher upside, because he has not found his regular rhythm at club level; he goes in fits and starts. He does not look likely to break through at Tottenham’s first team, so the hope is that he can find a permanent transfer to another Premiership club. If he does, he has demonstrated a pattern of breaking into a new Starting XI after 3-5 games as a substitute, and then subsequently ripping off an impressive 7-10 game streak of starts.

If he can find a top table club where he can hone his trade – his passing is probably his most distinguishable attribute as a CB – at the highest-level each week, he should enjoy a long USMNT tenure. In the meantime, does he really belong behind Tim Ream? He is 11 years younger and has shown just as effectively in the same league.

7. Emmanuel Sabbi. Sabbi scores goals and can play multiple positions, but he is most suitable to supplant Everybody’s Least Favorite Groupie, Gyasi Zardes. OK, OK…not going to happen. But wouldn’t it be nice to see him compete with (say) a one-dimensional speedster and Gold Cup roster spot holder like Jonathan Lewis? After all, his scoring prowess from various spots on the field is unmatched by almost any USMNT player, regardless of league.

If you do not think he is good enough to supplant be 23-man roster Groupie, here is a revelation: the Danish SuperLiga does not play games in the month of January. Maybe Bert lets Corey Baird go surfing this year and gives Sabbi a look, along with other Scandinavians?

8. Fabian Johnson, LB/RB/Wing. Johnson is lower on this list than most would probably project because 1) I am unclear that he is even interested in returning, and 2) I am not convinced he has been that strong since Bert has been in charge. Perhaps I am too hasty to brush him under the rug with the likes of Eric Lichaj, Geoff Cameron, etc. as Ghosts of the Failed 2018 Run?

My personal biases aside, most supporters probably look-at Bert’s head-scratching inclusions like Corey Baird fume that options like Johnson are overlooked. I do not disagree, but I would be just as happy if Bert used a combination of versatile winger/FB options – Dest, Cannon, Yedlin, A. Robinson – rather than calling-in a 31-year-old who is not a starting option for his club when healthy.

9. Any Compelling Dual National Recruit, Anywhere. Bert has shown no inclination toward publicly recruiting dual nationals. The two cap-tying acquisitions that came in his first year were barely his doing: Tyler Boyd was on record publicly declining New Zealand call-ups for more than 18 months prior to his switch, while Sergino Dest’s loyalty to the US was cemented by a group of now-departed USYNT coaches.

Despite facing a pool with plenty of gaps, Bert does not seem to foster a competitive dynamic by courting “Passport Americans.” Some would justifiably argue that the available player pool of dual nationals is light, but surely there is a shocking coup somewhere in this stock. Would Efra have been able to ignore a senior team Gold Cup call-up? Could Kik Piere have been encouraged to join Sergino Dest’s presser in announcing his allegiance to the US? Could Jordan Siebatcheu have genuinely stated his intention to wait for a France call-up if US Soccer courted him on social media?

But we dream. With so many drab roster drops in Bert’s first year, the fan base’s fury can hardly extend to his lack of recruitment from outside the pool.

10. Matt Miazga, Reading FC. A player that made 90% of Bert’s rosters should hardly be on here, except that his exile came for arguably the most important games in the campaign: the last two. How could this omission be justified when Miazga’s club form was as strong as ever, and he played no part in the Toronto Debacle? Further, is there more fiery, competitive player in the pool that you would want in the lineup for a must-win game? (I will accept Weston McKennie as an answer, but not many other active players!)

Sadly, this baffling evaluation of player resources has frustrated USMNT fans all year, and there does not seem to be an end in sight with Bert at the helm. His January 2019 camp still looms too large, and with his 2020 session up shortly, we as fans are prepared for a new round of mediocre MLS talent that will become Groupies in 2020, at the expense of more deserving players that will make the team a better product.

At least we get to make another list like this next year!

Feel free to reach-out to the author on [email protected]

Honorable Mention: Darlington Nagbe, Andrija Novakovich, Andrew Wooten (spring), Josh Sargent through the Gold Cup, Romain Gall, Bobby Wood.

Club News

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

Published

3 months ago

June 13, 2025

Zach McCabe

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

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

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

LOUvOKC.Photographer: EM Dash Photography

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

Louisville City FC, LOUvPIT.Photographer: EM Dash Photography

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

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

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

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

Club News

American Transfers: Stock Up & Stock Down

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

Zach McCabe

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

Sergiño Dest & Malik Tillman to PSV- Stock Up

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

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

Santiago Castañeda to Paderborn- Stock Up

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

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

Paxten Aaronson to Utrecht- Stock Up

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

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

Caleb Wiley to Chelsea with loan to Strasbourg- Stock Up

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

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

Rodrigo Neri to Atlanta 2- Stock Down

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

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

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

Vaughn Covil to Las Vegas- Stock Down

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

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

Jonathan Gomez to PAOK- Stock Down

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

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

Aidan Morris to Middlesborough- Stock Up

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

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

Tanner Tessman to Lyon- Stock Up

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

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

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

Club News

Who’s a Keeper?

Published

1 year ago

August 21, 2024

Thomas Deschaine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USMNT Youth Goalkeepers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aging or Bridge Goalkeeper Options

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

Looking Ahead

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