USMNT
Everything you need to know: The FIFA U-20 World Cup
The long-awaited return of the U-20 World Cup is just a few days away, and after months of speculation, the tournament is finally set to go ahead in Argentina. The United States will be one of 24 teams vying to be crowned U-20 world champions, and to win a trophy that hasn’t been awarded since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite several key absences, Mikey Varas’ team is still considered one of the strongest ever sent to the tournament by the U.S., and they’ll be on a mission to make a statement to the rest of the world.
What is the U.S.’s history in the U-20 World Cup?
The U.S. has traditionally performed well at the U-20 level and has reached the quarterfinals of the last three editions in 2015, 2017, and 2019. The Americans have only missed qualification once since 1995, and since 1989, they’ve reached the knockout stages in 11 of the 13 editions of the competition. Their best finish was 4th place in 1989 led by Kasey Keller and Chris Henderson, and while they’ve consistently gone far in the tournament, that remains the only semifinal appearance for the U.S. in history.
Each of the last few U-20 cycles has produced at least a few senior national team players, and the majority of the current senior team played for the youth national teams at some point. Current USMNT players who shone at the U-20 World Cup in recent cycles include Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Weah (2019), Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent (2017), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Erik Palmer-Brown (2015 and 2017), Matt Miazga, Paul Arriola (2015), Zack Steffen, Kellyn Acosta (2013 and 2015), DeAndre Yedlin (2013), and Sean Johnson (2009).
Who will the U.S. face?
The U.S. was drawn as the top-seeded team in Group B alongside Ecuador, Fiji, and Slovakia. Naturally, Ecuador stands out as the biggest test among the group stage opponents; they were the team that knocked out the U.S. en route to a third-place finish in 2019, and boast one of the top young talent pools in the world. Slovakia will also prove a difficult test, having drawn the U.S. earlier this year and qualifying out of a crowded European region. Fiji, admittedly, should be a cakewalk; they qualified as the second-placed team in Oceania, who are granted two berths for competitions such as these.
All three of the U.S. group matches will be held at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario. The newly-renovated 25,000 seater stadium in San Juan, Argentina, has hosted a few big games in the past, including a 2022 World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Brazil. It is one of the four Argentine venues for the competition, with the others being at Estadio Único Diego Armando Maradona (La Plata), Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades (Santiago del Estero), and Estadio Malvinas Argentinas (Mendoza).
The tournament will be played between May 20th and June 11th.
Who is on the U.S. roster?
The full roster selected by coach Mikey Varas is listed below. All players born January 1st, 2003, and later were available for selection, barring those who are injured or were not released by their clubs:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 21-Alex Borto (Fulham/ENG; South Plainfield, N.J.; 2/0), 12-Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas; 4/0), 1-Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; Addison, Ill.; 5/0)
DEFENDERS (7): 17-Justin Che (Hoffenheim/GER; Dallas, Texas; 6/0), 5-Brandan Craig (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 10/1), 2-Mauricio Cuevas (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.; 13/1), 14-Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.; 11/0), 13-Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad/ESP; Keller, Texas; 6/0), 3-Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.; 5/0), 4-Joshua Wynder (Louisville City FC; Louisville, Ky.; 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): 6-Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls; Warren, N.J.; 10/0), 10-Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; Sunnyvale, Calif.; 16/4), 8-Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Middle Village, N.Y.; 16/2), 20-Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split/CRO; Stillwater, Okla.; 12/1), 15-Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.; 5/3), 18-Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC; Anchorage, Alaska; 4/0), 16-Owen Wolff (Austin FC; Austin, Texas; 3/1)
FORWARDS (4): 9-Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.; 7/2), 11-Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Va.; 6/2), 7-Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia, Pa.; 15/7), 19-Darren Yapi (Colorado Rapids; Denver, Colo.; 3/0)
Who won’t be there?
A point of controversy over the last few months has been the release of players for the U-20 World Cup. Several of the top players in the 2003/2004 age group were not permitted by their clubs to miss league games to go to the tournament.
The most notable absence, for this reason, is Brian Gutiérrez, who has had a breakout season for the Chicago Fire and has been their best attacking player so far in 2023. This tournament would have been a great opportunity for him to showcase himself on the global stage, but his importance to the club came first. Paxten Aaronson, who won the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship last year, was not released by Eintracht Frankfurt after earning numerous first team appearances this Spring. The third likely starter who wasn’t released was Jalen Neal, who would have been the team’s most experienced defender and most important center back.
A few other players won’t be there either. Ricardo Pepi is age-eligible but was not brought as he has graduated to the senior national team. CONCACAF Championship Golden Glove winner Chris Brady could have possibly pushed for the starting goalkeeper job, but as he is the starter in Chicago as well, he was not released. Noel Buck, an ‘05, was arguably a roster snub, as he is enjoying an excellent season with New England. Alex Alvarado didn’t make the cut after shining at the CONCACAF Championship. Caden Clark, Michael Halliday, Noah Allen, Thomas Williams, and Jackson Hopkins are some other players who have been involved previously during the cycle but didn’t make the final squad.
Kevin Paredes and Rokas Pukštas will both join the team late and arrive in time for the knockout stages. They were not released by their clubs, as Wolfsburg have key matches in the hunt for Europe, and Split has a Croatian Cup final. Cade Cowell is suspended for the first match due to a suspension picked up during a brawl at the CONCACAF Championship.
Who are the players to watch?
Despite a few key absences that lower the ceiling of this team, there are still several players who have very bright futures in front of them, and are certainly worth keeping an eye on during this tournament.
Gaga Slonina is the big blue-chip talent of this cycle. The Addison, Illinois native and Chicago Fire Academy product had a steller 2022 campaign in MLS, keeping 12 clean sheets, and earned a blockbuster $15 million transfer to English giants Chelsea. His game is very well-rounded, as he is competent with his feet in addition to his strong shot-stopping ability. While he has some areas to improve, particularly his decision-making, Gaga is well on his way to becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and could soon challenge to break into the senior USMNT.
Perhaps the most talented outfield player in this group is Kevin Paredes, who has already broken into top-half Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. Had some poorly-timed injuries not gotten in the way, there’s a very real shot that he would have made the 2022 senior team World Cup roster, and he was even close to making the Gold Cup roster as far back as 2021. The dynamic winger, who can play on either side or as a left back, will have the opportunity to showcase his excellent dribbling ability and clinicality in the final third if the U.S. advances to the knockout stages.
Left back is arguably the strongest position on the roster. Not only was Caleb Wiley released for the tournament by Atlanta United, but Jonathan Gómez is also a part of the group to head to Argentina. Wiley has had a phenomenal start to the season with Atlanta, breaking into their lineup and registering numerous goal contributions. After making his senior USMNT debut with a brief cameo against Mexico last month, he’ll be looking to raise his stock even further at the U-20 level, whether that be at left back or on the wing. Gómez’s momentum has slowed down over the last year and a half, but he is still a tremendously talented player, who will be very valuable for this group.
In addition to Slonina, Wiley, and Gómez, there is one other player with senior men’s national team appearances: Cade Cowell. The 19-year-old has had his ups and downs in his young career, but should still be a dangerous player at the U-20 level. His pace and athleticism bring something different to the U.S. attack, and he’s shown in friendlies that he can play on the international stage. His San Jose teammate, Niko Tsakiris, was a surprise inclusion since he was recovering from a long injury layoff. He was born in 2005, and is one of three players in the team playing up a cycle.
Joshua Wynder is one of them. The Benfica-bound Louisville City center back is America’s top defensive prospect at the moment, and he has forced his way into this team over the last few months. Breaking into a team two years up, especially as a center back, is not a small feat, and this World Cup will be a great opportunity for Wynder to showcase himself ahead of his European move. Obed Vargas, of the Seattle Sounders, is also only 17, and he just came back from a months-long back injury. Vargas, who was born in Anchorage, Alaska, is a great midfield talent who broke into the Sounders team over a year ago and helped them win the CONCACAF Champions League when he was just 16.
The Philadelphia Union trio of Brandan Craig, Jack McGlynn, and Quinn Sullivan are all likely starters. McGlynn in particular is worth keeping an eye on, as he has broken into Jim Curtin’s starting XI for an immensely talented Union team that reached MLS Cup last season. Roka Pukštas has improved leaps and bounds since the CONCACAF Championship last year, and is now a regular starter for Hajduk Split in Croatia; in this tournament, he’ll be playing for a move to a bigger European league, and there’s no doubt scouts from the top five leagues will be watching. One-time Bayern Munich loanee Justin Che returns to the group; he’ll likely play right back and will be hoping to get back on most peoples’ radars after failing to break in with Hoffenheim over the past twelve months. He still has the talent to be a top defender, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to prove it yet.
How will the U.S. line up?
Are there any players from other teams to keep an eye on?
Many countries had the same release issues that the U.S. had for this tournament; in fact, France had as many as 28 players blocked from participating. Nonetheless, several top prospects will be in Argentina this month.
One player the U.S. will have to contain will be Ecuador’s Kendry Páez. The 2007-born midfielder just celebrated his 16th birthday last week but is already a first team player for Independiente del Valle, and the teenage sensation has agreed to join Chelsea when he turns 18. 19-year-old Nilson Angulo is another Ecuadorian player to watch out for, as he has broken through with Anderlecht and has been capped by the senior national team.
Italy are bringing Simone Pafundi to the World Cup; the 17-year-old became the third youngest player in history – and the youngest in over a century – to debut for the Italian national team when he appeared against Albania last November at 16. Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos will captain Brazil at the World Cup having made his senior international debut earlier this year. England are bringing several familiar names as a part of their squad, most notably Chelsea prospects Carney Chukwuemeka and Harvey Vale. Liam Delap and Canada-born Daniel Jebbison are also included. The host, Argentina, will be led by Máximo Perrone, a Manchester City prospect who was called up to the senior national team in March.
Yáser Asprilla is one of Colombia’s top prospects. The Envigado product now plays for Watford in the Championship, for whom he appeared 37 times this season, and he’s been capped twice by Colombia. A trio of U.S.-born players will join him in Colombia’s team: Juan Castilla, Devan Tanton, and Fernando Álvarez. Both Castilla and Tanton have represented U.S. teams in the past, while Álvarez was born in New York City but is also eligible for Mexico.
CONCACAF nations are littered with Americans, and while Mexico didn’t qualify this time around, the delegations from Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Honduras include plenty of U.S.-eligible players. The most significant are FC Cincinnati’s Arquimides Ordóñez (Guatemala), Inter Miami’s David Ruiz (Honduras) and Edison Azcona (Dominican Republic), and Houston’s Xavier Valdez (Dominican Republic), who is particularly notable as he was called up by the U.S. earlier in the cycle.
A few other Americans are scattered elsewhere. Japan’s star center back, Anrie Chase, is U.S.-eligible, as he is the son of an American father. The Stuttgart defender has trained with Japan’s senior team, so it currently seems unlikely he’ll ever represent the United States. The Israeli team is the reason that the tournament was moved last-minute from Indonesia to Argentina, and they contain one American-born player; El Yam Kancepolsky of Hapoel Tel Aviv was born in Honolulu, ensuring that with the help of Obed Vargas, both Alaska and Hawaii will be represented at this World Cup.
How can I watch?
The group stage matches will be held this week, on May 20th, 23rd, and 26th. The matches will be shown on Fox Sports networks and on Telemundo. All networks are subject to change.
U.S.A. vs. Ecuador – May 20th – 2pm ET – Fox Soccer Plus/Telemundo
U.S.A. vs. Fiji – May 23rd – 2pm ET – FS2/Telemundo/NBC Universo
U.S.A. vs. Slovakia – May 26th – 2pm ET – FS2/Telemundo/NBC Universo
USMNT
Is the MLS Specifically Targeting Expansion to USL Cities?
In 2019, Don Garber and MLS announced they would expand to 30 teams. A year later, Don Garber said the cities of Las Vegas, Indianapolis, San Diego, Detroit, and Phoenix were clubs interested in joining MLS. Four of those cities had a USL or NISA club at the time of the announcement. Today, one of those USL teams has ceased to exist, another may be in jeopardy now, and the NISA club is now a USL club.
On April 25th, 2024, the Mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, announced an unnamed ownership group would put in a bid for an MLS club. Along with the announcement, the owners of Indy XI (the USL Championship team in Indianapolis), Keystone Group, announced the City had backed out of the $1 billion fund for Eleven Park. The stadium was announced in 2022 and was planned to be a 20,000-seat stadium. It would also include additional apartments, office buildings, and other amenities. Last year, the stadium broke ground. That means that the mayor and city council agreed to stop the funding of a sports facility in mid-construction that would also add additional jobs to the people of Indianapolis and stop their backing of an existing club for a potential club. If the city does not get the bid, it could have repercussions for elected officials. When you look at social media, the people of Indianapolis are not happy about the announcement.
This is not the first time a team in the USL was in danger by the expansion by the MLS. San Diego Loyal played their final season in 2023 after the announcement by the MLS that they would expand to San Diego with the club San Diego FC. SD Loyal made the announcement just three months after San Diego FC was announced. The reason was due to not being able to find a stadium solution. As for San Diego FC, they will play their matches at the Snapdragon Stadium, which the Loyal could have used to play their matches. Instead of looking for a solution to integrate San Deigo Loyal, MLS had their club created which led to the destruction of a club in a rival league.
Miami had a soccer club before Inter Miami, Miami FC. Miami is a different story than San Diego. Unlike the Loyal, Miami FC attracts a very small audience. They averaged only 190 people a game a year before the arrival of Inter Miami, per Transfermarkt. It has gone up since Inter Miami’s inaugural season. Last season, the average attendance was 1,432 and this season it is 826 so far. The problem falls on the people of Miami though. Inter Miami increased their attendance by 35% to 17,061 last year from the prior season. It still begs the question of how much longer Miami FC will last when they are competing against a club with Leonel Messi for attendance.
Las Vegas Lights is another USL Championship club but are in a city being looked at by MLS also for expansion. Even worse, the current owner, José Bautista, is not part of the organization and is in talks with Don Garber to join the MLS, who would be the owners of Aston Villa. Phoenix is a different story. The USL team, Phoenix Rising, talked to MLS to join the league, which is a more positive solution. Tampa Bay Rowdies did the same thing when they were pursuing an MLS bid.
MLS does speak to the current existing clubs in the city. They did it with Louisville City, San Diego Loyal, Sacramento Republic, and others, but when that failed, they move in with their own clubs, i.e., San Diego FC and now potentially Indy MLS club. What MLS is doing is not helping the growth of the sport. They are aiming to monopolize the sport by destroying their competition, USL. This would not be a problem if USSF would create an open system or step in to put it to a stop. If MLS is the sole soccer league in the US with only 30-40 cities with a team, then you would isolate the hundreds of cities that have fans and players without a club to help accomplish their dream. Even in other sports leagues in the US we do not see a campaign like this. NFL did not actively work to end the XFL and the other football leagues. The NHL and the MLB have minor leagues all over the country. I do not prefer having minor leagues in soccer here in the US. It would be preferable that the MLS and USL work together to expand the sport and/or USSF implement policies that protect smaller leagues from bigger leagues.
USMNT
USMNT Kits Come in Different Styles and Colors
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
US Soccer kit releases are something fans get excited about and lately have resulted in disappointment. US Soccer’s recent schedule for kits release during the cycle has seen them releasing another road and or third kits in Gold Cup years and home and away pairs in the even years.
US Soccer is expected to release the 2024 Copa America kits for the USMNT in the coming weeks headed into the Nations League Finals. Last Thursday evening Footy Headlines, who has had a good track record of leaking USMNT kits in the past, provided the below pictures of the home and away USMNT kits. These kits haven’t officially been announced by Nike or US Soccer, but the anticipated announcement is expected in the coming weeks headed into the Nations League Final.
Photo from Footheadlies.com – February 29, 2024
Fake Leaked USMNT Kits
The below USMNT kits were leaked over the last decade, but none of them came to fruition, it’s fun to look at what could have been for the USMNT.
2014 World Cup Kits
These leaked kits headed into the 2014 FIFA World Cup were where loved by many USMNT fans due to the sash and the use of the Centennial Crest, but unfortunately, these kits were fakes and never released.
Photo from SportsLogos.Net – September 13, 2013
2015 Alternative Kit & 2016 Copa America
Generally, US Soccer releases an alternate kit in the years that the Gold Cup is played. This leak kit was reported back in 2015 by NBCSports and then again by MLS Soccer when it was suggested it could be used during the Copa América Centenario.
Photo from NBCSports – April 2, 2015
2022 World Cup Kits
I would have much preferred for the USMNT to have worn these kits at the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they ended up, but alas it was another leaked kit that never was.
Photo from proscoccerwire.com – May 6, 2022
2024 Copa America Kit
This rumored kit for the USMNT was based on similar kits worn by the USMNT at the 1924 Olympics and the 1930 World Cup.
Photo from the18.com via Footieheadlines.com – September 14, 2023
History of US Soccer Crest and USMNT kits
Over ten years ago I began my research of USMNT soccer data in search of a single source site, which I quickly found didn’t exist. Through my research, I started to comply with old USMNT kits and crests from the past. As I acquired more and more kits worn by the USMNT and was able to start to fill in the gaps between them I decided to digitally recreate these kits and share them with the USMNT fans.
Here’s a look at what I was able to find while it seems like a lot I am sure there are many more kits I missed and if so I would love to know which ones so I could create and update what I have already.
History of US Soccer Crests
Here’s the history of the US Soccer crests. I had to recreate several of these crests based on old pictures I found throughout my research since there were no digital images available.
USMNT Kits – 1916-1973
These were the first kits worn by the USMNT which weren’t sponsored. There are variations of these kits worn by the USMNT which comprised of variations of crests and styles, likely due to available funds during this time. My favorite kits in the group are the ones with the sashes from the 1928 and 1936 Olympics and the 1959 Pan American Games.
USMNT Kits – 1974-1983
The group of kits for the USMNT were the first that were sponsored by Adidas. There were a lot of similar styles of kits during this time which really lacked any creativity. My favorite kits in the group are the ones from the middle to late 1970s, there is something about their simplicity and clean look.
USMNT Kits – 1984-1994
Adidas’s 20-year run of creating kits for US Soccer ended in 1994, with few quality kits made during those couple of decades, which is ironic considering how nice Adidas’s kits are today. My favorite kits in the group are the 1985/1986 blue hoop kit and the 1988 Blue Olympic kit.
USMNT Kits – 1995-2011
In 1995 Nike took over the creation of the US Soccer kits and started by making three similar kits for the 1995 Copa America and 1996 third kit for the US Cup. Nike did release three Special Edition kits in 2003, 2004, and 2006, which were only worn for one match each. My favorite kits in the group all had a sash on them, which were both the 2010 World Cup kits and the red 2011 Gold Cup kit.
USMNT Kits – 2012-Current
Most USMNT fans would agree that recent kits released by Nike haven’t held the standard seen in the 2010s, where the hoops/stripes that some many fans loved for the 2012 Waldo kits were incorporated. My unsung kits of this group are the 2018 home kit, which would have been worn at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the 2017 Gold Cup kit.
USMNT Kits going forward
Nike and US Soccer signed what was considered a historical long-term sponsor agreement, in November 2021, that went into effect in Janaury 2023 that will run for at least a decade which will cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics and possibly a 2027 or 2031 Women’s World Cup hosted in the United States, so for fans who has hoped for a different kit creator they will have to wait a while.
Once the 2024 Copa America kits are released US Soccer will likely only release one more kit for the 2025 Gold Cup for the USMNT before releasing the 2026 World Cup kits. One idea that I’ve had for a long time was for US Soccer to release Special Edition Kits with styles from the past, with the limited release of those kits, coupled with playing matches in locations and venues throughout the United States to build the fan base and excitement for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In conclusion, I am somewhat optimistic that US Soccer and Nike will create some variation of the 2012 Waldo kit & 1994 Stats and Denim kit to be worn as the hosts of the 2026 World Cup.
USMNT
2024: A Pivotal Year for the USMNT
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X/Formally Twitter)
Photo From: USA Today-John Locher, AP – 18, June 2023 – 2023 Concacaf Nations League
As the fog hovered over Estadio Parque Artigas Stadium in Paysandú, Uruguay in the 58th minute Eric Wynalda received the ball on the right wing with Joe-Max Moore making a run forward and in front of Wynalda who delivered a pass to Moore who then went down preventing the ball from being taken away and sending it back to Wynalda who slides forward and scores the third goal of the match and his third goal of the tournament, making it 3-0 USA over tenth-ranked Argentinians and all but sealing the win and the top spot in Group C at the 1995 Copa America. The win for this USMNT consisted of 17 players from the 1994 World Cup team who reached their pinnacle with this group of players finishing fourth at this Copa America.
Over the previous three decades, the USMNT has had some of the biggest wins in the team’s history. During the 1999 Confederations Cup, which was played in Mexico the USMNT played a hard-fought match against the fifth-ranked Germans defeating them 2-0 in the final group stage match and finishing third overall in the tournament. The USMNT would also have an even bigger result against second-ranked Spain in the semi-finals of the 2009 Confederations Cup when they ended Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak in a 2-0 victory that would send them to the final against Brazil.
2024 is the midway point of the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle, and the next two windows for the USMNT who as a team and federation need to start ascending to their apex with this group to ensure that they have an amazing performance at the 2026 World Cup.
The USMNT has already played their first match, a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia, but need to quickly focus on the March window 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals where they will play Jamaica in the semi-final round and a win would put the USMNT in their third straight Nations League Final where they would have a chance to play either Mexico or Panama and win their third straight Concacaf Nations League trophy.
Some 90 days later the USMNT will be kicking off only their fifth appearance at the Copa America Tournament, with the stakes for this group at an all-time high and where success is demanded from the players, coaches, fans, and the federation. Will this current group of USMNT players and coaches be able to progress to the next level against the elite teams of CONMEBOL? It’s worth noting that the USMNT has finished fourth twice at Copa America in 1995 and 2016, however, the USMNT finished 32nd at the 1998 World Cup and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The U-23 USMNT will also be playing the Olympics for the first time since 2008, which provides a great opportunity for those U-23 players to get noticed on a big stage. There are many eligible players who if released by their clubs will have a great opportunity to impress while helping the U-23 USMNT make a deep run at the 2024 Olympics in France.
As it becomes increasingly harder for the USMNT to schedule non-Concacaf opponents the US Soccer Federation will need to get creative in who and where they schedule these Friendly matches. The June window offers up the best opportunities for the USMNT to schedule matches against other CONMEBOL teams, preferably in Groups A and B which feature Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Edgar Moreno on X, formally Twitter, reported that the USMNT and Colombia have scheduled a Friendly headed into Copa America. It was also reported on Goal.com that Colombia will be scheduling a total of four matches leading into the tournament, two of which will be taking place in Europe. While there are challenges with timing and logistics around scheduling Friendlies with UEFA teams, USSF really needs to do everything possible to secure a similar type of schedule headed into Copa America but, rarely schedules USMNT Friendlies outside of the FIFA International window, which Colombia would need to do to make that schedule work.
It has been recently rumored that the USMNT might close to scheduling a Friendly with Colombia headed into Copa America. The September and October windows have few quality opponents available, at the time of the article it appears that the September window could be an opportunity to play schedule matches with teams from the CAF Confederation, but those matches would likely need to be played at neutral sites in Europe.
2024 USMNT Window
| March | June Window | Copa America | September | October | November |
| CNL Finals March 18-26 | Friendlies June 3-11 | June 20-July 14 | Friendlies Sept. 2-10 | Friendlies Oct. 7-15 | CNL quarterfinals Nov. 11-19 |
Below are eight years since the 1994 cycle that at the time were considered big years for the USMNT as they were playing in FIFA tournaments against teams from other confederations. Below is a look at how they fared.
1992
6 Wins, 4 Draws, 11 Losses, GF-21, GA-27
Third Place at the King Fahd Cup renamed Confederations Cup in 1997 edition.
First at U.S. Cup (Participating teams –Ireland, Italy & Portugal)
Top Goal Scorers
5-Eric Wynalda
3-Hugo Perez
3-Marcelo Balboa
2-Bruce Murray
2-John Harkes
Goalkeeper Stats
5 Wins – Tony Meola
4 Shutouts – Tony Meola
Photo From: Soccer International, Volume 3, Issue 12, December 1992
1993
10 Wins, 11 Draws, 13 Losses, GF-45, GA-44
Twelfth place at Copa America
Second Place at Gold Cup
Third Place at U.S. Cup (Participating teams – Brazil, England & Germany)
34 matches played 1st All-Time
11 Draws tied for 1st All-Time with 1994
13 Loses 1st All-Time
44 Goals Conceded 1st All-Time
Top Goal Scorers
8-Joe-Max Moore
7-Dominic Kinnear
4-Alexi Lalas
4-Thomas Dooley
Goalkeeper Stats
Photo From: El Grafico Number 3847, June 16, 1993
7 Wins – Tony Meola
8 Shutouts – Tony Meola
1995
5 Wins, 3 Draws, 6 Losses, GF-20, GA-18
Fourth Place at Copa America
First at U.S. Cup (Participating teams – Colombia, Mexico & Nigeria)
Top Goal Scorers
3-Eric Wynalda
2-Joe-Max Moore
2-Alexi Lalas
2-John Harkes
Goalkeeper Stats
3 Wins – Kasey Keller
2 Shutouts – Brad Friedel & Kasey Keller
Photo From: DIEGO GIUDICE Associated Press file, July 14, 1995
1999
7 Wins, 2 Draws, 4 Losses, GF-19, GA-11
Third Place at Confederations Cup
Second Place at U.S. Cup (Participating teams – Bolivia, Guatemala & Mexico)
Top Goal Scorers
3-Joe-Max Moore
3-Brian McBride
2-Ben Olsen
2-Jovan Kirovski
2-Frankie Hedjuk
Goalkeeper Stats
2 Wins – Brad Friedel & Kasey Keller
2 Shutouts – Brad Friedel & Tony Meola
Photo From: FIFA Report- 1999 Mexico, July 30, 1999
2003
10 Wins, 2 Draws, 4 Losses, GF-28, GA-10
Seventh Place at Confederations Cup
Third place at Gold Cup
Top Goal Scorers
7-Landon Donovan
4-Carlos Bocanegra
3-Brian McBride
3-Chris Klein
Goalkeeper Stats
6 Wins – Kasey Keller
5 Shutouts – Kasey Keller
Photo From: FIFA Confederations Cup, June 23, 2003
2007
12 Wins, 1 Draws, 5 Losses, GF-31, GA-19
Twelfth Place at Copa America
First Place at Gold Cup
Top Goal Scorers
9-Landon Donovan
3-Clint Dempsey
3- DaMarcus Beasley
2-Eddie Johnson
2-Benny Feilhaber
2-Carlos Bocanegra
Goalkeeper Stats
8 Wins – Tim Howard
4 Shutouts – Tim Howard
Photo From: Guillermo Legaria – FIFA Copa America, June 28, 2007
2009
13 Wins. 3 Draws, 8 Losses, GF-43, GA-36
Second Place at Confederations Cup
Second Place at Gold Cup
Top Goal Scorers
6-Jozy Altidore
5-Landon Donovan
4-Clint Dempsey
4-Michael Bradley
3- Sacha Kljestan
3- Charlie Davies
Goalkeeper Stats
7 Wins – Tim Howard
4 Shutouts – Tim Howard
Photo From: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
2016
12 Wins, 1 Draw, 6 Losses, GF-37, GA-20
Fourth Place at Copa America
Top Goal Scorers
6-Jozy Altidore
4-Bobby Wood
4-Clint Dempsey
3-Christian Pulisic
3-Gyasi Zardes
Goalkeeper Stats
8 Wins – Brad Guzan
6 Shutouts – Brad Guzan
Photo From: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Expectations for the in 2024 USMNT
The USMNT is expected to once again advance to the Nations League Final and with their full fit A Squad should be able to bring home their third Nations League trophy, but the 2024 Copa America tournament is very possible the most important non-World Cup the USMNT has even competed it. How success and failure will be determined by the USSF and fans will be interesting to follow. Gregg Berhalter has to prove that he can put together a roster, a formation that allows for simple and effective tactics that will allow the USMNT to not only compete against some top-tier nations but beat them. Success for me isn’t just advancing to the semi-finals of Copa America The USMNT needs to perform at the next level against the top-tier nations, something that I’ve only seen a handful of times in my nearly 35 years as a USMNT fan.
Is the MLS Specifically Targeting Expansion to USL Cities?
USMNT Kits Come in Different Styles and Colors
2024: A Pivotal Year for the USMNT
-
USMNT2 months agoUSMNT Kits Come in Different Styles and Colors
-
USMNT3 weeks agoIs the MLS Specifically Targeting Expansion to USL Cities?
-
Club News4 years agoJulian Vincente Araujo
-
USMNT2 years agoGROUPED OR GLORY: Group A
-
MLS2 years ago2022 Youth Series: MLS Club Youth Talent Rankings
-
USMNT4 years agoA Hidden Gem: Barça Residency Academy
-
Youth2 years ago2022 Youth Series: Top 20 Born In 2007
-
Club News4 years agoRanking the top 50 American under 20 talents