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Five Players Who Must Hit for USMNT To Be Successful in 2020

Published

7 years ago

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By John Roche ([email protected]) 

For the die-hard USMNT fan, 2019 was a frustrating year, with much angst attributed to Bert’s dull and inept player selection. (Quick—who was your USMNT breakout player of the year?) 

If we can draw on one encouraging data point, though, it is this: if you are healthy and playing regularly in an elite Top Flight European league, you are getting a call-up. These pickings are very slim currently largely due to injuries, but the current injury trend will endure, as it always does. We have to consider that, in 2020, the core of our most talented, European-based contingent will likely never be on the field together because, at some point, any one of – and probably multiple of – Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Josh Sargent, John Brooks, Sergino Dest, DeAndre Yedlin, Alfredo Morales, etc. will be hurt. 

Image result for usmnt players

Right now, Bert’s backfill to this plague is a markedly less-talented MLS contingent. And while we have seen encouraging spurts from some of them, we largely know what we can expect from this bunch, and it’s simply not good enough. Few supporters would argue that USMNT will be successful heading into World Cup Qualifying in September with the current “Group” of Berhalter-favored MLS options like Christian Roldan, Daniel Lovitz, Paul Arriola, Gyasi Zardes, Jonathan Lewis, Corey Baird, etc. Even the in-form Jordan Morris is not known for dissecting hunkered-down Honduran or Jamaican defenses, a skill that is so critical to grinding-out results in a brutal Hexagonal qualifying cycle (Hex). 

So, what do we do in September 2020, when the Hex kicks-off, if Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Josh Sargent are all on the shelf? Ideally, we call on the below players, each of whose development is crucial this year because their core strengths address critical attacking gaps. 

I would go so far as to say that if these five players are not all regular contributors by the time of the Hex, USMNT senior team is doomed in 2020. A combination of Bert’s poor talent selection and awful in-game management, coupled with an inevitable rash of injuries, will cripple USMNT in the early stages of qualifying. So, no pressure guys, but you have to perform at the club level in a way that Bert simply must call you in! 

Please note a few caveats: Firstly, as always, I do not talk about goalkeepers.      

Secondly, the emergence of these players is weighted by combining a positional need with the likelihood that Bert will call them in. At CB, for example, I consider that Chris Richards or Miles Robinson emerging as a top-choice option would serve as a relatively moderate upgrade over current starters in the short-term. Hence, they are not on here. Similarly, Julian Green might garner another seven MOTM performances in 2020, but so long as he does it in Bundesliga 2, he will not be a blip. 

Lastly, we would all LOVE for there to be an as-yet-unknown player in the pool somewhere, perhaps a youth player whose stock skyrockets quickly, or a dual national who declares unexpectedly, who could jump to the front of the line. For good measure, I have included a couple of Dark Horse candidates, but – while I would love to be wrong – I think the best emerging prospects are in plain sight. 

Let’s dive in.

1. Paxton Pomykal, ACM or Winger, FC Dallas

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So, after all the buildup of the European contingent, an MLS player tops this list! Pomykal is simply the most practical candidate to inject a much-needed attacking flair into the midfield in 2020 under Bert. (Emphasis: under Bert.) He is slippery, creative, versatile, and –though not big – can play physical, as he demonstrated most capably against a group of larger, more seasoned French U-20’s. An injury slowed his progress post U-20 World Cup, but few doubt that a full-fitness Pomykal is an upgrade at ACM or winger.

Bert has already called him into a couple friendlies, so the hope is that a dominant January Camp – which is very feasible considering how he distinguished himself against his MLS peers in 2019– means he should leapfrog a thoroughly underwhelming Christian Roldan in a Starting XI. He could realistically do so by March, at which point Dallas would justifiably keep him and his $650k annual salary out of Olympic Qualifying.    

Given his new contract, he is likely to remain in MLS for this full season. However, at his current trajectory and with access to a European passport, he is almost certain to be in a Top Five European league by January 2021, ideally through a $7m-$10m transfer fee. But that is for later; USMNT needs him in 2020.   

2. Richie Ledezma, ACM, PSV Eindhoven

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Ledezma may be second on this list, but his upside as a creative midfield force – the vision, the pivots, the ball control in tight spaces, the open field sprints, GLORY BE! – is higher than anyone else in the current pool. His physicality needs to evolve, but put him next to a destroyer in the midfield, and that wart just about disappears.  

PSV’s situation is an interesting one, with a new manager at the senior team and a relegation-threatened Jong side, but the organization clearly rates Ledezma. He should see first-team opportunities in 2020, and the hope is that he seizes his chances and makes Bert bristle at the prospect of an all-European midfield. Likely the only inhibiting factor is another long-term injury.

3. Tim Weah, Winger, Lille

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More compelling than his obvious athleticism and versatility – in peak form, he is an upgrade at winger or striker – Weah brings a much-needed intangible: leadership. Did you see how, after he scored the game-tying goal against Ecuador in the U-20 Quarterfinal, he demonstrably huddled and rallied his teammates with an emphatic pep talk? Can you think of anyone in Bert’s current arrangement (maybe McKennie?) that would do something like that? 

Perhaps it’s bold to think he would be such a strong presence for the senior team right away, but his competitive fire will be needed during away games in the Hex: humid nights, hostile crowds pelting the players with debris, belligerent opposing players hacking them at every touch, the pitch coming apart under their feet, etc. At minimum, Weah needs to be a first option off the bench in these circumstances. 

4. Giovanni Reyna, Winger/ACM, Borussia Dortmund

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Stop us if you have heard this one before: a US teenage phenom ascending the first-team latter at Dortmund before his 18th birthday! Reyna, like Weah, offers positional versatility, with a significantly higher goal-scoring upside that the senior team desperately needs right now. Few who have seen him play believe he cannot transition to senior team football in 2020, and others (this guy!) would argue to include him in the Hex even if he is not yet playing senior team football every week. 

If you think calling him a “must hit” for 2020 is aggressive, you might be right, but I would argue his indoctrination into Dortmund’s first team and the senior USMNT squad at such a young age would be a continued momentum builder for the broader player pool by adding to the unprecedented number of young Yanks thriving at football’s highest levels. 

5. Chris Gloster, LB, PSV Eindhoven

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Sergino Dest’s decision to play for the US has somewhat offset the need for Gloster to emerge right away, but adding a pure LB with Gloster’s rigid defending and probing, crafty attacking thrusts would allow Dest to play his more natural RB. 

Gloster’s trajectory since the 2017 U-17 World Cup – from RBNY to Germany to commanding a premium salary as a foreign-born player at one of the top clubs in Holland – is hugely encouraging. A first-team chance at a very unsettled PSV side could well emerge in 2020, and if Gloster grabs it, Bert would have no choice but to finally stop calling in Daniel Lovitz!   

Dark Horses: 

Ulysses (Uly) Llanez, Winger, VFB Wolfsburg

Most USMNT die-hards would probably have Llanez higher on this list. His blend of audacious ball possession (both to get out of tight spaces and dart through the open field), deft give-and-go passing, and dangerous shot-taking is unparalleled in USMNT senior team player pool annals. He is dominating for Wolfsburg’s U-19 team and will almost certainly see a senior team debut in the spring for a senior team not brimming with creative options. 

He is low on this list for two (2) reasons. First, his physicality against senior competition has not yet been tested, and I worry there is a 3-to-6-month injury spell lurking just after his emergence for his senior club team. Secondly, USSF leadership is so inept they are not actively courting him, even for the U-23/Olympic qualifying tournament. (This came from his father on social media.) They will likely come around just in time, but well after most supporters would like to see him.    

Nick Tatigue, Winger, Schalke

The sample size is extremely small and has been gathered against far inferior competition, but when he is healthy, the 20-year-old winger looks and plays like Christian Pulisic. He was once rated in the Guardian’s Top 50 teenagers in the world (along with Pulisic) and it’s not outrageous to think a healthy, productive spell on the U-23’s could land him on their first team come spring. He will impress if he gets that call-up; the only question is health, which has been an even bigger problem for him than most. 

Brenden Aronson, ACM, Philadelphia Union

Aronson was something of a surprise debutant in 2019, taking MLS by storm in the spring. He tapered-off a bit, as any youngster thrust into a grueling MLS schedule would. But he followed-up a slow end to the season with an impressive performance against a Brazil U-23 team in the fall, shielding possession, taking players on, and architecting scoring chances – all against top-level competition. Like Pomykal, we hope he can dominate a January camp and supplant more tired CM options.

Jesus Ferreira, Striker, FC Dallas

Finally a US citizen, Ferreira is lower on this list because Dallas no longer employs him as a pure striker, so Bert may not be evaluating him as such. But someone will have to player striker in January Camp! Let’s hope that it is him, as striker depth is much-needed, and the 19-year-old Ferreira projects to see the pitch for FC Dallas regularly in 2020. 

Owen Otasowie, CB/DM, Wolverhampton Wanderers

He is lower on this list because he has recently transitioned to being a CB for Wolves, where he has made the bench twice in the Prem and seen time in Europa League (where he almost scored in his first touch) at the age of 18. Apparently larger clubs are beckoning with his contract due to expire in the spring of 2020, so England – where he also has citizenship – might take notice. If Bert can find a way to employ him as a destroying CM, he would be higher on this list. 

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The Next USMNT Star That Never Was: Revisiting America’s Biggest Teenage Prospects

Published

7 days ago

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September 25, 2026

By

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.

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Building the Next Generation: Who Should Be on Pochettino’s USMNT Radar?

Published

1 month ago

on

August 25, 2026

By

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.

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Mauricio Cuevas Taking “Huge Step Forward” in Liga MX

Published

2 months ago

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August 9, 2026

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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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