USMNT
USYNT U20 Report – MARCH 2022
Overview
The U-20 USYNT are preparing for a massive summer where they will play in a Concacaf competition to qualify for the 2023 U20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics which will take place from June 18 – July 3, 2022, in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Per Concacaf:
The competition will kick off the third week of June with a Group Stage between the top ranked 16 teams (according to the Concacaf Men’s U-20 Ranking). After Group Stage play (June 18-23) the top three teams in each of the groups will advance to the Round of 16, joining the four CMU20C Qualifiers winners (qualifiers between the lowest ranked nations took place in November 2021, results are available here).
The 16 team Knockout Stage will begin with the Round of 16 (June 25-26), followed by the Quarterfinals (June 29), Semifinals (July 1), and Final (July 3). Further details on the scheduling will be announced after the draw.
All Knockout Stage matches will be played in a single match elimination format, with the semifinalist (four teams) qualifying to the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup Indonesia 2023 and the finalists (two teams) to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
The draw for the Group Stage of the 2022 CMU20C will take place March 3 (11:00 am ET), at the Concacaf headquarters in Miami, FL. Fans will be able to follow the event via the Confederation’s Official App, Website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.
For the draw, the top four ranked teams, USA, Mexico, Panama, and Honduras have been seeded into Groups E, F, G, and H respectively. The remaining 12 nations will be split into 3 pots according to their ranking as follows (listed in ranking order per pot and the highest ranked teams in Pot 1):
Pot 1: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Cuba, and Haiti
Pot 2: Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, and Jamaica
Pot 3: Antigua & Barbuda, Suriname, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Aruba
Teams will be drawn and placed into Groups E, F, G, and H in sequential order, with no more than one team of each Pot per group.
Group E: United States, E2, E3, and E4
Group F: Mexico, F2, F3, and F4
Group G: Panama, G2, G3, and G4
Group H: Honduras, H2, H3, and H4
This team is and will be made up of players born in the year 2003 or later. What is slightly confusing about this dual qualification, is that the 2024 Olympic team will ultimately be open to players born in 2001 or later, yet it’s the 2003s that are qualifying for it.
The team will be led by Mikey Varas who was appointed on November 5th, 2021 right before the Revelations Cup, a set of three matches against Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Mikey was most recently an assistant at FC Dallas under now USMNT assistant Luchi Gonzalez. FC Dallas is one of the most prolific academies in the US and has been the biggest source of talent for the USMNT and European clubs.
Upcoming Camps
According to USSF, the next camp will be held from March 21 – March 30, during the same International Window that the USMNT will be playing their last WCQ matches. It’s rumored that the U20s will play in a set of friendlies down in Argentina against some very competitive teams.
The USSF has also communicated that there will be a camp from April 22 – May 1, likely the last time this group will get together before the summer. Mikey Varas will have two more camps to bring in different players and settle on a final evaluation ahead of the Honduras tournament.
Player Pool Overview
This team will be predominantly populated by players in the 2003 and 2004 class, though there have been a few 2005s that have participated in recent camps. The 2003 class is widely considered to be one of the strongest that the US has ever produced, with both high end talent and depth. The 2004 group is less acclaimed. They were more heavily impacted by the lack of games during the pandemic and the 2004s have been less prolific in receiving first team deals domestically. There are some very intriguing 2004 prospects that are currently playing within European academies. The challenge with European based players is that youth camps are not camps that clubs are required to release players for, so it can be more difficult to get those players into camps, however the competitive matches this summer are occurring during the European off-season.
Within this article I will detail who has been called into the last two camps, who I think should be in the mix for the summer tournament, and who I would like to see in the March camp, assuming a 26-person squad.
From what we have seen from Mikey Varas, it looks like he will prioritize a similar 4-3-3 formation as the USMNT. Continuity throughout the US system will allow players to integrate and impact more quickly as they move through the ranks. The positions of strength for this age group includes: goalkeepers, left-backs, central-mids (8s) and wingers. The weaknesses of this group include center-backs, defensive-mids (6s) and strikers (9s).
Positional Breakdown
Goalkeepers
This is a really loaded group. The 2004s have the potential to be the greatest class of goalkeepers across the board in US history. There is that much talent. It’s early, so anything can happen. Gaga Slonina is the headliner, but there are many very good analysts that believe Jeff Dewsnup and Chris Brady are just as talented, if not more talented. What a luxury! Unfortunately, only one can play at a time and given Gaga’s recent rise and the fact he’ll be starting week in and week out for Chicago, he’s the likely starter.
The backup spot is completely up for grabs. Neither Dewsnup and Brady have been called into a recent camp, but I think that’s more because of the clubs than US preference. I suspect Dewsnup will be the eventual #2 so that if Gaga has to miss time with Chicago, Brady is there to play in his absence. We shouldn’t count out Alex Borto or Antonio Carrera either. Borto impressed in the November camp and Carrera’s recent camp performance boosted his stock in Feb, with two clean sheets in scrimmages against MLS clubs. Carrera recently signed his homegrown deal with FC Dallas.
Who has been called into last two camps: Gaga Slonina (Nov ‘21), Alex Borto (Nov ‘21), Antonio Carrera (Feb ‘22), KyMani Dada (Feb ‘22), Anthony Ramos (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Jeff Dewsnup, Real Salt Lake City (2004), Chris Brady, Chicago Fire (2004), Antonio Carrera, FC Dallas (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Gaga Slonina, Chicago Fire (2004), Alex Borto, Fulhum U18 (2003), Jeff Dewsnup, Real Salt Lake City (2004), Chris Brady, Chicago Fire (2004), Antonio Carrera, FC Dallas (2004)
Left-Backs
Left-backs are another position of strength, something US soccer fans haven’t heard, maybe ever. For my March call-ups I am assuming that Jonathan Gomez will be able to leave Real Sociedad and he will prioritize the American side over the Mexican side, but there is a high probability that JoGo will stay in Spain for this camp. In a recent interview, it sounded like JoGo was planning to prioritize the American U20 camp over Mexico when the next opportunity arises. If true, he is the overwhelming favorite to start, which will allow Kevin Paredes to play higher up the pitch on the wing.
The backup position is more competitive. My favorite to win the position is Caleb Wiley from Atlanta. He has been in the last two camps and recently signed his homegrown deal with Atlanta where he’ll be the primary backup to Andrew Gutman and the future of that position. Noah Allen has also come on strong for Inter Miami and he is likely pushing Caleb for that spot. I am a fan of both of their games and would like to see them both in camp to continue to compete for the LB2 spot.
Who has been called into last two camps: Caleb Wiley (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Jacob Greene (Nov ‘21), Noah Allen (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Jonathan Gomez, Real Sociedad B (2003), Caleb Wiley, Atlanta United (2004), Noah Allen, Inter Miami II (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Jacob Greene, DC United (2003), Anton Sorenson, Philadelphia Union (2003), Tristan Viviani, San Jose Earthquakes (2004)
Right-Backs
The right-back and center-back depth chart will be impacted by where Mikey Varas wants to play Justin Che. He is probably this group’s best right-back and center-back so it will come down to what role will deliver the most positive impact to the team. I am electing to start him at right-back where is stronger right now and it is also where he is playing for Hoffenheim. Justin gives Mikey flexibility in how he wants to construct the squad and how they can play.
At the moment, my preferred backup is Mauricio Cuevas. He has been this age group’s primary RB for a while, but has been without a club until recently signing with Club Brugge’s reserve team. Still, he is one of the most talented players on this team and was called into the last camp. We’ll see if he gets called back in March. I’d love to see some in-game action and find out how rusty he is.
There are options behind Cuevas if he needs more time to regain form. My sleeper pick here is Alex Freeman, a very toolsy and athletic player that has come on strong over the last year or two. He was recently signed to a homegrown deal and he will likely end up being one of the top 04s.
For March, I want to learn more about the depth of this group, so I’d love to get a first look at Alex Freeman and Devan Tanton to have a full suite of information on this right-back position.
Who has been called into last two camps: Justin Che (Nov ‘21), Kayden Pierre (Nov ‘21), Mauricio Cuevas (Feb ‘22), Michael Halliday (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Alex Freeman, Orlando City (2004), Devan Tanton, Fulham U18 (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Justin Che, Hoffenheim (2003), Mauricio Cuevas, Club NXT (2003), Michael Halliday, Orlando City (2003), Alex Freeman, Orlando City (2004), Devan Tanton, Fulham U18 (2004), Kayden Pierre, Sporting KC (2003)
Center-Backs
This group was one of the glaring weaknesses of that Revelations Cup back in November, granted the team had almost no preparation time beforehand. In February, the group appeared to have improved based on the fact that they had two clean sheets in friendlies against MLS clubs.
The big question here is if Tony Leone is still open to the US project or if he’s fully committed to El Tri. I’ve heard that he is still open, but he’s only joined Mexico camps as of late. This might be the last camp before qualification, so maybe we can convince him to give it a shot? If not, remember that Justin Che can play here and Markus Ferkranus, Thomas Williams and Nigel Prince are also viable options.
Kobi Henry is a big and athletic prospect that seems to be very well thought of within the US ranks and a player who really caught my eye at the Revelations Cup. He was one of the U20s invited to the Senior December camp. He also recently went on a trial in France with Ligue 1 side, Reims, and it’s rumored that he will transfer there once he turns 18 in April.
Jalen Neal is a prospect I am not as high on as some others I respect. I need to see more of him, but it seems like he will be one of the preferred options. The last CB I have in my group is the very skillful Brandan Craig. Brandan is the best passer of this group and has added some much needed strength. We’ll see if he breaks through with the Union this year. He can also play defensive midfield which gives Mikey more flexibility. Brandan might end up being the best defensive midfield option this group has.
Thomas Williams, Marcus Ferkranus and Nigel Prince all fit the mold of big, strong and athletic center-backs that can dominate in the air, but are still developing the more technical sides of their game. They are all high upside players that have shown a lot of growth in the last couple of years.
A few other names to keep an eye on are Alejandro Cano, who was recently called into an El Salvador U20 camp. Hugo is recruiting Salvadoran-Americans hard. Anrie Chase is a really interesting name. He currently plays in Japan but is rumored to be moving to Eintracht Frankfurt when he turns 18. He has only played for Japanese youth teams, but it would be great to get him involved in an upcoming camp. Casey Walls really struggled in the Revelations Cup, but he’s skillful and it’s too early to remove him from the pool completely.
Who has been called into last two camps: Kobi Henry (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Jalen Neal (Nov ‘21), Casey Walls (Nov ‘21), Marcus Ferkranus (Feb ‘22), Thomas Williams (Feb ‘22), Brandan Craig (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Tony Leone, LAFC (2004), Kobi Henry, Orange County (2004), Jalen Neal, LA Galaxy (2003), Nigel Prince, Atlanta United (2004), Alejandro Cano, San Jose Earthquakes (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Marcus Ferkranus, LA Galaxy (2003), Thomas Williams, Orlando City (2004), Nigel Prince, Atlanta United (2004), Anrie Chase, Eintracht Frankfurt in March (2004), Alejandro Cano, San Jose Earthquakes (2004), Casey Walls, San Jose Earthquakes (2003)
Defensive Midfielders
The defensive midfield position is another where there isn’t a clear starter. There are a few different options that have strengths and glaring weaknesses. From my perspective there are three routes Mikey can go:
Route 1, play the best three midfielders possible, in which case, I would argue that playing Moses Nyeman as a defensive midfielder would be the best option. He’s not a true 6, but he is talented enough to do the job and be more effective than the other true 6 options.
Option 2 is a more technical, ball-controlling 6 like Danny Leyva or Brandan Craig. Danny would improve offensive build-up and switching play, but he’s a big defensive liability.
Option 3 is prioritizing defense and the ability to mitigate danger, in which case Daniel Edelman is the best option. The reality is that all three of these players will likely be on the qualification roster and Mikey will use them all based on the opponent.
For the March camp, I would call in Moses Nyeman who hasn’t yet been in a U20 camp due to injuries and MLS preseason, but he’s sure to be a core member of this team. I would also call back Danny Leyva, if healthy, and I would love to get a look at Atlanta United DM/CB, Efrain Morales, who has a similar skill set as Brandan Craig.
Who has been called into last two camps: Daniel Edelman (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Danny Leyva (Nov ‘21), Jeremy Garay (Nov ‘21), Jayvin Van Deventer, KC Academy (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups:
Moses Nyeman, DC United (2003), Danny Leyva, Seattle Sounders (2003), Efraín Morales, Atlanta United (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Moses Nyeman, DC United (2003), Daniel Edelman, NYRB (2003), Danny Leyva, Seattle Sounders (2003), Brandan Craig, Philadelphia Union (2004), Efraín Morales, Atlanta United (2004)
Central Midfielders
As we’ve learned from the USMNT, the dual 8s are a critical component of the US 4-3-3 system. Good news, we have some really strong options within this position group. As mentioned before, Moses Nyeman profiles better here, but I’m sticking him with a weaker 6 group, but he certainly will see time here.
Paxten Aaronson and Quinn Sullivan are locks for this roster. Both are high level prospects who are on the path to having big international futures. Paxten is more of a 10, but I think he can comfortably play here or on the wing depending on what Mikey needs in a given game/situation.
We’ve yet to see Alejandro Alvarado with the U20s and it’s unclear if Mikey rates him or if he hasn’t been available for release from Vizela. Alejandro is a former LA Galaxy academy product who has consistently been selected to the first team matchday squad with Portuguese side Vizela. Alejandro is a Mexican-American dual national who is highly technical and would add a really nice skill set to this midfield.
Another player I would love to see in camp is Kevin Bright who recently transferred from AC Milan’s academy to Cremonese’s academy. He’s a big and athletic midfielder with some very interesting tools. I’d love to see him integrated into the project.
Another player I would call in to camp in March is Zach Booth who recently signed his first professional contract with Leicester City in the Premier League. Zach, little brother of Taylor is just as talented and is playing well in England, recently coming off of a long injury.
Obed Vargas is 2005 and a fast riser. He recently debuted for Seattle in the Concacaf Champions League and was very impressive.
Jack McGlynn is another well known name, another Philadelphia Union player. I don’t love how his skill set fits how the US will want to play and how his skill set fits what we need from the 8s. Jack is a very technical player, but he’s a poor athlete that struggles to press, close down and track back defensively.
Who has been called into last two camps: Paxten Aaronson (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Quinn Sullivan (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Jack McGlynn (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Obed Vargas (Feb ‘22), Rokas Pukstas (Nov ‘21), Javier Casas (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Paxten Aaronson, Philadelphia Union (2003), Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia Union (2004), Alejandro Alvarado Jr, Vizela (2003), Zach Booth, Leicester City U18 (2004), Kevin Bright, Cremonese U19 (2003)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Paxten Aaronson, Philadelphia Union (2003), Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia Union (2004), Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union (2003), Obed Vargas, Seattle (2005), Alejandro Alvarado Jr, Vizela (2003), Zach Booth, Leicester City U18 (2004), Kevin Bright, Cremonese U19 (2003), Rokas Pukstas, Split U19 (2004), Evan Rotundo, Schalke U19 (2004)
Wingers
The winger group is another position of strength, though the top two players here aren’t necessarily true wingers. Kevin Paredes has played mostly as a wing-back, a position that isn’t used frequently within the US system. He can play as a LB, LW and RW and I project that with JoGo at LB, Mikey will move Kevin up the field to LW. Kevin is among the most talented players in this pool. He has yet to join this group because of injuries and his transfer to Wolfsburg, but I’d expect him there in March if Wolfsburg is cool with it and I definitely expect him with the team this summer.
Caden Clark is another one of the top 5 talents in this group. He is a 10 who can play as an 8 or on the wing and he’ll probably play both of those positions for this team, similarly to Paxten Aaronson. Caden confirmed in an interview with Tactical Manager that he has been playing on the wing for the U20s, so that is why I have him here.
A name that may not be familiar to everyone that I really want to see in the next camp is Luca Koleosho. He plays for Espanyol’s U19 and has spent some time training with their first team. He’s a very athletic and talented winger that is also being pursued by Canada. He was invited to both camps in February and was not able to join the US camp due to club conflicts and was set to join the Canadian camp before it was canceled. It seems that we will have a competition for Luca so we need to get him into camp as soon as we can.
There are two very talented 2005s on my March squad. Bora Aydinlik is a Turkish-American who has yet to play in our setup, but he has been training with the Fenerbahce first team and was on the bench in their last Europa Conference League match. He’s clearly very well thought of and rising quickly. The other is Kristian Fletcher who is fast a rising prospect. He has trialed for Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and is rumored to be heading to BVB, pending passport issues. He’s a very athletic winger who was in the last camp and played as a striker due to the lack of options there.
I didn’t elect to bring Dante Sealy who has been in both camps and will likely make the summer team, but I’d like to use the time in March to experiment with players we haven’t seen yet.
The depth at this position is really strong. Players like Gutierrez, Luna, Oliva and Bajraktarevic are all great options. Perez and Torres are on this list, but they seem committed to Mexico.
Who has been called into last two camps: Caden Clark (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Dante Sealy (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Brian Gutiérrez (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Diego Luna (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Esmir Bajraktarevic (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Kevin Paredes, Wolfsburg (2003), Caden Clark, NYRB (2003), Luca Koleosho, Espanyol U19 (2004), Bora Aydinlik, Fenerbahce U19, Kristian Fletcher, Bethesda SC (2005)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Kevin Paredes, Wolfsburg (2003), Caden Clark, NYRB (2003), Dante Sealy, Jong PSV (2003), Luca Koleosho, Espanyol U19 (2004), Kristian Fletcher, Bethesda SC (2005), Brian Gutiérrez, Chicago Fire (2003), Diego Luna, El Paso Locomotive (2003), Jonathan Perez, LA Galaxy (2003), Yaya Toure, Colorado Rapids (2004), Federico Oliva, Atletico Madrid U18 (2004), Christian Torres, LAFC (2004), Esmir Bajraktarevic, Revolution II (2005)
Strikers
Much like the senior team, the striker position is a bit of a quagmire. Ricardo Pepi would be the obvious choice, but he’ll likely be playing with the senior team. Could he be an option this summer? That would be very intriguing.
For now, I am playing Cade Cowell here. It’s not his best position, but like Nyeman at the 6, he’s a lesser of evils. Cade could be a dynamic front man in the press and lethal as a vertical threat in the counterpress. He also has a nose for goals.
Sanogo has been at the last two camps and he profiles more to how Cowell would play the 9 position. Neither are target strikers, they are both guys who are more effective playing in behind a backline. As mentioned before, Fletcher played there last camp, out of position. Bohui also played there last camp, out of position, he’s more of a winger.
It would be really nice to find a target striker, which is why I would like to give Darren Yapi a try. A big and physical 9 from Colorado.
Who has been called into last two camps: Cade Cowell (Nov ‘21), Malick Sanogo (Nov ‘21, Feb ‘22), Patrick Bohui (Feb ‘22), Kristian Fletcher (Feb ‘22)
My March call-ups: Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquakes (2003), Darren Yapi, Colorado Rapids (2004)
In my pool for the summer tournament: Ricardo Pepi, Augsburg (2003), Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquakes (2003), Malick Sanogo, Union Berlin U19 (2004), Kristian Fletcher, Bethesda (2005), Patrick Bohui, Vejle Boldklub U19 (2003), Dzanan Mehicevic, Frankfurt U19 (2003), Tega Ikoba, Portland Timbers (2003), Darren Yapi, Colorado Rapids (2004), Javon Hendricks, Greuther Fürth U19 (2004)
Club News
American Transfers: Stock Up & Stock Down
The 2024 summer transfer window closed on September 1st 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 13th. 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 1st 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?
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.
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.
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