What happened to our backline – John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, DeAndre Yedlin. Where’s that stud Christian Pulisic and super striker Bobby Wood? Have we just regressed? No. Stop panicking. Most clubs won’t release their players for a camp like this one. However, this is a great opportunity for our MLS players who have been out of game shape for weeks or even months to get closer to game fit. It’s also an open for some new young MLS players to try to make a name for themselves and break in.
Names like Jordan Morris are a little better known so I left him and a few others off, focusing on the lesser known young players. Here’s a little bit about those guys…
Goalkeeper
David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes, MLS)
Bingham isn’t a household name with the likes of Tim Howard, especially after Tim’s incredible performance at the 2014 World Cup against Belgium. Brad Guzan was the heir apparent – starting in Europe and having a successful campaign leading the team in the 2015 Copa America, but suddenly lost his seat for his club and his US standing has been called into question. Some have wondered if he was truly going to take over regardless due to his often obvious position issues, indecisiveness and flair for gaffes.
David is one of the young rising stars that could jump on the scene. At 27 he’s just entering his prime years for a goalkeeper. He’s following his sister’s footsteps who played in college and for the USWNT in net.
Born in California, he played his youth soccer there before attending the University of California, Berkeley. He spent his first year on the bench behind now USMNT teammate in camp Stefan Frei. In 2009 he was named to the All-Pac-10 second team with a .95 goals against record before his 2010 campaign where he took the Golden Bears to the quarterfinals only to lose in penalties to the future champions Akron. He was selected in the 2011 MLS Superdraft by San Jose Earthquakes, his favorite childhood team. He finished 2015 fourth in the league with 105 saves and was rewarded with his first call up the USMNT national team. Bingham was recognized as theScore’s 2016 Team of the Season.
For USMNT Bingham opened his tally against Canada last year in February in a friendly against Canada. He also entered the friendly against New Zealand that same year. He’s certainly in the running of a long list of young keepers who hope to grab the mantle from Tim Howard.
Check out this goal by Keeper David Bingham against West Brom in a friendly from 2011:
Defense
Matt Hedges (FC Dallas, MLS)
Hedges was born to a sports family in Rochester, NY. Both of the 26 year old defender’s parents played college sports and his sister played soccer for Wisconsin. Matt attended Butler and was an All-American, along with many other accolades during his tenure as a Bulldog. His junior year he led his team, scoring four game-winning goals before deciding to transfer to the University of North Carolina for his senior year. He was part of the 2011 NCAA national championship team recording six goals and an assist in his solo season for UNC.
Hedges was a first round draft pick for FC Dallas in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He made his debut in April 2012 and became a regular starter almost immediately. He scored his first goal for FC Dallas in a clutch game tying goal in the 90th against Sporting Kansas City. By the 2014 season, Matt was Captain and has been ever since.
A natural leader and anchor for the defense, he has built a reputation as one of the top defenders in all of MLS. He was in the final list for first team honors in 2015 before earning the 2016 MLS Defender of the Year honors last year. Hedges is definitely one of a long list of prospective center backs that could receive the baton from guys like Geoff Cameron in the next cycle.
Taylor Kemp (D.C. United, MLS)
Kemp is likely the least known name on this list, but may have one of the best opportunities of all the young players mentioned. The left back position still seems up for grabs to allow Fabian Johnson to move forward into his natural and club midfield position. At age 26 he’s primed to make a run that could include the 2018 World Cup if no one else emerges. Kemp was born in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and soccer runs in the blood. His sister played at Wake Forest University. Taylor was recognized at a young age and was rated the Number 2 recruit by ESPN Rise Magazine was recognized early by his country in the U18 and U20 development academies. He won a state championship and was recognized as MVP on that team.
He played his college soccer at the University of Maryland and took over as captain of the team his senior year. He received All-ACC honors in three of his four years and was part of some memorable moments including an 88th minute goal in the NCAA Tournament to lead his team past Penn State in a 1-0 victory. He won two ACC Championships in his time at UMD. Taylor was drafted 17th overall by D.C. United and broke into the line up in 2015. He holds down the left flank and provides lethal crosses for his recently upgraded D.C. United striking unit. He was a leader on the team in assist in 2015 before really taking over the left back position in 2016. He tied a franchise record with three assists in one game, adding three more on the season for a career year and tucked two goals in the back of the net to round out his stat sheet.
Taylor is a devout Catholic and his relationship with God grounds him when things get tough in the professional sports world. Kemp is a left back, but his nickname is “Shooter” because of his deadly powerful left foot. It was hard to choose from a few of his highlight real of goals for D.C. United which might give him the edge in a weak left back pool.
Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union, MLS)
Keegan, one of the youngest players at camp at 23, grew up in rural Ronks, Pennsylvania. He was captain of his teams in both high school and college and did the little thing well. He showed qualities on and off the field early in his youth as a scout from Georgetown University saw when he came to watch him play. One scout recalled a game where Keegan was heading back to the team bus and then stopped returned to the bench and cleaned of all of the trash and debris that was around his team’s bench and threw it all away. The scout recalled knowing right then that he wanted Rosenberry on his team. It also didn’t hut that Keegan’s passing was spot on and he was someone who seemed to pursue improving all the time.
Like many on players on this list Rosenberry led his high school team to a state title before going on to college. He played four years at Georgetown University. He also played for Reading United AC in the Premier Development League in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 he was draft third overall by his local club Philadelphia Union in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. He finished his first season with two goals and two assists, but was well respected on a mediocre team for his excellent play. On top of playing well, he kept his head as he committed the second fewest fouls in the league and was never booked all season. Incredible for a defender on a sub-par team.
Keegan has quickly become a fan favorite and a name many brought up during Klinsmann’s tenure as deserving a call up.
Keegan held his own in his rookie year and looked to have the Rookie of the Year honors in his targets if not for a late surge by his dangerous USMNT teammate, Jordan Morris. Jordan led the Champion Seattle Sounders late season surge and was an easy choice as the Rookie of the Year winner.
Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas, MLS)
Zimmerman is another player who probably few know the name, but one you definitely need to start learning. He grew up with sports and leadership in his blood. His grandfather and great grandfather played football in college and both were captains at Auburn University. He has professional athletes all over his family including his brother who punted at Clemson and for the Atlanta Falcons. Walker is the son of David Zimmerman, a Baptist Minister for 21 years in Texas.
“I don’t know how long God has for me to play, but I intend to not just talk, but actually show up every step of the way.”
Walker is 23 and came up through the ranks of the U18, U20 and U23 teams with a few appearances on each. He was in the youth academy at Gwinnett Soccer Association in Lilburn, Georgia. He also played for Furman University in 2011 and 2012 where he won All-Southern Conference first team honors and finished his career with 11 goals and 5 assists. He was selected seventh overall in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and made his debut against D.C. United in 2013. In 2015 he made a great memory by knocking the Seattle Sounders out of the playoffs with a penalty kick to end the game. He finished last season with four goals and got Goal USA’s 2016 MLS Defender of the Year honors.
His tall 6’3 frame helps him defend the air or sky on corner kicks and be a threat on a dangerous FC Dallas squad. This is Zimmermans first time getting called up to the senior USMNT team. He’s a tall center back, that joins a competitive field in the middle of defense.
MIDFIELD Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy, MLS)
Llegets was born and raised in California to Argentine parents. He was discovered by West Ham and they signed him to their International academy. He joined the full team in 2010 and got his debut in 2014 against Nottingham Forrest. He couldn’t quite seem to break into the squad and after a few years and only a few appearances with West Ham he joined Coach Bruce Arena’s LA Galaxy in 2015.
LLetget made his debut for the team shortly after arriving with the club. He scored seven goals in his debut year and added 10 assists. He struggled a bit as he was adjusting to a new position in 2016 as the team added Steven Gerrard and some other new players last year.
Sebastian played with the US U17, U19 and U23 teams. This year is the 24 year old’s first ever call up to the senior team.
Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, MLS)
Kekuta is a very interesting name on this list. He’s a 22 year old striker born in Gambia and moved to Texas as a teenager, who just recently received his US citizenship. He has been working for years to join the US squad and it appears is now happening.
Manneh lost his mother when he was 10 and had another family tragedy occur while he was attending school in the US. He came to the US in 2010 and attended Lake Travis High School planning to stay for a year. He was eventually adopted by the family Niccum he was staying with. He graduated from his high school in 2013 and drafted in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.
He joined the Whitecaps in 2012, but lived across the border in the US in Point Roberts, Washington as he attempted to attain his US citizenship. MLS rated him number of five on their 2016 24 under 24 List.
He had an unfortunate broken foot injury in 2016 which kept him out of four months of play, but he was still able to manage five goals and two assist. Manneh had a great 2015 enjoying seven goals and six assists, as he broke on the scene for the Vancouver White Caps. He has 22 total goals for Vancouver and was the league’s youngest ever to record a hat trick. to The 22 year old has a lot of career ahead of him and will try to squeeze his way on to a recently crowded striker core for the USMNT.
This was Manneh’s first call up to the USMNT, though he’s been watched for some time now as his citizenship progressed.
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC, MLS)
Trapp grew up in Columbus, Ohio and played for Lincoln High School and like many on this list lead his team to a State Champion. He was the 2010 National High School Player of the Year. He went on to the University of Akron where he played and scored one goal along with eight assists. The Columbus Crew signed him on a homegrown contract.
“Wil Trapp does his job, he brings the ball out for them… difficult to stop. He has for him a good future. As an American, [you] should be happy. I thought he was the difference.”
– Thierry Henry
Wil broke into the Crew in summer 2013 where he started and played the entire game. A year later he scored his first professional goal. He was named an All-Star in 2016, the first home grown player in MLS history to do so. “Willy Franchise” plays in the center of midfield where the team is aging out of Beckerman and Jones long holding their positions. He has great vision and strong passing to support his defensive posture.
Trapp came up through the US Soccer Development Academy playing at the U14, U15, U18, U20 and U23 levels. He Captained the 2016 U23 team before getting his debut for the senior team in 2015. This camp is his third time getting called up to the USMNT for the 23 year old. With the aging stars in the central midfield Trapp has an opportunity in this camp to take one of those spots.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.
Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.
Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?
Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps
U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.
Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps
Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.
Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps
Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.
Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps
One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.
Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps
Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.
Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps
U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.
Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps
Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.
Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps
Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.
Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps
Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance.
The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.
It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Header_NextGen
With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.
There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT.
Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.
Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.
It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle.
The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.
Mathis Albert-17-Winger
Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback
Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger
Zavier Gozo-19-Winger
Julian Hall-18-Winger
Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker
Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder
Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger
Neil Pierre-18-Centerback
Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder
Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.
CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.
“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”
New Challenge in Mexico
As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.
“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”
“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”
The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.
“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”
“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”
Back in the U.S.
The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.
“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”
Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.
“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”
USYNT Hero
Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.
In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.
“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”
“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”
On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.
“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”
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