We Support the U.S. -- A USMNT Career

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New U.S. National Team Coach Announced

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August 24, 2020


With all the young talent coming out of the United States, the national team has decided to name a young 31-year-old, Thomas Buckingham, their newest head coach.

There was a lot of negativity surrounding the national team after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but the fanbase has since moved on. With an increasing number of Americans joining top clubs in Europe, players and fans are more excited than ever to see the potential these players can reach. Weston McKennie has joined Juventus, Christian Pulisic is in his second season at Chelsea, and Tyler Adams is playing for another Champions League side in RB Leipzig. The 2022 World Cup is just two years away, but might come too soon for this U.S. national team to compete with the best. However, in 2026 the Yanks could be a side looking to break through. The tournament will be held in the U.S. and the majority of the top young American talents should be in their prime.

Since the end of the last cycle, there have been questions about Michael Bradley’s future. He was the team's captain and vital for the U.S. leading up to 2018. He is yet to play a match in a U.S. shirt this cycle, but definitely has the talent to be here. His 151 caps is third all-time and his leadership on the pitch is irreplaceable. Another name is the striker Jozy Altidore. He’s another veteran who is in the top 10 with 115 caps and his 42 goals is third all-time.

The Youth Movement
There is a lot of hype coming out of the United States with all the young talent not only playing in Europe, but making an impact on the pitch. Chrisitan Pulisic has been doing it the longest after breaking into the Borussia Dortmund first team during the 2016/17 season. More recently, Weston McKennie broke in with Schalke and became a key player for the Bundesliga side before joining Italian giant, Juventus. McKennie’s midfield partner on the international side is Tyler Adams. The former New York Red Bulls player joined German side RB Leipzig back in January 2019. He’s been a rotation player for the first year and a half and will look to establish himself as a regular this season. All three of those players are just 21-years old and have plenty of time to grow into some top class players at top clubs.

Looking past those three U.S. regulars, the national team has a number of young players who have the potential to make a difference at the international level. The name everyone is talking about is Gio Reyna. The 17-year old made 15 Bundesliga appearances last season and will look to grow on that this season. Another 17-year old making a name for himself is Yunus Musah. Leading up to this 2020/21 club season, the New York native is yet to make a first team appearance. Buckingham has not made it clear if Musah needs to break into the first team at Valencia before he calls him in. Another thing to look at is which of these two players will start in the midfield. Both have played on the wing and in the middle for their club. It’s clear Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams will start which leaves just one spot for either Musa or Reyna. With Pulisic a lock to start on the left wing, the two teenages could also break into the national team on the right.

The Dual Nationals
This is always a big topic for the United States. John Brooks is massively important to this national side. He elected to play for the U.S. over his native Germany. Antonee Robinson was born in England, but he’s poised to be the starting left back for the U.S. for at least two cycles. Gio Reyna, who made it clear since day one he would only play for the U.S., was born in England when his father Caudio was playing at Sunderland.

This next generation has a few dual nationals who could make an impact for the USMNT. First is at the striker position. Although there is plenty of depth, the No. 9 spot is definitely the weakest for the U.S. Jozy Altidore is the most talented player, but he’s 30-years old and has been injury prone of late. Another name is Gyasi Zardes who has gotten the majority of the minutes this cycle, but talent wise, he’s no more than a placeholder until one of the top young talents break through. Both Sebastian Soto and Ricardo Pepi have the potential to break in soon and both have the option to play for Chile (Soto) or Mexico (Pepi). Jesus Ferreira broke into the FC Dallas first team at 17-year old and has been capped with the USMNT one time, but isn’t cap tied just yet. Ferreria could also play for Columbia as well. Lastly, Jordan Siebatcheu was born in Washington D.C., but moved to France at a very young age making him eligible for both nations. He’s represented France at the youth level, however rumors are he’s likely to finally accept a U.S. callup after the Yanks have been in constant contact with the Young Boy’s striker for a few years now.

What’s Next
Buckingham signed on as the head coach of the U.S. just four days before he’s expected to announce his first U.S. roster. The U.S. have friendlies against Canada and Egypt next week and will wrap up 2020 in October against Australia and Guatemala on home soil.

In 2021, the U.S. already have a scheduled Nations League semi-finals matchup against Costa Rica at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. If the U.S. wins, they’ll likely face off against Mexico in the final.

 

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Nation Overlook: Goalkeepers

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Manchester City's Zack Steffen is the clear no. 1 for the U.S.

Regulars:
Zack Steffen (25 y.o. - Manchester City)
Steffen has proved this cycle to be the top option in net for the U.S. After receiving the award handed to the top keeper in the MLS during the 2018 season, Manchester City came calling and Steffen was off to England. During his first season abroad, Steffen was loaned out to Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf where he made 17 league starts before an injury ended his season. This campaign he’ll be staying with his parent club as the backup to Ederson. U.S. fans are hoping the Pennsylvania native will get his chances in the cup matches. Regardless, it’s hard to see him losing the no. 1 shirt for the national team.

After being voted the 2nd best MLS keeper in 2020, Matt Turner has become one the the top U.S. keepers.

Contenders:
Matt Turner (26 y.o. - New England), Ethan Horvath (25 y.o. - Club Brugge), Bill Hamid (29 y.o. - D.C. United), Sean Johnson (31 y.o. - NYC F.C.)

There are only two spots on the roster for these four keepers. Both Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson have had excellent MLS careers, but are in the prime of their careers. It’s hard to see either one taking it to the next level and pressuring Steffen for the starting spot. The next two names are still learning and improving between the sticks. With the lack of any real prospects in net, both Turner and Horvath look to be the two keepers who will be competing with Steffen long term. Matt Turner is a late bloomer. He was never a top prospect and never capped at the youth level for the U.S. He just recently broke out at club level and proved himself to be a top keeper in the MLS. It shouldn’t take long for him to earn his first cap for the USMNT at any level. Ethan Horvath’s career has gone the opposite direction. At the start of this cycle most believed he and Steffen were the top two options for the U.S. While Steffen made a move to one of the top clubs in the world and had a successful loan stint in Germany, Horvath has been stuck on the bench not getting any minutes. Horvath has both Champions League and Europa League experience with Molde in Norway and Club Brugge of Belgium. However, after being the starter during the 2018/19 season in Belgium, Club Brugge purchased Simon Mignolet from Liverpool and Horvath saw the pitch just twice last year. He very well could be stuck on the bench again this season.​

 

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Nation Overlook: Center Backs

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Regulars:

John Brooks is the leader and clear top talent in the middle of the U.S. defense.

John Brooks (27 y.o. - Wolfsburg), Aaron Long (27 y.o. - New York Red Bulls), Matt Miazga (25 y.o. - Anderlecht)

The U.S. lacks any real depth of left-footed center backs making John Brooks vital for the national team. He gained World Cup experience in 2014 when made one appearance and scored a goal. Great in the air and composed with the ball at his feet, Brooks fits the U.S. system perfectly. Both Aaron Long and Matt Miazga will compete for the starting spot on the right side. Long isn’t great technically, but has great pace and physicality. He is a great option for a team playing with a high line. The New York Red Bulls center half was voted the top MLS defender during the 2018 season. Miazga has spent the majority of his career out on loan from his parent club, Chelsea. He’s played in the Eredivisie, Ligue 1, the Championship, and will be a starter for Anderlecht this year. He might not be as quick as Long, but he is just as strong and slightly better with the ball at his feet.

Contenders:

Mark McKenzie has the potential to long term start for the U.S. national team.

Tim Ream (32 y.o. - Fulham), Walker Zimmerman (27 y.o. - Nashville SC), Ventura Alvarado (28 y.o. - Atletico San Luis), Erik Palmer-Brown (23 y.o. - Austria Vienna), Cameron Carter-Vickers (22 y.o. - Bournemouth), Miles Robinson (23 y.o. - Atlanta Utd.), Justen Glad (23 y.o. - Real Salt Lake), Mark McKenzie (21 y.o. - Philadelphia Union)

This category could be broken down into two groups: experience and youth. Zimmerman, Ream, and Alvarado have 58 caps between the three of them, while, outside of Carter-Vickers’s eight caps, the other four names have just five. Walker Zimmerman has had a superb MLS career and is dominant in the air, but lacks pace, and is no more than average with the ball at his feet. Tim Ream is a well rounded center back and is good, but not great at every attribute you look for in a central defender. He also has some Premier League experience with Bolton and more recently Fulham, but at 32-years old his best years are behind him. The last name in the “experienced” group is Ventura Alvarado. He could’ve represented Mexico through both his parents, but ultimately elected to play for his nation of birth. He’s similar to Tim Ream in the style he plays, but hasn’t been able to establish himself as a regular first team player wherever he’s played. If he can get minutes at the club level he very well could be on a U.S. roster very soon.

The remaining five names are all 23-years old or younger. Cameron Carter-Vickers has eight caps to his name and has been a starter in the Championship for three seasons on loan away from Tottenham. He still needs to improve with the ball at his feet, but has the physical ability to compete at the international level. Erik Palmer-Brown is similar to Carter-Vickers whereas he needs some work in possession. Owned by Manchester City, Palmer-Brown had a slow start to his club career until last season when he was loaned to Austria Vienna where he was a starter. That loan was extended for another season and Palmer-Brown will be an important player in the middle of their defense. The last three are MLS defenders who are slowly moving up the U.S. depth chart. Mark McKennie has the highest potential, but is the furthest away from being ready. Miles Robinson had a breakout season in 2019 and earned a U.S. cap, but didn’t impress as much this past season. Lastly, Justen Glad has been a first team starter for four years now in the MLS, but hasn’t been able to take his game to the next level. He has 15 appearances with the U20 national team, but is yet to see the pitch for the senior team. As of right now it’s these three youngsters who are closest to taking away a spot on the senior team roster from the previously named veterans.​

 

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Nation Overlook: Full Backs

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Regulars:

Sergio Dest has the makings to be a world class player.

Sergino Dest (19 y.o. - Barcelona), Antonee Robinson (23 y.o. - Fulham), Reggie Cannon (22 y.o. - Boavista)

Sergino Dest became a U.S. regular the moment he gave up his chance to play for the Netherlands and committed to the U.S. He has excellent pace, is great on the ball, and is a major threat in the final third of the pitch. The only knock on his game could be his marking. But, he’s only 19-years old and has the potential to be a world class right back. On the left, Antonee Robinson is just as good as Dest both physically and mentally, but needs to improve defensively. There isn’t much, if any depth behind Robinson, so he doesn’t need to look over his shoulder just yet. Reggie Cannon is the clear backup to Dest on the right. He proved at the 2019 Gold Cup and 2020 MLS season he belongs. 2021 will be a big year for the former FC Dallas man. He made a move this summer to Boavista in Portugal and will have a chance to prove himself against much tougher competition.

Contenders:

DeAndre Yedlin's stock has fallen, but minutes on the pitch could quickly change that.

DeAndre Yedlin (27 y.o. - Newcastle Utd.), Timothy Chandler (30 y.o. - Eintracht Frankfurt), Nick Lima (25 y.o. - San Jose Quake), Aaron Herrera (23 y.o. - Real Salt Lake), Shaq Moore (23 y.o. - Tenerife), Matt Olosunde (22 y.o. - Rotherham), Chase Gasper (24 y.o. - Minnesota Utd.)

DeAndre Yedlin has 49 caps and plenty of experience in the English Premier League, but has dealt with injuries and lack of minutes on the pitch. He has electric pace and is a threat in the attack, but his poor positioning has left his teammate exploded on several occasions. He still has plenty of time to improve his stock once again and possibly jump Reggie Cannon on the depth chart.

Behind the regulars and Yedlin, there’s so much parity making it difficult to pick just a couple of names. Timmy Chandler has the most experience with 29 caps and has spent seven seasons as a starter in the Bundesliga. He’s dropped off a bit talent wise and it’s clear his minutes will be limited for Eintracht Frankfurt this campaign. Also on the right side, the U.S. have Nick Lima and Shaq Moore who could profit from injuries. Neither have the potential to make a senior team appearance otherwise. If we’re being honest, none of the veteran left backs are good enough and the prospects aren’t quite ready yet. Aaron Herrera might be the closest, but doesn’t have the potential George Bello or Sam Vines have. Although he’s a natural right back, Nick Lima could be used on the left side as well. He could be a placeholder for the time being. It'll be interesting to see which of the youngsters break out in 2021 and earn a spot on the U.S. roster.​

 

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Nation Overlook: Central Midfielders

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Regulars:

After establishing himself as a leader for Schalke, Weston McKennie will look to breakthrough with Juventus.

Weston McKennie (21 y.o. - Juventus), Tyler Adams (21 y.o. - RB Leipzig), Gio Reyna (17 y.o. - Borussia Dortmund)

The U.S. will line up with three in the midfield. What we do know is Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams will be the holding midfielders, while one of the contenders push forward. In three years at Schalke, McKennie proved he is big, physical, great in the air, sufficient with the ball at his feet, and can cover tons of ground with his excellent work rate. Tyler Adams is similar to McKennie whereas he has excellent natural fitness and work rate, but isn’t nearly as physically imposing. Lastly, Gio Reyna could be added to this list. It’s hard to say where he’ll line up on the pitch. His best position is on the left wing, but that role is already occupied by Cristian Pulisic. Reyna is only 17-years old, so he has plenty of time to grow as a player and learn where he feels most comfortable.

Contenders:

Michael Bradley is the third most capped USMNT player of all time. But, does he still have "it."

Michael Bradley (33 y.o. - Toronto FC), Darlington Nagbe (30 y.o. - Columbus Crew)

One could argue that Michael Bradley is still the top midfielder the U.S. have to offer. He brings everything to the table that McKennie does and just might offer a little more going forward. However, at 33-years old, just how much does he have in the tank? Then again, people have been asking that for years. Next is another veteran in 30-year old Darlington Nagbe. He’s spent the vast majority of his career on the wings until recently moving to the middle. He is still an option to play out wide, but with the lack of a standout central attacker in the U.S. setup, Nagbe is a very strong option here as well. He has all the qualities for the role and, with Pulisic naturally cutting in from his wide position, Nagbe can play as a Mezzala and fill the holes left on the wing.

Fringe:

With all the hype around Gio Reyna and Yunes Musah, Brenden Aaronson has the potential to keep one of them on the bench.

Brenden Aaronson (19 y.o. - Philadelphia Union), Yunes Musah (17 y.o. - Valencia), Keaton Parks (23 y.o. - NYCFC), Sebastian Lletget (27 y.o. - LA Galaxy), Julian Green (25 y.o. - Greuther Furth)

The U.S. have so much depth and young talent starting to make a name for themselves at this position. None of them have the quality of Bradley or Nagbe quite yet, but they’re all very much in the picture. Yunes Musah has loads of potential, but is yet to play a minute for the first team at Valencia. Brenden Aaronson is only 19-years old, but had a breakout season in the MLS last campaign and will be joining RB Salzburg in January. If he gets minutes there he could quickly become a starter for the U.S. Keaton Parks came up through the Benfica academy and made four first team appearances before coming home and joining NYCFC. After two seasons in the states, he’s proven to be an important midfield playmaker for his new club. Similar to Darlington Nagbe, Sebastian Lletget is a converted winger who can operate through the middle, but drift wide and is comfortable anywhere in the final third of the pitch. Lastly, of the advanced options, former elite prospect Julian Green is still in the mix. After scoring a goal with his first touch of the 2014 World Cup, Green is still just 25-years old. He’s finally found a home in the 2. Bundesliga with Greuther Furth where he’s been a regular starter for three seasons.

Backups:

Can Kellyn Acosta rediscover his form and become a USMNT regular?

Kellyn Acosta (25 y.o. - Colorado Rapids), Cristian Roldan (25 y.o. - Seattle Sounders), Wil Trapp (27 y.o. - Inter Miami), Russell Canouse (25 y.o. - D.C. United)

I’m calling this section the “backups” as these players will be competing for a spot on the bench behind McKennie and Adams. Their first step is to displace Michael Bradley for the USMNT. Kellyn Acosta had a very strong start to his MLS career and drew serious interest from European teams before this new generation made it a “thing.” Unfortunately, his career stalled out a bit and he’s just recently begun to rediscover that talent. At 25-years old, Acosta should be nearing his best. The next group are potential placeholders until the youngsters start to establish themselves. Cristian Roldan has been called in several times previously and an excellent career with MLS side, Seattle Sounders proves he’s deserved it. Roldan is a very good overall midfielder who can play in any role asked of him. The issue with him is, although he’s good at every aspect of the game, he isn’t great and one particular thing separating himself from the pack. Wil Trapp is similar. He can pick out a pass, has excellent natural fitness, has a decent first touch, but just isn’t quick enough for a high pressing system. The last name to mention who falls into this category is Russell Canouse. He’s very much a ball winner who has excellent mental stats, is strong, and a good passer of the ball, but needs some work with the ball at his feet if he wants to reach that next level.​

 

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Nation Overlook: Wingers

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Regulars:

With 14 goals in 34 caps, Christian Pulisic is vital in the U.S. attack.

Christian Pulisic (21 y.o. - Chelsea), Gio Reyna (17 y.o. - Borussia Dortmund)

The U.S. have a good mix of youth and experienced talents on the wings. With that, Chrisitan Pulisic brings a bit of both with 34 caps at the young age of 21. He has the left wing position tied down for many years to come. He is class with the ball at his feet and has the quickness to skip passed defenders in a blink of an eye. I mentioned Gio Reyna when breaking down the midfield, but his best position is on the left flank. With Pulisic being an injury concern on more than one occasion, Reyna would be the natural replacement for the Chelsea man. Regardless of where Reyna plays he will be a regular in this team.

Contenders:

With a breakout season in Ligue 1, Tim Weah could quickly become a regular.

Jordan Morris (25 y.o. - Seattle Sounders), Paul Arriola (25 y.o. - D.C. United), Timothy Weah (20 y.o. - Lille), Duane Holmes (25 y.o. - Derby County), Tyler Boyd (25 y.o. - Besiktas)

Jordan Morris has been a regular for the U.S. dating back to the previous World Cup cycle. However, with a handful of youngsters starting to get first team minutes he could get passed on the depth chart. Morris has been one of the best attackers in the MLS for a handful of years now, but many argue he needs to go abroad to bring his game to the next level. He has a great mix of pace and strength to compete with some of the top defense, plus he’s a great finisher for a wide man. Paul Arriola is another winger who is entering the prime of his career and has had a strong MLS career to this point. He doesn’t have the speed or strength Morris does, but is great on the ball at his feet and is willing to do the dirty work by helping out in defense. When he’s on the pitch you know he’s always going to give 110%. One youngster to keep an eye on is Timmy Weah. He came up through the PSG youth ranks, but was never given a real chance. He was finally sold to Lille, but a bad hamstring injury forced him out for just about the entire season. Now healthy, if he can prove himself in a top league like Ligue 1 he could replace Morris or Arriola very soon. Tyler Boyd and Duane Holmes are dual nationals who previously committed their future to the U.S. Holmes has had a great career in England, first in League One and now the Championship. He is set to start his third season in the English second division and if he performs like he’s been, he’ll be tough to leave out. Lastly, Boyd is similar to Paul Arriola. A strong debut season in Turkey nearly forced me to add him to the ‘regular’ list, but now he’s transfer listed and might be stuck on the beach if he doesn’t find a way out of Besiktas.

On the Verge:

If Konrad de al Fuente can find minutes this season at Barca he could earn his first U.S. cap.

Konrad de la Fuente (19 y.o. - Barcelona), Alex Mighten (18 y.o. - Nottingham Forest)

I think it’s worth mentioning some of the young talents who very well could break into the team before the 2022 World Cup. First is Barcelona's Konrad de la Fuente. With the youth movement going on under Ronald Koeman, de la Fuente could get his chance this season. If not, a loan move could be in the cards and if he gets minute, a call up isn’t far away. He’s already proved to be an important player for the US U20 team and Barcelona B team. Alex Mighten is another player to get excited about. Born in Connecticut and raised in England, his future is yet to be decided. He made eight appearances in the Championship for Nottingham Forest last year and will look to build on that this term. If he proves himself on the pitch at club level in the near future I will seriously consider giving him his chance.​

 

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Nation Overlook: Strikers

Well, World Cup qualifying is about one year away. The idea will be to keep the player pool somewhat small as we don’t have a lot of time to find out who the top talents are. Before we get started I think it would be fun to give everyone a quick little overview of who the top players are at each position. The players will be running out in a 4-3-3 formation and, on occasion, a 4-2-3-1 as the young, attacking midfield talents begin to prove themselves.

Regulars:

Jozy Altidore's 42 USMNT goals is third best all-time.

Jozy Altidore (30 y.o. - Toronto FC), Josh Sargent (20 y.o. - Werder Bremen)

Well, there aren't any true regulars in the U.S. team upfront. Jozy Altidore has been that man for four cycles now. He was the starter at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. That would’ve been the case again in 2018 if the U.S. managed to qualify. There has been a ton of turnover this cycle, but Altidore still looks to be the most talented striker the U.S. have. The next closest is Josh Sargent and many fans are calling for the Werder Bremen front man to take over for Altidore, however he’s yet to really prove himself at club level. He did manage 13 starts and 28 overall Bundesliga appearances last season, but only had four goals to show for it. If he continues to get minutes and grow as a player, Sargent will be the no. 9 when World Cup qualifiers role around.

Contenders:

Aron Johannson has the talent, but consistent injuries has killed his career.

Aron Johannson (29 y.o. - Hammarby), Gyasi Zardes (28 y.o. - Columbus Crew)

There are a ton of strikers looking to break into the national team. On top of that, Buckingham has a plethora of different types of forwards to choose from as well. Does he want a big target man or a true goal scoring poacher? Gyasi Zardes is probably the next best striker, but at 28-years old it’s hard to see him taking his game to the next level and overtaking Altidore or Sargent. There are potentially seven other players on the verge of getting minutes. Aron Johannsson no doubt is just as talented as anyone in the pool, but has had a very disappointing career constantly dealing with injuries. He broke out with AZ in the Eredivisie scoring 17 goals in one season. That was good enough for a move to the Bundesliga, but he missed 15 months in three years because of major injuries and now he’s looking to reestablish himself in Sweden. At 29-years old it might be too late for him.

On the Verge:

After committing to the U.S., Jordan Siebatcheu quickly became a top option up front for his nation.

Jordan Siebatcheu (24 y.o. - Young Boys), Emmanuel Sabbi (22 y.o. - OB), Haji Wright (22 y.o. - SonderjyskE), Andrija Novakovich (23 y.o. - Frosinone), Nico Gioacchini (20 y.o. - Caen), Jeremy Ebobisse (23 y.o. - Portland Timbers)

There are six other strikers who are also in the mix. Both Haji Wright and Emmanuel Sabbi play in the Danish top flight. Sabbi has had a better start to his young career scoring 15 goals over the past two seasons. However, these two might have to move to a more competitive league if they want a real shot. The most exciting name in this group is Jordan Sibebatchu. He broke into Ligue 1 at 18-years old, but struggled and his club was relegated at the end of the season. Three years later, the French-American bagged 17 Ligue 2 goals and was sold to Rennes. This season he was loaned out and has a chance to get regular first team minutes with Young Boys. Andrija Novakovich was the first prospect on this list to break out. He scored 19 goals on loan at Telstar during the 2017/18 season which earned him his first of three U.S. caps. His career has since stalled a bit as he’s currently playing in Serie B. The last two names have a lot of potential but still have a bit to prove. Last year was Nico Gioacchini’s first with his club's first team while Jeremey Ebobisse is a converted winger who needs to do it in front of goal.​

 

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Buckingham's First 23-Man Roster Announced

August 27, 2020
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Just four days after taking over as the head coach, Buckingham has announced his first roster. On paper, as the 20th best nation in the world according to the FIFA ranking, the U.S. are expected to win both these matches.

Buckingham did name a very strong team for these two friendlies. “We don’t have much time to prepare for the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers next year,” the head coach said. “I wanted to call in as many regulars as I could, so they can learn what I want to do here and what is expected from them going forward.”

The first match is against a fellow CONCACAF opponent. “Canada is someone we’ll be facing during World Cup qualifying,” Buckingham explained. He added, “they are one of the better sides in the CONCACAF and matching up against them gives us a good gauge of what we’ll be facing off against as we look to reach Qatar in 2022.”

Here are some of the key takeaways during Buckingham’s press conference after naming his 23-man roster.

Keepers:
“Zack Steffen has proved that he's the best keeper in the pool… Both Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath are in the mix along with a handful of other players. They’re two of the younger options. This is their chance to show us exactly where they are right now. Turner has been getting better and better at club level while Horvath has a lot of potential. I just hope he can find minutes on the pitch, so he can reach the level we know he can get to.”

Defenders:
“John Brooks is very important to us. We don’t have a lot of depth of left footed defenders… Matt Miazga might be our second best option even though he’s naturally right footed. We’ve decided to give Cameron Carter-Vickers a chance here. He’s definitely in the mix with a handful of other guys, but we really like his physicality and ability to play with the ball at his feet. At the full-back position, Dest, Cannon and Robinson have been regulars. We went with Ream here as well because of his experience. We’re a little short of the left, but we’re excited about some of the young talent coming up.”

Midfielders:
“Well, McKennie and Adams have been great for both club and country. So far this cycle they’ve been the starters and they’ll get that chance going forward. Michael Bradley has been around for awhile and even though he’s 33 I don’t want to count him out since he continues to impress in the MLS. What we’re really looking at is to find an attacking option to play alongside Adams and McKennie. We have Musah, Aaronson, and Reyna who can do that in this team. I’m still not sure which of those three will play in these two games, but we want to give them a chance to prove themselves.”

Wingers:
“Pulisic is our guy on the left. He’s one of the leaders and already a veteran in this team. Jordan Morris has also been around for a handful of years and we really like his size and speed on the wing. We also wanted to give Timmy Weah a chance. He’s finally healthy after two hamstring injuries which kept him for almost a year. He really could become an important player for us down the road. Lastly, we know Musah and Reyna have tons of potential and really could become world class players. Their careers are still extremely young and they still need to figure out where on the pitch they’re most comfortable playing. Is it the midfield out wide?”

Strikers:
“We have a lot of options here. We know what Jozy Altiore can do, so we left him out here, but he’s still very much in the picture. Jordan Siebatcheu just committed to the U.S. and has had a pretty good young career. Now is his chance to show us what he can do in a U.S. shirt. Also Josh Sargent has been a top prospect for the U.S. He should get more minutes for his club team his term.”

 

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Friendly

Location: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 18,500
Date: September 2, 2020

Valencia's Yunus Musah makes his United States senior team debut.

Although it was far from convincing, the U.S. came away with a 2-1 win under new head coach, Thomas Buckingham. The hosts had plenty of opportunities with 18 shots, but Canada did a great job limiting the U.S. to long distance chances. Canada also blocked a total of seven shots.

As organized as Canada was at the back, the U.S. did muster up a few great chances. The first came from Yunus Musah in the second minute. Sergino Dest played in a low cross, which was settled with Musah’s left foot. His second touch was a rushed effect from eight yards out which rolled slowly into the keepers arms.

It was Canada who got on the board first through the Lille striker, Jonathan David. John Brooks was instructed to mark the dangerous front man, but a long ball floated over the top of Aaron Long, and with Brooks a little slow to react, David was clean through. He dribbled the ball into the box and rolled it into the corner of the net with the inside of this right boot. The Canucks were ahead after 11 minutes with their first opportunity of the match.

Just two minutes later Brenden Aaronson answered from close range via a cross off the right peg of Sergino Dest. The ball bounced in the box and the future RB Salzburg man blasted it at the near post before a defender could get to it. The young attacking midfielder has had two strong seasons in the MLS and will be leaving for Austria in January on a $6.0m deal.

Right before the half Canada nearly took the lead again as Jonathan David was played through similarly to what happened in the eleventh minute, however this time Zack Steffen held his ground and the shot deflected off his right arm and went wide. From that point the away side didn’t show much else in the final third.

It took nearly 20 minutes after the beak for the U.S. to find the winner. With a throw-in deep in Canada’s half and Kellyn Acosta lingering at the top of the box, Dest found Reyna near the end line. The Dortmund man fed McKennie who squard the ball to an unmarked Acosta. With his first touch he hit a low, power shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

The U.S. were forced to make three substitutions because of injuries in this match. The first came just 23 minutes into the match after Christian Pulisic went down grabbing his heel. He has a tight achilles and will be back before the next match. Antonee Robinson and Brenden Aaronson, who were also forced off, are not as fortunate and will miss the match against Egypt.​

 

[tbuc]

Two Injury Replacements Called In

Aaron Herrera (pictured) and Sebastian Lletget called in for the match against Egypt.

September 2, 2020

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[tbuc]

Friendly

Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Attendance: 18,188
Date: September 5, 2020

Kellyn Acosta shines against Egypt from his midfield position.

This was a very dominant performance against a weak Egypt side. The Pharaohs were without their three biggest stars in Mohammed Salah, Mohammed Elneny and Trezeguet.

The U.S. defense held their opponents to just three shots throughout the entire match and, looking at the “average possession” map, only one player on Egypt spent more than 45 minutes in the attacking half of the pitch.

There really isn’t much to say about this match as the away side were outplayed from the start. The U.S. created plenty of chances throughout the 90 minutes, as Egypt sat back soaking up pressure. The Pharaohs were the much more dominant side in the air, resulting in the home side’s best chances of the game coming from through ball, most off the foot of Kellyn Acosta and Sergio Dest. The Yanks first goal came from a goalline scramble. Reggie Cannon’s low cross into the box came off the foot of a center back. The quickest to react was Jordan Morris who pounced on it and poked it in at the near post. The U.S. doubled their lead with just over ten minutes to go in the first half. After a cross was headed out by Egypt, the ball was quickly worked to Kellyn Acosta who played in Timmy Weah. As the Egyptian defense was trying to regroup, Weah let the ball roll onto his right foot, before knocking the ball past the keeper from just five yards out. Morris bagged his second goal in the 70th minutes, again from close range. A corner kick to the far post was headed on target by Jordan Siebatcheu. The keeper was able to get his fingertips to it, but he would only direct it right to Morris at the far post for tap in goal.

It’s clear the depth at left back for the U.S. is pretty much nonexistent. It’s also clear our best option is Sergio Dest, however, he’s a natural right back. In this match we gave him a chance on the left to see how he would adapt when being forced to use his weaker foot. After looking at the match stats I found one thing very interesting. Both our full-backs, Dest and Reggie Cannon, were given the same instructions (both “Wing-Back” on “Support”) yet their stats were very different. Reggie Cannon, who is naturally right footed and started on the right, attempted 17 crosses. On the other side, Dest, who is also naturally right footed, only attempted two crosses. One more thing to note, Dest did only play 45 minutes in this one, but still there is a major difference.​