Let’s get this out of the way first. Last week was horrible. Last week was inexcusable. Last week was a global embarrassment. Don’t sugarcoat it: the USMNT screwed up the easiest qualifying region in the world and failed to make the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
Much has been made about why we failed to qualify, and what needs to be done to avoid this in the future. Did we simply make a mistake with the manager? Do we need to overhaul the entire youth system? Do we need to jettison all of our players out of MLS and into Europe?
Believe it or not, I think the answer is nothing. Nothing needs to be done. This country is on the cusp of soccer greatness.
This Saturday, the USA will be competing against England in the quarterfinals of the U17 World Cup, after throttling previously-undefeated Paraguay 5-0 in the Round of 16. The U17s are an exciting, talented team that can compete with anyone in the world. You can watch them on Fox Sports 2.
This group of youngsters may be the most promising group we’ve ever had. And we’ve been producing good young talent for a while now. American teams have made the quarterfinals in the last two U20 World Cups. Only two countries in the world have done that: us and Portugal.
This is a list of 20 US players all between the ages of 16 and 24. I believe it is a golden generation of American soccer talent.
Ethan Horvath – Club Brugge – 22
Many want Horvath to take Tim Howard’s #1 shirt immediately, and I agree. Horvath was recruited by former Manchester United forward and cult hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager of Norwegian side Molde, at age 17. He was made the club’s starter at 20. Horvath competed in the Europa League in his first season and helped underdogs Molde finish top of their group, ahead of Fenerbahce, Ajax, and Celtic. He then signed for Club Brugge in January 2017, winning the starting job in May. Horvath was thrust into the Belgian Championship playoff, a six team round robin just like final stage of CONCACAF qualifying. In a crucial match against eventual champion Anderlecht, Horvath saved a penalty from highly-rated starlet Youri Tielemans. The save was crucial to Brugge holding Anderlecht to a 1-1 draw. Horvath helped Brugge finish 2nd, which gave them an opportunity to compete at the highest level of the sport–the UEFA Champions League. Picking up where he left off last year, Horvath has started every match for Brugge this season, and they are top of the Belgian League with the least goals conceded. If he keeps excelling, it’s not unrealistic for him to move to La Liga or the EPL in the near future, following the footsteps of former Brugge and current Austrailia #1 Matthew Ryan.
Zack Steffen – Columbus Crew – 22
Steffen broke on to the scene at the U20 World Cup in 2015. He saved a penalty in the 2nd half against Colombia in the first knockout round of the tournament. The save was vital because the US was protecting a 1-nil lead late in the game. Steffen sent his team to the quarterfinals, only to lose on penalties to eventual champion Serbia. Since then he spent a year on loan with Pittsburgh in the USL, and he took over the #1 shirt for the Crew this season. Columbus has qualified for the playoffs and Steffen’s been pretty good for them. He’s behind Horvath in his development, but it will be interesting to see how both of their careers pan out. At worst I think Steffen can be a reliable deputy.
DeAndre Yedlin – Newcastle United – 24
A raw athlete who had more collegiate experience than professional experience at the time, Yedlin was a surprise inclusion in the US team at the 2014 World Cup. He caught the eye of the world playing an important role for the US as a substitute off the bench. Yedlin has played professionally for multiple English clubs since playing well in Brazil. Originally a Tottenham player, he struggled to get playing time with Spurs and spent a season away on loan, learning how to defend with Sam Allardyce at Sunderland. After that loan spell, Sunderland’s biggest rivals, Newcastle United, paid Tottenham 5 million pounds to sign Yedlin permanently on a five-year contract. He has played 30 games for Newcastle in a little over a year, and has developed into an important player for the Magpies. Yedlin is still raw and inconsistent–sometimes he looks like Kyle Walker, sometimes he looks like a right-footed Jeff Schlupp–but the speed of his improvement since leaving Akron University in 2013 has truly been remarkable.
Shaquell Moore – Levante – 20
The son of Trinidad international Wendell Moore, Shaq was born in the same Atlanta suburb as Andrew Carleton (more on him later). He played with the U20s in 2015, and turned a good performance in New Zealand into a contract with Huracan Valencia in the Spanish 3rd Division. He made 6 senior appearances for Huracan and then signed with Oviedo, a 2nd Division Spanish club, in January 2016. Moore played consistently for a few months with the Oviedo B team and he earned a transfer to La Liga club Levante that summer. Last year Moore played regularly for Levante’s B team, and on September 30th he was included in the first team squad for the first time with his current club. Moore is an athletic right-sided fullback with a good cross and he should be a reliable backup for Yedlin–or more–in the future. The key will be if Moore can get consistent playing time in La Liga, which seems to be right around the corner.
Sergino Dest – Ajax – 16
Holland-born Dest started at left back for the U17s against Paraguay and did really well, but he’s a natural right back from Ajax’s famous youth academy. Dest is a fullback built for Dutch style “total football,” meaning he loves to get forward and contribute to the attack. He’s quick and a good dribbler but he’s tough for his size and he gets stuck in too. Ajax’s academy is perhaps the best place in the world for a young player to develop, and the US hasn’t had a player from the Ajax academy since John O’Brien. O’Brien didn’t start at Ajax until he was 17. Dest is 16 and he’s spent his whole childhood learning from some of the best youth coaches in the world. Keep an eye on Sergino, he’s a talented prospect and he’s at the perfect place for a young player to grow.
John Brooks – Wolfsburg – 24
It’s hard to believe Brooks is only 24. Already one of the US’s two best players, Brooks isn’t even close to a central defender’s prime. And yet he has a lot of experience. If Brooks gets over the injuries that have kept him out this season, I think he will become one of the best defenders in the world and a key cog in the US team for years to come. At Brooks’s age, Jerome Boateng–arguably the best defender in the world right now–had played 124 senior games. Brooks has played 119. He’s on the Boateng track.
Matt Miazga – Vitesse Arnheim (on loan from Chelsea) – 22
Miazga was ever-present for the U20s in New Zealand in 2015, forming a great partnership with then-17-year-old Cameron Carter-Vickers in the center of defense. A strong aerial presence at 6’4, Miazga excelled in the MLS as a 20-year-old starter for a NY Red Bulls team that finished with the best record in MLS, winning the Supporter’s Shield. He then turned down a big pay raise from the Red Bulls and moved to London, signing a contract with Chelsea through the 2020 season. Miazga’s Polish ancestry allowed him to join Chelsea without needing a work permit, but the move to Chelsea has not quite worked out the way he hoped. Miazga made 2 appearances for the Blues, only for Chelsea to hire a new manager with an entirely different tactical system later that year. Chelsea has spent over 50 million pounds on 2 players who play Miazga’s position since he joined the club. It seems unlikely that Miazga will get another chance at Chelsea, as he is currently in his 2nd season away from the club on loan with Vitesse. But he is a regular starter, and he is gaining first team experience in Holland every week.
Erik Palmer-Brown – Sporting KC – 20
An athletic, versatile defender who is composed on the ball with both feet, Palmer-Brown is a very talented prospect who could feasibly play at every defensive position as well as in midfield. He signed his first professional contract with Kansas City at age 16, and is their youngest-ever player, having already made 18 appearances for the senior team. Last winter he was loaned to Portuguese giants FC Porto and immediately became a starter for the Porto B team. Palmer-Brown helped Porto B win the Portuguese 2nd Division championship and then traveled to South Korea for the 2017 U20 World Cup. In South Korea, he partnered 19-year-old Cameron Carter-Vickers in defense and was named one of the best 11 players of the tournament by both Squawka and Scouted Football. He was so impressive that Manchester City came calling, and Palmer-Brown agreed to a pre-contract with the global giants. He will join City’s books this winter but will not play in the EPL because he will not qualify for a work permit. Instead, he will be loaned to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, the former club of DaMarcus Beasley. Due to the lack of natural left backs in the senior team and at youth level, I can see Palmer-Brown doing a job in that position for the US in the future. But it’s entirely possible that he becomes too good in the middle to play anywhere else. If Palmer-Brown eventually breaks into the first team at Man City, he’ll get to play wherever he wants for the national team, ahead of whoever he wants.
Cameron Carter-Vickers – Sheffield United (on loan from Tottenham) – 19
Carter-Vickers is a strong, aggressive ball-winning defender who was born in England but has represented the US at multiple youth levels and at 2 consecutive U20 World Cups. Having excelled for Tottenham’s youth sides the last 2 years, he was loaned out to Sheffield United in the English 2nd Division to gain experience this season. The deal paid off immediately, as Carter-Vickers scored the winner against Bolton in his professional debut. Carter-Vickers is a naturally aggressive “stopper” who wants to push forward and win the ball off the other team’s forwards and midfielders. These qualities helped him form effective partnerships with more conservative “sweepers” like Miazga and Palmer-Brown in back-to-back U20 World Cups. John Brooks is also a “sweeper” who is more comfortable staying deep and holding position than pushing forward to win the ball, so Carter-Vickers might be the best candidate to partner Brooks in the middle of defense for the US in the future.
Kellyn Acosta – FC Dallas – 22
A versatile player who came up through FC Dallas’s youth academy, Acosta has shined in the MLS as a regular starter for Dallas the last 3 seasons. Acosta broke into Dallas’s starting lineup as a teenage right back, but his best position is a box-to-box midfielder. Acosta has exceptional stamina to support both the attack and defense from midfield. Acosta’s stamina also makes him a good fit at fullback, and he is skilled enough with both feet to play wide right or wide left. Acosta has very sound technique for his age, he is a good dribbler and he strikes the ball well, especially on set pieces. Over the next few years, Acosta needs to build his strength and improve his tackling in order to develop into a more valuable part of the US team, but he already is a player who can fill in at multiple positions during a tournament and provide cover for injuries and suspensions.
Emerson Hyndman – Bournemouth – 21
Fellow Dallas native Hyndman joined FC Dallas’s academy when he was 14, but only stayed there for a year before joining America’s English club, Fulham. Unlike most young Americans, Hyndman qualified for a work permit to play in England when he was just 15 years old due to his Portuguese great-grandfather. Hyndman did well enough at Fulham’s youth academy to earn a professional contract in 2012, but he broke his collarbone during his debut season with the senior team and struggled to cement a starting place over his Fulham career. It’s also worth noting that Fulham was in a state of complete dysfunction and disarray at that time–over the course of Hyndman’s 4 year contract, Fulham went through two different owners, five different managers, an extraordinary amount of player turnover, relegation from the EPL, and nearly dropped down to the English 3rd Division. Sometimes the stability of the MLS is preferable to the instability of European clubs when it comes to player development. Hyndman’s experience at Fulham was a bumpy ride, and he only made 25 appearances for the club in his four years in London. He left Fulham to go back to the EPL last summer, joining Bournemouth on a four-year contract. Unable to break into the starting lineup, Bournemouth loaned Hyndman to Scottish club Rangers in January, and he finally got a chance to show what he could do with regular playing time. Hyndman made 13 appearances for Rangers and scored 4 goals–winning the club’s Young Player of the Year Award despite only playing half a season with them. Hyndman is a skilled playmaker who can pull the strings and create chances for himself and others. He can play as a deep-lying playmaker or further forward as a #10. The grandson of former FC Dallas manager Schellas Hyndman, Emerson has good soccer IQ and he demonstrated his leadership qualities when he captained his country to an impressive performance at the U20 World Cup in 2015. Back at Bournemouth this season, Hyndman will hope to break into the first team with the Cherries and finally get a chance to compete in one of the world’s best leagues.
Weston McKennie – Schalke – 19
Another FC Dallas academy product, McKennie had a unique upbringing. He lived for 3 years in Kaiserslautern, Germany while his father was stationed there with the military, and got a chance to train with FC Phonix Otterbach’s youth academy at a very young age. When he returned to the US, McKennie excelled at both football and soccer, but ultimately chose to pursue soccer as a career after shining at youth level for both FC Dallas and the USA. McKennie turned down a lucrative offer to stay at Dallas as a Homegrown Player, and rejected a chance to play collegiately for the University of Virginia. Instead he decided to play for Schalke, one of the biggest clubs in Germany. After less than one year with the reserves, McKennie was promoted to the senior team late last season, and he made his first start for the club against Bayern Munich in September. Schalke and McKennie recently agreed to a new five-year contract, and he seems to be integral to new Schalke manager Domenico Tedesco’s plans. A box-to-box midfielder who likes to take players on the dribble and throw himself into tackles, McKennie is an athletic, all-action player who covers a ton of ground but sometimes struggles with his discipline. A close friend and roommate of Christian Pulisic in Germany, McKennie is arguably the “next Pulisic,” meaning he is the most likely American to break through and play regularly for one of Europe’s best clubs in the near future.
Tyler Adams – New York Red Bulls – 18
A versatile player who can play at fullback or in midfield, Adams is a diminutive ball-winner built in the mold of N’Golo Kante. Adams scored a goal in his first start for the Red Bulls at just 16 years old in a friendly against EPL powerhouse Chelsea. He has been competing against grown men ever since, first for the Red Bull Reserves in the USL, and then for the senior team in MLS. A regular starter for the Red Bulls at age 18, Adams is an exceptional tackler who likes to try to find a killer pass. He sometimes struggles with his awareness and gets caught in possession too frequently, but that can be fixed with experience. If you compare Adams to Acosta, you have to say Adams is further along than Acosta was at this stage of his development. Like Acosta, Adams has the versatility to cover multiple positions. Unlike Acosta, Adams already has the defensive ability to disrupt the opposition’s attack and help his team defend a lead. He should get his first cap in the near future.
Chris Durkin – DC United – 17
17-year-old Durkin is one of the standout players at the U17 World Cup. Extremely composed on the ball with both feet, Durkin does well under pressure and loves switching the play, pinging 40 yard passes to the opposite wing. In India, the Paraguayans played with typical South American style and tried to frustrate the US with high pressure, but Durkin’s composure broke the Paraguayan press time after time. Durkin has featured as both a central defender and a midfielder for the U17s, but his future for the US will probably be in midfield. A deep-lying playmaker in the mold of Xabi Alonso, Durkin’s composure on the ball and long passing ability are outstanding for his age. As Durkin matures and grows he could develop into the type of technically-gifted midfielder the USA hasn’t had since Claudio Reyna. He will spend this season on loan with Richmond in the USL, and then will hope to feature for DC United in the MLS next year.
Paul Arriola – DC United – 22
A scrappy right winger from Southern California, Arriola has dual citizenship with Mexico and he chose to play for Tijuana in the Mexican League rather than the NCAA or MLS after graduating from Mater Dei High School in Chula Vista. Surprisingly good in the air for his size, Arriola is a gutsy defensive winger who has the discipline to track back and mark the opposing fullback. Arriola impressed for Tijuana at a very young age, making 81 appearances for the club in 4 years and earning a call-up to the US team in May of last year. This summer, DC United paid a club record $3 million to sign Arriola, making him one of the most expensive MLS players ever and a key part of DC United’s future. Arriola is the perfect player to match with an overlapping right back like Yedlin, because he takes his defensive responsibilities seriously and can be relied on to be a good team player.
Christian Pulisic – Dortmund – 19
What is there to say about Pulisic that hasn’t been said already? A regular starter for one of Europe’s best teams, Pulisic is known all over the world as one of soccer’s best young players. He can play on either wing or as a #10, and he will be a mainstay in the US team for the next decade.
Timothy Weah – PSG – 17
By now you’ve probably seen Weah’s three goals against Paraguay, specifically the second goal he curled in from distance. It’s clear he is a special talent. Weah is the son of the best African player ever–Liberia’s 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah. A tall, fast forward who is very comfortable cutting inside on his stronger right foot, Weah can play on either wing or up front in a 4-2-3-1 system. Currently at PSG’s youth academy, Weah faces a steep climb to play for the Parisians at the senior level. Competition for places doesn’t get much tougher than the wings at PSG, as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe play in Weah’s position. He may end up having to leave Paris to fulfill his potential, but Weah is a very exciting prospect nonetheless.
Andrew Carleton – Atlanta United – 17
Weah may have made history with his hat-trick against Paraguay, but Carleton was the undisputed man of the match, contributing to four of the five of the USA goals. Carleton scored a goal and assisted two more. He also should be credited with a “hockey assist” for his perfectly-weighted through ball to Ayo Akinola that set up the always-crucial first goal. He made everything happen from the #10 position. Carleton signed a Homegrown contract with Atlanta United when he was 15 years old, and went on loan to Charleston Battery in the USL last year, becoming the youngest player in history to start a USL match. He made his MLS debut last May to a standing ovation. Technically, Carleton is ready to play at the highest level. He is comfortable passing, crossing, and shooting with both his right and left foot. He can create space for himself when under pressure. But mentally, Carleton shows signs of being a truly a unique talent. He is great at finding the space to make himself available for his teammates and he puts the opposition under pressure as soon as he receives the ball. He can quickly and decisively play a dangerous pass or cross. At age 17, Carleton already sees the pass and executes it at a level many experienced professionals simply never reach. He doesn’t just look like Kevin De Bruyne. Carleton plays like him too. He still needs to mature and develop a lot physically in order to make that sort of impact with the senior team–both at Atlanta and for the US. But his combination of technical and mental qualities are extremely rare for a player his age. Carleton could develop into a better player than even Pulisic.
Bobby Wood – Hamburg – 24
The Hawaii native was first called up to the US team four years ago after scoring goals in the German 2nd Division with 1860 Munich. Since his first cap, Wood bounced around between the 2nd and 3rd divisions in Germany before signing for 2nd Division side Union Berlin in 2015. Wood scored 17 goals in his only season in Berlin, breaking the record for goals scored by an American in the top 2 German divisions. He impressed enough to secure a $3.5 million transfer to top division side Hamburg in 2016. Wood is a mainstay in the Hamburg team, making 36 appearances and scoring 11 goals in just over 1 year at the club. The feisty forward is direct and athletic but also very raw. A “fox-in-the-box” goal-poacher, Wood struggles when asked to link up with the midfield and help the team keep possession. To put it simply, Wood is much better at finishing attacks than he is at building them right now. Continued regular playing time in the Bundesliga can only help Wood develop his technique and his awareness to address these weaknesses, however.
Josh Sargent – St Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club – 17
The red-haired forward leading the line for the U17s in India has rocketed up the American youth ranks and is actually playing in his second youth World Cup this year. At the beginning of the summer, Sargent was called up to play for the U20s in South Korea alongside Erik Palmer-Brown, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Tyler Adams. Young Sargent was one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, scoring 4 goals and winning the Silver Boot award. He caught the attention of some of the world’s biggest clubs, but turned down the chance to play for Bayern Munich or join Christian Pulisic at Dortmund. Instead, Sargent chose a Bundesliga club that offered perhaps the fastest path to the first team squad, Werder Bremen. He will join the German club this January and is expected to train with the reserves until next season. It’s possible Sargent will be thrust into action earlier than that for Bremen, however, as the club are currently second from bottom in the German League with the least goals scored. Sargent is the type of striker you typically see emerge from the other side of the Atlantic. He’s not going to overwhelm anyone with his speed or his strength or his size. Rather, Sargent is a skilled, crafty forward who links up very well with the midfield. Sargent possesses the technical quality in his first touch and his dribbling to create himself the inch of space a good forward needs to score goals, and he’s a clinical finisher too. He’s not explosive, but he’s very effective, and he reminds me of Harry Kane.
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