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2015 was not a great year for the US men’s national team. Coming off a surprisingly strong showing at the Brazil World Cup in 2014, expectations were high for the squad to continue the progress they had made under Jurgen Klinsmann. Wins over Mexico, Germany and Holland seemed to confirm that further progress was indeed on the horizon.
However, then came a series of failures. First, a humbling and embarrassing semi-final exit in the Gold Cup at the hands of Jamaica. Then, the team couldn’t even redeem itself in the third-place match, losing to Panama on penalties. The failure to capture the Gold Cup was a blow to Klinsmann’s master plan, as he had sought to secure qualification for the 2017 Confederations Cup. However, there was still a chance, as CONCACAF rules stipulated that the victor of the 2013 Gold Cup (the US) would play the winner of the 2015 edition (Mexico) in a play-off for the confederation’s spot in 2017.
This was a make or break game for the men from USA; a ‘must win’ in Klinsmann’s book, to keep preparations for the 2018 World Cup on track. It was a victory that; despite its obvious importance, would evade the team. Mexico won a hotly contested game 3-2 after extra time, after an noticeably worn out US team capitulated. It was a heartbreaking loss, after a game where the US had looked Mexico’s equal or better for portions.
The US managed to gain some ground back in the first round of World Cup qualifiying, beating St. Vincent & the Grenadines 6-1 at home and then pulling out a tough draw at Trinidad and Tobago. Still though, it was an incredibly disappointing year, one that infused an air of pessimism into the once hopeful for the future. It called into question Klinsmann’s tactics, plans and choice of personnel. When the women’s team won the World Cup later in the summer, it threw an unfavourable contrast on the men.
Nevertheless, towards the end of the year and into early 2016, some hope has emerged from the darkness in the form of young American players. Several young USA internationals have been in the headlines this month, from Jordan Morris turning down an offer from Werder Bremen to stay in MLS and play for his hometown Seattle Sounders, to Matt Miazga completing a transfer to Chelsea.
Perhaps the most exciting news however, was that surrounding Christian Pulisic. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior club debut last weekend, coming on in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Ingolstad. Pulisic has been in Dortmund’s academy for almost two years now, and both Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have praised him highly. “In a very intense training session with narrow spaces, he did not stand out in a negative way. This is a real sign of quality,” said Klopp of Pulisic.
Pulisic played in both of Dortmund’s mid-season friendlies a few weeks ago, scoring against Jeonbuk Motors. He was one of the few bright points for the international side too in the U-17 World Cup last year, proving his attacking ability on both wings and in the centre.
The prospect of a young American playing a supporting role in one of Europe’s best attacks has many Americans excited. Despite this, many are wary as well. The US has been burned by young prospects like this many times before, with perhaps the greatest example being Freddy Adu. Still, there hasn’t been a young American who has broken into the first team of a major European club in years, and with Julian Green now looking like he will follow Adu’s downward trend, it seems Pulisic is the next big hope for that.
Miazga’s transfer to the Premier League also caught many people’s eyes. Chelsea bought the 20-year-old defender after a great year with the New York Red Bulls, his debut season as a professional. Miazga is comfortable playing a high line after his year with the ‘gegenpressing’ Red Bulls, something that both John Terry and Gary Cahill are incapable of doing. The young defender is athletic enough to play 40 yards outside of the box and has the defensive skills to win the ball back in these areas too. He is comfortable on the ball, able to hold possession and play out from the back.
With both Terry and Cahill seemingly past their peaks; and Terry apparently on the way out of the club, Miazga may very well get his chance in Chelsea’s XI. He and Kurt Zouma; Chelsea’s other young centre-half, would make a great partnership, both possessing the athleticism to play a high line.
Another American defender has already broken into the first team at international level, in the form of John Brooks. We saw him at the 2014 World Cup, scoring the winning goal for the US in their first group game against Ghana. He has since established himself as one of Hertha Berlin’s regular defenders, appearing in 12 of their games this campaign and has just extended his contract until 2019. Although his poor defending was one of the cause’s of USA’s exit in the Gold Cup, he is still just 22 and Klinsmann is confident in his progress.
Jordan Morris’ decision to turn down Werder Bremen for the MLS was one that captivated American soccer fans. Here was a young player, fresh off a great debut year for the national team that saw him score against Mexico in April, turning down a major European club for his hometown team. Some took it as a positive that young players saw the MLS as a legitimate league and a place to grow. Others were not as happy, asserting that American players need to move to Europe and find better competition there. Morris’ quality and future in the national team is not in doubt, however. He proved last year in his appearances that he has the ability and skill to play with the national team.
The most interesting; and arguably underrated, US prospect is Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem. He broke into the news two summers ago on Arsenal’s tour of Asia, where he played several times, providing great passes for his team-mates. Comparisons to Cesc Fabregas were made; even by Arsene Wenger himself, and it was soon clear that Arsenal intended for him to be a major part of their future.
Zelalem is now on loan at Rangers, gaining experience while Wenger solidifies the squad. His ever-growing ability won’t be ignored: with the ageing Santi Cazorla and Francois Coquelin as the only true holding midfielder on the squad, a player like Zelalem who sits deeper and creates as well as defends will be a major boost. He could also be a massive player for the USA, providing the attacking creativity that it sometimes lacks. Michael Bradley is tasked with creating nearly all of the forward thrust right now and although he could be playing until the 2022 World Cup, another playmaker is desperately needed. Gedion Zelalem could be just that.
There are numerous other young Americans in academies and on the fringes of European teams: Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Julian Green (Bayern) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham). These players will form the core of Klinsmann’s future teams. The only problem for the US now is twofold: will enough of these prospects turn out to be good, and how soon will they do so?
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