The Future is Looking Promising for the USMNT
The Future is Looking Promising for the USMNT
By Julia Marczewska
Throughout the past few decades in soccer, there have always been some American prospects in Europe. It seems as if every few years, there is once again the hope that American soccer will finally get the kickstart it so desperately needs. Yet, every few years, the same cycle occurs; the US men’s national team has a pattern of going from, at best, mediocre, to a full-on crisis. No one player has ever been enough to carry the team, no matter how exceptional. But, there’s a new trend arising. Young Americans are flooding into European teams and making strides like never before, and a new and successful beginning for US soccer may be just around the corner.
Clint Dempsey signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2012. US soccer was raving at the idea of an American playing for a Premier League team, and Dempsey was seen as the future. For many American soccer fans, that was supposed to be the moment--the hope they needed. A year later, he was back playing in the MLS for the Seattle Sounders. Then, in 2014, the US national team had a decent run in the World Cup, making it past the group stage and losing in overtime to Belgium, which was ranked 11th globally at the time in the FIFA World Ranking. With a few young prospects rising in Europe and a determination to do even better next time, US soccer was looking up. Again, the team was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in a dreadful loss to Trinidad and Tobago and did not even travel to Russia. In those four years, the team’s ranking dropped from 13th to 24th.
And so, with so much disappointment behind us, what’s different now? Young Americans are breaking barriers at top European clubs. Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus are just some of the many successful clubs these young prospects play in. Never before in soccer history has there been this much American representation. Better yet, all these prospects are so young they are well before the peak of their careers.
Starting off the list is Christian Pulisic, who is arguably the best player in US soccer history. Pulisic is only 22 years old and has already established a name for himself in two of Europe’s top leagues, playing from 2016 to 2019 in Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, before transferring to Premier League team Chelsea, where he currently plays. Pulisic is among the top wingers in the Premier League, earning 11 goals and ten assists in all competitions during his first season with The Blues. Pulisic has become a regular at both his Club and the national team and is on his way to becoming a true leader in American soccer.
Next is Giovanni Reyna, who, like Christian Pulisic, is also beginning his professional career at Borussia Dortmund. US Soccer’s Young Male Player of the Year 2020, Reyna, is a starter at just 18 years old, playing alongside stars like Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, and Marco Reus. His on-field chemistry with his teammates and judgment of the game shows his unbelievable talent and mentality of a player much more experienced. Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc, stated, “Gio has developed unbelievably in the past few months. He’ll definitely be an important part of Borussia Dortmund’s sporting future.”
Weston McKennie, aged 22, started his Bundesliga career alongside, or rather against, national teammate Christian Pulisic, playing for Borussia Dortmund’s rival Schalke 04 for three seasons. After becoming a continuous starter for the Bundesliga side, McKennie announced that he would move to Juventus on a year-long loan. Despite being ruled out of certain games due to testing positive for COVID-19, McKennie has made 15 appearances for Juventus and scored two goals, one of which helped the Serie A champions win 3-0 over Barcelona and emerge first out of the Champions League group stage. If McKennie’s loan is successful, the loan will become permanent for 18.5 million Euros.
The future’s looking bright, as a promising wave of Americans is flooding top European sides. All the players encourage each other, excited to assemble an inspiring national team that can achieve great things in the near future. The United States is among the three hosts for the 2026 World Cup, a time when many of these youngsters will be at the peaks of their careers. As Gio Reyna, one of the prospects, states in an interview with Sports Illustrated, “I think it’s an exciting group. And, you know, from Christian to Weston to Tyler Adams to Josh Sargent to Sergiño Dest and all the younger guys, we have a really, really good young core group. And I think we can build something with them for the next, who knows, 10 years. We can be together for a long time. So it’s an exciting time for US soccer and I’m really, really excited to play with them.”