Expectations Are Sky-High!
What a summer it’s been for the U.S. Men’s National Team. Manager Gregg Berhalter led the program to two first-place finishes in both Nation’s League and The Gold Cup. Making it even sweeter, the U.S. upended fierce rival Mexico in order to take home two trophies. For the first time potentially ever, we’re now seeing a changing of the proverbial guard as to who the best team in the region is. For long spells of time, Mexico had a chokehold on all of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Now, it appears as if this new crop of U.S. talent is finally breaking through at just the right time.
The World Cup Qualifying process begins Sept. 2 for the United States (in El Salvador). As we recall from the past cycle, the U.S. embarrassingly failed to make the World Cup in 2018. With the deepest and most talented player pool we’ve ever had, expectations couldn’t be higher. We’re going to look at the 30-best players in the pool at the moment. It doesn’t mean they’re the most talented man for man — though it could very well resemble (for the most part) the group used to get the U.S. to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.
Honorable mentions: Luca de la Torre, George Bello, Owen Otasowie, Shaq Moore, Julian Green, Sam Vines, Walker Zimmerman, Jordan Morris, Aaron Long, Eryk Williamson, Paxton Pomykal, DeAndre Yedlin, Tanner Tessmann, Caden Clark, Niko Gioacchini, Bryan Reynolds, Julian Araujo, Cristian Roldan, Richie Ledezma, Jonathan Gomez
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30. Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy/MLS)
“Seba” is a simple player — and that isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. He functions essentially as a connector who shuttles the ball quickly from person to person. Lletget won’t make any egregious mistakes on the field, and by all accounts he is quite popular with the group.
However, if the U.S. is to reach even greater heights, Lletget isn’t a player they can rely upon for heavy minutes. We’ve seen multiple examples of Lletget struggling against a higher-level opponent. He’s not overly quick (which leaves him susceptible to being caught out on the counter). Technically Lleget is fine. However, he plays — shall we say — a bit too cautious. U.S. fans have seen enough of Lletget making passes sideways/backwards rather than progressively up the pitch. He’s perfect as a deep-bench guy/locker room presence. With that said, don’t be shocked if younger, more talented players leapfrog Lletget in the depth chart pecking order.
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29. Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas/MLS)
At only 18 years of age, Ricardo Pepi is one of the most promising American strikers currently playing in MLS. He’s scored eight goals in only 19 appearances this year — many of them coming in spectacular fashion. Pepi’s tall frame allows him to be a real menace in and around the box. A very nuanced player for his age, Pepi is adept at reading the situations and acting accordingly as it pertains to exploiting pockets of space in dangerous areas.
With the No. 9 spot being a bit shallow in the pool, Pepi certainly makes a case to at least get a look with the A-Team. Italian clubs have been rumored to be highly interested in his services. While he’s represented the U.S. Youth National Teams, he is very much a dual-national with Mexico. Both countries have been in contact with him. To put it mildly, it’d be a major blow for the U.S. to lose him to Mexico.
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28. Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew/MLS)
Zardes is a loyal soldier to the program. He gets considerable criticism from the fan base due to his lack of technical ability — as well as an inability to improvise on the field as a creative player. Without a doubt, Zardes is mechanical with his movements. But that’s what makes him important for the role he plays.
He knows Gregg Berhalter’s system as well as any (the two were together in Columbus). Zardes is terrific with his movement, particularly when pressing the opposition and making runs behind the defense. He may not be the most clinical as a finisher. However, he puts himself in dangerous spots, and is a good locker room guy. Zardes’ inclusion for a potential roster in Qatar is a question mark at this point. With that said, you know you’ll get an unselfish team-first guy ready to do anything for his team to succeed.
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27. Matt Miazga (Deportivo Alaves/La Liga)
Miazga has been floating around that backup CB spot for quite sometime. Interestingly, it’s mirrored his club situation (which isn’t a great thing). Though still technically on the books with Chelsea, Miazga has been loaned out to a number of different clubs. The latest is Alaves in La Liga — which should be a nice bump-up from where Miazga was playing last year (Anderlecht).
It’s remarkable to think Miazga is still only 26 years of age. His strengths include passing out of the back, and being decent in the air. However, his lack of foot speed in tight areas has been a problem. At this point, he’s likely battling with Walker Zimmerman to be the No. 3 RCB behind Chris Richards and Miles Robinson.
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26. Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach/Bundesliga)
As of August 20th, Scally has only two professional appearances. With that said, he’s shown enough during that small window to warrant at least a look. Though a naturally right-footed player, Borussia Monchengladbach deployed Scally at left back during both a DFB Pokal match and in the Bundesliga opener versus giant Bayern Munich.
In the cup match, Scally created two golden scoring chances — and very well could’ve had two assists save for poor finishing from teammates. Against Bayern, Scally essentially put Leroy Sane in his pocket (not an easy feat). In one v. one duels against the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, and Serge Gnabry, Scally more than held up. In fact, many thought he was the man of the match for his club despite being only 18 years of age. With this sort of versatility, he offers a nice option for Berhalter.
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25. Gianluca Busio (Venezia/Serie A)
Busio finally made the long-rumored move to Italy, inking with Venezia for a rather handsome fee ($7 million). At 19 years of age, he’d long been seen as a prodigy within MLS. After beginning his career as more of an attacking midfielder/winger, Busio settled in quite well as a deep-lying central midfielder. In this spot, his technicality can shine (spraying balls around the park, linking with teammates) rather than seeing his deficiencies (high-level athleticism) being exploited.
He got his first taste of international football with the U.S. during the Gold Cup. While he had some nervy moments, Busio held up quite well all things considered. Berhalter clearly trusts him, as Busio either started in/or featured in all of the knockout games. He’s not a lock to make a final 23-man team at this point. However, a strong Serie A campaign puts him right in contention.
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24. James Sands (NYCFC/MLS)
MLS fans were thrilled by the inclusion of James Sands into the Gold Cup roster. A savvy yet skilled player, Sands demonstrated some real composure playing as a defensive midfielder early in the tournament. An injury to Walker Zimmerman led to Sands playing out of position. While he had some issues, Sands’ distribution out of the back was solid. He’s not only an intelligent player, but one who has the versatility to really shine in a tournament.
Before the Gold Cup, Sands was on the outside looking in. Now, he’s made a real case to be a super-sub that can be plugged into a number of spots. This is significant considering the U.S. will be playing three matches in six days during the first window of World Cup Qualifying.
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23. Daryl Dike (Orlando City/MLS)
Dike did not have a great Gold Cup tournament. After being left off the Nations League roster, many thought he’d establish himself as the No. 1 option for the USMNT at the striker spot. Throughout the Gold Cup, Dike struggled with his touch. There were also questions about his awareness when pressing on defense. To be fair, Dike did not look right. It’s very possible he was dealing with a combination of injury/being worn down from a very busy calendar year.
There’s still a lot to like about his game. He’s a monster in the air, and is a physical presence around the six. Dike has also proven to be a very good finisher when given the opportunity. Assuming he can regain his form, Dike will be right in the mix at the No. 9 spot.
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22. Reggie Cannon (Unattached)
Cannon is a steady yet unspectacular option for Berhalter as a back-up right back. There are time when Cannon looks to get upfield. However, he’s more comfortable sitting back and playing positionally. He was battling a knock throughout the Gold Cup — though it was interesting that Berhalter still opted to start Shaq Moore over Cannon for the majority of the tournament.
Cannon is also dealing with a shaky club situation. As of Aug. 20, he’s still looking for a new club after Portuguese club Boavista decided to sell him over finance issues. Cannon needs to find a club quick — especially with a crowded group of right backs (Scally, Moore, DeAndre Yedlin, Julian Araujo, Bryan Reynolds) looking to usurp his role as the primary reserve behind Sergino Dest.
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21. Pefok (Young Boys/Swiss Super League)
Formerly known as Jordan Siebatcheu, the physically-imposing 6-foot-3 striker looks like one of the better options for the USMNT at this point. After transitioning from France to Switzerland, “Pefok” has been scoring goals for fun. Even more exciting for fans of the national team, Pefok can score in a variety of ways — whether with his head or finishing with his feet.
Pefok is especially gifted with his movement in the box. You’d think he’d be a lumbering option based upon his size an physical profile. When watching him play, it’s far from the case. At this point, it’ll be down to Josh Sargent and Pefok as to whom will be manning the front line for the U.S. on Sept. 2 versus El Salvador.
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20. Mark McKenzie (Genk/Belgian Pro League)
The young center back out of Delaware is currently trying to play his way into a starting spot for the USMNT. It’s been a big calendar year for McKenzie when it comes to the trajectory of his career. He made the leap from Philadelphia Union to Genk in Belgium (a very respectable club). From a national team standpoint, he started the Nations League final versus Mexico.
While he did have a few nervy moments, McKenzie did settle down. He’s not tremendously gifted in the air — nor is he overly quick. However, McKenzie is decent at splitting lines with his distribution. Until he locks down a starting role for his club in Belgium, his ceiling with the national team will most likely be that of a trusted reserve. Still, McKenzie has plenty of time to emerge. He’s only 22 years of age.
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19. Matthew Hoppe (Schalke/2. Bundesliga)
Hoppe has that ‘it’ factor you can’t quite put your finger on. The 20-year-old Californian is brash, borderline-cocky, energetic, and highly confident. You can see these traits in the way he plays. Hoppe isn’t bashful when trying to attack the opposition with a number of tricks. Even if he’s not successful, you know he’ll be relentless in aiming to create goal-scoring chances. Dare we say, he resembles a young Clint Dempsey.
Hoppe can play both wide and centrally — though his best position is as a No. 9. With Schalke being relegated to Germany’s second division, there are rumors that Hoppe could make the leap to a bigger league. As for right now, he looks like a dangerous attacking option for Berhalter off the bench.
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18. Konrad (Marseille/Ligue 1)
There’s long been hype surrounding the tricky winger out of Miami. For years, Konrad played at the famed FC Barcelona academy La Masia. He eventually was promoted to the first team — though playing time was sporadic. Taking a chance on himself, Konrad opted to leave Barcelona in favor of consistent first-team football with Marseille in Ligue 1. So far, so good. The 20-year-old is drawing rave reviews from both local journalists and Marseille’s manager, Jorge Sampaoli.
Konrad is a bit of a rarity when compared to the normal U.S. winger. He likes to keep his heels on the touchline while relishing the one-on-one opportunities in space on the flank. Konrad’s combination of pace and technical ability makes him a dynamic player. All the while, he figures to be a big piece for the U.S. moving forward (perhaps even in the first World Cup Qualifying window).
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17. Antonee Robinson (Fulham/Championship)
The left back spot with the national team is still a bit unsettled. If we had to peg a ‘leader’ among the group, it would be Robinson. A veteran of the English Championship, the left-footed player has been a solid professional for a few years. His strengths include athleticism, pace, and the ability to whip in a wicked left-footed cross.
On the other side of the coin (as we’ve seen with the national team), Robinson’s shortcomings include defensive awareness, positioning, and one-on-one defending itself. He likes to get forward in the attack — though that leaves him susceptible in getting caught out of position. However, Robinson is only 24 — and is playing regularly for his club. As such, you’ll see him on the primary roster in some capacity.
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16. Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/Championship)
Horvath’s penalty save in the Nations League final versus Mexico will forever make him a hero in the eyes of those supporting the USMNT. Coming in cold off the bench in the second half, Horvath’s denial of Andres Guardado’s penalty enabled the U.S. to hoist the trophy. In the process, he put himself into contention to at least be a competitor for the No. 1 GK spot.
After time in Belgium and Norway, Horvath now finds himself with Championship side Nottingham Forest. While not a starter yet, there are signs he could usurp the starting gig sooner than later. At the very least, he’s easily solidified within the top-three at the position.
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15. Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids/MLS)
Perhaps no one within the pool rose their stock more over the last few months than Acosta. In desperate need of a backup defensive central midfielder to Tyler Adams, Acosta stepped up in a massive way. He was integral in the U.S. beating Mexico on two-straight occasions. Covering a ton of ground, Acosta demonstrated real bite on duels in the center of the park.
Additionally, Acosta illustrated some real class on set-piece delivery. Without a doubt, he calmed down the nerves on the “What if Tyler Adams wasn’t playing?” scenario.
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14. Josh Sargent (Norwich City/EPL)
Josh Sargent — as of late August — appears to be the No. 1 option for the U.S. at the striker position. That’s not to say he’s grabbed the position by the scruff of the neck quite yet. His play for both club and country has been rather inconsistent. We’ll see flashes of the player Sargent could be. However, he’s just not bagging goals at a high enough clip to feel ‘comfortable’ with him as the unabated top option.
We do give him slack because he played for a horrid Werder Bremen team. We don’t know whether Norwich City will be an upgrade in that department. However, Sargent will be going up against better competition on a weekly basis. The hope is that he can add some confidence to his game. He’s rather good when it comes to pressing, and linking with teammates. The next step is scoring with more regularity.
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13. Matt Turner (New England Revolution/MLS)
Matt Turner finally got the chance to prove himself on a big stage. For years, MLS fans/journalists/enthusiasts have insisted that he’s the best goalkeeper in the entire pool. I’m not willing to go that far just yet. Turner does have some undeniable limitations when it comes to playing the ball out of the back with his feet. With that said, his performance in the Gold Cup showcased what a tremendous shot-stopper he is.
One could make a real case that he was the best player for the U.S. at the Gold Cup. Without his skills in goal, the U.S. likely wouldn’t have won the tournament. Now comes the fun part…does Berhalter alternate games between Turner and Zack Steffen? Is Turner still the backup? Or — has Turner done enough to be the No. 1 for the USMNT in goal? Only time will tell.
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12. Zack Steffen (Manchester City/EPL)
Directly competing with Turner is Zack Steffen. Analyzing the two head-to-head is pretty interesting. Steffen benefits from having more experience accrued versus high-end talent. Berhalter worked with Steffen at Columbus Crew, and has a built-in trust. Steffen is also better with playing the ball out of the back (a Berhalter staple) compared to Turner.
On the flip-side, Turner is playing every week. Steffen is the No. 2 keeper at Manchester City (playing the random Cup matches/EPL match). Manchester City is a bit of an asterisk — because if there’s one place you’d be ‘okay’ with a regular being a reserve at, it’s Man City. Still, some feel as if Steffen should be playing weekly in order to take the No. 1 spot from Turner (despite playing against world class talent/with a world class manager in Pep Guardiola). This competition likely will continue in the upcoming months.
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11. Miles Robinson (Atlanta United/MLS)
John Brooks is penciled in as the team’s starting left center back. The right center back spot is a big question at the moment. Aaron Long is out with a leg injury (and likely isn’t good enough to start once he gets back to full health). Chris Richards has the highest ceiling/talent of any option. However, he’s seeing spot minutes for Bayern Munich. Walker Zimmerman is too limited, and the same can be said for Miazga and others (such as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Erik Palmer-Brown).
Berhalter seemingly wants to pair his silky ball-playing center back (Brooks) with more of an athlete next to him. Robinson fits the bill exceptionally well here. He was one of the standouts for the U.S. during the Gold Cup. Not only is he a fantastic athlete, but he excels in one v. one situations. Robinson — as shown with his game-winning goal versus Mexico — is also very capable in the air. If we’re to bet on a starting partner next to Brooks for the El Salvador match on Sept. 2, we’d put our money on Robinson.
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10. Yunus Musah (Valencia/La Liga)
Musah is one of the more interesting prospects in the pool. As has been chronicled by many publications, Musah filed a one-time switch to play for the U.S. after holding eligibility for England, Ghana, and Italy. Technically, Musah hasn’t yet been capped in an official competition (which was the weirdest part in the Nations League triumph). However, he figures to be a significant cog in the program moving forward.
Valencia often plays him as a winger — though Musah’s skill-set lends itself to him playing centrally as a box-to-box midfielder. His technical ability is wonderfully complemented by plus-athleticism and a sophistication not seen in many 18-year-olds. Without a doubt, Musah will be counted upon to provide quality minutes within the World Cup Qualification process as both a starter and as a reserve.
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9. Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg/Austrian Bundesliga)
Aaronson’s level of play has increased ten-fold since moving across the pond to Red Bull Salzburg. It helps playing for the most talented club in Austria. However, it’s also a club fostering offensive ingenuity — which by proxy has made Aaronson more thoughtful (particularly in the final third). Even more exciting, he’s become an integral member in the team over the last six months. Aaronson’s ability to create from both wide spaces on the pitch, as well as centrally, has afforded the national team some real flexibility.
As currently constituted, Aaronson looks like the top reserve behind Christian Pulisic on the left. He excels when tucking inside and connecting with teammates. However, looking at his development as a long-term prospect, Aaronson’s best fit may be as a No. 10. We could very easily see him having a monster year in 2021-22 before moving to an even bigger club.
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8. Chris Richards (Bayern Munich/Bundesliga)
Richards is in an interesting spot. He’s not yet good enough to start for Bayern Munich — yet the Bavarian giants still want him on the squad as a depth/reserve option. The 21-year-old has an immensely high ceiling, and conventional wisdom states that he needs to go somewhere in order to get consistent playing time. The loan last year to Hoffenheim was wildly successful. Yet, the two clubs never were able to make a permanent agreement on Richards transferring officially.
As such, he’s sort of stuck in limbo. We’d love to see him move to a mid-table club where he’ll get games. Richards has the upside of a Champions League-level center back. He’ll be on the roster for World Cup Qualifying. However, he may not earn that starting spot just yet over the lack of form at this present time.
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7. Tim Weah (Lille/Ligue 1)
Weah still seems underrated by many of the supporters. Right now, he’s been starting for the reigning Ligue 1 champions in Lille. When talking about versatility, Weah can function as a No. 9, a true winger, and even as a wingback. Oh — and he presses like a mad man with very good pace and even better commitment to defending.
We saw in the Nations League Final where Berhalter trusted Weah over Aaronson as the late-game sub. This likely stems from Weah’s commitment to functioning as a two-way winger. If Giovanni Reyna gets moved inside, Weah appears to be a lock to start as the team’s right winger. At only 21 years of age, we still have yet to see his best. Without a doubt, Weah is among the most technical players in the pool. Few wearing the red, white, and blue have his dynamic skill-set.
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6. John Brooks (Wolfsburg/Bundesliga)
Brooks has long been one of the steadier members of the pool. You know what you’re going to get with him. Brooks is rock-solid in the air, and is by far the best-passing center back the U.S. has available. If you’re asking him to beat someone in a sprint…you’re in trouble.
As such, Brooks’ positioning is integral for his success as well as the success of the team as a whole. It’s why Berhalter prefers a speedier option alongside of him should Brooks get caught upfield. With all of that said, he is a virtual lock to start in any match of consequence.
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5. Sergino Dest (FC Barcelona/La Liga)
We all know the talent is there. However, we’ve not yet seen the best of Dest in a U.S. kit. His play has fluctuated a bit — with flickers of brilliance spliced together with nervy moments. This might have to do with the constant change in formation. Duly, Dest is probably the best left back in the pool despite also being the best right back.
If you’re Berhalter, do you leave one of your best players at his natural position? Or, do you slot Dest at left back — knowing that the right back spot is far deeper? Regardless, Dest has special capabilities when getting up the pitch. You’d think Berhalter will try to accentuate those special skills as best as he can.
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4. Weston McKennie (Juventus/Serie A)
The energetic midfielder out of Texas remains a core member of Berhalter’s group. McKennie played relatively well for Italian giant last year. It was a big leap up in terms of team quality and global notoriety. McKennie could’ve easily wilted under the pressure in playing for Juve. Instead, he embraced the challenge — and even scored a few goals for good measure. His energy as a box-to-box player was appreciated by those in Turin.
With a new manager now in tow, there are rumblings McKennie could be on the market. We’ve seen a plethora of EPL teams associated with him. Regardless of his club situation, McKennie is an undisputed starter for the full-strength USMNT group. His role could change due to who Berhalter opts for next to McKennie and Tyler Adams in the midfield. If another defensive-minded players is added to the starting group, it could give McKennie the license to push further up the pitch as an ancillary attacker.
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3. Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/Bundesliga)
Adams is the most important player for the national team. He has proven to be an indispensable figure through his ball-winning skills in the middle of the park, his penchant for covering ground, his awareness defensively, and also as an elite player in snuffing out transition attacks from the opposition.
With regards to Acosta or any other No. 6 in the group, Adams is unparalleled with what he does well. While he’s not yet anywhere near this player, there are some similarities when comparing Adams to how N’Golo Kante plays. Adams has to be on the pitch for the U.S. to be as good as it possibly can be.
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2. Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/Bundesliga)
While not yet there, Reyna has the ceiling to be the most talented American player of all-time. No, this isn’t a typo. Reyna has been an impact player for Borussia Dortmund since he was 17 years of age. At only 18, he was gifted the No. 7 shirt by the club once Jadon Sancho left for Manchester United. The son of a former U.S. international (Claudio), Reyna’s potential is sky-high.
Reyna is excellent on the ball. He is a progressive player, and constantly is aiming to push the tempo. There are few — if any — within the pool possessing his level of technical ability on the ball. He can unlock a defense with a slipped pass as easily as he can when gliding by defenders with the ball at his feet. Reyna is locked in as the national team’s starting right winger — though he may be more effective tucking inside as the team’s No. 10.
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1. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/EPL)
Pulisic is the man for the USMNT. Lurking on the left flank, his electric pace constantly has defenders on their heels. He has a directness which many find aesthetically pleasing. Normally, there are no wasted touches with his game. Pulisic knows exactly what to do, and often sets out to achieve that goal with aplomb.
He must stay healthy — this goes without staying. We’ve seen him battle injuries at both Chelsea and with the USMNT. Despite that, Pulisic is still the most dynamic attacking option within the pool. He has a chance to truly be a transcendent player within the history of this program. We could soon be looking back at a guy who perhaps could eclipse Landon Donovan as the GOAT of American soccer.
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