Even though highly-touted youngsters like Jordan Morris and Christian Ramirez have taken the US soccer ranks by storm in recent weeks, they are not the only two youngsters who represent part of the future of the USMNT.
There are players like Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Matt Miazga (Chelsea) and DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland) adjusting to life overseas, some other American players are beginning to make headlines for all the right reasons and, even though all of them are relatively unproven at highest level, they represent an option to be part of the Copa America Centenario roster later this year.
The most obvious case is the one of Christian Pulisic. The Borussia Dortmund youngster has caught fire as of late, and two goals in the past two matches have put him on Jurgen Klinsmann’s radar for the immediate future. A cultured playmaker capable of making the difference in the final third solely with his talent and pace, Pulisic is a lock to make the 23-men roster if he continues to play at a high level, and contributing for one of Europe’s best teams.
Speaking of players who are in Klinsmann’s radar, one name that surfaced in recent days is Fafa Picault. The St. Pauli striker netted a brace this past weekend, and the German head coach took to Twitter to congratulate for him for his fine display. The 25-year-old has four goals in 13 matches, and he’s certainly a name to watch for the future if he displays this type of performance on a consistent basis.
If we are speaking of consistency and goal scoring ability in Europe, Bobby Wood HAS to be mentioned in this list. The Hawaii native has been an absolute machine for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga 2, and he currently ranks near the top of the scoring table with 17 goals in 28 matches. Wood has also showed his scoring ability with the USMNT in the international stage, and he’s making a case to be included in the starting XI next to Clint Dempsey up top when USA takes on June 3 against Colombia in Levi’s Stadium.
Last but not least, we have Ethan Horvath. The 20-year-old goalkeeper might not be a household name for the casual fan, but the reality is that he’s one of the most experienced goalies in the U.S. pool despite his age. He currently plays for FK Molde in Norway and he already has 19 matches this season: six in the Tippeligaen, ten in the UEFA Europa League, and three in the UEFA Champions League Qualifying round. He’s expected to be the third GK in the Copa America in June, but has all the traits needed to become the USMNT’s top option in the near future.
A few weeks ago we talked about how the USMNT is set to receive some young blood from players who should begin to receive senior call-ups in the near future. The aforementioned list, however, includes players that are already leaving a mark in Europe. They are the guys expected to carry the torch in the coming years for the United States.