Creating a Tier List for the US Men's National Team Player Pool
Evaluating the depth of the USMNT player pool using a series of tiers that measure international readiness.
How does a nation build a team that can successfully compete at the international level in soccer? This is a big question that has long been debated by soccer fans, particularly by American soccer fans who are invested in the growing success of the US Men’s National Team. As we move into the spring and summer, the question of competitive roster construction will once again be on every fan’s mind. This year, the U.S. will have an opportunity to test themselves against some of the best sides in the world during the CONCACAF Nation’s League in March and the Copa America in June. Fans will be expecting the U.S. to show that they belong when they share the stage with South American giants and when trophies are on the line.
If the U.S. wants to truly compete on the world stage, then they will have to improve the quality of their tournament rosters. The USMNT has built a strong starting lineup over the past 2 years, but has struggled to build the required depth that can carry them through a major tournament. A strong starting lineup can take a squad far, but there needs to be good quality down to the bottom of a roster for a team to truly find success. Finding players to fill the bench who are ready for the international stage has to be one of manager Gregg Berhalter’s highest priorities this year and could play a large role in the success of his second cycle in charge. The challenge for Berhalter becomes identifying the players who are ready to step in and finding a way to properly plug them in. He also faces the challenge of filling roster slots for positions where the US is noticeably weaker.
So let’s take a moment to step back and evaluate the readiness of Berhalter’s player pool for international competition. By dividing the current pool into three categories based on their ability to contribute in meaningful international matches, we can start to get a better picture the current state of America’s international depth. We can also identify some potential rising stars that have chance to become a mainstay in this young generation of talent.
Tier 1: International-Quality Starters (12)
This tier is made up of players who have proven their quality at the highest levels of the sport. These are the players who would start for many national teams and have a chance to contribute to several others. Players who are in this tier are contributors and starters for teams in a Top 5 European League or have played a critical role for the U.S. in major tournaments. Everyone here is expected to be a roster lock and to feature heavily in March and June.
Goalkeepers (1): Matt Turner
Our first inclusion is controversial due to Matt Turner’s poor form and limited minutes in the English Premier League this season. However, despite this rough patch, Turner has done nothing but stand out when he reports for international duty. The 29-year old keeper has proved invaluable in multiple tournaments for the U.S.. His steady goalkeeping was largely responsible for leading the team to a 2021 Gold Cup title and played a role in securing qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
While he hasn’t always been perfect, Turner is a reliable shot stopper who has logged more than 1500 Premier League minutes. The US can do a lot worse than a goalkeeper of Turner’s quality even if he isn’t up to the standards of his predecessors. Unfortunately, right now the US is in a dry spell of starting keeper talent. Turner is the only name who is even close to this tier. Hopefully one of the talented Olympic-eligible prospects can break out and join him soon.
Defenders (4): Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Sergino Dest
None of these four defenders will be controversial inclusions into the highest tier. Both Richards and Dest have shown high potential since their youth days and are just finding spells of good club form after struggling to transition from promising youth player to top club starter. While Richards has yet to show his skills regularly on international duty due to injuries, Dest is easily the top fullback in the US pool with great ball skills. These two are still young and have time to develop into even better players as they move into starting roles for Crystal Palace and PSV Eindhoven.
Perhaps more valuable to Gregg Berhalter are the Fulham duo of Tim Ream and Jedi Robinson. Both players have become EPL mainstays at positions of great need for the Yanks. Jedi is the only Left Back close to ready for the international stage and has been a consistent performer since the start of 2022 World Cup Qualifying. Meanwhile, Ream hit his best career form at the perfect time, finding his way back to the pool just in time to anchor the American back line in Qatar. Until their form dips, these two are locked into starting roles for the US.
Midfielders (4): Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah
None of these names will be a surprise to someone who has watched the Yanks play over the past 2 years. These four players represent the engine room of the USA. The suffocating MMA trio of Musah, McKennie, and Adams have turned in some incredible performances over the years, most notably against England at the 2022 World Cup. Meanwhile, Reyna remains the most technical player in the US pool and the best option to start in an attacking midfield role.
As good as these players are, there are still improvements that to their games that would elevate the American midfield even more. Yunus Musah has shown to be a phenomenal dribbler and highly physical player, but he struggles with his passing and decision making in the final third. Reyna has World Class potential on the ball, but he struggles to impact the game when not in possession. Adams is an elite ball-winner that has successfully anchored several midfields in his career, but his continued lack of fitness will hold him back long-term.
Forwards (3): Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun
There is not much that can be said about Pulisic without sounding repetitive. He is the American star, the talisman in big games, and the leader of this generation. His name is written in pen on Berhalter’s starting lineup for the foreseeable future.
Tim Weah has never found a role that suits him at the club level. Even after a high profile move to Juventus, Weah struggles to find minutes and impact games, following a similar trend to his days at the French club Lille. Despite his struggles at the club level, Weah consistently shows his quality when he reports to international duty. Timo was a standout performer during World Cup Qualifying and one of three Americans to score at the 2022 World Cup. He lands in this category based on the strength of these performances and his consistent ability to look like the most dangerous American attacker in big matches.
Folarin Balogun is the closest to falling down a tier, but there is simply no way to ignore the young striker’s club accomplishments. When a player scores 21 goals in a single Top 5 League season, then they earn a place with the starters. Most nations would kill for their starting striker to have such a prolific season. After such an amazing season, the challenge for Balogun becomes backing it up. He has struggled to gel with his new US teammates in limited friendly minutes since his international debut, and he has not found the same club scoring success since his move to Monaco. One of his compatriots could easily dethrone him as the presumed American starter if they get hot before him. However, even if he isn’t starting, Balo will have a role to play for the US in 2024 and beyond.
Tier 2: International-Quality Role Players (14)
The second tier is for the players who you would not feel comfortable with as a regular international starter but have a smaller role to play. These are the players that you bring into a match to protect a 1 goal lead or a draw. These are the players who can produce a goal off the bench when you need it. These are the players who can fill in if a starter goes down without too much of a drop-off. If the US wants to strengthen its roster for international tournaments, this tier is the one that needs to be filled with as many different players as possible. Right now, there are too few players that are capable of filling in when the starters go down.
Goalkeepers (1): Ethan Horvath
There is no one who fits into a category better than Ethan Horvath, who is perhaps the ultimate backup keeper for both club and country. Horvath is the kind of keeper who plays his best when he is thrust into the spotlight after months of inactivity. In his career, Horvath has turned backup keeper roles into Champions League clean sheets, EFL Championship promotion playoff appearances, and the most iconic penalty save in recent US Soccer history.
While Horvath is capable of putting in spectacular performances off the bench, he struggles with mental errors that have kept him from being a consistent starter for the US or for his club. If Horvath finds a more permanent club landing spot and can earn the starting job, he may be capable of moving up a tier. Until that happens, he remains the preferred choice to backup Matt Turner.
Defenders (6): Joe Scally, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty
The defenders in this tier contains some interesting edge cases. Most players on this list are capable of moving both up or down a tier quickly. Joe Scally and Cameron Carter-Vickers are the closest to a Tier 1 upgrade. Both players featured on the 2022 World Cup roster and play for strong teams in Europe. However, due to a combination of injuries and players ahead of them, neither one has been given a run of starts for the US to show their stuff. A move for Carter-Vickers away from Celtic to a Top 5 League would quickly see him move up.
On the other hand, Miles Robinson and Auston Trusty are on the verge of falling in the other direction. Miles has never quite reached the same form since his Achilles tear during World Cup Qualifying. Meanwhile, Auston Trusty has followed his Player of the Year season at Birmingham City with an inconsistent season at Sheffield United that sees the Blades at the bottom of the EPL table. Questions remain about the passing ability of both defenders which may hold them back from truly competing at the international level.
Midfielders (4): Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman, Luca de la Torre, Brendan Aaronson
The midfield contributors are a group on the rise. Luca de la Torre has finally found his form for Celta Vigo as a regular starter in La Liga. Malik Tillman’s first season in the Netherlands has seen him create more than 10 goal contributions for PSV Eindhoven as a regular member of one of the hottest attacking cores in Europe. Johnny Cardoso has taken La Liga by storm, becoming a locked-on starter for Real Betis and turning in nothing but impressive performances since his January move from Brazil.
One key reason that these players have been left out of the top tier so far has been lack of international minutes. That should be rectified during Nation’s League and Copa America as all three are expected to be contributors to the US midfield and may even see a few starts in meaningful matches. It will not take many strong performances for it to become clear that one of them deserves to move up a tier.
Brendan Aaronson is in a different position as he has struggled to find regular minutes during his loan to Union Berlin and only has 2 goal contributions on the season. However, while Brendo’s club form has been poor, he has been a vital piece for Gregg Berhalter ever since his move to RB Salzburg in 2020. He was the first off of the bench throughout the World Cup and turned in clutch performances during the World Cup Qualifying campaign. His relentless off-ball work is a valuable contribution that makes him a versatile player who can contribute on the wing or in the midfield in many national team setups.
Forwards (3): Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, Jordan Pefok
The hot hand plays at striker, and the US has no shortage of forwards on a hot streak right now. Ricardo Pepi rarely sees more than 15 minutes in any match for PSV Eindhoven, but he pours in goals whenever he sees the field. Haji Wright has been electric for Coventry City, pouring in 11 goals and adding 5 assists across all competitions this season. Josh Sargent has picked up where he left off for Norwich City. Sargent has come back from a long injury layoff to contribute 7 goals in his last 11 matches. Even Jordan Pefok is finally getting in on the fun. Pefok has struggled to score regularly in the Bundesliga since his 2022 move, but that has recently changed as he has contributed 3 goals and an assist to Borussia Monchengladbach since January 14th.
All four of these forwards have played a role in some capacity for the United States since Berhalter took over. Whether they have been members of Nation’s League, World Cup, or World Cup Qualifying squads, all of them have had their moment to shine for the United States. Since their last appearance, all of them have also developed into stronger players. One or more of these players will get a chance to showcase their development on the international stage over the next few windows. With Balogun’s form at a low point, do not be surprised if one of these strikers temporarily earns the starting job for the United States due to their hot form.
Tier 3: Minutes Eaters (51)
There is no need to go into details on this part of the pool. These are the “also exist” players. Some players here are MLS or European-based players towards the end of their careers who are on the decline. Others are young players who are still developing and improving. The talent level in this category is mostly the same for all players. They can fill the end of your bench, but you are only really bringing them into international games when you want to give them an audition or when you need to save the legs of other players.
Nothing is set in stone. There are many players here who could find a great run of form and get bumped up a tier. There are also players that have incredible potential and will likely develop into international talents. There are also players who will get dropped from this tier because they are past the point where they can contribute at the international level. Development is never linear and you never know what will happen for any of these players.
Goalkeepers (8): Drake Callendar, Roman Celentano, Gabriel Slonina, Chris Brady, Patrick Schulte, Sean Johnson, Diego Kochen, Zack Steffen
Defenders (15): John Tolkin, Caleb Wiley, Shaq Moore, Jalen Neal, Matt Miazga, DeJuan Jones, Kristoffer Lund, Reggie Cannon, Bryan Reynolds, DeAndre Yedlin, Walker Zimmerman, John Brooks, Jonathan Gomez, Justin Che, Brandan Craig
Midfielders (15): Lennard Maloney, Tim Tillman, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Tanner Tessman, Gianluca Busio, Kellyn Acosta, Paxten Aaronson, Ben Cremaschi, Diego Luna, Aidan Morris, Rokas Pukstas, Brian Gutierrez, Noel Buck, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan
Forwards (13): Jesus Ferreira, Brandon Vazquez, Kevin Paredes, Taylor Booth, Bernard Kamungo, Cade Cowell, Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola, Griffin Yow, Alejandro Zendejas, Bernard Kamungo
This wraps up our tiered ranking of the United States player pool at the international level. This is an interesting exercise that lends itself well to being re-visited on a regular basis. Look for regular updates to my tier system as players continue to grow and develop. The US pool is only going to get better with time, and it will be interesting to see where the talent in each tier goes from here.
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