USYNT: Five U.S. players to watch at FIFA U-17 World Cup
By Daniel Garza
The FIFA U-17 World Cup is set to get underway in Brazil and the USYNT is among the 24 finalists. Here are five U.S. players to watch for during the tournament.
Every two years, the best young talent in the world descend on one location for the U-17 World Cup. This tournament is often a gateway for the top young players from around the globe to show what they’ve got to a host of scouts from top clubs. The United States Youth National Team will send a strong roster to the competition who will be on the hunt for a place in the knockout round.
After falling to Mexico in the qualifying tournament final, the U-17 squad will be looking to avenge their defeat by carrying the banner for CONCACAF during the tournament. They are paired in a group with Japan, Senegal and the Netherlands, which will present a big challenge. Just making it out of this group would be an accomplishment for the U.S.
The 21-player roster selected for the World Cup will feature a very strong Major League Soccer contingent. In total,14 players have ties to MLS clubs. The remainder are currently on United Soccer League (USL) or international club’s rosters.
Here are five players to keep an eye on during the tournament for the U.S.
5. Ricardo Pepi
A common theme on this U.S. roster is the strength of the attacking players. In fact, there are few other attacking players not in this top five who could show up big for the Americans. Ricardo Pepi is one of those forwards who is going to be one to watch.
The FC Dallas player was able to get first-team minutes with the MLS club and saw plenty of playing time on loan at North Texas SC in the USL League One. FC Dallas have a history of producing talent and Pepi will hope to be the next top player to come out of the club. This will be a big tournament for him as he has another opportunity to show his club he is their top under-18 prospect.
4. Daniel Leyva
At just 15, Daniel Leyva was signed by the Seattle Sounders earlier this year. The midfielder was instrumental during the qualifying campaign for the Americans and was named to the CONCACAF tournament’s top XI. Look for him to be the top player in the U.S. midfield, which will provide him with plenty of opportunities to make an impression. Leyva is certainly one of the players for the future for both club and country.
3. George Bello
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Atlanta United defender George Bello is the top prospect on paper for the U.S. defensively. After an early-season injury kept him out for a large portion of the summer, Bello will be hungry to perform well at the U-17 World Cup. He saw playing time for Atlanta United II in the USL and was not able to fully display his growth this season just yet due to injury. Nevertheless, he can really solidify his position as a player who can help the U.S. in the future. Additionally, he will be hoping to make Atlanta United proud as they make the push for an MLS Cup on the homefront.
2. Gianluca Busio
Of all the MLS players on this roster, Gianluca Busio has seen the most first-team minutes out of the 14. He made 22 appearances for Sporting Kansas City in 2019 and scored three goals. Busio is regarded as the top under-17 player in MLS and now has the opportunity to show the world his talent on the big stage. Will this be a tournament where Busio launches his career even further by attracting attention from big clubs abroad?
1. Gio Reyna
Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna is the top prospect for the U.S. on the U-17 roster. At 16, he joined the Bundesliga club and has done quite well thus far. It appears he may be following a similar path to that of Christian Pulisic. Reyna is regarded as one of the top talents in the world for his age group. This season, he has two goals and six assists in eight appearances in the U-19 Bundesliga West division and has made two appearances in the UEFA Youth League.
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Will he help propel the U.S. out of the group stage? If there’s one player who can do it, it’s Reyna.