USMNT: Top 3 players to build future upon

The USMNT are entering a crucial period with several blossoming young talents entering their primes. So, with that in mind, here are three players to build the future upon.

For Gregg Berhalter, 2020 is set to make a very slow start. January camp has come and gone, and is of decreasing importance given the number of U.S. Men’s National Team players that are now playing in Europe, as evidenced by his Olympics-orientated team selection, while upcoming March friendlies against the Netherlands and Wales have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Nevertheless, while matches around the world are being postponed or even abandoned, Berhalter can still make plans for the future of the USMNT as he forms what will be the basis of the 2022 World Cup team.

So, with that in mind, here are the top three players that the foundation of the USMNT should be built upon.

3. Weston McKennie

Any American who is playing regularly in a top-five European league is immediately catapulted into a stratosphere far and above the average USMNT hopeful. And that has very much been the case for Weston McKennie at Schalke for several years now, despite still only being 21 years of age.

The hustling midfielder is still to settle into a true position. Some see him as a midfield destroyer with composure and quality on the ball; others like him in an all-action box-to-box role that makes the most of his extreme athleticism and late runs forward; others still would push him even higher up the pitch, trying to exploit his goalscoring knack which has seen him score six goals in 19 national team games already.

In reality, McKennie looks at his most comfortable when he is set free. He is extremely energetic, sometimes a little loose positionally, but excels when the game breaks down and he burst through spaces upon turnovers. That type of central midfielder is key in modern football. McKennie really could be the engine room of the USMNT for the next decade.