TOP 5 USMNT Talents Under 20
Soccer has never been that big in the United States. But recently, we have had many young players go to huge teams in Europe, such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and so much more, and the future of the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) looks brighter than ever.
Let’s check out the top 5 USMNT talents under the age of 20.
1. Gio Reyna
Giovanni Reyna is an attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund and is only 18 years old. As one of the biggest rising hopefuls in the past year, Reyna has gone from a potential young prospect to starting alongside Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho for Borussia Dortmund. The son of legendary Claudio Reyna, the teen Gio became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the German Cup last year. Having played a few games for the USMNT now, he has shown how great he is with scoring a goal against Mexico and is playing for arguably the second-best team in Germany.
2. Sergino Dest
Sergino Dest is a right back for FC Barcelona and is 20 years old. Born in the Netherlands, the right back was one of USMNT’s major coups when he committed to his father’s homeland in October 2019. A year later, after a breakout campaign at Ajax, Dest joined Lionel Messi at Barcelona FC despite Bayern Munich expressing a heavy interest. The teenager has adapted quickly to Barca’s setup, solidifying himself as a regular starter and became worthy as the man of the match in his first El Clasico.
Dest’s ability to move forward down the right without leaving himself exposed has proven to be a real asset for the USMNT. One of the best performers for the US in the pair of recent international friendlies, Dest looks ahead full of confidence at the moment and continues to get better.
3. Yunus Musah
Yunus Musah is an 18-year-old midfielder for Valencia. A late addition to the list after his surprise call-up by Berhalter for the November friendlies against Wales and Panama, Musah could prove a major coup for the USMNT if he chooses to represent the Americans. An England Under-18 international who was born in the US but is also eligible to represent Ghana and Italy, Musah has burst onto the scene at Valencia, emerging as a regular starter for the club. Berhalter, the USMNT coach, already has weighed in regarding Musah’s best position, indicating that the US plan is to try the youngster in a box-to-box midfield role but mainly plays as a winger for Valencia.
4. Konrad De La Fuente
The other young American who played for Barca, Konrad de la Fuente grew up in Spain and joined Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at the age of 12. After impressing last season with Barca B and in the preseason with the senior side, de la Fuente initially earned a spot in the Blaugrana’s first-team squad. Blessed with brilliant pace, de la Fuente thrives in open space thanks to his dribbling ability and confidence. De La Fuente, now 19, had an amazing season at Barca B and got a 5 million dollar move to Marseille, one of the Best French teams.
5. Caden Clark
Another bright young American prospect is headed to Europe as an 18-year-old attacking midfielder, and USMNT hopeful Caden Clark has signed with RB Leipzig from the New York Red Bulls. Clark, who scored a stellar goal on his Red Bulls debut last October, will remain with New York for the remainder of the 2020 season before completing his transfer to RB Leipzig in January, the same timeline which saw Brenden Aaronson make his move to Red Bull Salzburg midway through the 2019-20 European season.
