In the four months since we last ranked the top 25 players in the USMNT player pool, Gregg Berhalter’s Yanks have won a Gold Cup and taken a roller coaster ride through their first six CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
[ MORE: USMNT player ratings vs Costa Rica ]
That span has seen injuries open the door for a number of players.
Some sauntered through the door while Christian Pulisic and Giovanni Reyna were on the mend, while others ran into a wall.
Players also moved around the world on the transfer market with a number of MLS players finding homes abroad and others still waiting to seal their next deal.
[ MORE: Three things we learned ]
Before we go any further with this list’s , here’s a reminder of how we sort the talent with some ground rules:
- The ranking is meant to illustrate who would be most likely to positively affect a USMNT match, regardless of manager or teammates, right now.
- Health doesn’t matter to our rankings if a current injury isn’t one that could drastically alter the player’s skill set moving forward.
- Age/potential/experience doesn’t matter either, at least not much; It’s how likely you are to contribute to the team if put on the field right now. Obviously Konrad de la Fuente is a better long-term prospect than Gyasi Zardes, but the Columbus Crew forward is currently better prepared for the stage than the Barcelona youth.
- Finally, if you’re breaking a tie between players… ask which you’d be more upset to hear was unavailable for a USMNT camp.
On to the rankings
Some notes before the numbers.
Don’t get us wrong, Christian Pulisic remains the most electric American talent since Clint Dempsey and has a very good chance of living the most remarkable career in USMNT history/
But Tyler Adams... there just isn’t another player near him in the pool when it comes to running a midfield.
Yes, Weston McKennie can flat-out play but his off-field incident and Pulisic’s recent injury woes have made it difficult for us to ignore what’s in front of our eyes with Adams.
Elsewhere, John Brooks’ form and health opened the door for an entire pool of center backs and Walker Zimmerman impressed in a big way again. Whether the Nashville SC back stays in the U.S. or tests the waters abroad, he’s the best back in the pool right now (though there are young pieces growing into their shot at the title).
Some MLS stars jump up the list with Miles Robinson leaping 12 spots and Matt Turner and Ricardo Pepi making their debuts. Jordan Morris’ impending return from injury and the pool’s failure to deliver as consistently as the Sounders man did at right wing have him back in the fold.
Top 25 USMNT players – post-Nations League, friendlies (last ranking in parentheses)
- Tyler Adams, RB Leipzig (3) — Solid as a rock and almost always in the right spot on the pitch
- Christian Pulisic, Chelsea (1) — Get well, soon. Like, real soon.... Mexico in a month soon.
- Weston McKennie, Juventus (2) — Rebounded from a terrible September off the field.
- Giovanni Reyna, Borussia Dortmund (5) — Will be looking over his shoulder.
- Sergino Dest, Barcelona (9) — Defensive acumen still needs work but offensive skill set almost unparalleled. Hit it harder, why don’t ya?
- Brenden Aaronson, Red Bull Salzburg (13)
- Antonee Robinson, Fulham (17)
- Walker Zimmerman, Nashville SC (6)
- Yunus Musah, Valencia (15)
- Timothy Weah, Lille (8)
- John Brooks, Wolfsburg (4)
- Miles Robinson, Atlanta United (24)
- Ricardo Pepi, FC Dallas (NR)
- Zack Steffen, Manchester City (11)
- Matt Turner, New England Revolution (NR)
- Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders (NR)
- Josh Sargent, Norwich City (7)
- Jordan Pefok, Young Boys (19)
- Gyasi Zardes, Columbus Crew (NR)
- Julian Green, Greuther Furth (14)
- Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders (NR)
- Chris Richards, Hoffenheim (16)
- Matt Miazga, Alaves (22)
- Kellyn Acosta, Colorado Rapids (NR)
- Gianluca Busio, Venezia (NR)
Last five out
DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray), Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille), Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma), Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca), Reggie Cannon (Boavista)
Dropped out from last ranking
Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Daryl Dike (Orlando City), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes), Tim Ream (Fulham)
