Ahead of the European season, GOAL breaks down the top 10 Americans Abroad for the upcoming campaign
The summer was longer than many would have expected. That’s what happens when you get bounced early from a major tournament: you have to sit there and live with it for a little while. Thankfully, that time is done, and the U.S. men’s national team’s biggest stars are set to take the field once again.
The major European leagues are set to begin this weekend, although a few have already gotten underway throughout the continent. From Italy to England and just about everywhere in between, the USMNT’s most important players are finally back at the club level, and with the World Cup less than two years away, there’s little time to waste.
A new coach, Mauricio Pochettino, is reportedly on the way to the USMNT, but what will he see as he watches? There are stars scattered throughout different levels of Europe, giving the Argentine plenty to consider with his American roster going forward.
Who should he be keeping his eye on? Ahead of the European season, GOAL breaks down the top 10 Americans Abroad based on last season’s performance and their hopes for the new campaign.
10 Tim Weah
It looks like Weah may lose his favorite American teammate at Juventus, which is unfortunate. Even so, what kind of role will he personally have this season?
Thiago Motta brings new ideas and a new style to Juve, giving everyone a fresh start under his leadership. That’s good news for Weah, who was in and out of the XI last year. He played right-wingback, but Motta has been trialing him at striker, which is an interesting wrinkle.
What matters most is that he plays, whether that’s out wide or down the middle, this season.
9 Yunus Musah
There is something special under there, it just needs a little last bit of tweaking. That’s where Yunus Musah is right now: right on the precipice of a breakout.
Maybe it comes under Fonseca this season. Under Stefano Pioli last year, Musah showed signs of being an elite midfielder. He played in massive matches in the Champions League, even if he wasn’t usually a full-time starter in La Liga.
There are still questions about Musah, notably what type of midfielder he actually is. Maybe this is the season that gets ironed out.
8 Folarin Balogun
His first season at Monaco didn’t quite go how he’d hoped. He scored just seven goals while providing five assists this season, failing to attain the heights he reached during his one season at Reims.
However, if there was one player that could leave with his head held high after the Copa America, it was Folarin Balogun. He was the most significant player to stand out for the USMNT.
Will that be big for his confidence? The USMNT will hope so. Balogun proved this summer that he can play like an elite striker – now, he just has to bring that to Monaco.
7 Malik Tillman
Mark Tillman earned his permanent move to PSV, scoring nine while assisting on 10 in the league last season. With Sergino Dest out and Ricardo Pepi still in a backup role, it’s Tillman that’s the main reason Americans should tune in to watch the Eredivisie.
He’s a pretty good reason, too. The young midfielder started to figured it out last season in a league geared towards attackers, which means this campaign might just be even more fun. PSV were dominant last season, too, so expectations are high for the club, not just for Tillman.
6 Josh Sargent
Josh Sargent absolutely ripped through the Championship last season. If he can stay healthy this time, the Norwich star might just do it again.
The American forward scored 16 goals in just 26 appearances last season, which would have kept him on a Golden Boot-level pace if not for injury issues. He’s behind in the USMNT striker depth chart, but goals count in that race. If Sargent scores, who knows what happens next for club and country?
5 Johnny Cardoso
The world is watching now. Everyone wants to find out if Johnny Cardoso is for real.
He sure looked like it last season for Real Betis, breaking through almost immediately. The Barcelona rumors swirled soon after, indicating just how high Cardoso’s stock had risen in a short amount of time. He still has some ground to make up in the USMNT depth chart but, with a new coach coming in, this really could be Cardoso’s breakout year.
4 Chris Richards
Last season, Chris Richards started to establish himself in the Premier League, which should indicate that this will be a big season for him.
We’ll have to see what type of leap he makes with Crystal Palace, and the USMNT will be watching that closely. Richards is so important to the USMNT’s future, so his development as a defender this season is a key storyline to watch.
3 Weston McKennie
It feels hard to properly rank Weston McKennie right now, but we’re going to try. It’s still not totally clear where McKennie will play this season, but recent reports suggest he could, in fact, stay at Juventus. So much depends on this move but, based on what we saw last season, wherever McKennie plays, that club will have one hell of a player. Can he build on last season’s success?
2 Antonee Robinson
He was arguably the best left-back in the Premier League, and that isn’t hyperbole. Antonee Robinson is that good, but how will he follow things up in this new season?
His longtime club and international teammate Tim Ream is gone, so it’s already a new-look Fulham. Robinson, though, remains a fixture despite being linked with moves throughout the past two seasons. The American is just entering his prime, too, so there’s legitimate reason for optimism.
1 Christian Pulisic
There’s no doubt about the player who starts the season on the top of this list. He’s heading into this sophomore season at Milan fresh off the best run of his career, after all.
Christian Pulisic was fantastic last season, putting together the best individual campaign of his career. Under new coach Paulo Fonseca, the hope is that he’ll build on that, particularly if Fonseca opts to use him as a No. 10. It’s where he was used in preseason and, if Pulisic stays central, his goal and assist numbers could explode.
