1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations
The latest edition of the Total Soccer Show (USMNT Weekly) marks a watershed moment in the media coverage and analytical evaluation of the United States Men's National Team. As the program navigates the early tenure of head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the selection of an experimental 28-man squad for an extended international window against opponents such as Peru has ignited a fundamental re-examination of the American player pool. Boasting an average age of just 22 years and 9 months, and featuring 13 entirely uncapped players alongside an attacking line where Damien Downs represents the sole individual with senior international caps, this roster represents a deliberate, high-stakes audit of the nation's underlying talent pipeline.
The discussion across the podcast panel—comprising Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Joe Lowry, and Graham Ruthven—establishes three primary analytical theses that define the current trajectory of the national team program:
- The Institutional Shift in Dual-National Recruitment: The confirmation that high-ceiling center-back prospect Nokio Banks has executed a FIFA one-time switch to represent Germany’s U-21 national team has prompted a stark response from Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino's public declaration that international representation demands "200% commitment" signals an abrupt end to the era of federation accommodation, replacing soft diplomacy with non-negotiable cultural standards.
- The Prodigal Benchmark of Cavan Sullivan: At 16 years of age, Philadelphia Union attack-minded prodigy Cavan Sullivan has transitioned from a distant developmental projection into an immediate domestic force. With a pre-existing transfer agreement to join Manchester City upon turning 18, Sullivan's domestic production—including six goals in six matches—has forced analysts to compare his league-wide tactical impact to elite figures while evaluating his exceptionally high cognitive football IQ.
- Structural Re-Engineering of the Positional Pipeline: The call-ups of unconventional tactical profiles—most notably deep-lying midfield orchestrator Adry Mehmeti, Danish-based goalkeeper Diego Kochen (Cochen), and raw striking talent Julian Hall—highlight a concerted effort by the coaching staff to diversify the tactical archetypes available to the senior national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rather than treating this experimental window as a temporary inconvenience, the panel argues that this squad selection represents a vital stress-test. By stripping away established veteran safety nets, Pochettino is exposing the domestic talent ecosystem to immediate international scrutiny, forcing a rapid separation between overhyped prospects and genuine international-caliber talent.
2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation
To fully understand the gravity of the total roster overhaul discussed by the Total Soccer Show, one must examine the broader structural context of American soccer in the mid-2020s. Following the conclusion of the previous World Cup cycle under Gregg Berhalter, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) recognized that while the first-choice starting XI possessed genuine European quality, the squad's functional depth remained dangerously thin and tactically rigid. The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino was engineered specifically to instill tactical flexibility, elite European training standards, and ruthless squad selection practices ahead of co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Concurrently, the domestic developmental landscape has reached a unprecedented juncture. Major League Soccer (MLS) academies, bolstered by the maturation of the MLS NEXT Pro ecosystem, have become legitimate exporters of talent to European top-flight leagues. Of the 28 players selected in Pochettino’s experimental squad, 18 developed within domestic MLS academy pipelines, and 12 currently feature in MLS first teams. This statistic highlights a profound transition: the domestic league is no longer merely a retirement haven or a isolated domestic competition, but an active nursery supplying young talent directly to the national team apparatus.
However, this rapid acceleration of talent production has introduced unprecedented friction in dual-national recruitment. Young American-developed players holding multi-national eligibility are being aggressively pursued by European federations. The modern international landscape no longer allows national teams to passively wait for players to mature before extending senior invitations. High-profile international federations—such as the German Football Association (DFB) and the Polish Football Association (PZPN)—are deploying aggressive, early-stage recruitment models. Consequently, Pochettino’s decision to call up 13 uncapped players serves a dual purpose: expanding the senior pool while actively securing the international futures of high-value dual-national assets.
3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown
3.1 The Cavan Sullivan Paradigm: Hype, Gravity, and the Manchester City Blueprint
No individual player selected in this experimental window commands greater analytical intrigue than Cavan Sullivan. Having turned professional at age 14 with the Philadelphia Union, Sullivan entered the public conscious under the weight of staggering expectations. Now operating at age 16 with a formally executed agreement to join Premier League titans Manchester City upon his 18th birthday, Sullivan's trajectory has crossed the threshold from developmental hypothesis to empirical reality.
As Graham Ruthven noted during the broadcast, Sullivan’s recent domestic stretch—yielding six goals across six matches and culminating in a total of seven goals and five assists on the season—places his match-to-match impact alongside the premier attacking forces in Major League Soccer. Tactically, Sullivan operates predominantly as an inverted right-sided attacker, utilizing his refined left foot to cut inward into central operating channels. However, his defining trait is not merely dynamic athleticism, but a sophisticated spatial gravity that belies his youth.
Ruthven highlighted Sullivan's remarkable composure in possession, drawing a direct tactical parallel to the spatial mechanics of Jack Grealish. Rather than prematurely releasing the ball or rushing into crowded zones, Sullivan demonstrates the rare ability to pause on the ball, intentionally inviting pressure from opposing defenders. By delaying his pass by a fraction of a second, he compels defensive units to step out of their block, thereby opening massive pockets of space for overlapping full-backs or central runners. This micro-tactical execution—exemplified by a recent sequence where he held possession on the right flank before playing a perfectly weighted ball to release an overlapping teammate—demonstrates an advanced understanding of defensive manipulation.
Furthermore, Sullivan possesses a level of press resistance rarely observed in teenage American attackers. When receiving the ball under high physical pressure, his low center of gravity and flawless first touch allow him to turn out of tight spaces cleanly. Whether executing intricate back-heel finishes or executing one-touch combinations in the final third, Sullivan plays with a natural swagger and tactical intelligence that sets him apart from previous American prodigies. While past talents often relied heavily on raw speed or physical advantages, Sullivan’s game is built upon cognitive processing speed, spatial awareness, and technical control.
3.2 The Nokio Banks Precedent and Pochettino's 200% Commitment Ultimatum
In sharp contrast to the excitement surrounding Sullivan, the narrative surrounding center-back prospect Nokio Banks exposes the severe vulnerabilities and political complexities of modern dual-national recruitment. Banks, a highly regarded young center-back who has accumulated significant Bundesliga minutes at a young age, officially filed a FIFA one-time switch to represent Germany’s U-21 national team. Having previously represented the United States at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Banks’ departure represents a significant blow to the USMNT depth chart.
Joe Lowry provided a sharp analytical breakdown of why Banks’ decision cuts so deeply into the national team's long-term planning. The USMNT pipeline suffers from a pronounced structural deficit at the center-back position, particularly regarding left-footed, ball-playing defenders capable of building out from the back against high-pressing opponents. Banks possessed a rare combination of elite physical recovery speed and plus-plus passing attributes in possession. His loss leaves the program heavily dependent on developmental projects such as Neil Pierre, George Campbell, and Austin Trusty.
However, the true significance of the Banks episode lies in the public response from head coach Mauricio Pochettino. When questioned regarding Banks' decision to opt for Germany's setup, Pochettino delivered an uncompromising manifesto on international culture:
"We want players that show commitment. That commitment is not 50%. It's 200%. Every time we contacted with him the possibility to join us, he said, no, still in doubt. We want players with no doubt."
Pochettino’s statement marks a dramatic departure from previous USSF recruitment strategies, which often involved protracted courtship processes and public accommodations for hesitant dual-nationals. By establishing a zero-tolerance policy for indecision, Pochettino is asserting that the USMNT jersey must be treated as an absolute privilege rather than a secondary option. While this firm stance risks alienating fringe dual-nationals who seek guaranteed roles before committing, it establishes an essential cultural foundation of collective accountability and singular focus necessary for success in major international tournaments.
3.3 Tactical Innovation in the Engine Room: The Adry Mehmeti Exception
Throughout the modern era of American soccer, national team midfields have traditionally been defined by physical dynamism, high-capacity box-to-box work rate, and defensive ball-winning capabilities—traits embodied by established figures such as Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah. However, Graham Ruthven highlighted the inclusion of Adry Mehmeti as a structural departure from this historical archetype.
Ruthven argued forcefully that the USMNT has historically lacked a midfielder with Mehmeti’s specific tactical profile. Operating as a deep-lying controller, Mehmeti excels at dictating match tempo, orchestrating possession out of the defensive third, and executing progressive line-breaking passes through central channels. Unlike traditional American midfielders who thrive in transitional chaos and open-field duels, Mehmeti brings spatial calmness and positional discipline.
In Pochettino’s tactical framework—which demands structured positional play, numerical overloads in the first phase of build-up, and rapid side-to-side ball circulation—a player of Mehmeti’s profile is transformative. If Mehmeti can translate his club performances into international consistency, he provides the tactical bridge required for the United States to transition from a counter-attacking side into a dominant, possession-oriented outfit capable of dismantling low-block defenses at the highest level of international football.
3.4 The Frontline Vacuum: Julian Hall, Cold Streaks, and National Team Hegemony
The forward composition of Pochettino’s 28-man squad provides a stark illustration of the radical experimentation taking place. With established options like Ricardo Pepi sidelined due to injury, late addition Damien Downs represents the sole forward in the entire group with senior international caps. This reality leaves the central striking position almost entirely in the hands of unproven teenagers and fringe domestic prospects.
At the center of this forward evaluation is Julian Hall, the gifted New York Red Bulls attacker. Hall entered the professional landscape surrounded by immense fanfare, recognized for his exceptional physical frame, pressing instincts, and instincts inside the penalty box. However, as Taylor Rockwell highlighted, Hall’s recent club form has been defined by a pronounced goal drought, leading to cynical reactions from portions of the fanbase who question his immediate readiness for senior international duty.
Despite this cold streak, the strategic rationale for Hall’s inclusion remains compelling. Hall remains a primary recruitment target for the Polish Football Association, which has been actively pursuing his international switch. In an environment where the senior national team lacks established goalscoring depth beyond its top options, providing Hall with immediate senior national team minutes serves two distinct purposes: it offers him a platform to break his confidence slump under Pochettino's guidance, while simultaneously asserting USSF priority over competing international federations.
3.5 Between the Posts and Behind the Line: Kochen, Pierre, and Lineup Architecture
The experimental nature of the squad extends directly into the defensive structure and goalkeeping ranks. The inclusion of Diego Kochen (Cochen), currently gaining first-team experience at Lyngby in the Danish Superliga on loan from Barcelona's academy, highlights the staff's focus on modern goalkeeping profiles. Taylor Rockwell noted that while Kochen’s traditional shot-stopping metrics show room for growth (-1.2 goals prevented this season), his composure on the ball and elite distribution range fit Pochettino's build-up demands precisely.
In defense, the spotlight shines brightly on Neil Pierre, identified by Joe Lowry as the most compelling long-term center-back prospect remaining in the domestic pipeline following Banks’ departure. Pierre possesses the raw physical tools and modern passing range required of elite central defenders, but requires immediate exposure to senior tactical structures to accelerate his development curve.
To contextualize how these experimental pieces might fit together on the pitch, the podcast panel presented contrasting tactical lineups for the upcoming friendly match against Peru in Orlando. The table below details the structural differences between Graham Ruthven’s balanced framework and Taylor Rockwell’s hybrid defense:
| Positional Zone |
Graham Ruthven XI (Balanced 4-3-3) |
Taylor Rockwell XI (Hybrid 4-3-3 / 3-4-3) |
| Goalkeeper |
Chris Brady (Fire) |
Chris Brady / Diego Kochen |
| Left-Back / WB |
Antonee "Jedi" Robinson |
Antonee "Jedi" Robinson |
| Left Center-Back |
Austin Trusty |
Chris Richards |
| Right Center-Back |
Neil Pierre |
George Campbell |
| Right-Back / WB |
Sergiño Dest |
Alex Freeman (Hybrid CB/RB) |
| Defensive Midfield |
Tyler Adams |
Tyler Adams |
| Central Midfield |
Yunus Musah |
Sebastian Berhalter / Yunus Musah |
| Attacking Midfield |
Malik Tillman |
Gio Reyna |
| Left Winger |
Cole Campbell |
Cole Campbell / Damien Downs |
| Center Forward |
Julian Hall |
Julian Hall |
| Right Winger |
Xavier Gozo |
Xavier Gozo |
Ruthven’s lineup seeks to surround uncapped prospects like Neil Pierre, Cole Campbell, Julian Hall, and Xavier Gozo with a robust, experienced spine featuring Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman. Conversely, Rockwell’s setup introduces Alex Freeman as a hybrid right-back who can tuck inside to form a three-man defensive line in possession, allowing Sergiño Dest or Antonee Robinson maximum freedom to push high up the flanks.
4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast
The dialogue on this episode of the Total Soccer Show excels due to the distinct analytical lenses brought by each panelist. Rather than falling into standard consensus, the hosts offer contrasting interpretations of squad selection, tactical risk, and player ceilings.
Taylor Rockwell operates as the pragmatic tactical skeptic. Throughout the broadcast, Rockwell repeatedly grounds the discussion in the immediate realities of match preparation. He highlights the high probability of disjointed team performances, noting that deploying a forward line with zero senior caps inevitably leads to structural friction and growing pains. Rockwell views this international window not as a celebration of youth, but as a grueling operational test where bad results and sloppy execution should be anticipated and accepted as the cost of player evaluation.
Joe Lowry provides deep pipeline analytics and structural scouting focus. Lowry’s analysis centers on developmental pathways, squad construction mechanics, and dual-national policy. His breakdown of Nokio Banks’ departure to Germany was unsparing, identifying center-back depth as an acute organizational failure while emphasizing the tactical necessity of finding defenders who can pass under pressure. Lowry evaluates players like Diego Kochen and Neil Pierre through a lens of long-term structural utility rather than immediate hype.
Graham Ruthven serves as the high-concept talent scout. Ruthven’s analysis is driven by evaluating elite player ceilings and tactical innovation. He is unapologetic in his praise of Cavan Sullivan, daring to compare Sullivan's game-changing league impact to Lionel Messi while highlighting micro-tactical traits like Grealish-esque spatial pauses. Ruthven also champions Adry Mehmeti, framing him as a unique positional profile capable of fundamentally elevating the national team's tactical identity.
Ryan Bailey orchestrates the discussion with sharp narrative framing, ensuring that tactical debates remain connected to broader storylines such as Pochettino's cultural resetting and fan expectations ahead of major international fixtures.
| Panelist |
Primary Analytical Focus |
Key Tactical / Player Assessment |
Perspective on Squad Risk |
| Taylor Rockwell |
Match Realism & Operational Structure |
Foresees disjointed performances; values Alex Freeman's structural flexibility at right-back. |
High immediate risk; accepts growing pains as necessary for long-term depth evaluation. |
| Joe Lowry |
Pipeline Dynamics & Squad Construction |
Views Nokio Banks' loss as a major setback; demands urgent focus on domestic center-back growth. |
Focuses on structural pipeline gaps rather than single-match results. |
| Graham Ruthven |
High-Ceiling Scouting & Tactical Profiles |
Lauds Cavan Sullivan's spatial intelligence; identifies Adry Mehmeti as a game-changing midfielder. |
Embraces high-risk roster choices to unlock exceptional individual talent. |
| Ryan Bailey |
Host Orchestration & Narrative Framing |
Connects dual-national policy directly to Pochettino's cultural standards. |
Balances fan enthusiasm with analytical reality. |
5. Strategic & Industry Implications
The themes dissected in this podcast episode extend far beyond a single international window; they reflect profound macro-level shifts occurring across the global football industry. The interplay between domestic development, multi-club European ownership models, dual-national politics, and senior international selection reveals a rapidly evolving landscape.
First, the Cavan Sullivan transfer blueprint represents a new landmark in how elite European clubs acquire talent from North America. Manchester City’s early contractual securing of Sullivan at age 14—structured around a defined pathway with the Philadelphia Union until he turns 18—demonstrates how elite multi-club conglomerates are bypassing traditional transfer market bidding wars. By locking in elite prospects years before FIFA transfer regulations permit international movement, European giants are establishing direct stakes in MLS development. For Major League Soccer, this model provides both substantial financial monetization and international validation, though it places immense pressure on domestic clubs to maximize the player's output during their remaining domestic tenure.
Second, Mauricio Pochettino’s "200% commitment" ultimatum establishes a critical governance precedent for national federations navigating dual-national recruitment. For over a decade, national team programs around the world have engaged in competitive bidding wars for multi-national players, often offering guaranteed squad spots or captaincy incentives to secure commitments. Pochettino’s refusal to indulge Nokio Banks' indecision signals a return to institutional self-respect. By prioritizing team cohesion and uncompromised buy-in over individual talent accommodation, Pochettino is setting a standard that could redefine how the USSF handles future dual-national battles against European federations.
Finally, the selection of 12 current MLS players and 18 MLS academy graduates highlights the central role of domestic infrastructure in sustaining national team viability. As the financial scale of European football continues to widen the gap between top-tier leagues and the rest of the world, national federations must rely on robust domestic academies to supply high-volume, modern talent. Pochettino's willingness to audition 13 uncapped players proves that the boundary between domestic talent and international selection is more fluid than ever before.
6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones
As the United States Men's National Team prepares to step onto the pitch against Peru in Orlando, the analytical focus shifts from roster evaluation to empirical runtime verification. This experimental window serves as the opening chapter of Pochettino’s broader squad condensation process ahead of 2026. Several critical questions and key metrics will dictate the success of this initiative over the coming months:
- Can Cavan Sullivan Translate Domestic Impact to International Football? While Sullivan’s club production for Philadelphia has been extraordinary, international football presents vastly different physical and tactical demands. Analysts will monitor whether his spatial awareness, press resistance, and spatial pause mechanics hold up against senior international defenders.
- How Will the Frontline Adapt Without Senior Experience? With Damien Downs as the sole forward possessing senior caps, the attacking group faces an immediate trial by fire. Will Julian Hall break his goal drought and assert himself as a viable option at striker, or will the forward line appear hopelessly disjointed under pressure?
- Who Emergency-Fills the Center-Back Vacuum? The departure of Nokio Banks leaves an urgent void in central defense. Can Neil Pierre or George Campbell demonstrate the defensive positioning and build-up composure necessary to earn permanent spots alongside established defenders like Chris Richards and Austin Trusty?
- Will the Midfield Engine Room Embrace Tactical Dictation? The potential introduction of Adry Mehmeti alongside dynamic runners like Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah provides a test case for Pochettino's possession philosophy. Can this group control match tempo and break down structured defensive blocks?
The journey toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup will not be linear. As Taylor Rockwell rightly noted, this experimental window is engineered to produce friction, growing pains, and unvarnished truths. Yet, by conducting this ruthless audit now, Mauricio Pochettino and his staff are laying the groundwork for a national team built not on past reputation or media hype, but on tactical adaptability, cultural clarity, and proven international caliber.
📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript
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Welcome to the Total Soccer Show, USNNZ Weekly, it's out regular for A into all things men's national team. On today's show we're scouting the newbies everybody we're going in depth and all the 13 uncap players who've made Richard Pochettino's current roster and then we're going to preview Saturday's game against Peru. Let's go! My name's Ryan Bailey joining me today. Hi Taylor Rockwell, how you doing? I'm doing well Ryan Bailey, especially so because it's so nice of Lionel Messi to let you use the punishment room that he utilizes for coaches who've displeased him, Ryan's recording in Miami and appears to have been shoved into Lionel Messi's punishment cube. Yes, the watch is on YouTube, we'll see the cube in all its glory, well I suppose two dimensions of its glory technically. Yes, very much so. Finally enough Taylor, I'm in Miami because there is a conference called Soccer X, it is being held at the new stadiums built in you, so I should be a frequenting Messi stomping ground very shortly, looking forward to it, should be fun. We need to get them to sponsor the new new camp and then we can the new new new new camp. Is that all of them? I don't know what I'll see myself out. I'll see you later. Without looking it up, it's spelled NU, what do we think it is? I'm betting NU, right? It's got to be something like that. Yeah, I'm fintech, bank, all three of them, mush together. What if it's new metal, Ryan? They're sponsored by new metal. There's a giant golden Fred Durstetch you out front, I can't wait to see it, it's going to be wonderful. It keeps rolling, rolling down at the new stadium, great Ruzman, who's a surgicalist, how are you? I'm good, Ryan Bailey. We're really looking forward to this three-week international break. I know it's been on the calendar for a while, but now that it's here, I'm strangely up for it. I think it helps that both the US and Scotland have picked these experimental squads. I was looking through who the US is going to play in a forward line over these four games. I knew it was experimental, but seeing the number of caps next to those forward players and Damien Downes being the only one that has any caps next to his name really hit home how experimental this squad is, but I'm here for it. I'm looking forward to it. It feels a little bit like a mini tournament or something. When it was first imagined, when we first knew this was going to be a thing, I was dreading it, and now that it's here, can I look forward to it? There you go. It's just not riding a bike ramp. We'll get there eventually. That made no sense. Joe Lowry, hello. How are you? As the saying. I am great. We're watching Moff and I're watching through Parks and Rec again at the moment, and we just got to the entertainment 720 bit and Tom's writing up the business plan, and I paused it on a still of him at the computer typing up the plan, and it's like entertainment 20 is a multimedia conglomerate that does this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and it's entire paragraph of and this and this and this and this. I think that's sort of what new stadium is. We don't really know what it is, but let's assume they're doing everything. At one point Andy asks him, you just put labels on stuff as your company because he's handing out swag and he goes, no, but maybe we should. I think that's exactly what's happening in Miami these days. I really do. That sounds amazing. I can't wait to see all that unfold. I want to see a Mausrat concert at New Stadium as well sometime this week. I hope that comes to pass. All right. Plenty to get to in this episode as we've established, we're going to talk about the uncapped players who will be fraying into the unknown of the senior team over the coming days. Before we get there, patreon.com slash total soccer show, are you an uncapped patreon member just waiting to be activated? Maybe you are. If so, you can get our bonus content. I've got bonus episodes on there. We've got access to our discord server. All the cool kids hang out in there. Gray, we just recorded a Patreon episode in my absence. What was that about? Let's tell the good people. On Monday, that would have been weekend review extra when we spoke about, whether we talk about Barcelona for a little bit, another old from Darby. You messed all that, Ryan Bailey, all that good stuff. There'll be another one next week that you can catch up on. Even during international break, they just keep rolling. Those old from Darby's every week. Wonderful stuff. You can sit you watch by those things. Glad to hear that patreon.com slash total soccer show. Thank you to everybody who supports us via that medium. Hey, Jerry Lowry, before we get to our 13, we've got some knockout backs news. Do we not? Would you like to tell us what the story is? Yeah, knockout banks will not be playing for the United States men's national team. He has officially become a, I suppose, a Germany committee. That's something that we can say. He has had to file a one-time switch after being called by Germany's U-21s, not their senior team, because he'd already previously played for the US at an official youth competition. That's the U-17 World Cup back in 2023. He switched over to Germany's U-21s, and in doing so, said goodbye to the United States. Mercy O'Pochina was asked about this on Friday. He said, quote, we want players that show commitment. That commitment is not 50%. It's 200%. I mean, absolutely. He was honest, because every time we contacted with him the possibility to join us, he said, no, still in doubt, I don't know if I want to pick USA or Germany. We want players with no doubt. And apparently, no, okay, banks had some doubt. It's a big loss in my mind for the US. Banks is not a home run sort of player. If you was, he wouldn't be with the Germany U-21s. He would be on Klopp's 87-man senior team squad right now. But the reality is the US is bereft of real center back options at this age group in particular. We'll talk about Neil Pierre later on, and he is the most interesting one right now. But center back is not an area of strength with the senior team nor is it an area of strength in the youth pipeline right now. So banks, a young player who's played a lot of Bundesliga minutes at a young age, has some plus-plus skills in possession. You would have hoped, certainly from a US standpoint, that you would get him in camp. But not to be, I think it's fascinating that he opted to bet on himself and go with the U-21s. But again, these are the sorts of things that are deeply personal, right? Like, I'm never, ever going to blame a guy for going and playing for the country that he wants to play for. Even if he never plays for Germany's senior team, you can't. I can't. I certainly would never feel comfortable criticizing him for making a choice like this. So it's certainly a big loss to the United States. They will now have to figure out other options in that part of the field and also had to develop good, well-rounded centerbacks like in their own country. That would be really helpful for the US. But no, okay, banks will not be coming through their door to solve any problems, ever. Yeah, it's a bit of shame. As you say, Joe, is a country he lives and works in. We definitely should respect the decision he has made there. I do wonder whether he saw, well, he maybe they knew that young club was calling up basically every German person. They've got a giant squad. They're going to feel at least two separate teams in this window and thought maybe I get a first team call up here, but then got under 21s and maybe he's a bit underwhelmed by that process. I don't know. I'm just. Yeah, I mean, you would think you would think you'd have visibility and all that stuff, right? I mean, that's from a German perspective, that's no way to treat a player to lead him on like that. But maybe that is what happened. I really have no idea. It seemed like banks truly was interested in playing the US men's national team. He came into a camp for them last year, talked about how much he enjoyed it and how much he felt like he was a part of things. But at the end of the day, made a different choice and that's completely fine. Yeah, just a little bit of maybe background context on trying to understand why he might be in the U21 squad. There is a U21 Euro's next next summer. They have them every couple years. And I know that a lot of other countries have kept some of their best U21 players in their U21 squad to prepare for that tournament for next summer. So I haven't read anything to that effect from Nokia banks, but it could be integrating him into that squad with that tournament in mind, rather than a mission from the national team squad to pursue. Yeah, fair enough. Sounds like there's a pathway for banks, but a shame, yes, will not be part of the USMNT program, but plenty of players will, and we're going to get to them. The roster that has been selected for this window has an average age of 22 years and nine months. Bunch of young guns there, 28 player squad also averages 17 caps. We're talking about 13 players. We have zero bringing that average down. Some what at 12 of the 28 players are from MLS and 18 of them came through MLS Academy programs as well. So very good stuff. Where should we start? Why don't we start with the goalkeepers? Diego Cocon doesn't have a cap tailor. Will you get one in this window? I think so. I mean, if you're bringing in four keepers, I think Joe kind of switched me on to the idea of maybe everyone gets a game. Maybe you have like two splitting a half or so, but I suspect we will see him at some point. I don't know how much I'm going to read into it if we don't, but I think there is value in seeing everyone involved. I think especially because I'm going to assume that there are stylistic differences. And I should note up front that with a lot of these players, there are players that we've seen. Some we've seen a lot more of than others. Some we've seen in very limited amounts. Cocon is one that I've seen some of, but I wouldn't say I'm like fully comfortable in saying this is what he does. This is what he doesn't do. The stats kind of tell me that he is not the best shot stopper. I think he has negative 1.2 goals prevented this season for Lingby in Denmark, which means that based on shots he's faced, an average keeper would have conceded about 1.2 fewer goals than he did. However, distribution and on the ball skill is kind of what you are getting with Diego Cocon. Obviously, since he comes to the bar, say Academy. And so I think that's why I want to see him in this camp is can he make the saves that we need him to make? Can he come for crosses and look comfortable in in sort of crowded areas? But then also is he good in distribution? Is he kind of like putting the US attackers into more favorable situations with his distribution and then is he playing it safely? He needs to or do I have him entirely wrong? But I think like with a lot of these players given how young they are given how limited the sample size is, I think we will get very wide open and disparate performances. But I think that's not the worst thing to start off the cycle. I was going to talk about Diego Cocon a couple of weeks ago. I can't quite remember why it didn't come up. But I ended up watching like a couple of his games for Lingby in the Danish Super League in. And by all accounts, he seems to be doing quite well. He had a slightly shaky start. But he is now he's their first team goalkeeper. He comes out of the team for the Cup Games, but he's back in for the league games. He started every single league game that Lingby played this season. He's been in the Danish Super League in team of the week twice. I watched for goalkeepers I feel like, you know, those compilation videos, it's like involvements, every involvement in a game. I feel like for outfield players, they can maybe build a bit deceptive. I have no problem watching them for goalkeepers. I feel like you get a good impression of their performance through those. So I've watched like, maybe even like three or four of those. There's a guy who keeps clipping them up on Twitter. And so I watched his involvement, his total involvements in a 2-0 win over Viborg. He made four saves in that game. A couple of them were really, really impressive. He was also man of the match in a one-one draw against Odense. The first couple games I noticed he was being asked to play short passes out from the back. And that was causing some trouble. And I don't know whether that was on Coken or the players in front of him. It seemed like they never seemed to have many options ahead of him. But what I've noticed in the last few games is he's going to. Rem is it almost like their 10th and 12 clubs in the Danish Super League? Yeah. I mean, they're promoting team as well. He's not playing for a good team. So like, survival is success for Lingby this season. Two, a current Lingby player and a former Lingby player in this US men's national team roster with Neil Pierre spending first half of the year on loan there as well. But anyway, he is now, it seems like being asked to play either long or that kind of like middle distance pass into the midfield, which he's really good at. Like, I've noticed that that's an area where he's comfortable. So this loan was never going to be easy. I've said this before, like in goalkeepers year, goalkeeper years, Dago Coken is like eight years old right now. He's still very young. And so I think this season's. What's the translation, Nick? I mean, goalkeeper years to keep with you. Well, I mean goalkeepers trend. Oh, don't they? Okay. It feels like there is your just starting to come into your peak as a goalkeeper. Whereas, yeah, I think he's like, what, 28, 23 or something around that, that mark. So this season is just purely about getting him like regular league minutes, becoming a first team figure for a senior league team. And I think we're already starting to see some development. Yeah, Coken's only 20. So very much fits. Oh, they were younger than I said. Yeah, I mean, we're just now getting a taste of him. I would say about Coken and I can even loop in Brian Schwachy here, the other uncap goalkeeper for the US in this camp. And natural, let's see, he's 25 Scotland zone Brian Schwachy, only see Spencer time in in Scotland. Neither one, I would say, is a game changing distributor. So a grandma agree about Coken. I think he can hit some of those mid and long range passes. I don't think he is really more comfortable on the ball than any other goalkeeper in the US pool. I think it's tempting to see Barcelona attached to his name and think, oh, well, he can probably take his way through the opposing press. Not to say that he can't learn to do that because, again, first taste of minutes at this level, which is higher than the last level, he was added in the lower divisions in Spain, but still not not an especially high level. He could learn, but I just don't think it's there yet. So right now with Coken, I think he's the things that he brings to the table. Or I think he's he's savvy coming off of his line to close down space. I think he makes pretty good decisions as far as when that is. And I think he's athletic to go and make some of those impressive saves. The consistency still needs to grow because he's a player that hasn't had consistency in his young career and is just starting a new challenge. And I think the distribution absolutely can improve. But the same is true with Swaki who's been a really good shot stopper in MLS this year. He's not he's not brilliant on the ball by any means, but that's okay. That matters far less than the shot stopping stuff because the goalkeepers, the only one to state the obvious who can use their hands. You got to be incredible at that stuff to really lift this US team. That's what Matt Turner did during the 2022 World Cup cycle. The guy is not very good with this feet. So both of these players are I think a bit better than Turner. But neither one is is anything approaching great with with the ball at their feet. But they are both impressive shot stoppers to different degrees. Swaki is the one that I think is the higher level player right now. Coken though, a bit higher potential. And I do hope we see both of those guys and frankly, Chris Brady and even Matt Freed. It's like I would I would like to see all four for different reasons at a different moment in this camp. I'm not really going to care if we if we don't see all four though at the same time. I'm not sure this is good or wise necessarily. But I think of goalkeepers being the position that sort of I least am concerned about club form and club ability coming into the national team. Like ultimately, I want to see what they look like with the US. Are they doing what Pochettino's asking? Are they making the saves you would expect them to save? As I said, are they commanding the box? And I sort of like you can do it really, really well for your club. But ultimately it is who comes in and looks the best playing for the United States. Because I think it is a bigger spotlight for some of these guys. A bigger kind of profile for some of these players. And so how do they kind of rise to the occasion? How do they handle that? I think goalkeeper is one that like regardless of club form as long as they are playing for a club, which Matt Turner wasn't for a little while. Like I think I'm mostly okay with whomever gets called in and seeing whatever they're able to bring. So yeah, like Coken, I want to see him come off his line. But I do also want to see can he look okay in distribution? Did know that for Shwaki? Did know that for really everybody? It's kind of who seems like they end up being most comfortable with Parche and who is Parche most comfortable with. Taylor, I'm now obsessed with that negative 1.2 number you gave me. Yeah, it was average shots. Yeah. So I want to know who the zero, the zero point zeros are. Does that make you the most average professional out there? Yeah, basically does. It really does. I love that metric. I think it's a useful way to evaluate goalkeepers. I will say it's difficult short period of time. Like I mean, that that stat is even for goalkeepers over multiple seasons can really ebb and flow a bit. But that is a stat that Shwaki has thrived in with Nashville where I think he he's been third in that metric on a on a per 90 minute basis of our NMLS this year. He has been two three goals prevented. Yeah, he's been huge. That means he saved eight goals basically over expected in his position. So he's been really, really good. And he is a key reason why Nashville are going to win the spotter shield this year might might be like the single most important reason if you can actually narrow it down that far. So I am hoping that we see him at least get a game in this one. Shwaki, I think I think he's also out of contract at the end of this season, which feels like a thing that Nashville might want to address in the short term future. Because he seems like he's been pretty good for them with the 21 goals conceded over 26 matches, 12 clean sheets. It seems like he's been a reliable starter. Joe, where are we on his distribution? Yeah, I think I mentioned earlier. I don't think it's great. I think it's fine. Probably a little better than Matt Turner, but not transformative in any way. Cool. All right, very good. First Brian to be cooled up since McBride. Oh, my B. Just my B. That feels like an aftertweet that ends with Brian period. There was, there was, wasn't there like, wasn't there a Briang? Because he had like a typo on his birth certificate and like, Briang came. Yeah, is that one? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, deep cut. Very deep cut. Yeah, I don't think he got a US call up though. Yeah, very good. All right. Let's move on to the three new defenders, Peyton Miller Graham, making the cut. What would we make a Peyton Miller in his time at the riffs? And how he'll be for the US? Yeah, I'm a bit of a late-comer to the Peyton Miller hype machine, which I know Joe has been powering for a while. I know he's been talking about him for like, feels like about 12 months. Multiple seasons. Multiple seasons. Yeah. And I think Joe was even hyping Peyton Miller back when he was a left back, which nobody is really sure if he's still a left back. I think that's one of the most interesting things about his selection in the squad. And I know he's down as a defender, but that is not where he's playing for New England right now. He's playing as a right winger, which is a possession chef. You don't see very often, right? Like center mid to center back, sure, feel back to winger. Yeah, that happens, but like a full diagonal possession change. You don't see that very often. But he has, he's been brilliant for the riffs on the right side. I watched a large part of their game against Orlando on Saturday, which was well times, because he was a force in nature in that game with his running power and open space. Scores a couple goals, right? Joe, not just the one, it's two goals in that Peyton Miller. I guess the most surprising thing about his development over the last few months has been the addition of genuine attacking final product to his game. Because in putting that game against Orlando the weekend, he has a lot of time to think about the two finishes and he makes them look very, very easy. Yes, he's in open space. Yeah, it's kind of like one-on-one situations. But he has to pick out the corner, both times and he does it with ease. So I'm not really sure what his ceiling is as a player. Yeah, I don't even know what pot views him as, whether it's a fullback, whether that's going to be his long term possession, whether this right wing thing is sort of like a short term compromise for the riffs and just kind of like ride this crest as long as it's going, but he's certainly an interesting player that I'm looking forward to see what off. Yeah, the downside with Miller and the attack is that he can't really dribble. He's very much in north-south player rather than a guy that can shift and go east-west. He's very straight line, which I think is why his long-term position is going to be left back. We talked about in the roster reaction episode last week that he's listed as a defender in this group and Ryan, you just introduced him as such. I think that's maybe telling. We'll see exactly where Pachino chooses to use him, but I really rate Robinson. I'm sorry, Miller. Nice. A little faux pas there with Antion Robinson. I really rate it, Miller. I think his ability to get up and down is excellent and his final ball is good and getting better. I think there's still work to be done there for sure, but I think it's getting better and he's not a defensive liability in the minutes that he plays fullback throughout his professional career. I think he's the best young left back the US has produced in a long time and I think we should see him in this camp because we're going to see probably everybody. Rather than saying he doesn't move east to west, he's just saying he's very direct. Yeah, that's a positive spin. That's much more positive. Yeah, why not? Okay, thanks for the stuff. Taylor, we got a couple of union defenders in as well. New Pierre and Frankie Westfield, anything to say on either? Yeah, just that I mean credit to the union continues to develop young players and bring them through and give them minutes and then on they go and these are not the last union players we'll be talking about both on this show and I think going forward because that academy has been so strong. It helps when you are six foot five is an 18-year-old that doesn't hurt in terms of maybe physicality and stature and being brought out of the senior team as Neil Pierre is and has been. I think also his four goals in 900 minutes this season. That's not the most remarkable number, but it does tell me that for a teenager getting it on set pieces and getting some opportunities means I think we'll maybe see that for the US. I won't be surprised if he wins a header or two. From what I understand, Joe, I welcome you to then say, well actually, maybe not the greatest in terms of his like long ball distribution. Okay, and like in terms of like like low numbers in terms of total passes past completion percentage chances created always a weird one when you're looking at centerbacks to create chances, but I'm led to believe it's more of a nuance to stat than that. But basically I think he's another one in this camp that is really exciting, really promising is going to be a bit raw. And I think again, for a lot of these players, this is not Neil Pierre specific. I think it's many of them. I would equate it with like like a quarterback starting in the NFL for the first time, having come through college. Like I think we're going to see a little bit of that. Like, whoa, this moves a lot faster. Whoa, I have a lot less time. Whoa, defenders are on me that much like in that much shorter order. And I've got to make decisions so much faster. And I think we always see that. We usually see that in like January camp, but with any player getting their first start, getting their first minutes, I think it can be a little bit jarring. So I say that to say we should have some patience. We should have, we should kind of accept that going in, but also accept that these are really exciting youngsters and Neil Pierre is a prime example of that as is Frankie Westfield who it feels like everyone is slowly becoming a huge fan of in short order. Yeah, I love Frankie Westfield. I think he's a good young player. I think he's ceiling is lower than a lot of the other names that we will discuss and probably lower than Neil Pierre ceiling is. But Westfield, the guy Westfield is a guy that could have been at the World Cup for the US and and played spot minutes off the bench and you probably wouldn't have blinked. You know, I think I think he's kind of already at that level. He gets up and down well. He plays a delightful fine of all Frankie Westfield. Very, very good service with his right foot can play on both sides as play left back to so that that's that's a nice thing to have in the arsenal. I really like what Westfield brings. Pierre is is unique. I think you go through this list of players that we're going to talk about today. I think Kevin Solven and Audrey Mimetti sort of in their own tier of of top prospects. Pierre's very much in that next tier down. We're something remarkable at him beyond the set piece stuff. Six foot seven and age 18. I mean, tell you mentioned it's not remarkable that he scored four goals and my bad. He said he said he's six seven. Brian's doing the thing. Unfortunately, he I mean, four goals in 900 minutes for a centerback. I mean, this guy is is the best set piece throughout the US has ever had that I believe that very firmly. I know John Brooks is as existed. Pierre is is different with his ability to go and impact games on dead balls. And the other thing that stands out about Neil Pierre is that he takes care of business. This is a direct contrast of no guy banks to Neil Pierre who are very different players. If you smush them together, he'd be playing the premier league for Manchester City like that. That's how this would work. Pierre is raw on the ball. Part of that is that he plays the union who don't care about that stuff. And so that does hurt him with those stats that you mentioned. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. But in the tape, he definitely shows up as being a bit inconsistent, potential, but inconsistent defensively. He he does the business almost every single time. He's strong and dual. He's still a bit lanky, but he covers a ton of ground. He almost always be supposing attackers to the spot can sweep up in behind and goes and wins the ball regularly. The US doesn't have a lot of players like that. They don't have a lot of guys that take care of business in their own half. Pierre is that. And especially as we think about a US group of a lot of talented attackers, like deep blind midfielders and attackers, really what we're going to talk about the whole rest of the show. Pierre is the guy that can clean up their messes and those kinds of players tend to make more messes, right? They also have more payoff. But that's just how this works. And I think Pierre is going to be a really valuable member of this team, not just in this camp, but moving forward, it might take a little bit of time for him to get there or it might not really. But he his skill set covers a deficiency that the US has had for a long time because they just don't have centerbacks like Pierre and they don't they don't really make a lot of centerbacks like the appear. So not in terms of like existing talent or even in terms of ceiling in terms of like stylistic summary. Like for Franky Westfield, how similar is he to Syrginiodest in terms of very good attacker has speed maybe a little bit more suspects when it comes to one V1 defending and like defensive awareness. I don't think they're particularly similar to be honest. I think Westfield's very solid defender like tuned in good effort, good good agility locked in in those moments very very capable. A desk, we know what Syrginiodest is. I think he used to play that you were just describing. Westfield is not nearly as creative in combination play. He's not as dribbly. So I think his final balls is probably as good as desk final ball. Maybe even a little better. Westfield I think he's a better athlete and he's just got a better work rate on that side. But I don't think there's a ton of overlap to be honest. I do think it's a shame there's no game in Los Angeles in this window because the Franky goes to Hollywood puns will right there and we're not going to get them for now anyway. Let's take a quick break when we come back we'll go through the rest of the young cat players, Mathis Elbert. There he goes. A much more coming after this break. Join us then. Total soccer show. Welcome back to USMNT weekly everybody. Let's move on to the midfield show we Graham. How about Greenfield South Carolina's very own Mathis Elbert. Brucey Adortman's very own also getting the call up here. Yeah I'm excited. It's the Mathis Elbert. If that's the pronunciation we're now going with. I feel like we need to settle on something with us first US call up and then stick with it. But yeah we've obviously spoken about him a whole bunch on the show recently. I'm sure that's the reason that he's here. Pots is a big TSS listener. He's lurking in the in the discord he's he told me by email. But I wasn't sure. Apparently he called the players they made a comment with this camp that some players were in tears when he called them to call them up. That sounds a bit like a certain president who says things like that about people being in tears when he calls them all the time. I don't know. I don't like that. That's for different reasons. But yeah I wasn't sure we would see Mathis Elbert in the squads. I guess because I didn't know how experimental the squad would be but when you see some of the picks here I guess it isn't too surprising. I just want more evidence of number one like I guess how good he is to be really simplistic about it and number two what sort of player he is because we know he is an effective dribbler. We know he has natural physicality but we are talking about a kid who's only played one I believe one Pukal match this season and then preseason they played a prominent role but it hasn't been involved in the Binsliga so far. So I'm personally still building the case for what he actually offers and how those attributes will come together in the field and how what that'll offer the US right you drop him into another team he maybe has to do slightly different things. One of the most encouraging things in Elbert's development over the last year is when we first spoke about him there was a little bit of concern about his work ethic. I remember having that discussion coming through the youth ranks at Dortmund I remember watching the tape and it didn't seem like he did a lot to track back. I did at the time acknowledge the mitigating factor of he seemed to be the best player in Dortmund's youth ranks at that time and so naturally you get a bit of leeway from that but from what I've seen this season and also some of the comments that Niko Kovac made over preseason and he is specifically Kovac highlighted Elbert's work ethic and the sort of ability of him against on both sides of the ball and with possession and against possession. So that is encouraging and I imagine that's something that that potch quite likes about his game as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Elbert is a really promising player very very tricky and skillful good vision good passing good off ball movement. I think his off ball movement might be his best bit right now which is really encouraging for a young player. I think that's there's a lot to like about that. I think the thing with Elbert that needs to improve is the athleticism like I think he just hasn't fully developed physically to be a player that can really go and consistently impact games in the Bundesliga. I don't think he's necessarily far off that. I think he's a very very promising player. I really like his game and he is a profile that the US just doesn't have a lot of they don't have a lot of creative attackers or at least didn't at this World Cup or the last one but coming through there's a lot of those guys that can start to impact the game a bit. So Elbert is maybe a bit more speculative than some of the other players he's played last first team soccer or all those sorts of things but I'm glad he's here because I think we should see him in this window and getting a taste of what he looks like against adults we don't have a lot of those tastes so I'm really really interested in watching him frankly even even more than a lot of other players because of that context. I'm really excited to see him. I really hope we see him get a start and I really hope we see him get at least like 60 minutes in that start because from that game that if people call against what like a fifth tier side in Germany so fairly large grain of salt there like he really grew into that game and I think early on has some safe passes maybe tries to do a couple step overs and then when nothing happens is just kind of laying it off laying it back dropping it back for cycling possession as the game goes on he gets more confident he starts taking people on and he starts varying his approach based on what the defense is doing. So to me it's pretty clear that he's read what they're doing he's read the adjustments they're making and he's identified areas in which he can then attack he had a burst in behind or find pockets of space to receive and cause problems and he does. So I think he's a player that maybe he's going to look a little bit over on at least physically to start that said he's used to playing against grown men he's playing for the Dortmund senior team or at least training with them so maybe won't look that over on but I do think we'll maybe have a quieter opening few minutes and then he's very much capable of growing into that game to the point of him being so young and to this whole squad being so young it is such a weird one that if you're like Potsatino at the end of the camp when asked like what I need to work on coach I feel like with a lot of these it's like just be older I think just like don't have like like try to have the body of a grown man instead of a 17 year old or 16 year old that would be really helpful for knowing how good you're actually going to be and that is the case with Albert as well that like I mean there's another Dortmund wider former Dortmund wide attacker in this team who we were all not sure is he going to have like what it takes to get over the line to become a regular starter for Dortmund there's in fact two of them in this team now that I think of it and then that's not even including Christian policy before so there is a long history of Americans coming through Dortmund and having success and then having limited success and time will tell what we're going to get with Albert what that sounds like Taylor as you know the captain america machine that they lock them in at the start of that movie and then it that's what yeah soccer needs if I thought they're blind could maybe shell out for one of those that'd be that'd be quite how do you know he hasn't well that's true haven't been at the training facility so it's a big problem isn't that you never know it's there isn't that basically what Milan had in like the late 90s and early 2000s yeah but they don't talk about that anymore that's a lot of stuff yeah Taylor you mentioned the Dortmund pipeline there we also have a crystal palace one doing not now my I might mention this before on the show but my brother lives in an neighborhood with soccer players in it and when the England camp comes they get picked up in a car with like the England crest on the door really and I want to know if they're like they sent one to crystal palace to get a crystal which is and Xavier go so Xavier go so he's uncapped currently but I hope he got hope he got a ride here for this one I have I have an unrelated but related follow up to that I was my wife asked me what we're talking about today I told her and then she pause and said uncapped and I was like yeah it's like career appearances but I think it also relates to England players getting caps and then I was trying to remember it still still do they get caps I feel like Harry Kane has posted pictures of like his cap collection but I might have that wrong they do they still get caps yeah a lot of the time they don't they don't literally get who was talking about this recently I wish I can remember who it was but sometimes they have to like ask for them because they're just getting so many of the co-power has to ask now yeah yeah but like he's playing games with the cap on because what else would you do and yeah I think if you if you want one you can still have one and then if you get like a hundred caps and it's like a ceremonial gold one isn't it yeah that's right still a thing heavy heavy hat I would look forward to Xavier go so getting a hundred caps for the USMNT pretty exciting a lot of these guys are pretty exciting but Gozo is near the top of that list for me 19-year-old obviously a winger attacker for crystal palace and I'm just gonna go to the obvious point like crystal palace have a a pretty long and successful track record of developing young wide attackers into elite players and in some cases the global superstars so I very much hope that Gozo is is the next in line for that and I think palace also have a good track record maybe a necessary track record of trusting players they've brought in even younger players and giving them opportunity in room to grow I've talked about that previously with Chris Richards where he comes in and is kind of a spot starter then he's an injury replacement then he slowly grows into a regular starter and now is one of their more like experienced defenders if not their most experienced defenders and I hope the same happens for Gozo at palace he is already getting minutes he's gotten a start in the league cup I think and then a few like substitute appearances here and there hasn't really had a ton of end product but I think that is already a positive sign for an early season and I'm excited for him to be here because I wasn't sure he would be I thought he might be one with the move given an opportunity to train some more maybe he stays with palace so here he is and yet here we shall see yeah I actually on that point to that I am kind of surprised that he is here because pot just set that pressed and in the past and so I would have guessed that he'd be he'd be left out of the squad and it's funny that with the dynamic of the squad and like the age profile of the squad his name was not one that kind of even though he's all things considered he's probably the one that I'm most excited about seeing what immediate impact he can make for the US and like when all the top guys are all the key figures are back in this squad Gozo's one that I think might might hang around and might stick around but because of the number of like untested players I'm like yeah yeah it's ever Gozo like we know what he can we know what he can offer we've seen loads of him zero caps he's yet to make his debut so it's a weird one like my eyes kind of drawn to more like the Neil Pierre's and the Kevin Sullivan's whereas like Gozo is still to be integrated into this team so I guess I am looking forward to that as well yeah nearly go time for Gozo Joe Adry Mehmeti is in the squad long time member of the TSS scouting network big ripples personality there as well and finally getting the call up yeah I love Adry Mehmeti I feel like I've talked about a thousand times I'm curious if Graham or Taylor has has thoughts on him or or have come to share yeah Graham Graham's raising his hand incessantly Graham go I'm curious what you think about the this is the kid I'm most excited about for the US I know I know like the eyes drawn to Kevin Sullivan I get it right with Kevin Sullivan six goals and six games the high you hate your gozo we got that it's over goes up but like the thing with Adry Mehmeti is he has the potential to change what you are as a national team and I don't mean to mean that to he picks expectation on Mehmeti who still only 17 is still developing he doesn't have the physical attributes yet Taylor to your point like he looks like the pre-capped in America machine player that you were talking about but in terms of his profile like there are other kids in this squad who are better than Mehmeti right now I think Kevin Sullivan I mean they're different players right but I think Kevin Sullivan is playing at higher level than Mehmeti's Adry Gozo potentially even nail pier out in terms of what he offers right now to the US I think they are possibly closer to being able to come in and like making immediate impact but they those players maybe give you a better version of what you have already right and the fact of the matter is the US just doesn't have a midfielder and has potentially never had a midfielder I mean I came online with a US national team like the Landon Clint Dempsey team I don't really remember before then but as long as I've known the US men's national team they've never had a midfielder in profile like him and that's what's exciting about Adry Mehmeti like if you were talking about all the framing around the US men's national team is like how do you reach that next level Mehmeti if he fulfills his potential which is a long way off from doing but if he does he's the sort of player that helps you make that jump and that's why he's so exciting to me uh did know everything that grandma said Joe's already laid it out really well I'm just going to speculate widely that Mehmeti is one of the ones who cried when Pachatino called him because he is still young but also had the eligibility to represent Albania I think played for them at youth level I saw a tweet to lose guy message or whatever it is from I think like it was like a Kosovar football account talking about how he had rejected Albania and when they had pursued him he had blocked them because he was so focused and committed to playing for the United States I think his dad is a pretty ardent Albania supporter but I think really wanted to represent the United States has very much enjoyed his breakthrough season with Red Bulls and I wonder if maybe he's one who was overall by the occasion and so he should be because he should be planning to go to like maybe junior prom is that where he is and instead could be starting for the US kind of a big jump to make and I think he deserves it and justifies it and he's a player that we've talked about plenty on endless endless update in this entire season and I think is a player that people are really going to enjoy playing for the US when they get to see him in this window yeah and just to do another quick beat on like damping down the expectations a little bit about around the dramatic because I know I've just said a whole lot a whole lot of bold things I feel like the profile that he is as ascension would feel there it's just going to take more time for him to develop into the player that we hope that is going to be going to develop into so something like Neil Pierre you look at him physically I feel like him having the physical attributes gives him a head start and being able to make like an immediate impact whereas Mimeti has got the difficult things to develop at a young age which is like the technical ability but not the physical stuff so basically this is all to say that if Mimeti comes in and has his debut in this camp and looks wildly out of his depth I kind of expect that to a certain degree let's not let's not completely write him off on the basis of that one performance like Taylor when you were saying like there might be some players here who come in and the pace is just like something they're not entirely used to at all Mimeti might be like top of my my list to experience that so that wouldn't necessarily mean that I'm damp things out how good I think he can be Joe is going to have to be the tie breaking vote here because I kind of went a little bit the opposite again this is entirely intangible and and really what can we know for sure but like Mimeti has captain Red Bull right this season Joe so like don't know I think he's the I think he's their youngest captain in club history that feels like something maybe that's an honorary thing but still you put the arm band around a 17 year olds arm like I think you're saying that they're kind of ready for that that billing and I think the thing that I haven't really knocked at any point this season has been his vision and his kind of passing vision and some of his decision making and so I think in that way he's one who maybe I I could see struggling with like the physicality and intensity of games and certain games against certain opponents in this window but I think the intelligence and the footballing IQ very much seems to be there already yeah I mean the dude saw I sat down with Eddra Mimeti I've watched tape with Adra Mimeti the first story I did earlier this season for back-yield the dude loves you the dude the dude is I'm best pals with Eddra Mimeti we had this together I live in the same neighborhood that's not true um but his his appetite for the game is extremely high and I get the sense that that's not unique amongst this cohort of us players but he comes on for sure and again watch his tape and I mean sure some of this is like yeah you say the right things to the media like going through the the tape with him his appetite and like appetite for improvement was so obvious and that's just not the case for every young player so yeah the medias is unbelievably exciting I am I'm thrilled that he's in this game Joe I got to know more like is it how how awkward of an experience is that sitting on a watching tape with a 16 17 year old I thought it was great man like the tape is super great point it's a common point I mean super super mature young guy like like you could very much think he's in his mid 20s beyond that like I think he's he's absolutely got a great hell of shoulders I don't think it was awkward like I love that stuff he loves that stuff it was great like I was fascinated to hear his insights into his own game and again like very willing to recognize hey this is what I should have done that was a little better here this I should have done this instead like I'm working on this part of my game which fits with what we've already talked about like getting you guys have assessed him really well but no I that was great great great experience Joe you are our shows resident young person did you play the part did you come in with like skateboard slung over shoulders the Bushemi style were you like hello fellow fellow teenager I too and one of you shall we talk the sockers that's exactly right yeah that's I did it and and that actually was the weirdest part but we also got beyond that and I dropped that act and it was it was great Joe that the entire interview and like Gen Z dialect like yeah okay so how was your performances I know cap right right so you mob divander here how'd you pull that off out of curiosity yeah I like I like all of us being slightly Joe notwithstanding like all of things slightly hesitant to try to guess at what you slang is at present I had a neighbor start talking you slang from like three years ago recently and it was an experience nice a wonderful just to make us all feel a lot by the way the number one song in the United States when adjume Betty was born was right round by flow rider featuring Kesha the week after it was poker face by Lady Gaga that's how old we are those were songs when I was in college yeah yeah yeah fun times fun times one more player to get to from the midfield the best name player in the squad it's Brooklyn reigns by the way journalist research to Wikipedia tells me his full name is Brooklyn Segel Randolph reigns time notes no notes parents no notes I was gonna make a joke that that sounds like a Nicholas Cage character until I remember that he did play a character named Memphis reigns so by comparison maybe maybe they're they are family members maybe that was the inspiration either way he's one who I think like I did the I think I did the New England preview and I was like less stoked about I wasn't sure what to expect from him I think largely because I was less familiar with his game I feel like he's one that a lot of supporters might end up really enjoying because to my understanding pretty strong work rate pretty good defensive effort good to go into tackles has really good numbers for interceptions recoveries tackles past completion percentages very strong but I think then you look at like long ball accuracy and progressive passing in the like and slightly less so so I feel like he is a a more defensive midfielder who can play on his own or can play in a double pivot and is going to do a lot of like defensive ground covering good tackling lots of effort lots of intensity probably not going to win a ton of the air because he's only 58 and that hasn't really been a strong suit yeah but still I think a deserved call up and another one that we'll get minutes I think could look a little bit raw in that equation but still deserves the call up for sure I think I don't know if I'm I'm all the way there I think this this to me feels like a little bit of Steve Trondell is in camp as you 23 manager and and we need to have a number six who can play for the Olympic team and we think maybe I'm in that he's going to be too good for that team rains rains is a good MLS player like very useful on the last player I think I grew with your assessment of him Taylor like pretty safe passer I think he's good under pressure which is a plus he's developed in in ball oriented systems threat is his entire youth career I think he's a clever player who sees space well can move off the ball has a good engine has some size limitations right but I think he does a lot of things well I just don't see anything quite yet that's that's truly remarkable about his game and maybe that will change like I think he hasn't proved this season under Marco Mitchell with the Rebs and he has been pretty good for us youth national teams as well so I don't mind seeing him in this camp whatsoever I do think though once once you start to see more of the senior guys integrated back into this team Johnny Cardoso maybe you see in a Morris brought back into the team I mean you're looking at the number six spot all of a sudden there's there's a lot of names that are kind of vying for that I don't think he's going to come out on top of that pecking order but I wouldn't be surprised at all if he looked you know at the level of a lot of these other guys he's got a little bit of age on them and I think he is a capable player I just don't know that we're going to be odd really in this oh yeah I think specifically what I mean is defensive effort and work rate I think for like the percentage of US 17 fan base that loves like the hard work the scrappy effort in the person who fights for the shared fights for the crest I can see him having those moments where he gets stuck in or like like wins a challenge or hustles back and wins a tackle or just like slows down a counter or something like that or breaks up a play and I can see him just getting a little bit of hype based off of that less so off of his like ball carrying or individual chance creation I know we're about to take a break and I know that I'm not going to be on the third segment of this episode so I just want to say this is not related to Brooklyn Reigns cold Campbell's playing the best soccer of his career I'm surprised at how excited I am to watch him in this window I think you could come out of this camp as a big winner he's been quite good in the left wing for Elvarsburg gets the end line really well elite speed has always had it but is maybe mirroring that with a little bit of final ball so I am I'm far more eager for cold Campbell in this camp than I thought it would be that's my cold Campbell flat excellent what a tease for the third segment as well Joe yeah thank you very much for that as noted I was late to this recording session that we're doing now I blame Leo Messi as a Joe is going to jump off now but Joe thank you very much for contributions we appreciate you thank you and thank you very much listener we'll take a quick break when we come back we've got four more players to talk about and a quick preview of that Peru game join us them total soccer show welcome back to us weekly we've got four uncapped players to discuss at this point great we have five forwards in this squad four of them uncapped and the other one is 22 and so we we've got a lot of inexperience here should we start off with cold Campbell we're with Joe left us off in the last part yeah that sounds like a good place to start just first of all like the fact that this is the attacking rank for like a senior national team camp is absolutely wild yeah the fact that they may endowns and as the most experienced member of this of this group is is just incredible so go and tell it should it should like not trying to say this like to be a downer anything like it should really tamper expectations in my opinion like I mean some of these guys might look exceptional some of these guys might have great games it's a lot of inexperience to bring into a senior team for four games two of which are against regional opponents one of whom is our longest and strongest rival like it it does feel like one where we're setting setting this team up to have some bad results and look really disjointed in all over the place you gotta know what you have so that you know what you don't have I guess and so this might be a growing pains series of games and that's fine but it could be rough at the same time because some of these guys are good but not the polished or finished product and lacking that against teams that might be bringing a bit of polish themselves could make for a long 90 minutes a couple times yeah and like none of these players are super reliable goal scorers but I know Julian Hall he's he set some youth records and an MLS or records for young player an MLS this season so maybe he will develop into a goal score I just don't know if at international level at the age of nine or 18 excuse me he's going to be that player for the US right now but Col Campbell I watched Elvis Berg play Byron a couple weeks ago and that was a game that Col Campbell started he only played the first half he was taking off at half time which at that time I thought was a little bit unusual I hadn't I hadn't dinged them for being terribly like for being bad or being ineffective he wasn't super involved he only had 16 touches in that first half but you could see what he was in that team to to provide he was a vertical threat which has been the Col Campbell thing right he's he's got running power he's got speed in behind he very nearly scored the first goal of the game he had a a disallowed goal that was a sort of breakaway in behind goal where he sprinting away from the Byron defense finished really nicely it was an absolute rocket of a finish yeah unfortunately it was a yard off side and VR rolled it out so the fact that went to a check shows you that it was marginal but that was a flash of what he can offer and Elvis Berg have been they've been one of the stories of the binge league a season so far and Campbell has started all four of their games so far so that kind of reframes my expectations for him because the way he stalled at Dortmund and I think there was a couple of reports about Taylor I'm right and saying like about his work ethic or his attitude or what was it again something like general development I think like wasn't quite maybe where they were hoping it would be and I think that is a usual one of like yeah the work ethic development there's one about like he turned up with a bag or so do you remember that story it was like he turned up with a luxury bag or a luxury tracksuit or something like that and Dortmund didn't really like that but yeah like I know he's only 20 years old but I couldn't really call after leaving Dortmund what his career was going to look like after that so for him to be and I think Joe was getting to that in the last segment for him to be a starting figure in the Byron's league of this season that's going to be great for his development it kind of catapults him up a couple levels or two in my estimation for the US national team and so I'm excited to see him here he's he's really interesting especially because Joe just said he's playing the best soccer of his career and I kind of wish Joe were still here because I'd love to know more about that because I would agree that he is playing the most soccer of his career I think yes by definition that means it's the best soccer of his career but yeah 250 minutes this season in the buddhist league uh that eclipses uh that standard at that level for uh Hoff and Hammer Dortmund he's gotten plenty minutes for the reserve teams or the youth teams but not a senior level and does have a goal did not have a goal for a senior level prior to this season but I think there's still some debate about is he a wide player if so on which wing should he be more central should he be more of a like on the ball creator who isn't having to kind of use the physicality and speed or is that where we want to use him and have him develop accordingly I think there's a lot still to add to his game and I think the move to Alvesberg has been incredibly helpful in terms of moving to a club that is obviously lower down the table and expects to be lower down the table but also means he's getting more guaranteed and consistent minutes in certain ways it reminds me of Geo Reyna where like you kind of can't know what the player's going to be and how they're going to fit into a team until they're getting regular minutes and regular starts and then you can kind of see what they're bringing and what needs to develop from there so Cole Campbell is one that I'm I mean all of these guys I'm excited to see but Cole Campbell I think because there is more of a like unknown quantity to him in my mind and so I want to see how he looks for the US and how effective he looks as a slightly more senior player which is a crazy thing to say about a player who is still only 20 years old thereabouts there we go excellent Justin Ellis also making this go from Orlando Graham many quick hits on him yeah I mean Justin Ellis is an excellent creative player and that in itself I guess makes him a really interesting proposition for the US he has been a big part of Orlando's up swing in the second half of the season and first is kind of like a second striker around Antoine who by the way is a big fan of Justin Ellis I think it's been mentioned on previous episodes that Antoine greets me only falls one Orlando set player on Instagram and it's Justin Ellis so some shade at the rest of his squad but he seems to like play with Justin Ellis and I guess hanging out with Justin Ellis and then more recently he has been in a position on the right side for Orlando so Darryl DK has come into that lineup and Justin Ellis has been moved out a little bit I think that's going to be the most interesting thing for me is like what does poch view him as because I think Orlando they've possibly lost a bit of balance with Ellis on the right side of a 442 and that's what they play against New England at the weekend they're maybe a little bit too open in that game the US doesn't really have a second striker role or I guess they haven't had a second striker role we don't know what's going to be the framework for this camp or these players that have been called in and but I think in the medium to long term that's not going to be a role in this team he can play on the right of a front three which I guess would be the most obvious role for him in a national team but yeah I'm interested to see what poch makes of him because his profile makes him an intriguing player I think he's one who I think will stand out as looking pretty raw and I think we'll try some take-ons we'll try to be to people with speed but might be one who also like has an errant touch that goes out for a goal kick when it shouldn't of or goes out for a throw in when he's trying to dribble down the line is it exceptional talent but I think it's still very very raw excellent one more ripples played a shout out Graham Julian whole making the cut this time around another teenager in the ranks yep who's enjoyed a bit of a breakout season for the Red Bulls and MLS this season this season scored the winner and the Hudson River Darby at the weekend there a bit of a breakaway goal find him a really interesting sort of all-round centre forward lots of potential his season has kind of sagged in the middle which I guess is not surprising for a player of his age but given the other players that are in this this particularly these attacking ranks like Justin Ellis cold Campbell Mathis Albert like I feel like he is maybe one particularly because Poland are pursuing him quite quite keenly it would not surprise me at all if we saw like a couple starts for Julian Holland this camp and for Potsley who else would start well exactly that is yeah that's a fair point he's in my line up because for that reason Taylor unlike who else is going to play in that position so he's he seems to be one of the more divisive selections that I've seen because obviously there's been some confusion with how many young players there are a lot of these names aren't as familiar to people who are kind of like checking in for World Cups or for major events and then tuning back out I have friends who've been like what what's happening why are there nine-year-olds in this team what's going on and Julian Hall from like the MLS side of things I think like had so much hype that Red Bull squad had so much hype on the season starts and he and Mehmeti just look like okay this is the next iteration of the US men's national team we've seen this before we'll see it again and here they are I still feel that way about Mehmeti I still think Hall has plenty of potential and possibility but that cold streak is pronounced and sizable and I think has led to just sort of like a more cynical like tongue and cheek like oh yeah this is the guy this is he feels like an American goal score who doesn't score many goals and so I think there is more pressure on him than maybe there is on other Wtons coming into this camp especially because there aren't really many players ahead of him and so it could be him starting two games three games like I don't really know who else is going to be there Damien Downs is in the squad has caps previously but is is a late addition because Ricardo Peppies out with injury so it seems like Hall is going to have plenty of opportunity but I think we'll also have plenty of spotlight on him as number nine's always do especially when playing for the United States but it's also a position that is still pretty wide open in my mind at the very least the number three spot is pretty wide open and so this is an opportunity for him to seize it and justify some of that hype but also has I think some doubters more doubters and other players coming into this one terrific all right one last player to discuss perhaps the most headline grabbyest of the window Kevin Sullivan at all of 16 years of age second youngest player ever to be called up besides the other guy pretty I do of course Taylor pumped very much so I mean I think the most type player of all of the most type players that we've talked about is Kevin Sullivan for the abbreviated summary for people who are just learning of him turn pro at 14 is now 17 has an agreement to side for Manchester City when he turns 18 has played plenty of minutes this season seven goals and five assists he's left footed usually plays on the right and cuts inside but can really play in a number of different spots for the union and has tends to roam around the pitch in the attacking like half in order to get on the ball and create overloads has obvious confidence a little sprinkling of brashness on top of that which I really enjoy and I think is needed for the US and I think he'll bring like fighting spirit and intensity but then also creativity and fun and again is a very young player still has to develop like into a larger frame and how that will work for him and what will come next even when he does make that move to Manchester City who knows but for now what he has done with the union like you watch him and he's a player who is taking on grown men with a level of like I'm going to beat you and I'm going to find a way to do it and then sometimes does and I think just justifies the hype in my mind at the very least gives you highlight real moments in almost every single game that do make you think like wow this kid's a little bit different this kid is built a little bit different this kid is trying stuff and has a level of confidence and awareness that I don't think many players have at his age. Yeah it's just really exciting that Kevin Sullivan is a real thing now because for so long he's been like the sort of prophecy and you fear that he's just I mean I guess Freda dude did have some career to speak of but it just never felt like we had that explosion moment for Freda dude and we've kind of had that with Kevin Sullivan in the last couple of months six goals and six games I think he has been for the last couple of months he's been up there with Messi as the most impactful player in the league like that's how good he has been and there's just so much to like about his his game and obviously those little skillful moments like the back heel goal a couple weeks ago those are the things that go viral but I think one of his standard qualities is like his intelligence there was a goal that Philly scored recently when Sullivan played a through ball to Westfield Westfield round down the right side he squares and I think it's maybe Bruno Damiani who finishes it in the center of the the box that Sullivan just waits that couple seconds longer to commit a player almost long enough that you think you've waited to you've waited too long to play the past but he's drawing the player to close him down to then create even more space in behind and you see countless things like that from him in games so really interesting see how pot uses him because the the way the US plays and I guess like transition in the forward line and I don't know if Sullivan's got like a huge amount of in behind threat he strikes me as a bit of a Jack gruelish which I mean as a like as a compliment not in the more recent derogatory way about Jack gruelish but I'm looking forward to see how he slots into this this US team because the talent is real like I don't think we can down it down to any longer yeah agree he's going to have probably at least like one moment over the course of these games in which he tries something that you're just like that but okay you're going for like a Travella with two defenders on you and no one says oh hey why not but like he just kind of does try stuff but for every one of those moments there's moments like Graham already outlined and there's other ones like like being at a pressure and having a ball just fired into his feet and him receiving it like cleanly and then standing up the defender and then either taking them on or making the right decision to lay off but also can play like one one touch passes that are really in terms of controlling the ball or settling for a teammate or even like little flicks that play as teammates in behind I think he just brings a lot of variety and creativity which does speak to Graham's point that he has that kind of vision and awareness that a 17 year old usually does not that usually takes longer to develop and just have to have more professional reps so that he already has such like a high functioning IQ and an intensity behind it I think makes him like one of the most type players that I can remember for the US ever like it's ready to do I guess pull the sick and then maybe Kevin Sullivan at this point who excellent company very exciting stuff number one single when he was born is it excellent company well it's mixed company let's say yeah I mean that's probably and like that in and of itself is probably like building up too much hype like I'm not I'm not sure he's there for me because I wouldn't claim to like I don't remember everybody that's come through who I was super hyped by and a lot of the players that I have been really excited about ended up not being particularly good for club and country but he's one who I just think for how young he was when he turned pro how much experience he has what the expectations are for him after his time with the union I can't really remember a player who kind of broke through and had that level of hype that wasn't one of those two names I already said marvellous stuff I got a feeling by the black eyed piece was the number one single when Kevin Sullivan was born just to be filled out once more time I am being thrown out of the first song to have been born into it was number one for 14 weeks okay quite the range it was good it was a big bang up back back then back 16 years ago I am being thrown out of the room I am being recorded in but we need to very very quickly run through our lineups for the Peru game grain would you like to run through real quick there's like a horror movie where one of us gets picked up at time that's how we get to the next act of the movie and in goals I'm going for Chris Brady he's been around camp for a while now I think he deserves an opportunity I think we'll see a few different goalkeepers in this camp but for this game I'll go with Brady and that I've gone for a mix of experience and youth where I can just because I feel like when you throw too many young players or too many fringe players into a team it's difficult to make a judgment on them when you don't have like the framework around them so I've gone for a jedi at left back I've gone for awesome trust day at left center back despite the fact I'm continued to not be totally convinced by awesome trust day at club level but the US needs a left footer in that position gone for a new Pierre as his center back partner I've then gone for Sergeno Dest on the right side of the fence a bit of opportunity for redemption after the world cup I have not forgotten about that Belgium game in relation to Sergeno Dest essentially would feel they've gone for Tyler Adams I've gone for Eunice Musa a bit of a reward for his start to the season he's been very good back in the picture I've then gone for Malik Tillman who had a great world cup I think should be considered part of the furniture of this team from this point on and the reason I've gone for a as experienced I'm midfield three as I can is because my forward line is cool Campbell on the left side I've gone for Julian Hall as my center forwards and I've gone for Zavir Goso as my right winger wolf Tyler I agree with a lot of what Graham has said there's like minor quibbles in there I don't I just I'm holding on to the Chris Brady thing from the pre-workup friendlies but freeze had himself had a howler I do kind of want to have a little bit of experience in there so yeah you could talk me into Chris Brady I like that backline largely but I went for Jedi Chris Richards George Campbell who I've been excited to see in this team I feel like this a chance we don't actually see George Campbell at all in any of these friendlies but I want to see him and see what he can do and then I add Alex Freeman as my right back because I think we'll kind of continue that trend of like the right back becomes the third center back but also can be attacking if we need them to be based on him being in press conferences I want it to be Tyler Adams in Unis Moosa but based on the press conference stuff I've seen I feel like it's going to be Adams and Burr Holter I saw the clip of him referring to it as football and Georana correcting him that when you're over here at soccer and then I have Geo ahead of them and then yeah that front three sounds good to me why not so I didn't grab me on it call Campbell not Damien Downs Julian Hall and then yeah Xavier goes on the right marvelous stuff that game coming up on Saturday you know I never kept it in there somewhere yeah make it happen some of the one I'm starting I'm sure he'll get in there and that's 4.30 and in Orlando on Saturday the fan appreciation match against Peru tickets were $30 when I looked last week they're now touching $50 what a dynamic change of events that seems to be that is a USMNT weekly for this week listen we hope you enjoyed that one take a rocker we very much enjoyed hearing you talk about these players and much more thank you my pleasure good to have you back good to have you hosting again Ryan always lovely for you to host oh two kind two kind Graham Roughen very much thank you to you sir thank you Ryan Billy and thank you listen to slash watcher for joining us on this one we're back on the feed very shortly indeed but for no bye you