GOAL takes a look at the USYNT players to keep an eye on in Indonesia
A quick glimpse at the U.S. men's national team's 2022 World Cup roster shows one thing: this whole process began long before Qatar. It started at the youth level, where many of American soccer's top stars earned their first real tastes of the international game at youth World Cups.
Half of the team's roster for the 2022 tournament in Qatar had previously played in a youth World Cup of some sort. Ten of those players had done so at the Under-17 level. So, as this year's U17 World Cup gets set to kick off, it's safe to assume that we'll be watching a few future USMNT stars.
There may or may not be a Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna or Tyler Adams in this bunch. However, that can all change very quickly. Reyna, Joe Scally and Ricardo Pepi all played at the U17 level just four years ago, and all three are key USMNT players in the here and now.
The U.S. faces a tough road, as they'll take on South Korea, Burkina Faso and France in the group stage. A difficult group, for sure, one that Gonzalo Segares' side may struggle with. For them to survive that group, they'll need some stars to step up, and GOAL has you covered with a look at several of the USMNT's big prospects set to play in Indonesia this fall..
Getty ImagesKeyrol Figueroa
No doubt here: Figueroa is the player to watch with this group.
The striker is already making waves at Liverpool and he's a player that already has Premier League pedigree. His father, Honduras legend Maynor, played in England for years before ending his career in MLS, paving the way for his son to rise through the ranks of the U.S. system.
Figueroa is this team's leading scorer and most promising player, a true No.9 that has those over at Anfield salivating already. He had seven goals in as many games in CONCACAF qualifying, but has dealt with injuries to start this season.
If he's healthy, Figueroa is a legit matchwinner at this level, but he may need to find a bit of confidence quickly, having not scored since April due to those injury issues.
AdvertisementTyler Hall
The U.S. captain for this tournament, Hall has been a consistent face of this team throughout this cycle.
An Inter Miami product, the defender has been a regular for Inter Miami II in MLS NEXT Pro, making 20 appearances this past season. He signed a pro contact with the club in March.
On the international side, he captained the team during the CONCACAF tournament and will retain the role as a defensive leader for this group.
If all goes well, perhaps Hall can use this tournament as springboard toward some minutes alongside Lionel Messi someday soon.
Nimfasha Berchimas
The youngest player in the squad, and the youngest player we've seen in a team like this for a long time.
Just 15 years old, the Charlotte FC homegrown is the youngest American player to head to a U17 World Cup since Freddy Adu. It's quite an achievement for a player that, despite his age, has already been a professional for nearly a year. He signed with Charlotte FC last November at just 14 and has previously trained with Bayern Munich.
For his club, he spent this past season with Crown Legacy FC in MLS NEXT Pro, scoring his first goal in September in a 1-0 win over New England Revolution II.
David Vazquez
Don't look now, but Vazquez may just be next up on the Phialdelphia Union's seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of homegrown stars.
The young forward is a player that has made things happen at this U17 level, racking up four assists in seven matches in the CONCACAF tournament.
Vazquez had previously drawn interest from the likes of Chivas in Mexico, but the LA-born star opted to begin his career with the Philadelphia Union. He has since become a key player for the club in MLS Next, scoring a tying goal in the final en route to a title in the 2022 season.