2019 was an up-and-down year for many American footballers.
We witnessed the breakthrough of Sergiño Dest, and the lack of defensive awareness from Tim Ream. Even the boy wonder himself, Christian Pulisic, had a roller coaster of a year. In this article, we will try to anticipate what 2020 will be like for some notable players.
Zack Steffen, 24 - Fortuna Düsseldorf (On loan from Manchester City)
If there is an undisputed top dog among U.S Football players, it must be Zack Steffen. One of the consistent bright talents of 2019, Steffen has been tearing it up for Fortuna Dusseldorf, on loan from Manchester City. We expect and hope he will continue his red hot form, and if things go his way he might be courted by a bigger Bundesliga team, or perhaps even move to England.
Ethan Horvath, 24 - Club Brugge
A more interesting case is Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. Being Club Brugge’s starter for the majority of 2019, he has recently been ousted by the Belgian legend Simon Mignolet. His abilities qualify him for the starting keeper’s jersey in a quality league, despite the fact his footwork can sometimes worry his defense. In 2020 he cannot be overshadowed and must find his way to the starting lineup of a reputable club. Such a move would help him advance his career and give him a chance at being involved with the USMNT in the future.
David Ochoa, 18 - Real Salt Lake/Real Monarchs
Not many have heard of this 18 year-old talented goalkeeper, who debuted for Real Monarchs of the USL in 2018, gaining the first goalkeeper position the following year. Many were impressed by his performance during the U20 World Cup last spring, and we speculate he is eyeing the starting lineup of Real Salt Lake of the MLS. Ochoa is still young, but the more minutes he can get under his belt, the more we’ll hear of him.
Sergiño Dest, 19 - AFC Ajax
2019 has been a great year for Dest, from the U20 World Cup to becoming an instant starter for Ajax this season. Dest just needs to stay on the same path, and he has all the tools to become a star for his club as well as his national team. It will be interesting to see if his play time is affected, considering he shares a position with Joel Veltman, and Noussair Mazraoui.
Antonee Robinson, 22 - Wigan Athletic
Back on the defensive side of the pitch is Antonee Robinson. The speedy left-back has had a wonderful season despite the relegation struggles of Wigan Athletic. Coming from Everton this summer, he has quickly become a fan favorite and lock-in starter. The English born fullback has had some chances with the senior US national team, but so far only played one friendly match.
While he might seem relatively unknown, Robinson was heavily linked for a shocking move to AC Milan in the January transfer window, but the deal fell through in the last moment. For years, the USMNT has had trouble finding a quality left-back. If Robinson can continue his good form he might get more chances from Gregg Berhalter in 2020, and perhaps even move to a bigger club in the summer. Chelsea have been snooping around already.
Aaron Long, 27 - New York Red Bulls
In the center is Aaron Long, who has been one of the MLS’ better center halves for a few years now. This past summer he was part of a transfer saga, where the Red Bulls asked for more than what West Ham was offering, failing his move to the Premier League. He is talented enough to play as a center-back for a quality European side, and it is really time for him to leave MLS. Interest has been expressed by teams from France and England. If the 27 year-old late bloomer wants to continue to develop and become a USMNT regular, he needs to push himself at a higher level. we all hope he gets a well-deserved and needed transfer to Europe.
Tyler Adams, 20 - Red Bull Leipzig
Midfield is probably the strongest point for the USMNT. Tyler Adams has a pretty wild 2019 that started with a multi-million dollar transfer to Red Bull Leipzig, where he soon began performing to pay off his price tag. He slid into the team’s model perfectly and Leipzig finished the season in 3rd place, qualifying for this season’s UCL group stage.
In the spring he picked up what seemed to be a simple adductor injury. The injury ended up keeping Adams sidelined for more than half of the calendar year. He missed the Gold Cup, and only made his return in the last few weeks of the year. Adams’ goal should be to once again lockdown his spot in the heart of Leipzig’s midfield and stay fit. By doing so he could become one of the U.S.’s best all-time footballers.
Richie Ledezma, 19 - PSV
Next up is Richie Ledezma. Another member of the past U20 WC squad, Ledezma wasn’t able to shine like the others at the tournament due to injury, but put on an incredible performance against the mighty France. A skillful attacking midfielder, Ledezma has starred for Jong PSV (PSV Eindhoven’s II squad) this season. He has alredy been on the bench for an Eredivisie match, and is recognized as a talented player within the club.
He has just what the senior team lacks in creativity down the middle in the final third. If he can get minutes at a higher level he would surely be considered for a call up by Berhalter and his staff. While 2020 isn’t the make or break for the Arizona native, it could be the stepping stone he needs to become an elite footballer at the top level.
Paxton Pomykal, 20 - FC Dallas
The most intriguing prospect in my opinion is Paxton Pomykal. Another member of that U20 WC team, Pomykal was arguably the squad’s most consistent player over the five games of the tournament. A sure-fire starter all year for FC Dallas, Pomykal is highly rated around the league, and has an excellent skill set. Good on the ball, and very defensively aware, he has the tools to be a key box-to-box midfielder for the USMNT.
2019 was a successful year: he gained his first cap, got a lot of minutes and really made a name for himself. In 2020 Pomykal needs to take his game to the next level, and in my opinion this means a move across the ocean to Europe. There are reports he has a Czech passport through his grandparents, and he has already been looked at by a few teams. If he wants to evolve as a key player for the national team, he has to challenge himself at a higher level.
Timothy Weah, 19 - LOSC Lille
Up top we have Tim Weah. Former PSG youth star, Weah never really got a chance to impress at PSG, and after a loan spell at Celtic was sold to Lille. He was supposed to kick-start his career and earn a starting-lineup position while helping his team qualify to the Champions League. Two match-days into the Ligue 1 season, Weah was plagued by a thigh injury which kept him out for the rest of 2019. He missed out on winning a starting role on the wings or even as a no. 10 as well as the team’s whole Champions League campaign. Since returning to training, Weah has to use the new year to get himself back on track.
A tricky and entertaining winger, Weah has that star-quality in him . He is currently at a club that has a good track record with young wingers, such as Eden Hazard and Nicolas Pepe. Weah, like many of the others here, needs to stay in good health and make good use of the minutes he’ll get.
Giovanni Reyna , 17 - Borussia Dortmund
The new wonder kid on the block, has started 2020 with a bang. He is the son of former USMNT Captain Claudio Reyna, who named him after former Rangers teammate Giovanni Van Bronckhorst. “Gio” is already compared to Christian Pulisic, as both rose to stardom within the Borussia Dortmund ranks.
Reyna only moved to Germany in the summer of 2019, after growing up in the New York City FC’s academy, and has already established himself in Lucian Favre’s squad after the winter break. Only 17, he is yet to play for the senior national team, and it is in the best interest of Berhalter and co to tie him up to the Stars and Stripes as soon as possible, as Reyna is eligible to represent England, Argentina and Portugal as well.
Bobby Wood, 27 - HSV Hamburg
Probably the player who mostly needs a big 2020 is Bobby Wood, one of the most intriguing players in the U.S. player pool at the moment. A decent finisher, Wood is mostly a holdup and hardworking striker.
Now playing for Hamburg SV in the 2. Bundesliga, Wood cannot find the pitch, let alone the back of the net. He was one of the top two strikers in the team a few years ago and since then has completely fallen off the path. Wood needs a move to another club at a similar level to get back on his feet. 2020 can easily be the year we all forgot about the Hawaiian native, or it can be the year Bobby Wood resurrects his career and gets his name back into Berhalter’s mind.
Christian Pulisic, 21 - Chelsea F.C.
Lastly, is the golden boy: Christian Pulisic. By now almost everyone who follows football has heard of the American boy wonder. 2019 was a constant up and down for Pulisic. He started off the year losing his starting spot at Borussia Dortmund and slowly regaining it by the end of the season. He had a slow start with Chelsea, and then had a red hot spell to finish off the year. He missed out on the last match of 2019 for the Blues with a lower-body injury, but he should be ready to go back soon.
If he can keep moving forward, he will certainly be the undisputed biggest star ever of the USMNT. 2020 is the year where the hype becomes reality for Christian. He got his big money move, and it is now the time to deliver and make a name for himself in the top tier of world football.
There are many USMNT players who need a big 2020, whether they are young talents or more experienced players. Whether it is keeping their spot, continuing to develop, coming back from injury, or reviving their career, their year will affect the success of the national team, and their own personal careers. Here is to a great year.
Photo by the U.S. Soccer official Faceobook page.