Trusty lol Top* defensive centre backs outside Europe's big-5⃣🥇 #AustinTrusty 🇺🇸🥈 #JosipSutalo 🇭🇷🥉 #OusmaneDiomande 🇨🇮* As per @CIES_Football Performance Index powered by @wyscout 📈More exclusive ⚽️ stats 👉 https://t.co/P0Ohpx4Mt7 pic.twitter.com/A6EABFYcm4— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) October 11, 2024
CBs as young as 21 are not uncommon on World Cup Rosters. The CBs who will be 21 or older in '26 are: Jalen Neal(23) Kobi Henry(22) Grayson Dettoni(21) Drew Murray(21) Fernando Alvarez(23) Josh Wynder(21) Noah Cobb(21) Mbai-Assem(21) At least 1 should break through to become a lock starter with his club team by next season. Rare are the 20-and-younger CBs at World Cups.
Palmer-Brown had a serious medical condition last year. Bone-marrow edema or something really awful sounding like that. Lost virtually the entire year. He's been on the bench for Panathanaikos at times this year but hasn't played. As one can imagine, they needed to address the position without him. He's not registered to play for them in Ethe conference league. He's deep depth at the moment. Bummer.
There's a reason that the Olympic staff literally picked none of those guys as well. A disturbing reality. We needed to take two overage CBs, and were somewhat lucky to get them. The other CB we took was Maxi Dietz. At least he plays first team soccer on occasion. We're less than two years from the World Cup. Maybe a year and a half from when the staff really needs to start making some decisions. These young CBs need to make moves NOW. Like NOW. Just being a breathing and existing CB on planet Earth isn't going to cut it. I have a sneaking suspicion that if Neal didn't have his sports hernia surgery, he might have made the Olympic squad. But he literally had zero appearances for the U23s this Olympic cycle. Anybody notice that crunch time has hit in the MLS season, and Jalen Neal isn't starting for the Galaxy? He hasn't started a game for the Galaxy in almost a month. With every month that goes by without one of these young CBs doing SOMETHING...............we come closer to the realization that the USMNT CB pool is the USMNT CB pool. We don't have some guy coming out of the woodwork to save us. These are the guys.
If Miles Robinson could regain his form, that would go a long way to easing my concerns. He was so good before he was injured and missed the WC. I don’t know what the odds are of that happening, but it seems the quickest way of shoring a major vulnerability. If that doesn’t happen, ehh, I’m with you it looks like big trouble. I do think it’s possible we could see a player or two switch positions if it gets desperate enough. Also, I’m hopeful for McKenzie. He plays in a fast paced league that should bring his game up a level. If he still has the yips, it won’t matter, but those can go away with more experience. Maybe. Wishcasting here.
The staff didn't cover themselves in glory with that central midfield selection. As for the young CBs, with respect to the World Cup, things have to fall into place by next season.
I think that most likely you are correct. Personally, I don’t think Jalen Neal is going to break out…. At least not this cycle. If we have a late surprise, I believe it’ll be one of Dettoni, Wynder, Banks, Mbai-Assem, and/or Henry. I don’t think it’s likely that either will break out but they have the highest ceiling. So, you never know. Granted, if Anrie Chase decided to play for us, God willing, it would really improve our situation at the position.
Trusty, Richards, Robinson, Maloney, and McKenzie are a reasonable CB pool to work with. Andrew Privett and Jackson Regan can be given shots in January Camp.
The issue with Anrie Chase is a sobering one. In order to play for us, he’d have to give up his Japanese citizenship. I don’t see that happening, unfortunately.
On olympic roster, it's also worth mentioning that Deitz, George Campbell, and Jon Tomkinson were given every opportunity to solidify their spots with the team and... they just didn't. Deitz was brought in for positional versatility but I think he looked pretty poor when he played. And yeah, with the CBs I guess you can argue Jackson Regan or Nkosi Tafari deserve a look, but otherwise if we're talking young CBs (those guys are mid 20s) I wonder if Ian Fray or Noah Cobb are the closest to breaking in
It's fun to see Banks drive the ball up field. He doesn't look awkward or too stiff on the ball, he looks very comfortable. I haven't seen this before from a US center back.— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) October 12, 2024
Noahkai Banks against Chile's U20s (10/11/24)#usmnt pic.twitter.com/Yvb2UE93I2— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) October 14, 2024
Banks is pretty close to breaking in at Augsburg... or at least that was the expectation in preseason
He's listed on Augsburg's first team roster on their website. I'm not sure if that means anything, but Cole Campbell is the other American teenager who was in that position at the start of the season, and he ended up making the first team bench for Dortmund in a Bundesliga match recently.
We are currently dire at center back, so yeah, I can absolutely see getting excited about a U20 centerback that has upside
Banks looks pretty good on the ball, but will have to put some muscle on quickly if he’s planning on 2026.
He looks to be a beast at the U20 level so I don't think he needs to be focused on getting much bigger. Richards clearly needed to bulk up when he was this age and he did... but it came at an expense. I remember him being quite a bit quicker when he was carrying less weight. We desperately need at least one star, athletic CB like the ones France and Colombia run out there. Really hoping Banks is that guy.
Mark McKenzie has certainly cemented one of the spots. Still a bit clumsy, but hes moved over to Ligue 1 on a team with a notably stout defense. Ream seems to still be number two. It is Chris Richards's responsibility to take it from him, who I guess is number three. Number four.........seems to be Trusty. Good to see as after a rough Celtic start hes starting to get some stronger performances. So thats how I see it barring a dual nat gatecrashing: McKenzie, Ream, Richards, Trusty. Still want to see Maloney get a trot out in centerback a couple times. There is also a conceivable path for Ream to make the 2026 roster IMO as no worse than number four. I like what Im seeing especially from Trusty and McKenzie, but certainly more must be done.
I saw this tweet just now: 37-40 - At 37 years, 40 days old, Tim Ream is the oldest outfield player to start a competitive match for the #USMNT since Thomas Dooley (38 years, 44 days) in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Experience. pic.twitter.com/wVkZGVEQrM— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) November 15, 2024 I actually think the tweet is wrong. I believe Dooley was 37 in the 1998 World Cup, not 38. And if my math is correct, Ream at the time of the Jamaica match on Thursday was just 4 days younger than Dooley was when he started his last match for the US in the '98 World Cup. If Ream starts on Monday, I believe he will then be tied with Dooley for the 2nd oldest field player ever to start a competitive match for the USMNT, and the 4th oldest overall. I believe this is the list as of now: 1. Tim Howard (38) - vs Trinidad & Tobago in 2017 World Cup Qualifying 2. Fernando Clavijo (38) - vs Brazil in 1994 World Cup 3. Kasey Keller (37 years & 216 days) - vs Paraguay in 2007 Copa America 4. Thomas Dooley (37 years & 44 days) - vs Yugoslavia in 1998 World Cup 5. Tim Ream (37 years & 40 days) - vs Jamaica in 2024 Nations League
I think we should try both Tanner Tessman and Lenard Maloney at CB. Might offer us something there, and open up some midfield options for when Adams returns.