Even if market valuations are correct, age affects them so drastically that current performance levels are wildly distorted. That's even before we note that contract status also affects them drastically. I think Ryan O'Hanlon is one of the rare people usually worth a click on ESPN, but here is where the desire to have a purely objective system really fails because aside from accuracy issues, there's very real systematic bias in the math. A 20 year old on a cheap contract with potential is going to be valued much, much more than a 35-year old World Class player with six months to go.
well safe to say Tristian Blackmon is off the list. At least we looked. He was one I wanted to get looked at. Our MLS spigot is surprisingly dry of centerbacks that are younger
I thought he was okay in a back 3. Needs more confidence on the ball. But he’s fast, and can defend out to the touchline in space. In a 4 back I’d agree.
Still surprised Poch hasn't tried to get Ragen back into camp. At this point he'll probably be a guy to watch next cycle, and he may also end up playing next to a further down the road prospect (Stu Hawkins, a frequent flier at CB in the youth setup) soon too.
Robinson and Ragen are so much better than Blackmon... Poch's selection of the latter was a real head-scratcher to me. It makes me think he doesn't have a clue. Blackmon literally brings nothing to the table. He is slow and undersized and isn't particularly great passing out of the back. He is the definition of a replacement player. Just like LDLT in the MF. Both of these guys should not even be close to the WC roster. AAR... We really do need to focus on finding an alternative/backup center CB. They have to be tall, athletic and a sound passer.... I think Ragen could fit that bill. He seems like the kind of guy that would give everything for the crest... Robinson has all the athleticism you would want in a center CB but isn't the most consistent and/or dangerous passer out of the back. I do think he should get another look as a RCB... He is so much faster and athletic than Blackmon.... He could really lock down a 1/3rd strip of the field. It seems like the board is split as to how they feel about Ream moving forward... You can count me as one who think he is done at the Intl Level. We can get away with him at LCB as shown in the last 120' played by the USMNT... but I think we played well despite he and Blackmon. If the two outside CBs were actually athletic then I think we could have a sick D. So.... IMO, Ream and Blackmon should be dropped from the WC candidate list and Poch should give two guys from this list a shot to prove themselves in October: Campbell, Robinson, Ragen, Banks, Akinmboni, Wynder In the meantime I think our CB depth chart should look like this: LCB: McKenzie*, Campbell*, Trusty, Akinmboni RCB: Campbell, McKenzie, Robinson, Scally, Banks, Wynder CCB: Richards*-, Campbell, Zimmerman, Ragen, Robinson, Miazga * These guys clearly deserve to be there based on early season form in Europe. They also provide positional flexibility in the back because they are proficient passers w/ both feet. Roster limitations require that we have guys that can play different positions on the field. It's the reason why Scally should get extra consideration (RB, LB and RCB). - Richards is the best CB at any of these positions.
Ccv played well at the world cup 2022 against iran. He has played in big games throughout his career. Maybe pooch just didnt rate him or it could be he knows him so well in spurs day. I think he coach him few years.
He is certainly better than Blackmon... but despite being one of the few CBs we have playing CB in a 2CB backline for their club I think he rates far better at RCB.
Didn't expect George Campbell to potentially be relevant to the A team but after Richards there's not much to currently separate the rest of the pack George Campbell won FotMob Man of the Match today as West Brom drew Leicester City 1-1 pic.twitter.com/il3oPIIOJ0— American Ultras Talk (@usmntaut) September 26, 2025
Okay centerback OWNyewuED just watched banks replay, it’s not even a bold prediction, that kids starting for us 2026 with Richards . That size , that speed…… he’s starting just spare yourselves the debate he’s starting 11 for his age, that was perfection.
Giving you rep because I agree that the kid could be very special... and I hope you are right on the money w/ your prediction.
Its going to be an interesting one to watch. I want it to happen with Banks.................but I don't see it happening for WC26. He's uncapped. Poch had him at the last camp and didn't use him. He then chose not to call him up for this camp. If Pochettino had designs on starting Banks, he'd call him to this camp and the November camp...........................and start him in 75% of the games. Get him in the groove with Richards. So far, he's not doing that. Heck, he didn't do that in September for a camp in which we were told he was still experimenting. One of those experiments wasn't Banks. Why not? I don't know. That's a fact, though.
Banks had one minute of BL game time when he was called into the September Camp... Poch had some very nice things to say about him in said camp but gave the minutes to CBs w/ more experience. Not unusual for a first time call up, especially an 18 year old CB.... especially considering how under fire he was after the SK result. Moving on to this window... Why is Banks not here? Well... perhaps it's because he just got his first extended look w/ his BL Team and it's considered better for his development to solidify that position?.?. Again, that is a common thing we have seen for players at new teams or young players just cementing their place in a starting 11. I think if Banks if playing for Augsburg in the coming weeks then he should be in the November Camp.
If a coach had designs on starting an 18 year old CB at the World Cup less than a year from now, he sure as hell would be integrating him into the starting XI RIGHT NOW. Giving him games partnered with Chris Richards, etc. He's not doing that. He's not even in this camp, which we're told is no longer an "experimenting camp." I'm totally with you guys. I think Banks may be the future. I just don't see evidence that Poch has the kind of designs to start Banks that you're hoping for.......................
I woo re t that putting an 18 year old into camp would be stressful on a young body. Not whether he can or can't play at the level, but whether his body is ready to play at this level. Like Sept camp for Banks, three days of rave reviews then a foot injury. I would say leave Banks at his club until Match at the earliest If he makes the 2026 roster, it will be because of BL play.
Why would Poch call up an 18 year old making the Bundesliga team of the week when the USMNT currently only has one reliable CB Noahkai Banks is in @kicker's Bundesliga Team of the Week for matchday 6. pic.twitter.com/yYEhIpG075— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) October 6, 2025 I gotta agree with American Soccer Alex Jones here... 🗣️ Eric Wynalda to @SiriusXMFC on Noahkai Banks:"Noahkai Banks is real, he’s very good. Let’s just say it, we’re looking for somebody to play with Chris Richards. We’re looking for the guy that is going to be that complement as a center back. We’re worrying about Tim Ream.… pic.twitter.com/Q8gDYiobvH— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) October 8, 2025
If Banks keeps playing for his club he’ll be called in November and he’s got a shot then. If he’s the best option, never mind how old he is, though it really is unheard of for teenage centerbacks to start in WC’s (here comes the list of teenage cb’s that started WC, I’m sure there are some, fair enough). Gotta keep playing to stay front of mind. If he’s back to the bench I’m afraid it’s wait until next cycle.
Well since you invited the research, I had to look it up. Transfermarkt says there have been 7 teenage center-backs who have started in a World Cup since the turn of the century: Assimiou Toure (Togo in '06), Johan Djourou (Switzerland in '06), Joel Matip (Cameroon in '10), Jonathan Mensah and Lee Addy (Ghana in '10), Jose Gimenez (Uruguay in '14), and Antonio Silva (Portugal in '22). Of those, Mensah and Gimenez are the only two who appear to have started more than a single game in the tournament (Mensah started against us in the 2010 WC Round of 16 when we got knocked out). And although just slightly over the age limit, Gvardiol deserves a mention as well. He was 20 in the 2022 World Cup when he had a stand-out tournament for Croatia.
Except, as noted below, Poch said that September was the last "experimental" call ups and then didn't play Banks at all in those September friendlies, and then didn't call up Banks here in October post-experimentation... so if Poch called up Banks in the future whether November or beyond, wouldn't he be going against his own statements? Would that be Poch "talking himself into a circle"?
This was Poch's answer to a question about why he called up Banks for the last roster, right when the roster was first announced: "It's a great opportunity to see him. I think he's a young talent. I saw him playing in Germany and he's a massive talent and also you never know how he can explode and maybe at the end of the season he can be the best center-back in Europe or in Germany. And for us like I explained before it's a great opportunity to add new faces. And then we work for a legacy too. For us it's difficult because we don't have time to do too many changes, because we started less than one year ago...and you know that the conditions are not the best. But I think the possibility to bring Noahkai Banks and to see him and to give the possibility to get experience is going to be a big boost for him." After a week of training, he was again asked about how Banks had looked, and this was his response: "He is a player that is really young but with amazing potential. I think for different circumstances we wanted to give him the opportunity to come and play with us. I think it was a great moment and opportunity. He's really young, but it's good to see him and because he can go fast, you know, to the next level. And this type of player always you need to understand, to know before. Because after, you can be surprised and say 'Oh, we didn't have the possibility to see him or to know how he is.' Because maybe today he's a little bit, you can see 'Yes, he's a player with big potential" but maybe you say "Hmm, but do you think that he's ready to play?" That is the type of thing that you need to be ready and prepared for. Because sometimes his transformation, or in the way he passes players, maybe he can be faster than others. And maybe he can arrive in 6, 7, 8 months, and he can be the best center-back in all of Germany, playing there. And then "Oh, we didn't pay attention to him." I think it's really important. Because I think at the moment, it's not like we have 10 center-backs, and then he's the 11th. Because it's always really open, I think it's good to have the opportunity to see him, give him the possibility, and see how he is. And for sure, he's going to be more mature after this camp. And we are not only helping today in the federation, but also in the future." Takeaway seems to be that Poch didn't think that Banks was ready in the last camp, but he thought it was within the realm of possibility that he could really take a huge leap this season and be ready to contribute to the USMNT by March, or June, so they wanted to bring him in to be prepared if that happens, and have some sense how he could slot into the team already at that point.
By the sound of this statement, Pochettino has the door wide open for Banks. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him in the 26 for 26. Like Ghost said in a previous post, his play with his club will be the evaluative standard for him. If he’s playing every week and playing well, he will be called in simply because he offers things that nobody other than Richards offers. He’s a guy you can sub on to try to snatch a set piece goal and he can help cover for over-extended formations during transition. In addition to Jedi, Richards, and Dest, Banks would add some real dynamic athleticism to the unit when the team is scrambling for a goal.
For those who haven’t seen Banks: Noahkai Banks vs VfL Wolfsburg1st Career Bundesliga goal in his 1st start of the season@NKinkel51045 pic.twitter.com/030ZtqJEo4— USYNT Comps 🇺🇸 (@USYNTComps) October 4, 2025 He’s obviously a physical powerhouse. He has quick feet for his size. He’s a soccer player…he is willing to work on the ball to keep it or to break lines. He plays an excellent crisp ball on the ground (as you see in the highlights), he has excellent speed and quickness for his size. Always a danger with his head (hard to beat to the ball because of his height, his big frame, and his strength). He plays with competitiveness and personality. Those videos are highlight videos, so you don’t see his weaknesses there. He’s 18, so he’s obviously going to make some mistakes and get caught up because he plays with the ball a bit. However, he has the makings of a really good player. If I wagered, and he is fully committed to the US, then I’d wager he’s in the 26 and would not be surprised to see him challenge Ream for starting minutes. That is, of course, that he doesn’t end up playing for Germany. He’s definitely a good enough prospect for the German national team. It’s a Sergiño Dest kind of situation. Hopefully he feels similar to the way Dest felt and is willing to play with the US. Does anyone know if he stayed off the field with us because of the dual national angle?