Youngest Players to make 2026 WC Roster predictions contest

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Boysinblue, Oct 14, 2024.

  1. Boysinblue

    Boysinblue Member

    Jul 31, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Two years before the 2022 World Cup 97531 created the following thread:

    Everyone got 2(Reyna/Dest), anyone who posted before Oct 2021 didn't see Musah coming. 97531 was the only one to mention Scally by name (didn't pick him officially in the game though). No one mentioned Ferreira.

    We're now 2 years out from the 2026 World Cup. Same rules. Pick eight players. The objective is to pick the five youngest players the 2026 World Cup roster. You get three picks that can be wrong, but you must ace the other five. Can anyone get all of them right?
     
  2. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Fun. I got 5 of the 8 youngest, not seeing Musah (9/20 posting), Scally or Ferreira. I would have done better if Richards had been healthy. For some reason, I thought we'd need a young winger.

    Despite being pretty accurate, I was also horribly wrong on so many things, including not picking Araujo because we won't go with a young RB b/c of Dest and a stacked pool. Which became very unstacked by WC time.

    I'll be back when I get a chance to think.
     
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  3. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think back then it was a bit easier to pick them because we failed to qualify for the WC. Since then, we have young and stablished players making it more difficult for younger players to make the team. Hence, some dual-nat players deciding to go somewhere else.
     
  4. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Don't shit on my success. It was clear brilliance.
     
  5. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why did you have to link that previous thread smh... I only got Musah and Reyna two fairly obvious picks...

    Who was the youngest on the 2022 roster since Pepi didn't make the cut, I'm guessing Scally followed by Reyna?

    The current call ups aren't that young anymore, the youngest are all 21 (Musah, Scally, Reyna, Pepi, P Aaronson, Paredes, Cowell, even Luna)... the only ones younger are hardly regular call ups, Slonina (20), Wiley (19), Kochen (18)

    I'm guessing aside from any dual nats who may switch (Anrie Chase and Luca Koleosho are both 20), the youngest guys will all come from the current U-20 pool
    1845905626985119923 is not a valid tweet id
     
  6. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I been very impressed with Banks and Duru. Both positions of need.
     
  7. Maximum Optimal

    Maximum Optimal Member+

    Jul 10, 2001
    My 8: Cavan, Banks, Campbell, Cremaschi, Cowell, Paredes, Pepi, Musah
     
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  8. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    C. Sullivan
    Banks
    Wiley
    Slonina
    Q. Sullivan
    Brady
    Paredes
    Pepi

    Cavan and Banks I think are gonna make it. It'll just go down to the wire because they're young. Wiley is well positioned. I think at least one of Slonina or Brady is making it. May even be both.

    Cavan's oldest brother happens to also be very good at soccer (people can forget this). I think with the trajectory he's on Quinn will force his way onto the team. Pepi and Paredes I think are pretty good bets to be there.
     
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  9. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My 8:
    Ricardo Pepi
    Joe Scally
    Anrie Chase
    Luca Koleosho
    Caleb Wiley
    Noahkai Banks
    Cole Campbell
    Cavan Sullivan

    I think a young goalkeeper could make it as the #3 but I'm not sure which one between Slonina, Kochen, Brady, Beavers, etc.
     
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  10. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I love that Banks is making so many of your lists. Man o man do we need a young, athletic CB to burst onto the scene. Wiley seems like a pretty likely candidate to me as well. So many pro minutes under his belt at his age and his Euro situation looks promising.
     
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  11. twoolley

    twoolley Member+

    Jan 3, 2008
    Pepi
    Banks
    Slonina
    Benja
    Paredes
    Wiley
    J scally
    C. Sullivan
     
  12. Boysinblue

    Boysinblue Member

    Jul 31, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Correct
    Joe Scally (12/31/02)
    Giovanni Reyna (11/13/02)
    Yunus Musah (11/29/02)
    Jesús Ferreira (12/24/00)
    Sergino Dest (11/3/00)
     
  13. twoolley

    twoolley Member+

    Jan 3, 2008
    1847611339398693360 is not a valid tweet id


    Everyone has sullivan should we consider here? Can you take two 17 year olds to WC26?
     
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  14. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    No, you probably won't take two. Especially if rosters go down to 23.

    I will say that guys like Berchimas and Albert probably have an edge positionally, as it's much easier to play youngsters wide than centrally.
     
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  15. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don’t think if he breaks through in time but just given our weakness at centerback if does he goes straight to the senior team so it’s a good bet.
     
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  16. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cavan Sullivan, Banks, Kochen, Albert, Kolesheo, Wiley, Campbell, Chase.

    Works out to a 26 man roster of

    GK: Turner, Freese, Kochen
    LB: Jedi, Wiley
    RB: Dest, Scally
    CB: Richards, McKenzie, Chase, Banks
    DM: Adams, Cardoso
    CM: McKennie, Musah
    AM: Reyna, Tillman, Sullivan
    WF: Pulisic, Weah, Kolesheo, Campbell, Albert
    FW: Balogun, Sargent, Pepi

    Others I considered in terms of young players were Parades, Cowell, Cremaschi, Slonina, Luna, Paxton Aaronson, Neal, Hall, Akinmboni, Miller, McFarlane, Buck, and Berchimas. It’s always tough to predict who is going to make a leap in the next two years and who isn’t.
     
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  17. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    It just seems too unlikely for Albert. Sullivan has to battle with MLS players for first team playing time. He’ll get on the first team earlier and easier. That should boost his resume to make it such that you can argue for him to be on the team.

    If everything goes great for Albert maybe he gets a debut sometime next season. He can’t before that because Bundesliga rules state you must be at least 16, and he turns 16 on May 21. Even then, it would still be very difficult to reach it before 17, which is what it’d have to be, at minimum, to make the World Cup roster.

    Alex Staff, who is pretty much a similar level prospect overall, at Frankfurt just made his Frankfurt U-23 debut today. He’s like 11.5 months older than Albert. If you want to track how hard it’ll be for Albert to get a debut before 17, let’s see if Staff can get one for a club that has less talent. Staff would have to get one before the end of the season to get one before 17.

    All to say, Albert for 2026 has like a 1% chance at best, and even then EVERYTHING has to go right. More realistically, Albert may be a player for 2027 or 2028, if things go well.
     
  18. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    Are you hinting that Staff would play for us? Because for Germany he isn't playing at 2026.
     
  19. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the short term question for both Cavan and Albert is if they get U20 call ups. Particularly for Albert with the U20s seemingly short on wingers.
     
  20. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I’m saying hypothetically with Staff. I don’t think he’s an option for us anytime soon.
     
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  21. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I think Berchimas and Gozo are ahead of Albert for the U-20’s to be playing up as wingers, and neither of them might even be in the ideal roster right now for Mitrovic. I don’t think Mathis is all that close, at the moment.

    We gotta remember that the trajectory we’re speaking of is ridiculous. It rarely happens. Most very good prospects can’t attain it. Cavan is an anomaly type of player for many reasons. Mathis is very good, but I think it’s asking too much for U-20’s or USMNT for 2026.
     
  22. twoolley

    twoolley Member+

    Jan 3, 2008
    Yeah youre right. If he was an 08 maybe he could debut at a similar age as pulisic did and have time to make a case. Of course that is still unlikely.
     
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  23. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    His path is basically to break through next season at Dortmund like Pulisic or Reyna which is not inconceivable given some scouts see him as a similar level prospect to Cavan Sullivan.
     
  24. twoolley

    twoolley Member+

    Jan 3, 2008
    Puli debuted at a little over 17 years old. Thats may 2026 for albert
     
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  25. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    need these three to hit
    1848071914704470455 is not a valid tweet id
     
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