Nine U.S. U-20 World Cup players who could graduate to the senior USMNT

Publish date: 2024-06-08

At his press conference to discuss the United States’ roster for the U-20 World Cup, head coach Mikey Varas repeatedly came back to his ultimate goal: To develop players from this group to graduate into the senior national team.

Of course, Varas would like to win the tournament, but success isn’t measured exclusively by results. It’s results and development. History shows around half the team should be expected to make at least one senior USMNT cap, with a handful graduating to a World Cup squad.

Among recent U.S. U-20 World Cup squads:

• 10 players from 2017 squad made at least one USMNT appearance.

• Four players from 2017 (Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Luca de la Torre) made the 2022 senior World Cup squad.

• 11 players from 2019 U-20 World Cup squad made at least one USMNT appearance.

• Two players (Sergiño Dest, Tim Weah) from 2019 made the senior World Cup squad, and a third (Chris Richards) very likely would have if not for injury.

The USMNT’s annual January camp may help inflate those cap numbers. With most of the first choice team unavailable for the annual camp during non-FIFA-mandated windows, the squad list is more experimental in nature and digs deeper down the pool to fill. Four of those 10 players capped from the 2017 squad have made only one senior appearance. Five of the 11 capped players from the 2019 team are nowhere near the senior squad at the moment.

With the second-youngest squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the USMNT won’t be naturally losing players from the pool at a high rate in the near future. That could mean less opportunity for this year’s U-20 players to break through. It’s also worth remembering that, with Ricardo Pepi and Paxten Aaronson among age-eligible players not on the squad by their clubs, this isn’t the strongest possible U-20 group.

Despite all of that cold, hard nuance, the roster features plenty of talented players, a number of whom stand a good chance of breaking into the senior pool.

These are the best bets to do so.

Gaga Slonina

Goalkeeper, Chelsea FC, 18 years old

After a year as a first choice goalkeeper in MLS followed by a huge transfer to Chelsea this winter, Slonina is perhaps the best-known player in the squad. He’ll be the top choice between the sticks for Varas.

Slonina, turning 19 next week, is one of the most expensive teenage goalkeepers of all time after his transfer from the Chicago Fire for an up-front fee of $10 million with another $5 million in add-ons. He made 43 appearances with the Fire before heading to Chelsea in January.

He’s a potential No. 1 goalkeeper for the USMNT one day. Matt Turner (28 years old) is the current first choice, with Zack Steffen (also 28) among the top challengers for the spot.

Caleb Wiley

Defender, Atlanta United, 18 years old

It’s been a dream start to 2023 for Caleb Wiley.

The Atlanta United homegrown has become an indispensable starter in MLS, delivering three goals and two assists while splitting time between left wing and left back. Long-term, he projects as a left back — that’s how clubs in Europe see him and where he’ll play mostly for the U-20s.

“We anticipate Caleb will have a big tournament,” Varas told media on a virtual press conference Wednesday.

Behind presumed starter Antonee Robinson, the USMNT left back depth chart is wide open. The current backups are right-footed players capable of playing on the left (Joe Scally, Sergino Dest), Wiley offers something more similar to Robinson: an attacking overlapping outlet down the left, allowing the winger (presumably Christian Pulisic, in the USMNT’s case) to cut in.

Wiley, 18, will be in Europe before long. Atlanta already rejected a transfer offer for him last year. A lot of scouts will be paying close attention to him in Argentina.

Josh Wynder

Defender, Louisville City, 18 years old

Center back Josh Wynder is playing up a group, as he’s age-eligible for the 2025 U-20 World Cup as well.

Currently with Louisville City, Wynder will soon join Benfica in a USL league-record transfer this summer, with the Portuguese club winning his signature ahead of a number of MLS and European clubs this spring. Wynder just turned 18 this month but has already made 45 first team appearances.

“Josh is clearly a very technical center back with a great physical profile,” Varas said. “What really put the exclamation mark for me, in the last camp, he showed me he has ‘savage’ inside him as a defender. Your job is to be a physical player who wants to protect the goal. That takes a certain type of personality.”

Kevin Paredes

Defender/midfielder, Wolfsburg, 19 years old

Kevin Paredes had been thought of as a future USMNT left back, but most of his minutes at Wolfsburg have been at left midfield after he broke through at D.C. United as a wingback. He’s versatile, so still could end up at left back, but will play as a winger for the U.S. U-20s.

Paredes has made 20 Bundesliga appearances this season, 19 of which came from the bench. His importance as a squad player for his club means he won’t join up with the United States until after the group stage. He joined Wolfsburg from D.C. United for a $7 million fee in 2022.

With Paredes and Wiley as young options behind Robinson at left back, the national team should be covered there for the foreseeable future.

Cade Cowell

Winger, San Jose Earthquakes, 19 years old

Cade Cowell’s athleticism is already at an elite level. If he can polish his final third actions, he’ll be in the senior national team on a regular basis. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll still get chances because of his dynamism. He had the fastest recorded sustained sprint in MLS last season, as per Second Spectrum.

Cowell, 19, already has three senior USMNT caps. He put in a man of the match performance against Serbia in January, albeit with both groups severely undermanned due to the friendly falling outside of a FIFA-mandated window.

The San Jose Earthquakes winger has 92 MLS appearances under his belt, starting all 11 of the club’s games this season before heading to Argentina with the U.S. U-20s. The Quakes rejected a bid from French Ligue 1 side Reims last summer for him.

Jack McGlynn

Midfielder, Philadelphia Union, 19 years old

Philadelphia Union midfielder Jack McGlynn has an elite skill that can translate to the senior international level: Distribution. Specifically, with his preferred left foot.

“McGlynn has a left foot that you can’t teach,” Jim Curtin told me in 2022. “It’s really special. His passing ability I equate to Haris [Medunjanin]. That’s the best passer I’ve worked with. And Jack is right there. His IQ is up there with [Alejandro] Bedoya, who has played in World Cups and in Europe. He’s worked really hard defensively, but he’s special. He’s still growing, he’s getting stronger.”

McGlynn, 19, is already the Union’s best midfield passer and is among their top options on set pieces. He’ll be a crucial part of the U-20s midfield. He has grown into his body and improved athleticism over the last year or two, and if that continues, he’ll be in the senior national team pool.

Obed Vargas

Midfielder, Seattle Sounders, 17 years old

The youngest player on the United States roster, Seattle Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas broke onto the scene last year playing a key role to the Sounders winning the CONCACAF Champions League as a 16-year-old.

Vargas, now 17, missed the second half of 2022 with a back injury, forcing him to miss the 2022 U-20 CONCACAF Championships with this group.

Owen Wolff

Midfielder, Austin FC, 18 years old

Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff has displaced key veteran Alex Ring to establish himself in his club side’s first choice XI. He broke into the U-20 group this cycle and could be in line for a big role at the World Cup.

“What we love about Owen, he’s got a fighting spirit,” Varas said. “He’s not afraid of confrontation and, on top of that, he’s very skillful and very smart. You see this in MLS, how he fought into the starting lineup this year.”

Wolff was been linked with PSV earlier this year. He projects to make a big move to Europe within the next few years.

Daniel Edelman

Midfielder, New York Red Bulls, 20 years old

While the defensive midfielder isn’t thought to have as high a ceiling as others on this list, Daniel Edelman is already a steady professional and could find himself on the outskirts of the senior pool with his consistency if he keeps developing.

It would be a stretch to say he projects to be a first choice starter for the national team, particularly given Tyler Adams occupies his position, but depth behind Adams is unproven. Edelman is the U.S. U-20 captain and won a starting spot in the New York Red Bulls competitive midfield last season. He fits very well in a pressing/transition system, which could be the direction the senior team goes in the future. If so, it’s not hard to see a scenario in which he gets some caps.

(Top photo Robert Mora/ISI Photos/Getty Images))

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k25ncG5oZ3xzfJFsZmltX2Z%2BcMHSpqWtZaVnfW7DzqujnWWTqr1ufo4%3D

VivaX