Tag: United States national team

Source: Monaco and Benfica leading race for USMNT prospect Josh Wynder

The 17-year-old appears set for a move sooner rather than later

Josh Wynder could be on the move soon, as the race for one of the top prospects in the United States heats up.

Benfica, Monaco and Red Bull Salzburg have made offers for the 17-year-old Louisville City FC central defender, a source close to the situation tells Pro Soccer Wire.

According to the source, Benfica and Monaco are leading the chase to capture the teenager on a permanent move. It is believed it will take a fee of roughly $1.5 million to land Wynder, which would be a record for a USL club.

Wynder started 21 games in the USL Championship in 2022, an impressive feat for a player who only turned 17 midway through the season. The U.S. Under-19 defender’s exploits last year earned him a nomination for U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.

He is positionally very solid and passes well between the lines. As he showed this week in preseason, he can also strike a ball from distance pretty well.

Wynder signed a new contract with Louisville City earlier this month and though the deal is through 2025, there were plenty of indications he would not be staying for nearly that long.

“For me to make whatever my next step is, I think it will shine a light on Louisville and make people see the USL Championship is a great league and this is a great club,” Wynder said in a release.

Were Salzburg to win out for the player, the source indicated that Wynder could be loaned out to sister club New York Red Bulls for the 2023 season. That would be an intriguing move for the MLS club, who certainly need center back depth.

It appears that a decision by Wynder, who turns 18 years old in May, could be coming as early as next week.

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An overjoyed Christian Pulisic cheered on USMNT from the hospital and assured fans he’d be ready for the knockout stage

He’s okay!

Christian Pulisic didn’t let a strike to the unmentionables keep him from celebrating the United States’ big World Cup win over Iran.

Pulisic made the heroic move to take a knee to the groin on his incredible goal that set up the 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday.

The win puts the U.S. in the Round of 16 for a game against Netherlands on Saturday.

Even Captain America needs medical attention sometimes, with Pulisic sharing a jubilant social media update as he predictably gets his groin checked out after quite literally taking one for the team.

It seems that Pulisic will be all squared away for Saturday’s big showdown.

Pulisic’s goal will surely go down in U.S. World Cup history, as will his gumption to take such a shot in the family jewels.

The U.S. national team will need a lot more from Pulisic if it’s to challenge Netherlands to continue to represent the red, white and blue in Qatar.

We have a feeling that, if Pulisic can take a hit like this, there’s not a lot he can’t do during this year’s tournament.

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What did Alexi Lalas say about the United States national team’s World Cup performance?

Alexi Lalas weighs in on the United States’ result against Wales in the World Cup.

The United States national team drew 1-1 with Wales on Monday afternoon in the World Cup opener for both nations. It was a disappointing result for the United States, as they opened the tournament with a strong first half that was near dominant.

Former United States national team defender Alexi Lalas weighed in on the result and what it means for the group’s chances to qualify for the knockout rounds.

Lalas, a former college standout at Rutgers, attended the 1990 World Cup in Italy as a fan. He was a part of two World Cup rosters for the United States in 1994 and 1998. The central defender parlayed an outstanding 1994 World Cup into a deal with Padova, making him the first American to play in Serie A.

Now a commentator with FoxSports, Lalas was frustrated at the United States’ inability to get a win against Wales.

Scroll down and check out what Lalas had to say on Monday following the United States’ tie against Wales in the World Cup!

What United States national team superstar of the past could most help the 2022 roster?

Seven United States national team veterans were asked by Pro Soccer Wire what player most help the American squad today.

This is arguably the most talented United States national roster in program history, with more players getting significant minutes and starting for top Champions League clubs. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t roster holes and weaknesses within Gregg Berhalter’s set-up.

Invariably, every national team pool, perhaps with the exception of one or two nations, is going to have certain weaknesses. The United States need for a striker, for instance, is well-documented.

But where could the United States most need one player, one talent, to transform the roster?

Pro Soccer Wire asked seven former United States national team players a very simple question: what one player from your time with the national team would you take in his prime and put with this current group?

All the players asked had multiple appearances with the United States, giving them access to a rather wide playing pool for this answer. In addition, the group of national team veterans also span over 30 years of playing at the international level, eliminating recency bias.

Check out what player these seven United States national team veterans would infuse onto this current roster. One or two…or three of the answers might surprise you!

Pulisic should transfer away from Chelsea, says ex-USMNT star Dooley

Thomas Dooley thinks it might be time for Christian Pulislic to move on from Chelsea

Christian Pulisic’s future with Chelsea is cloudy if not downright murky, with irregular playing time casting a shadow on the American’s chances to stay with the London club.

While injuries factored into his availability this season, Pulisic wasn’t a consistent starter for Chelsea even when healthy.

He started 34 percent of Chelsea’s total games and played 38 percent of all available minutes. When he was healthy, Pulisic started just about half of the games for which he made the squad.

And while new American ownership certainly could factor into the construction of the roster and Pulisic’s visibility, it is possible that Chelsea may not be the best fit for the young American.

Former United States international Thomas Dooley, who played almost a decade in the German Bundesliga before joining MLS in 1997, thinks that Pulisic should be pursuing a pathway out of Chelsea and to a situation where playing time will be regular.

“Of course he should [leave Chelsea]. Either it is about money or prestige. Is it that much better to sit for a big club on the bench or at another club and play all the time? I don’t like to sit on the bench, no matter what. When the coach [Erich] Ribbeck came to Leverkusen with 14 national team players … and when that coach put me on the bench, I went to the management and asked them to let me go – even though the manager begged me to stay,” Dooley told Pro Soccer Wire.

“I went to Schalke, a team who just came up from the second Bundesliga because I wanted to play and not sit on the bench.”

Dooley would go on to help Schalke win the 1997 UEFA Cup over Inter. He played 81 times for the USMNT including at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup.

Currently, Dooley is the head coach of the Philippines national team, having spoken to Pro Soccer Wire recently about the challenges facing him in what is now his second tenure with the federation. The selection is off to a solid start in Asian Cup qualifiers with a draw and a win.

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Former Rutgers standout goalkeeper Casey Murphy makes stunning debut for United States

Former Rutgers standout Casey Murphy makes United States women’s national team debut.

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Casey Murphy made her national team debut last week, the former Rutgers standout goalkeeper putting together a solid shift in a 3-0 win on the road over Australia.

It was Murphy’s first appearance for the United States, who are the defending World Cup champions and won bronze in the most recent Olympics.

Murphy made eight saves in Friday’s win, an impressive international debut given that it was at one of the best national team programs in the world.

“Well, to be honest, I tried to play it cool but inside I was so excited,” Murphy told reporters after the game.

“Obviously, I’ve been training for a very long time for this chance and this opportunity. And I just want to make the most of it for the team and for our country. So, yeah, I was obviously so excited to get the chance to start tonight.”

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At Rutgers, Murphy took a redshirt as a senior to play in the U20 World Cup. The standout goalkeeper, who turned 25-years old this April, has played professionally in Europe and is now with the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL.

The short-turnaround for the national team is a challenge as the players were only together for a few days before playing against Australia. With a lot of new players coming in, the focus was about getting everyone on the same page quickly against an Australian national team that is one of the best in the world.

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“The focus for the team was obviously a lot on us. In the few days we had to train together, what we needed to do to be successful. And so we did try out a few different styles and building out and, you know, if it didn’t work, we skip it and move on to something else. And obviously, it was a lot of trial and error. But you know, once we found something that was working then we would keep with it,” Murphy said.

“That’s the biggest thing, especially when you’re playing such a good opponent like this, we know it’s going to be tough. We know it’s going to be a battle. First thing we can control is our work rate. And so that was definitely there tonight. And then obviously, the tactical piece of it was tremendous in helping us put together a good game plan in a short amount of time so we could find success in the game today.”

Watch: Carli Lloyd scores five goals for the United States national team

United States national team star Carli Lloyd, a former Rutgers star, scored five goals in a 9-0 win over Paraguay.

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Carli Lloyd was simply unstoppable on Thursday night, the United States national team midfielder (and former Rutgers soccer star) scored five goals in a rout of Paraguay in Cleveland, OH.

The five goals came in the first match for the women’s national team following their bronze medal in this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo. The United States will again play Paraguay on Tuesday at TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati.

Lloyd, who will retire from international soccer at the end of the season, has been a stalwart of the women’s game since she broke through with the national team in 2005. She now has 133 international goals.

And perhaps most impressive for the former Scarlet Knight is that four of the five goals came within the game’s opening 38 minutes. That is an incredible scoring clip.

The United States completely overwhelmed Paraguay, registering a significant shot difference (32:1) as well as shots on goal (15:0). With the performance, Lloyd has scored a team-leading 10 goals in 2021.