There’s a din rising around the currently USYNT pool. And it’s seemingly growing louder by the month.
In February, the U20 MNT won the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament for the first time in its history. Two months later, the U17 MNT came within a shootout against Mexico of making it a clean sweep. Indeed, there’s a growing argument that the depth of the player pool in the USYNT system has never been higher than it is now. That naturally makes analyzing who’s up next for the senior team all the more enticing.
Last year, I ran through the top five YNT-aged players at each position. The ranking was a mash-up of current ability and future prospects for starting for the full USMNT one day. And with so much happening on the USYNT scene these days, it’s time for an update. To remind you of the litmus, these players have to be of YNT age (U23 and younger) and have not yet received a full USMNT cap.
2016 Men's Top 5's: Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards
Today, we begin with the goalkeepers.
The goalkeeper position in general is in a sort of state of flux. Tim Howard and Nick Rimando are now closer to 40 than 30. Brad Guzan’s given no indication that he’s the ironclad No. 1 in their wake. Bill Hamid can’t seem to stay healthy. And behind that, a raft of uncertainty. Or at least a raft of youth.
These five keepers are, in my estimation, the next in line. Don’t be surprised to see a few of these wrestling for full national team minutes in the coming years. Of any position, the U.S. has not struggled to develop world class goalkeepers. Expect that reputation to fire back up again soon.
