The 91st Minute is a column by Sam Reno about professional soccer.
Oct. 17, 2017. The eyes of U.S. Soccer, needing just a draw to advance to Russia, turned to the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago for the final match of the qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Just 17 minutes in, Trinidad took the lead on an own goal. The rest is all too familiar to those who experienced it. That 2-1 defeat has undoubtedly left a permanent stain on U.S. Soccer, but the carpet is finally being replaced.
Young Americans are earning regular minutes on top European clubs in numbers we have not seen before. This season saw the most Americans featured in the Champions League group stage ever, as well as the most Americans advancing to the knockout stages.
Even more impressive, nearly all of them are 22 years old or younger and already having an impact on football’s biggest stage, despite many critics confidently believing they would fail to break into first-teams. Who are some of these young stars, and why was Yunus Musah’s decision to join them so important?
Let’s start with Christian Pulisic. At just 22 years of age, he is becoming a household name in the English Premier League. After the restart last season, Pulisic contributed to just under a goal per match, almost single-handedly leading Chelsea into the EPL top four and Champions League football for this season.
Pulisic also became the first American to score in an FA Cup final, putting Chelsea 1-0 ahead of Arsenal just five minutes into the final. He looked certain to score again, but just as he moved to finish, he went down with a hamstring injury.
Pulisic has struggled this season, suffering multiple setbacks in his recovery. Last season left us no doubt, however, that the “kid from Hershey, P-A” is a world-class talent when fully healthy and poised to lead this USMNT for many years to come.
As brilliant as Pulisic was last season, he did not take home the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award. That honor went to 22-year-old Weston McKennie, who signed with Juventus this summer and broke into the starting XI almost immediately. McKennie has turned in great performances for Juventus this season, but none were more memorable than the final matchday of the UCL group stage against Barcelona.
Juventus needed a three-goal victory to top their group, and McKennie added the second in spectacular fashion. He smashed a flying volley past Barcelona keeper Marc-André ter Stegen to put Juventus up 2-0 in their eventual 3-0 victory over Barcelona. McKennie is the clear leader of what will prove to be an absolutely loaded group of US midfielders.
On the other side of that McKennie performance against Barcelona was LB Sergiño Dest. Transferring from Ajax in the summer, Dest has become a regular in the Barcelona lineup at just 20 years of age. His skill with the ball at his feet — which was on full display in a Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev — is undeniable.
After playing an active role in the build-up play, Dest received the ball back in the box. He controlled it at his feet and fired it at the far post, finding the back of the net to put a shorthanded Barcelona up 1-0. Of course, it is Dest’s defensive abilities that have earned him his place in the Barcelona lineup and will make him a USMNT staple going forward.
I have not even mentioned Tyler Adams, the goal-scorer who sent RB Leipzig to last season’s UCL semi finals, Gio Reyna at Dortmund, Zack Steffen at Manchester City, Timothy Weah at Valencia, Brenden Aaronson at RB Salzburg, or Daryl Dike at Barnsley. So where does Yunus Musah fit into all of this?
Musah, who plays at Valencia, is a multinational, meaning he can decide which country he plays national team football for. Musah had spent some time with the United States in the European camp last November, leaving many in U.S. Soccer desperate to secure his services away from his other options of England and Ghana.
Musah, at just 18 years old, is an incredible talent and would be a welcomed presence to the U.S. squad. However, his impending decision represented more than just an addition to this young team. Rather, if he were to choose the United States, it would mark another massive step forward for this developing U.S. Soccer system.
Musah chose the United States on Tuesday instead of England and Ghana, planting his flag with this growing group of young American stars. He will be in action for the United States, alongside these youngsters, in a pair of friendlies next week against Jamaica and Northern Ireland.
The United States is entering what is known in soccer as a “Golden Generation,” for it has never had the plethora of talent it currently boasts. Many around the world still refuse to acknowledge the climb the USMNT is on, and the United States could certainly make a dark horse run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, the program has its sights set on 2026, when the World Cup comes home. This entire group of stars will be in the midst of their primes with cup experience already under their belt. With the rare mix of youth, talent and experience required to make a deep run in the World Cup, this generation of footballers will hit their peak as they look to shock the world in front of their home fans in the summer of 2026.
The 91st Minute runs every Wednesday.