There’s a lot of talk these days about the young up-in-comers in Major League Soccer (MLS), and rightly so. However, some of my favorite players in the league to watch are the elder statesmen who still got it. That’s who this article is devoted to. The 30+ year-olds who have been around the block, seen a few things, and who might just surprise you from week to week. Today we examine the Western Conference teams. Click here for the Eastern Conference piece. I set some minimums of:

• At least 30 years old
• Preferably 200 MLS apps
• At least 8 seasons in MLS
• At least 1 major club or individual accolade
• All statistics shared are only for MLS regular season games (pre-2021) unless stated otherwise

I made some exceptions, and some honorable mentions for players who did not meet those thresholds. If a team had no worthy players, I gave a quick blurb on the player on the team with the most MLS appearances. It’s not an exact science so don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy!

Team – Player, Age (# Seasons in MLS, # MLS Appearances (Apps), Accolades)

Austin FC

Matt Besler, 34 (12 seasons, 294 apps, 2012 Defender of the year, 2012 Breakout Player of the Year, 2012 and 2013 MLS Best XI, 2014 World Cup Veteran, 1 MLS Cup, 2 US Open Cups)

Austin may be a new to MLS but Besler is not. Before signing for Austin, Matt Besler spent his entire professional career with Sporting Kansas City since 2009, back when team was known as the Kansas City Wizards! He was the 9th overall pick in the 2009 Superdraft. Besler made 47 appearances for the USMNT, mostly in the 2014 World Cup cycle. He participated in the USMNT’s 2013 and 2017 Gold Cup victories. Besler will certainly be an off-field/locker room guy for Austin. We will find out how much he has left in the tank on the field.

Honorable Mention: Hector Jimenez, 32 (10 seasons, 176 apps, 3 MLS Cups, 1 Supporter’s Shield)

Hector Jimenez has a much different story. Jimenez was drafted 34th overall by the Galaxy in 2011. He minimally contributed to all of the silverware listed above. Although he had many years with over 20 apps in Columbus under Gregg Berhalter. More of a rotational player now, Jimenez will add good depth for Austin.

Colorado Rapids

Steven Beitashour, 34 (13 seasons, 247 apps, 3 Supporters Shields, 1 MLS Cup, 3 Canadian Championships)

Beitashour has been around the league since 2010, when the Earthquakes drafted him 30th overall in the Superdraft. Despite being a highly decorated player in terms of silverware, Beitashour has bounced around the league playing for 5 different teams over the course of his 13 year career. He is perhaps one of the few (if not the only?) player to win the Supporter’s Shield with 3 different teams (2012 San Jose, 2017 Toronto, and 2019 LAFC) Beitashour was called into one USMNT camp but was an unused sub in a friendly. Later, Beitashour was called into the Iran national team, where he made 6 apps while the Iranian senior team attempted to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Drew Moor, 37 (16 seasons(!), 382 apps, 2 MLS Cups, 1 Supporter’s Shield, holds one of the longest streaks for consecutive starts at 68 games straight, 6th all-time in MLS minutes played).

6th overall pick in the 2006 MLS Superdraft, Moor played over 100 games for Dallas over 5 seasons, then he played over 100 games for Colorado over 4 seasons, and over 50 games for Toronto over 3 seasons, including Toronto’s treble-winning 2017 season where Moor played 25 games. It is a wonder that Moor was never voted into the MLS Best XI and never won Defender of the Year considering how reliable of a player he was. He was also an off-field presence as he captained Colorado for 3 years straight form 2013-2015

Honorable Mention: Clint Irwin, 32 (9 seasons, 194 apps, 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporter’s Shield, and 3 Canadian Championships)

Irwin has only ever played for the Rapids and Toronto FC. He certainly saw his best years as a part of the treble winning 2017 Toronto FC, however, Irwin only made 6 league appearances that year, losing starting minutes to Alex Bono after Irwin suffered an early season hamstring injury. Irwin was brought into Colorado in 2019 as Tim Howard was making his retirement year lap of MLS. Irwin will hope to solidify himself as the No. 1 for Colorado in 2021.

Honorable mention: Collen Warner, 32 (10 seasons, 214 apps, 1 Canadian Championship)

Warner is another guy who has never settled in the league but continues to get opportunities. Warner has played for 6 different MLS teams over his 10 seasons in the league. He spent a short stint in Denmark in 2019 where he only made 5 apps for FC Helsingor. Warner will likely act as midfield depth for Colorado in 2021.

FC Dallas

Matt Hedges, 31 (9 seasons, 262 apps, 2016 MLS Defender of the Year, 2015 and 2016 MLS Best XIs, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 1 US Open Cup)

Drafted 11th overall in the 2012 MLS Superdraft, Matt Hedges is not only an MLS-lifer, but seemingly an FC Dallas-lifer as well. Excluding a truncated 2020 season, Hedges has never played less than 26 out of 34 MLS regular season games for Dallas. Hedges has been the Dallas captain since 2014, which I am guessing is the longest running team captain in the league. Hedges has more appearances for FC Dallas than any other player in team history. Hedges only has 5 caps for the USMNT, and as I remember he did not show well in those appearances, which is why he was likely never given more looks. Still, Hedges serves a vital veteran role for a youthful FC Dallas squad.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Hollingshead, 30 (7 Seasons, 163 apps, 1 MLS Humanitarian of the Year, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 1 US Open Cup)

Similar to Hedges, Hollingshead is an FC Dallas-lifer. He was drafted 20th overall in the 2013 MLS Superdraft. However, Hollingshead did not play the 2013 season as he had to fulfill a promise to his brother to build a church in Sacramento! You can’t make this stuff up. Once that mission was completed, Hollingshead joined Dallas and never looked back. A versatile player, Hollingshead can fill in at either fullback or either winger positions. Hollingshead is 7th overall in FC Dallas appearances. He too will add much needed veteran perspective to Dallas’ young roster.

Houston Dynamo

Boniek Garcia, 36 (9 seasons, 219 apps, 1 US Open Cup, 2010 World Cup veteran kinda**, 2014 World Cup veteran)

Garcia came into Houston in 2012 from his home country of Honduras and excepting his first year, and the abbreviated 2020 season, Garcia never played less than 20 games for Houston. He is 3rd overall in MLS apps for Houston. Garcia has also been around the CONCACF block with 126 caps with the Honduran national team. **While included in Honduras’ 2010 World Cup roster, he did not make an appearance in any of their games. He made up for that in 2014 when he appeared in all of Honduras’ 2014 World Cup games.

Maxi Urruti, 30 (9 seasons, 208 apps, 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 1 US Open Cup, and 1 Canadian Championship)

Maxi Urruti may be the only player on this list to win one of each domestic trophy through his MLS career. Another player who has jumped around the league, playing on 4 teams in his first 9 seasons and now finds himself on his 5th with Houston. His best years were 2015 where he contributed 4 goals to Portland’s MLS Cup campaign, followed by 2016 where he contributed 9 goals to Dallas’ Supporter’s Shield and US Open Cup double year. Without many other options up top, Urruti will likely eat up a lot of Houston’s striker minutes in 2021.

LAFC

Jordan Harvey, 37 (15 seasons, 340 apps, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 1 Canadian Championship)

Drafted 9th overall in the 2006 MLS Superdraft, Harvey has played for 4 different MLS teams (five if you count his loan to Seattle before they joined the league). After not playing at all his first two seasons in MLS, Harvey started at least 24 games in 10 of his next 13 seasons. Despite playing a perennial position of need (left back) he was never called into the USMNT.

LA Galaxy

Sacha Kljestan, 35 (11 seasons, 279 apps, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 2008 and 2016 MLS Best XI’s. 3 Belgian League Titles and 4 Belgian Cup Titles with Anderlecht)

5th overall in 2006 MLS Superdraft, Kljestan played over 100 games for the now defunct Chivas USA. He spent his prime years playing for Belgian giants Anderlecht who dominated their domestic league while Sacha was there. With Anderlecht, Kljestan appeared in the UEFA Champions League (14 apps), Champions League Qualifying (6 apps), Europa League (14 apps) for a total of 34 appearances. Not to mention Kljestan’s 5 CONCACAF Champions League appearances with RBNY. Kljestan’s 2016 season with RBNY is tied for 2nd most assists in a single season in MLS history. Kljestan also holds the 8th spot for all-time assists in MLS. Then there was Sacha’s national team career where he earned 52 caps, barely missing the cut for the 2010 World Cup. He was also consistently overlooked by USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsamnn. Now home in California, Sacha hopes to lead a revamped LA Galaxy.

Honorable Mention: Jorge Villafana, 31 (12 seasons, 188 apps, 1 MLS Cup, 1 MLS is Back Tournament(!))

Unlike many of his peers, Villafana was not drafted, but rather won the Sueno MLS competition where he beat out 2,000 Latino competitors to earn a spot on Chivas USA’s youth squad. Villafana gained the nickname “Sueno” from this experience. In his first season he only made 1 appearance off the bench. His fortunes increased over time, unlike his first club of Chivas who collapsed in 2014. Villafana is best known for his time in Portland where he won both his accolades: the 2015 MLS Cup and the unique 2020 MLS is Back Tournament. It was also during his time with Portland that Villafana earned 21 caps for the USMNT. Villafana will hope to claim more silverware this year with a talented LA Galaxy.

Minnesota United

Ozzie Alonso, 35 (12 seasons, 314 apps, 2012 MLS Best XI, 1 MLS Cup, 4 US Open Cups, 1 Supporter’s Shield)

Alonso started his career playing in his homeland of Cuba before he defected to the United States in 2007 while with the Cuban national team for a Gold Cup game in Texas. He was never called up again by the Cuban national team, as is their tradition to excommunicate defectors. After playing a year in USL with the Charleston Battery, the Seattle Sounders signed Alonso. Alonso became a legend with Seattle, where he won all of his silverware. Additionally, Alonso has played more MLS games for Seattle than any other player (277 games). During his time in Seattle, Alonso gained his US citizenship in 2012. He expressed interest in playing for the USMNT, which he might have been allowed to do if Cuba revoked his citizenship. However he was never called up by the US. Now in his third season in Minnesota, we will find out how much Alonso has left in the tank.

Ike Opara, 32 (11 seasons, 180 apps, 2017 and 2019 MLS Best XI’s, 2017 and 2019 MLS Defender of the Years, 1 MLS Cup, 2 US Open Cups)

Drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 MLS Superdraft, Opara only made 35 appearances for San Jose across his first 3 injury plagued seasons. Opara is best known for his time with SKC, where he won all of his above accolades excepting his 2019 Defender of the Year award. Opara is also one of only 4 players to win MLS Defender of the Year more than once. San Jose probably feel silly for trading Opara to SKC for … *checks notes*… a 2013 2nd round draft pick (who the ‘Quakes eventually used to draft Dan Delgado, who never ended up signing with San Jose). Opara’s injuries followed him after leaving San Jose, cutting short two seasons in Kansas City, and seemingly his 2021 season with Minnesota. Hopefully, Ike will see the field again soon.

Honorable Mention: Ethan Finlay, 30 (10 seasons, 215 apps)

Drafted 10th overall in the 2012 MLS Superdraft, Finlay is another player who flies under the radar. He was a member of Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus Crew teams who consistently challenged for silverware but never acquired any. He was traded to Minnesota for around $400K in allocation money ahead of Minnesota inaugural MLS season. In his career, Finlay has 46 goals and 39 assists, making the coveted 50 goals-50 assists club feasible if he has a couple of solid seasons going into his 30’s. Perhaps Finlay will help propel Minnesota back into the playoffs this season.

Portland Timbers

Diego Valeri, 35 (8 seasons, 233 apps, 2013, 2014, and 2017 MLS Best XIs, 2013 MLS Newcomer of the Year, 2015 MLS Cup MVP, 2017 League MVP, 1 MLS Cup, 1 MLS is back tournament, currently 10th in all-time assists in MLS)

Diego Valeri is, surprisingly, the first league MVP winner on this list! Valeri started his career is Argentina with Lanus, where they won the Apertura in his first season. Valeri actually made 3 appearances for the Argentina national team back in 2011. In 2012, a few years after Valeri’s daughter was born, his family was carjacked, leading to Valeri wanting to move out of Argentina. Valeri then joined the Timbers in early 2013. Since then Valeri has been the talisman for the Timbers, central to much of their success in the last decade. He has 84 goals, and 88 assists all-time in MLS. On top of all of his on field contributions, Valeri is known for having a strong relationship with the Timber’s Army, Portland’s supporters group. He also supports the Portland NWSL team, citing the team as a major inspiration for his daughter.

Diego Chara, 35 (10 seasons, 282 apps, 2020 MLS Best XI, 1 MLS Cup, 1 MLS is Back Tournament)

Chara was Portland’s first ever Designated Player as the team joined MLS in 2011. He leads Portland in career games played, games started, and minutes played. You can also tell he is a defensive midfielder as he leads Portland in career fouls committed (683, next closest is 200), yellow cards (87, next closest is 29), and red cards (5, next closest is 2). Chara exemplifies the “player that does the dirty work” for their team. Chara made two appearances for Colombia’s national team. Chara’s younger brother, Yimmi, now plays on the Timbers as well.

Real Salt Lake

Justin Meram, 32 (10 seasons, 264 apps, 1 US Open Cup)

Meram was drafted 15th overall in the 2011 MLS Superdraft. He made a name for himself on Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus Crew teams as a dangerous winger. Since his 9 seasons with the Crew, he played for three other teams (Orlando, Atlanta, and now Real Salt Lake). Meram’s above accolade came from his one seasons with Atlanta, where he made 20 appearances. Meram has also made 33 appearances for the Iraqi national team. Despite being born and raised in the United States, Meram said he always wanted to play for Iraq. Both his parents immigrated to the US from Iraq, which is how Meram is eligible for Iraqi citizenship. Meram will lead a relatively young RSL team in 2021.

San Jose Earthquakes

Chris Wondolowski, 38 (17 seasons in MLS, 381 apps, 2010 and 2012 MLS Golden Boot, 2010 2011 and 2012 MLS Best XI, 2012 MLS League MVP, 2 MLS Cups, 2 Supporter’s Shields, 2014 World Cup Veteran, All-time leader in MLS goals)

Drafted in the fourth round of on the … *checks notes* … (now defunct) 2005 Supplemental Draft, Wondo is a MLS Legend amongst legends. He continues to push his goal scoring record higher and higher. He has played more games for the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS than any other player. Many know him for his crucial missed goal for the US against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup. However, Wondo’s career should not be defined by one poor moment. Wondo made 33 appearances with the US where he score 11 goals, and helped the US win the 2013 World Cup. Wondo is also half Native American through his mother. His tribal name is “Bau Daigh” which fittingly means “the warrior coming over the hill”.

Shea Salinas, 34 (13 seasons, 335 apps, 1 Supporter’s Shield)

Drafted 15th overall in the 2008 MLS Superdraft, Shea Salinas has spent all but a few of his seasons with the ‘Quakes. He only left after being drafted by Philadelphia in the 2009 Expansion Draft. He was then selected again in the 2010 Expansion Draft by the Vancouver Whitecaps. He returned to San Jose in 2012, the same year San Jose won the Supporter’s Shield. He holds the all-time assist record for the San Jose Earthquakes and is only second in appearances for the ‘Quakes to Wondo.

Seattle Sounders

Stefan Frei, 35 (12 seasons, 302 apps, 2016 MLS Cup MVP, 2018 Save of the Year Award, 3 Canadian Championships, 2 MLS Cups, Supporter’s Shield, and 1 US Open Cup)

Stefan Frei was drafted 13th overall in the 2009 MLS Superdraft by Toronto FC. He played 5 seasons in Toronto, the first 3 of which he was the starter, losing the second two seasons to injury. Before the 2014 season, Frei was traded to the Seattle Sounders for a draft pick. Frei became a rock for Seattle as he started nearly every MLS game for the Sounders since getting traded, only missing a half dozen games since 2014. Frei is likely best known for his incredible performance in the 2016 MLS Cup against his former team Toronto. He made acrobatic save after acrobatic save in order to preserve a 0-0 draw which Seattle eventually won on penalties. Seattle did not even register a single shot on goal before the penalty shootout. Frei became an American citizen in 2017 at the age of 31. He was called into one USMNT camp but never made an appearance.

Will Bruin, 31 (10 seasons, 262 apps, 1 MLS Cup)

“The Dancing Bear” was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 MLS Superdraft. He spent 6 seasons with Houston, and 2021 will be his 5th season with Seattle. Bruin was acquired by Seattle for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. While having 71 goals across his 10 seasons, Bruin has never scored more than 12 goals in a single season. Bruin made two appearances for the USMNT in the 2013 Gold Cup, but was never called up again. Born in St. Louis, Bruin would be a great MLS veteran target for the upcoming St. Louis expansion team.

Sporting Kansas City

Graham Zusi, 34 (12 seasons, 294 apps, 2011 Breakout Player of the Year, 2012 and 2013 MLS Best XIs, 1 MLS Cup, 3 US Open Cups, 2014 World Cup Veteran)

Drafted 23rd overall in the 2009 MLS Superdraft, Zusi is a Kansas City lifer. Over his years with SKC, Zusi has accrued 29 goals and 66 assists. He started his professional careers as a winger, but as he aged Peter Vermes moved Zusi back into more of an attacking fullback position. Perhaps the greatest Graham Zusi story is when he scored a goal on the final day of 2014 World Cup qualifying which meant nothing for the US but switched the goal differential tie breaker so that Mexico made the World Cup instead of Panama. Panamanian players were visibly upset at Zusi and the rest of the Americans on the field. Mexico, however, lauded Graham as “San Zusi” in the newspapers the following day. He is still beloved by many Mexican fans to this day. Overall Zusi made 55 appearances for the national team.

Roger Espinoza, 34 (12 seasons, 254 apps, 3 US Open Cups, 2010 and 2014 World Cup Veteran, FA Cup Winner with Wigan Athletic!)

Espinoza was selected 11th overall in the 2008 MLS Superdraft. He played 5 seasons in Kansas before moving to Wigan Athletic on a free transfer. With Wigan they upset Manchester City in order to win the 2013 FA Cup. Espinoza played all 90 minutes of that final game. After another half season in Wigan, he returned to SKC. Internationally, Roger represented Honduras at the London 2012 Olympics. He also made 55 appearances for the senior team, including 2 World Cups, before retiring from international soccer in 2019.

Tim Melia, 35 (11 seasons, 175 apps, 2015 Comeback Player of the Year, 2017 GK of the Year, 2017 MLS Best XI, 2 US Open Cups)

Tim Melia moved around US lower league soccer pre-2012 (i.e. Melia played for the Long Island Rough Riders, and Rochester Rhinos) before making his MLS debut for the now defunct Chivas USA. He was technically on RSL’s roster for two seasons but he never made an appearance and just went on loan. After 3 seasons as a back up for Chivas, Melia was released becoming an “MLS pool goal keeper” meaning Melia’s contract was paid by the league, and if any team was struck with multiple GK injuries, they could call on Melia’s services. He sat on SKC, Dallas, and DC’s benches one time each in case of emergency. The next year, 2015, SKC decided to sign Melia on a permanent basis. 2015 is where Melia broke through as the clear starter for SKC, and he never looked back. His 2017 season set a new low for goals against per game at just 0.78

Vancouver Whitecaps

Most MLS Appearances: Russel Teibert, 28 (10 seasons, 184 apps, 1 Canadian Championship) Teibert has been with the Whitecaps since before they joined MLS back in 2011. He has played more MLS games for the Whitecaps than any other player and is second all-time for the club in assists. If he were a little older, he would qualify as an honorable mention here.

There’s a lot of talk these days about the young up-in-comers in Major League Soccer (MLS), and rightly so. However, some of my favorite players in the league to watch are the elder statesmen who still got it. That’s who this article is devoted to. The 30+ year-olds who have been around the block, seen a few things, and who might just surprise you from week to week. Today we examine the Eastern Conference teams. Click here for the Western Conference piece. I set some minimums of:

• At least 30 years old
• Preferably 200 MLS apps
• At least 8 seasons in MLS
• At least 1 major club or individual accolade
• All statistics shared are only for MLS regular season games (pre-2021) unless stated otherwise

I made some exceptions, and some honorable mentions for players who did not meet those thresholds. If a team had no worthy players, I gave a quick blurb on the player on the team with the most MLS appearances. It’s not an exact science so don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy!

Team – Player, Age (# Seasons in MLS, # MLS Appearances (Apps), Accolades)

Atlanta United

Brad Guzan, 36 (9 seasons, 183 apps, 2007 GK of the Year, 2007 MLS Best XI, Aston Villa’s ’12-’13 Player of the Season, 1 MLS Cup, 1 US Open Cup, 2014 World Cup Veteran, kinda**).

Guzan started his professional career with the now defunct Chivas USA in 2005. Guzan doesn’t quite meet my thresholds but he likely will by the end of 2021. Plus he spent a sizeable amount of time with Aston Villa in England (144 apps between 2008-2016 to be exact) which adds to his veteran status. Guzan often played second fiddle to Tim Howard in the USMNT picture, but still accrued 64 caps with the senior national team. **He went to the 2014 World Cup with the US but did not play. Guzan now mans the net for the 5 Stripes.

Chicago Fire

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Bornstein, 36 (7 Seasons, 154 Apps, 2006 Rookie of the Year, 2007 MLS Best XI, and 2010 World Cup Veteran)

Bornstein is probably best known for his national team career where he made 38 appearances under Bob Bradley. Most notably, Bornstein started the group stage games of the famed 2009 Confederations Cup, before Carlos Bocanegra returned from injury to assume the leftback spot for the knockout games. For those new to US men’s soccer, that 2009 USMNT is often lauded as the best USMNT performance of all time, knocking out peak-Spain the year before Spain won the 2010 World Cup. Bornstein spent 8 years playing in Liga MX and played 1 season in the Israeli Premier League. One of Bornstein’s two goals for the national team helped Honduras clinch their 2010 World Cup birth, which resulted in Bornstein being invited to Honduras’ capital by the nation’s president! Only in CONCACAF.

Honorable Mention: Bobby Shuttleworth, 33 (12 Seasons, 202 apps)

Shuttleworth peaked with the New England Revolution where he appeared in the 2014 MLS Cup final and the 2016 US Open Cup final. He was also the starting ‘keeper for Minnesota United in their inaugural MSL season, which … was not known for its defensive prowess. In fact, that Minnesota 2017 expansion season was one of the worst defensive teams of all time. But, hey, Shuttleworth could only do so much given some of the players in front of him. He looks to hold onto his starting position with Chicago in 2021.

FC Cincinnati

Most MLS Appearances: Lucho Accosta, 26 (4 seasons, 126 apps, 2018 MLS Best XI) Cincinnati is our fist team who simply does not have any MLS living legends on their team. Lucho became famous for his partnership with Wayne Rooney in DC and almost was sold to PSG for $10 million. Alas, he now finds himself at the heart of FC Cincinnati’s rebuild.

Columbus Crew

Darlington Nagbe, 30 (10 seasons, 285 apps, 3 MLS Cups, 2 MLS Goal of the Year awards).

Nagbe was drafted 2nd overall in the 2011 MLS Superdraft by the Portland Timbers. Nagbe spent most of his career in Portalnd, where he never played in less than 27 regular season games, winning the 2015 MLS Cup. He also made a huge move to Atlanta United for $1.05 million in allocation. He won an MLS Cup with Atlanta, then moved to Columbus for a similarly large sum of allocation money, and then won an MLS cup with Columbus. People may forget, but before leaving Portalnd, Nagbe had interest from European teams. It is unclear why he never left. Nagbe got his US citizenship later in life but still managed to make 25 apps for the USMNT. Shocks me that Nagbe never made an end of season Best XI.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, 36 (8 seasons, 213 apps, 116 goals, 6th all-time in MLS goals, 2014 and 2016 Golden Boots, 2014 and 2016 MLS Best XIs, 2020 Comeback Player of the Year, 3 Supporter Shields, RBNY all-time leading goal scorer).

One of my personal favorite players, BWP is a legend. He joined RBNY as a trialist and became one of the best MLS strikers ever. His dad, Ian Wright, was a famous Arsenal player. BWP wears the number 99, and when he scored his 100th MLS goal, he ripped off his usual 99 jersey to reveal a 100 jersey underneath. I got to see that goal in-person and despite the goal itself not being all that impressive, it is my favorite goal I have ever seen live. BWP will act as Zardes relief/ fill-in while Zardes is on national team duty. He only needs 15 more goals to become the 5th highest goal scorer in MLS history. Unlikely, yes. Impossible? Who knows…

Honorable Mention: Evan Busch, 35 (9 seasons, 184 apps, 3 Canadian Championships)

Busch was the starter for Montreal back when they were known as the Impact (2014-2019). Busch actually played with Montreal before they entered MLS and played in the NASL. He stayed with the team as they made the transition to MLS in 2012. He holds many of Montreal’s club records for goalkeeper statistics. His connection to Columbus is the current head coach Caleb Porter, who Busch played under in college at the University of Akron along with fellow Crew teammates Perry Kitchen and Darlington Nagbe.

DC United

Bill Hamid, 30 (11 seasons, 248 apps, 2014 GK of the Year, 1 US Open Cup)

Hamid was DC United’s first ever academy player signed to the first team. Since 2011 he has been DC’s presumed No. 1, excepting one season where he spent some time in Denmark with FC Midtjylland. While in Denmark, Hamid only made one appearance and so he returned to DC later that year on loan. The loan was made permanent a year later. Somehow, Hamid has been undervalued on the international stage as well, only making 8 apps for the USMNT. He has expressed some discontent for not being given a fair shot with the national team after Howard announced his international retirement. Perhaps this season Hamid will make an argument to be included in the senior team.

Felipe Martins, 30 (10 seasons, 256 apps, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 2 Canadian Championships).

Felipe is perhaps the most-hated players in MLS. He is known for cheeky tackles, flagrant flops when he is touched, and an overall mastery of soccer’s “dark arts”. He is also one of those underrated players who seems to bounce around the league and always make himself useful. In his first 7 season in MLS he had no less than 29 apps. And those first 7 seasons were spread across 3 different teams. Felipe will provide depth for DC United’s midfield this season.

Honorable Mention: Steve Birnbaum, 30 (7 seasons, 173 apps)

While Birnbaum may not have the accolades, he has been a relatively steady rock in the back for DC United. He was selected 2nd overall in the 2014 MLS Superdraft. In 2018, Birnbaum played every minute of DC United’s 34 regular season games. Birnbaum can further solidify his veteran status leading DC’s backline.

Inter Miami

Brek Shea, 31 (11 seasons, 229 apps, 2011 MLS Best XI)

Brek was a rare high-school-aged Superdraft pick when taken 2nd overall in 2008 by FC Dallas. Brek impressed in his 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons with 19 goals across 77 MLS games. This earned Shea a contract with Stoke City of the Premiere League after a 2.5 million pound transfer. Shea only made 3 Premiere League appearances across 3 seasons as he was cursed with a littany of nagging injuries. After spending two loan spells in the English Championship, Brek returned to MLS via Orlando City in 2015. Ever since, Brek has bounced around MLS, mostly playing as a fullback. Shea makes more headlines off-the-pitch for his style than he does for his on-pitch contributions these days.

Federico Higuain, 36 (10 seasons, 209 apps, 2012 MLS Newcomer of the Year)

No not Gonzalo Higuain, who is the big money Miami signing, but rather is elder brother Federico who has played in MLS for far longer. Federico started his pro career in 2003 with Argentine giants River Plate but he moved around Latin America until coming to Columbus in 2012 where he became central to the Crew’s attack. He is 6th in appearances, 4th in games started, 3rd in goals, and 1st in assists all-time for the Crew. Shockingly, Federico was not more often recognized on the league level. It recently came out that the Higuain’s grandmother passed away in 2021 and one of her last wishes is that her two grandsons would play together. They get the opportunity to do that in Miami this year.

Club de Foot de Montreal

Most MLS appearances: Erik Hurtado, 30 (8 seasons, 135 apps) A career super-sub, Erik Hurtado has the fewest MLS minutes of anyone else on this list. And yet he leads Montreal in MLS experience.

Nashville SC

Dax McCarty, 33 (15 seasons, 382 apps, 1 MLS Best XI, 2 Supporter’s Shields)

McCarty was drafted 6th overall in the 2006 MLS Superdraft. He is currently 9th all-time in career MLS minutes played. Dax is one of the most undervalued players in league history, evidenced by how no team has held onto him for the long term. His longest stint was with RBNY where he won all of his above accolades. He scored 13 goals with RBNY, many of them headers, despite his slight demeanor (only 5ft 9in). Dax captained those RBNY teams under head coach Jesse Marsch until he was traded to Chicago for a mere $400K in allocation money. Dax helped lead Chicago back to the playoffs for the first time in years, with a little help from World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger. McCarty was later traded to expansion club Nashville for only $100K in allocation and a Superdraft pick. In an abbreviated 2020 season Dax helped lead Nashville to the playoffs, scoring a crucial goal to secure their playoff birth.

CJ Sapong, 32 (10 Seasons, 276 apps, 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year, 1 MLS Cup, 1 US Open Cup)

Following his above teammate, Sapong was drafted 10th overall in the 2011 Superdraft. His most successful years were with SKC where he earned all of his above accolades. He won Rookie of the year with a modest 5 goals and 5 assists. His best statistical season was in 2017 when he scored 16 goals and 5 assists for the Union. With career totals of 71 goals and 25 assists, Sapong is not far from 100 points, which less than 50 players have ever achieved in MLS history. Perhaps he can find those last 4 goals/assists in 2021 with Nashville.

Honorable Mention: Jalil Anibaba, 32 (10 Seasons, 231 apps)

Anibaba was drafted 9th overall in the 2011 MLS Superdraft by Chicago. He has played for 6 different teams across his 10 seasons in MLS. He has been traded for draft picks, selected in the Expansion Draft, exchanged for another player, straight dropped from a roster, had his option declined, and selected in *another* Expansion Draft. Talk about MLS. Hopefully he can help Nashville in 2021!

New England Revolution

AJ DeLaGArza, 36 (12 seasons, 266 apps, 2014 MLS Humanitarian of the Year, 3 MLS Cups, 2 Supporter’s Shields, 1 US Open Cup)

DeLaGarza was drafted 19th overall in the 2009 Superdraft, back when a second round pick might be useful to an MLS team. He was a defensive rock for the LA Galaxy dynasty which won so much silverware between 2010-2014. He was usually outshine in the media by his defensive partner, Omar Gonzalez, an American. AJ did play for the US in 2 friendlies but eventually committed to Guam who he was eligible to play for through his father’s side of the family. He made 14 apps for the Guam national team, including their first two victories ever in World Cup qualifying. DeLaGarza was traded to Houston for $175K in allocation. He won a US Open Cup with the Dynamo. He was then signed as free agent for Inter Miami’s inaugural season. Now he find’s himself reunited with his old Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on the New England Revolution.

Honorable Mentions: Teal Bunbury, 31 (11 seasons, 291 apps) and Scott Caldwell, 30 (8 seasons, 216 apps)

Both of these guys have a ton of appearances for the Revs which is impressive in one regard but it also means neither of them have won any silverware or individual accolades of note. Bunbury was drafted 4th overall in the 2010 SuperDraft by Kansas City. He was later traded to New England in 2015 for a first round pick and allocation (SKC used that pick on Amadou Dia, who’s made 44 apps for them). Caldwell was the second ever NE Revolution homegrown player, a rare 1-team player to cross 200 appearances.

New York City FC

Honorable Mention: Sean Johnson, 31 (11 seasons, 292 apps)

Drafted 51st overall in the 2010 Superdraft, Johnson is one of the most successful 4th round Superdraft pick in league history. After his first season, Johnson never started fewer than 21 games in a season. He played for Chicago for seven years and then moved to NYCFC after his rights were held by Atlanta for a short while. Johnson is 2nd all-time in MLS apps for the New York club. He also holds practically every NYCFC goalkeeping record, as he has been their starting GK for 4 out of the team’s 6 seasons since starting play in 2015.

Red Bull New York

Most MLS Appearances: Sean Davis, 28 (6 seasons, 138 apps, 2 Supporter’s Shields) Sean is New York’s first ever homegrown player to become captain of the team. He is currently 6th in career appearances for RBNY and will likely be 5th by the end of the 2021 season.

Orlando City SC

Most MLS Appearances: Tesho Akindele, 29 (7 seasons, 178 apps, 2014 MLS Rookie of the Year, 1 Supporter’s Shield and 1 MLS Cup) Tesho had his best years with Dallas, where he won all of the listed accolades. He was reunited with his old FC Dallas coach, Osacr Pareja in Orlando.

Philadelphia Union

Aurélien Collin, 35 (10 seasons, 182 Apps, 2012 MLS Best XI, 2013 MLS Cup MVP, 1 MLS Cup, 1 US Open Cup, 2 Supporter’s Shields)

Collin started as a youth player in his homeland of France before bouncing around the lower leagues of Europe. His best European season was with Vitoria Setubal in the Portuguese 1st division where he made 33 aps. After that he joined Sporting Kansas City where he won MLS Cup, scoring in PKs at the end of the game to secure the win for SKC. He then helped Orlando in their expansion season. Then me moved to RBNY, where he technically won a Supporter’s Shield with them, although he only played 350 mins that season. Now he is in Philly, where he again *technically* won a Supporter’s shield last year, but he play 0 mins for Philly in 2020. Perhaps more of a locker room presence these days, Collin will aid in developing a young, strong Union side.

Honorable Mention: Andre Blake, 30 (7 seasons, 148 apps, 2016 and 2020 GK of the year, 2016 and 2020 MLS Best IXs, MLS is Back Tournament Goldent Glove, 2017 Gold Cup Golden Glove, 1 Supporter’s Shield)

Blake was drafted 1st overall in the 2014 Superdraft. He’s been Philly’s starter for 5 straight seasons. He is one of only 5 players to win GK of the year more than once. Blake is also the presumptive starter for the Jamaican national team, were he has 45 apps. Blake has quite a few accolades for being on the younger side for a keeper. He is an honorable mention here simply because of his low number of appearances relative to others on this list (I made my bare minimum threshold 150 apps).

Toronto FC

Omar Gonzalez, 32 (9 seasons, 217 apps, 2009 Rookie of the Year, 2011 Defender of the Year, 2010 2011 2013 and 2014 MLS Best XI, 3 MLS Cups, 2 Supporter’s Shields, 2014 World Cup Veteran).

Gonzalez was drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 MLS Superdraft by the LA Galaxy. He won all of his above accolades with the Galaxy as they created their 2010-2014 dynasty. While playing for the Galaxy, he became the first centerback to be a Designated Player. Omar is likely infamously remembered for scoring the own goal which caused the US to miss the 2018 World Cup. He accepted full blame for this mistake, talking to media after the game. Like Wondo, who is featured in the Western Conference version of this piece, this one moment on the international stage should not define Gonzalez’s career. He made 52 appearances for the national team including 2 games at the 2014 World Cup. Now he steadies the backline for Chris Armas in Toronto.

Michael Bradley, 33 (9 seasons, 205 apps, 1x USSF Player of the Year, 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 3 Canadian Championships, 2010 and 2014 World Cup Veteran)

Bradley was drafted 36th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft at 16 years old. He was drafted by his father, Bob Bradley, the then coach of the MetroStars. He was later sold for $250K plus a sell-on to Dutch side Herenveen. In the following years Bradley bounced around Europe playing for ‘Gladbach in Germany, as well as Chievo and Roman in Italy. In 2014, Toronto FC payed Roma $10 million for Bradley. They wanted him to be at the center of their project to turn Toronto into a contender. They did just that as they won 5 trophies between 2016-2018. Bradley also played plenty for the national team, making 151 apps. Bradley is actually 3rd overall in USMNT apps, just 6 apps behind Landon Donovan. Bradley is likely finished with the national team, but looks to still meaningfully contribute to Toronto in 2021.

Justin Morrow, 33 (11 seasons, 257 apps, 2017 MLS Best XI, 1 MLS Cup, 2 Supporter’s Shields, 3 Canadian Championships)

Morrow was drafted 28th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by San Jose. With San Jose, Morrow appeared in 33/34 regular season games of their 2012 Supporter’s Shield winning season. In 2013 Morrow was traded to Toronto for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. With Toronto, he won the rest of his MLS accolades. Morrow being named to the Best XI is more significant than usual as fullbacks are rarely named to the Best XI, in favor of centerbacks and more attacking players. Morrow is now the Executive Director for the Black Players for Change, which was created in 2020 in response to rising rational tensions across the nation.

Jozy Altidore, 31 (9 seasons, 164 apps, 2017 MLS Cup MVP, 2x USSF Male Soccer Player of the Year, 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporter’s Shield, 3 Canadian Championships, 2010 and 2014 World Cup Veteran)

Jozy was drafted 7th overall in the 2008 MLS Superdraft by the then NY/NJ MetroStars. Jozy played 3 seasons there before being sold for about $10 million to Villareal. After some unsuccessful loans, he played 2 seasons in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar, probably his best two seasons for any club, scoring 39 goals in 67 games. Then he moved to Sunderland for $13 million. Things did not go well for Jozy in Sunderland with only 1 goal over 42 games. Sunderland and Toronto FC agreed to a rare trade deal where they swapped Jozy and Jermaine Defoe. Jozy then joined the dynastic Toronto side who won 5 trophies over 3 years. Jozy also has a storied USMNT career, with 115 appearances and 42 goals. His best performances came in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the US took down global powerhouses Spain. Jozy’s entire career was hampered by injuries. Today, given how injury-prone he is, it is fair to question whether he will ever dress for the US again and how much he can contribute to Toronto FC in 2021.

Dom Dwyer, 30 (9 seasons, 195 apps, 1 MLS Cup, 2 US open Cups)

Dom Dwyer was drafted 16th overall in the 2012 MLS Superdraft to Kansas City. The striker scored 57 goals over 128 apps for SKC while winning all of his above accolades there. In 2017, Dwyer was traded for $900K in allocation with potential for the fee to rise another $700K if certain performance criteria was met. This was the largest intraleague transfer up to this point. Dwyer’s time in Orlando was probably not worth that price tag as he only scored 24 goals over 67 games. He was recently picked up by Toronto (who are training/playing in Orlando due to COVID) who already have a litany of strikers. It is unclear what comes next for Dom Dwyer.

Honorable Mention: Nick DeLeon, 30 (9 seasons, 233 apps, 1 US Open Cup)

Drafted 7th overall by DC United in the 2012 MLS Superdraft, DeLeon was runner-up for the 2012 MLS Rookie of the year. After 7 seasons with DC, his option was declined, and Toronto picked him up in the Re-Entry Draft. Since coming to Toronto, DeLeon has continued his time as a utility player over 50 games across two seasons.

Welcome back! For more of an intro and context, check back in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Again, I will be looking at each players’ minutes, games played, assists, and goals (mostly all available at https://fbref.com/en/ with some help from https://www.transfermarkt.us/). I didn’t include stats for youth players or if I couldn’t find them. Here in Part 3, we will be examining the top USMNT players in Europe.

Reminders: I narrowed my focus to just players in Europe. Sorry Johnny Cardoso fans. Also if you don’t see a name in their expected section, keep scrolling, as there are some special sections throughout, or go back and check Part 1 (where all the players who left Europe can be found) Part 2 and (where the undeclared dual-nationals are) and Part 3 (where older players like Ream are as well as recent transfers from MLS like Reynolds).

These tiers are *supposed* to be in order from worst-to-best and for this part they probably are! Within each section I listed the players in order from most-to-least interesting. Overall this is kind of a “who is the best player in a vacuum” ranking while also being a “who had the best season” ranking. So, like, don’t take it too seriously? I don’t know I just do this for fun.

Penultimate Leagues (Ranked 6-10 by UEFA; Portugal, Russia, Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria)

• Matt Miazga**, 25 (Anderlecht loaned from Chelsea; 33 apps, 2890 mins, 1 goal, 1 assist)
• Reggie Cannon**, 22 (Boavista; 33 apps, 2727 mins, 1 assist)
• Luca de la Torre**, 22 (Heracles Almelo; 32 apps, 2379, 1 goal, 2 assists)
• Chris Durkin, 20 (Sint-Truiden; 30 apps, 2116 mins, 1 goal, 3 assists)
• Erik Palmer Brown, 23 (Austira Vien, loaned from Man City; 29 apps, 2610 mins)
• Taylor Booth, 19 (St. Polten, loaned from Bayern Munich II; 15 apps, 999 mins, 3 goals, 2 assists)
• Ethan Horvath**, 25 (Club Brugge; 4 apps, 360 mins, 0 clean sheets)
• Joe Efford, 24 (Waasland Beveren; 28 apps, 1289 mins, 2 goals, 5 assists)
• Desevio Payne, 25 (FC Emmen; 2 apps, 32 mins)

These leagues are mostly better than MLS as they are the leagues younger MLS players tend to move-on to (e.g. Miazga, Cannon, Durkin, and EPB; Plus McKenzie, Aaronson, et al. who were in the last section). Miazga and EPB continue their never-ending loan sagas. Reggie Cannon barely avoided relegation with Boavista. There are rumors that the big teams in Portugal are eyeing him for a move. Luca de la Torre had a breakout season with Heracles and impressed in some USMNT cameos in March. Durkin quietly got over 2000 minutes in a solid league, at a young age. I’m surprised more people aren’t asking for him to get a look with the national team. Ethan Horvath needs to move somewhere where he is going to get playing time. Hopefully his good USMNT shift against the Swiss helps. Taylor Booth made a little noise with some goals and assists in limited minutes. Also quite young, Booth is a name remember. I literally never heard of Joe Efford before writing this series of articles and I don’t know what to think about him. I mean he is older but not *that* much older.

Good Situation, Small Sample Size

• Zack Steffen**, 25 (Manchester City; 12 apps, 1080 mins, 6 clean sheets)
• Konrad de la Fuente**, 19 (Barcelona; 3 apps, 39 mins)
• Owen Otasowie**, 19 (Wolverhampton; 6 apps, 187 mins, 1 assist)

These three guys made a dozen appearances or less but they are on good teams who play in a Top 5 League. If you told me last summer Steffen would get 12 appearances for Man City, I would have happily taken that. I was expecting him to get half of that. Konrad rode Barca’s bench (over 20 times this season) and rocked it for Barca B. I hope he gets a loan or sale somewhere else this summer if he is not in the first team plans next year. Rumors have it that Barca are willing to sell, especially considering their financial troubles. Similarly, Otasowie was regularly on Wolves’ bench but got selected slightly more often than Konrad did for Barca. Otasowie could also use a loan move if he is not going to be in Wolves’ regular rotation. There’s an argument Steffen is in the same boat, and could use a loan move. Personally, I’m a little more on the fence about whether Steffen should move or stay put next year. Eventually he has to get more playing time though.

Top 5 League (England, Spain, Germany, France, or Italy)

• Gio Reyna**, 18 (Dortmund; 46 apps, 2693 mins, 7 goals 6 assists)
• Christian Pulisic**, 22 (Chelsea; 43 apps, 2458 mins, 6 goals, 4 assists)
• Weston McKennie**, 22 (Juventus; 46 apps, 2406 mins, 6 goals, 3 assists)
• John Brooks**, 28 (Wolfsburg; 34 apps, 2954 mins, 2 goals)
• Tyler Adams**, 21 (RB Leipzig; 37 apps, 2423 mins, 1 goal, 1 assist)
• Sergino Dest**, 20 (Barcelona; 41 apps, 2715 mins, 3 goals, 1 assist)
• Josh Sargent**, 20 (Werder Bremen; 37 apps, 2962 mins, 7 goals 3 assists)
• Yunus Musah**, 18 (Valencia; 35 apps, 1642 mins, 2 goals)
• Tim Weah**, 20 (Lille; 37 apps, 1360 mins, 5 goals 1 asisst)
• Chris Richards**, 20 (Hoffenheim, loaned from Bayern Munich; 13 apps, 1124 mins, 1 assist)
• Antonee Robinson**, 23 (Fulham; 32 apps, 2462 mins)
• Matthew Hoppe, 19 (Schalke; 24 apps, 1419 mins, 6 goals, 1 assist)

This group is exciting to say the least. First, I am somewhat shocked at how many more games high-level players play. Since this article is all about the stats, I put Reyna on top, as he had the best statistical season of any of these players. You could make an argument that any of the top 6 players was the best American in Europe this season. Tyler Adams played more minutes for Leipzig this year than he did in his best season with RBNY. He is low key one of the best young midfielders in the Bundesliga and not many are talking about it. Brooks led one of the best defenses in the Bundesliga and secured a Champions League birth for next year. Wes surpassed everyone’s expectations at Juventus. Dest played alongside Messi for a full season. Pulisic contributed to a Champions League winning run. As for the bottom half, these guys are still exciting, they simply received fewer minutes, or played on worse teams. Any one of them could break out next year and have a big year, except Robinson and Hoppe assuming they stay on their relegated teams (not necessarily a safe assumption as there are rumors that both are moving). Hoppe had the best goals + assist per 90 of any teenager in the Bundesliga (Reyna was 4th best). Weah was a rotational player for Ligue 1 champions Lille. More importantly, Weah was healthy the whole season. Richards received his first regular professional minutes with Hoffenheim and impressed. Musah was in the rotation for a mid-table team and it was his first ever professional season. For every player here, except maybe John Brooks, the sky is the limit right now. It will be extremely exciting to see them all develop in the years to come.

Thanks for reading! Feel like someone was missing? go back and check out my first two parts as there were some special categories where players may have been placed. Have any questions or qualms with how I organized this? Then leave a comment below or yell at me on Twitter @BeardedJack!

Welcome back! For more of an intro and context, check back in Part 1. And check back at Part 2 to see the USMNT prospects in Europe. Again, I will be looking at each players’ minutes, games played, assists, and goals (mostly all available at https://fbref.com/en/ with some help from https://www.transfermarkt.us/). I didn’t include stats for youth players or if I couldn’t find them. Here in Part 3, we will mostly examine the fringe of the USMNT player pool in Europe. Come back for Part 4 where we talk about the top USMNTers in Europe.

Reminders: I narrowed my focus to just players in Europe. Sorry Johnny Cardoso fans. Also if you don’t see a name in their expected section, keep scrolling, as there are some special sections throughout, or go back and check Part 1 (that’s where the undeclared dual-nationals are).

These tiers are *supposed* to be in order from worst-to-best but I’ll admit I got a little lost in the sauce. Also, who’s to say whether its better to be in the English Championship or Greek League? I sure as heck don’t know. Within each section I listed the players in order from most-to-least interesting. Overall this is kind of a “who is the best player in a vacuum” ranking while also being a “who had the best season” ranking. So, like, don’t take it too seriously? I don’t know I just do this for fun.

Player Name, Age (Club/League; Total appearances, total mins, goals, assists)

** – Has appeared for USMNT under Gregg Berhalter

2nd Division Heroes (2nd Divisions of France, England, Spain, Italy, and Germany)

• Julian Green, 25 (Greuther Furth; 33 apps, 2488 mins, 10 goals, 3 asissts)
• Nicolas Gioachinni**, 20 (Caen; 32 apps, 2133 mins, 5 goals, 1 assist)
• Cameron Carter-Vickers**, 22 (Bournmouth, loaned from Tottenham; 24 apps, 2115 mins, 1 goal)
• Andrija Novakovich, 24 (Frosinone; 34 apps, 2226 mins, 11 goals, 5 assists)
• Shaq Moore, 24 (Tenerife; 41 apps, 3340 mins, 2 assists)
• Matt Olosunde, 23 (Rotherham; 33 apps, 2037 mins, 1 goal, 3 assists)
• Duane Octavius Holmes**, 26 (Huddersfield Town; 19 apps, 1235 mins, 2 goals, 2 assists)
• Timothy Tillman, 21 (Gruether Furth; 27 apps, 715 mins, 3 assists)
• Charlie Kelman, 19 (Queens Park Rangers; 12 apps, 202 mins)
• McKinze Gaines, 22 (Hannover 96; 1 apps, 6 mins)
• Giuseppe Barone, 22 (Salernitana; 0 app, 0 mins…?)
• Daniel Osuji, 19 (Alcorcon; couldn’t find stats)

These guys are all playing about as well as they can given that they play for a second division team. All of the young guys here should continue to prove themselves for the rest of the season and hope for a transfer upwards in the future. Green led Furth to a promotion to the Bundesliga. He was arguably one of their best players this season. Gioachinni is getting lots of minutes but not showing tons of end product. Novakovich and Moore got plenty of minutes and might warrant moves to better clubs? I’ll admit I didn’t watch any film of either of them this season. Fun fact: Shaq Moore played the most minutes of any American *field player* in Europe this season. CCV steadied Bournemouth’s backline and lost in the promotional playoffs. Rumors are Bournemouth want to make his loan permanent, but they will have to fight off other suitors. Holmes saw an uptick in form after moving to Huddersfield in January. There are apparently more Americans at Alcorcon with Osuji, but I have not been able to confirm that off of Twitter so I only included Osuji here.

Middling Leagues (Ranked 11-20 by UEFA; Turkey, Scotland, Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, et al.)

• Jordan Pefok “Siebatcheu”**, 24 (Young Boys; 43 apps, 1748 mins, 15 goals, 4 assists)
• DeAndre Yedlin**, 27 (Galatasary; 11 apps, 668 mins)
• Haji Wright, 22 (Sonderjyske; 37 apps, 2328 mins, 13 goals, 2 assists)
• Emmanuel Sabbi, 22 (Odense; 32 apps, 1916 mins, 6 goals, 4 assists)
• Christian Cappis, 21 (Hobro; 27 apps, 2172 mins, 2 asissts)
• Tyler Boyd**, 25 (Sivasspor, loaned from Besiktas; 14 apps, 726 mins, 5 goals)
• Mix Diskerud, 30 (Denizlispor; 18 apps, 1125 mins)
• Gbohly Ariyibi, 26 (Panetolikos; 29 apps, 1873 mins, 4 goals, 2 assists)
• Ian Harkes, 25 (Dundee United; 35 apps, 2659 mins)
• Dillon Powers, 29 (Dundee United; 14 apps, 581 mins)
• Danilo Radjen, 26 (DFK Backa; 21 apps, 1537 mins)
• Mukwelle Akale, 24 (Pafos FC; 6 apps, 177 mins)

To continue my MLS comparisons, I think most of these leagues are slightly worse than MLS, minus some top teams in each league. Like Celtic and Rangers probably have more talent than MLS teams, but the rest of the Scottish Premiere League probably has less. Same could be said of the top Swiss teams, Turkish teams, etc. Pefok, the Hero against Honduras, played a significant role for Young Boys in winning the Swiss title and making a Europa League run. Yedlin got a much needed move to Galatasary in January. The Danish contingent of Wright, Sabbi, and Cappis all got plenty of minutes. I wouldn’t hate seeing any of them get called up for a USMNT friendly at some point. Hey remember Mix Diskerud? He moved to Turkey in January and he’s doing alright for himself. Can we talk about how Gbohly Ariyibi had a solid season in Greece and very few people noticed? I watched one game of Harkes in Scotland and there is a reason I did not watch a second one. Anyone know why the UEFA rankings have the Cyprus league this high? Seems a little out of place if you ask me.

Declining Veterans (Used to regularly play in Top 5 Leagues at some point)

• Tim Ream**, 33 (Fulham; 10 apps, 930 mins)
• Timmy Chandler, 30 (Frankfurt; 17 apps, 463 mins)
• Eric Lichaj, 32 (Faith Karagumruk; 10 apps, 736 mins)

In some ways I think this is the most controversial section. This list used to have Cameron, Morales, and Diskerud but they all found new homes this season. Chandler should probably follow their suit a leave Frankfurt for more playing time. Ream and Lichaj may want to follow Cameron’s example and jump ship to MLS. But Ream recently signed a new deal with Fulham to stay with the club despite their relegation. The fact that Fulham re-signed Ream tells me he is still in their plans for now. But Father Time is undefeated, and it is unlikely Ream will get any better going forward. He is a St. Louis native, so perhaps he is holding out one more year until St. Louis enter MLS.

MLS-to-Europe Pipeline

• Darryl Dike**, 20 (Barnsley, loaned from Orlando City; 20 apps, 1323 mins, 9 goals)
• Brenden Aaronson**, 20 (RB Salzburg; 25 apps, 1654 mins, 7 goals, 5 assists)
• Mark McKenzie**, 21 (Genk; 16 apps, 899 mins)
• Bryan Reynolds**, 19 (AS Roma; 5 apps 283 mins)
• Brandon Servania**, 21 (St. Polten, loaned from FC Dallas; 10 apps 641 mins)
• Justin Che, 17 (Bayern Munich II, loaned from FC Dallas)
• Joe Scally, 18 (Borussia Mönchengladbach U19)
• Andrew Wooten, 31 (Admira Wacker; 19 apps, 1348 mins, 3 goals, 2 assists)

These are all of the Americans who jumped across the pond from MLS during the January transfer window. Dike is the guy everyone is talking about, partially because he scored some bangers, and partially because it’s relatively easy for Americans to watch the English Championship. Aaronson has adopted the Red Bull Way well under Marsch, and there are rumors he might follow Marsch to Leipzig. McKenzie needed to adjust a little more to Genk. I am hoping he is a regular starter for them next year. Reynolds just got his feet wet with Roma. We’ll see how much he is in Jose Mourinho’s plans next season. Brandon Servania quietly got loaned to an Austrian team that has a relationship with Bayern Munich. I always thought most people underrated Servania and I hope he gets more chances in Europe. Justin Che has made some noise. @scuffed is on the record saying that Che looks better for Bayern II than Richards did and Che is younger than Richards was at the time Richards was on Bayern II. Scally was bought for a lot of money to not even make a cameo for Gladbach’s first team. Hopefully that changes next season.

Thanks for reading! Come back for Part 4 tomorrow. Have any questions or qualms with how I organized this? Then leave a comment below or yell at me on Twitter, @Beardedjack

Welcome back! For more of an intro and context, check back in Part 1. Again, I will be looking at each players’ minutes, games played, assists, and goals (mostly all available at https://fbref.com/en/ with some help from https://www.transfermarkt.us/). I didn’t include stats for youth players or if I couldn’t find them. Here in Part 2, we will mostly examine the prospects of the USMNT player pool in Europe. Come back for Part 3 to read about the fringe of the USMNT player pool, and Part 4 where we talk about the top USMNTers in Europe.

Reminders: I narrowed my focus to just players in Europe. Sorry Johnny Cardoso fans. Also if you don’t see a name in their expected section, keep scrolling, as there are some special sections throughout, or go back and check Part 1 (that’s where the undeclared dual-nationals are).

These tiers are *supposed* to be in order from worst-to-best but I’ll admit I got a little lost in the sauce. Also, who’s to say whether its better to play for Benfica B vs. Frankfurt’s U19s? I sure as heck don’t know. Within each section I listed the players in order from most-to-least interesting. Overall this is kind of a “who is the best player in a vacuum” ranking while also being a “who had the best season” ranking. So, like, don’t take it too seriously? I don’t know I just do this for fun.

Extra Disclaimer for this part: It is really difficult to get reliable stats of any youth games anywhere, so I did not bother including them here. I simply named where the player is playing.

Player Name, Age (Club/League; Total appearances, total mins, goals, assists)

** – Has appeared for USMNT under Gregg Berhalter

U19, U18, U17, and U16 Teams

• Kobe Hernandez-Foster,18 (Wolfsburg U19)
• Federico Oliva, 16 (Athletico Madrid U19)
• Mason Judge, 19 (Frankfurt U19)
• Maximilian Dietz, 19 (Freiburg U19)
• Michael Wentzel, 19 (Borussia Mönchengladbach U19)
• Pablo Soares, 19 (Borussia Mönchengladbach U19)
• Nico Carrera, 19 (Holstein Kiel U19)
• Niklas Dossmann, 18 (FSV Mainz U19)
• Bobby Piere, 18 (Strasbourg U19)
• Nicholas Cyrus, 19 Midtjyland U19)
• Patrick Leal, 18 (Sporting CP U19)
• Devan Tanton, 17 (Fulham U18)
• Alex Borto, 17 ( Fulham U18)
• Zack Booth, 17 (Leicester City U18)
• Carver Miller, 17 (Arminia Bielefeld U17)
• Evan Rotundo, 16 (Schalke U17)
• Lucas Tamarez, 16 (Hoffenheim U17)
• Aethan Yohannes, 17 (AZ Alkmaar U17)
• Rokas Pukstas, 17 (HNK Hajduk Split U17)
• Grayson Dettoni, 15 (Bayern Munich U16)
• Robert Deziel, 15 (Celta Vigo Youth)

Even though this list feels pretty comprehensive, I likely still missed some players. Guys like Joe Scally, and Justin Che are in a special category later. Kobe Hernandez-Foster showed well on the US U17 team in 2019. I have never seen Federico Oliva play, but he’s playing up an age group for Atletico Madrid which says something. Plus, he was recently training with Atleti’s first team, according to some social media sleuths. For reference: in the fall of 2019 Gio Reyna would have been on this list. In the spring of 2017 Weston McKennie would have been on this list. Obviously not all of them will pan out, but could one or two of them be the next Reyna or McKennie? With a list this long, and only getting longer, the odds look good. Lastly, yes Zack Booth is the younger brother to Taylor Booth who shows up later.

B-Team, II Team, Jong Team, or U23 Team

• Bryang Kayo, 18 (Wolfsburg II)
• Chituru Odunze, 18 (Leicester City U23)
• Alex Mendez, 20 (Jong Ajax)
• Stuart Ritchie, 19 (Hannover II)
• Quincy Butler, 19 (Hoffenheim II)
• Aaron Cervantes, 19 (Rangers II)
• CJ Dos Santos, 20 (Benfica B)
• Johan Gomez, 19 (Porto B)
• Ethan Wady, 19 (Chelsea U23)
• Andrew Andrade, 18 (Portimonense U23)
• Matteo Ritaccio, 19 (Liverpool U23)
• Augustus McGiff,18 (Reading U23)
• Jonathan Tomkinson,19 (Norwich City U23)
• Kyle Scott, 23 (Newcastle United U23)

Despite the different names, all of these teams serve the same purpose: a launching platform from which academy players join the first team. Again, I may have missed some players. Kayo and Odunze have been called into a few USMNT senior camps but have yet to make an appearance. Odunze, Las, Wady, and Dos Santos are all goalkeepers, and may take longer to breakthrough than the rest. Mendez looked great for the US U-20’s in 2018 and 2019, but physicality was always his biggest issue. Considering he hasn’t made waves at Jong Ajax, I would assume he wasn’t able to handle the physicality of playing with grown men. But hey, even though 20 is old for this group, it’s still relatively young. Anyone 20 or older in this group probably wants a move soon to get professional minutes. There were rumors Kyle Scott could come to MLS recently. Think about it though: in the spring of 2019 Sergino Dest would have been on this list. Alternatively, in the spring of 2017 Antonee Robinson would have been on this list. Anything can happen!

Speculative Dual Nationals (Various League)

• Folarin Balogun, 19 (Arsenal; 6 apps, 82 mins)
• Kik Piere, 20 (Twente; 24 apps, 2110 mins)
• Alex Mighten, 18 (Nottingham Forrest; 27 apps, 1276 mins, 3 goals, 1 assist)
• Bryan Okoh, 17 (FC Liefering; 15 apps, 1223 mins, 1 goal, 1 assist)
• Kristoffer Lund, 18 (Midtjyland U19)
• Kevin Bright, 18 (Milan U18)
• Kaile Auvray, 16 (Lille Youth)
• Malick Sanogo, 16 (Union Berlin U17)
• Hassan Ayari, 19 (Sheffield United U18)
• Malik Tillman, 18 (Bayern Munich II)
• Lennard Maloney, 21 (Borussia Dortmund U23)
• Patrick Koffi, 19, (Paris FC; 2 apps, 62 mins)
• Jann George, 28 (Jahn Regensburg; 28 apps, 1488 mins, 6 goals, 3 assists)
• Scott Pittman, 28 (Livingston; 38 apps, 3321 mins, 7 goals, 2 assists)

These players have never represented the US at any level but are eligible to switch to the USMNT if they so choose. The talent level here varies widely, and there’s a chance none of these players play for the US, hence why they are with the “prospects”. The older players here are unlikely to ever play for the USMNT even if they made that switch. Kik Piere was supposedly contacted by the USMNT last fall, according to the Athletic. Just to round it out: in the summer of 2020 Yunus Musah would have been on this list. Speaking of Musah, Folarin Balogun and he are buddies, so, there’s a chance Musah helps persuade Balogun to play for the US. Balogun is the biggest name here by far. For the record, I had Siebatcheu on this list earlier this season. Goes to show that these players could switch at any time, and the current USMNT regime seems to be targeting dual nationals like never before.

Thanks for reading! Come back for tomorrow for Part 3 and Friday for Part 4. Have any questions or qualms with how I organized this? Then leave a comment below or yell at me on Twitter, @Beardedjack