Young players answering Jurgen Klinsmann's challenge with USMNT
The name on the lips of everyone in American soccer is Christian Pulisic. And for good reason. The 17-year-old deserves every bit of praise he's getting. But he's not alone in young players starting to make their mark for the United States national team right now.
Bobby Wood is still just 23 years old and is one of the team's best strikers. Jordan Morris came off the bench against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday and was a threat, while fellow 21-year-old Paul Arriola notched his second international goal and Caleb Stanko, 23, got his first cap. This came four days after 21-year-old Kellyn Acosta played 90 good minutes in another World Cup qualifier.
The Americans' old guard has taken notice of the kids, too. And they're impressed.
"We’re a little bit more dynamic," Tim Howard said after the win over T&T. "We’ve added some young players to the fold, well maybe they were part of it, but they’re getting opportunities now. They make us a little bit more dynamic, we’re shifty, we’re able to press and it’s been good. It’s been a good change for us.”
The kids' strong performances come just a week after Jurgen Klinsmann challenged his younger players to be better and make a more of a push on the national team, too.
"We hoped for more push from the younger generation," Klinsmann told ESPNFC before the two World Cup qualifiers. "So our message consistently is when they are with us you've got to make your case. You've got to come out of your shell.
"You've got to speak up and ask questions. Push the older ones out."
The youngsters definitely did that over the last week. The focus was obviously on Pulisic, who drew plenty of praise from his teammates.
"It’s always hard when you have young kids who are supremely talented because you don’t want to put the weight of the world on their shoulders, but he’s embraced it," Howard said about the teenager. "He’s good. He’s shifty. He’s got an extra gear. Today when he got down the line he didn’t waste it, he crossed it in, he combines well. I don’t know what it’s like to have that much confidence at that age."
But while Sacha Kljestan was quick to point out how good Pulisic has been, he also made a point of praising Arriola.
"Paul Arriola stuck out for me in training all week. He deserved his chance to play tonight and when he came in he got another goal," Kljestan said about the youngster from Club Tijuana.
“He always seemed to make plays around the goal. He’s good with his left and his right foot. He works his but off. Some days in training they have to play him as a right back when he’s more of an attacker. Puts his head down, works his butt off and then when he gets his chances around the goal he buries them.”
Whether it was Pulisic's two goals and an assist against St. Vincent and the Grenadines then stunning performance against the Soca Warriors, Acosta's versatility or Arriola getting on the scoresheet, the Americans' got everything they could have asked for from the kids. Unsurprisingly, that has Klinsmann excited as he set his sights on the World Cup.
"This is great to see because now going towards the Hexagonal, we’re talking about Russia 2018, things will heat up," Klinsmann said after the Trinidad and Tobago match. "We want the younger ones to push it even more. That’s why we brought in Paul Arriola, that’s why we brought in Caleb Stanko because I want these guys to send some signals out there."
The signals are definitely out there now, from Pulisic on down.
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