This is a
super talented roster—ten players appear on my
Top 50 USMNT prospects list, more than any other roster I’ve seen in my time covering USYNTs. Still, as mentioned earlier, the question isn’t talent—it’s chemistry.
This team’s challenge is almost the inverse of what we saw from the U-20s at the last World Cup: the U-20s weren’t full of stars, but they played as a cohesive unit. The U-17s are bursting with stars, but unity has been their biggest weakness.
From a roster construction standpoint, a few things stand out:
Right-back depth: Behind Gio Villa, there’s no clear RB2. I would have brought another right-back, especially since Ramiz Hamouda can cover left-back if needed. This could become an issue.
Center-back selection: Carrying three center-backs makes sense, but I would have taken Ian James over Martinez. Segares’ track record evaluating center-backs hasn’t been great—this is the same coach who rated Stuart Hawkins and Tyler Hall above Noahkai Banks and Matai Akinmboni.
Midfield balance: Jude Terry will shoulder a heavy load. I would have dropped Tsakiris for Oliveira. Outside of Terry, the group lacks speed and defensive bite.
Attack: The attacking options are loaded—Sullivan, Albert, Carrizo, Hall, Berchimas, Johnson, and Adams can all change games. The key question is chemistry: can Segares get them to play together effectively?
If he can’t, this may be Segares’ final run as a USYNT head coach.
