The USMNT’s January camp has come to a close, with positive reactions towards individual performances and the revival of some international careers. Steffen makes his case to be No. 1, while Agyemang and Luna shine in midfield.
USMNT January Camp: A Glimpse into the Future
The annual January camp for the U.S. men’s national team has come to a close, and while its success or failure won’t be known for some time, the initial reaction is positive. The USMNT came away with wins over Venezuela and Costa Rica by 3-1 and 3-0 scores, respectively.
The takeaways from these matches skew more toward individual performances than the result. And while those initial assessments usually focus on up-and-comers, there is an opportunity for the revival of some international careers that were thought to be dormant. It’s those players who often have a better chance of an immediate recall than some of the newbies.
Steffen Makes His Case to Be No. 1
Zack Steffen could very well be the player to provide a challenge to Matt Turner, the current USMNT goalkeeper. With plenty of experience and having been the starter for much of the 2022 cycle, Steffen has the kind of frame that is a nightmare for defenders to deal with. He’s four years younger than Turner and has the higher upside.
Steffen had to give up on his European dream to return to MLS after struggling in Colorado following a knee injury. However, he has been on U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino’s radar since the Argentine was hired. Given that the January matches were played outside of an international window, Steffen took full advantage against Costa Rica.
A Tale of Two Strikers
The U.S. got excellent performances from both of its No. 9s. Patrick Agyemang tallied in both games, while Brian White opened the scoring against Costa Rica. While White is the more polished performer, Agyemang has the higher upside due to his age and frame.
Agyemang scored in both of the USMNT’s January camp wins over Venezuela and Costa Rica. He’s beginning his third professional season compared to White, who is entering his eighth. Agyemang has the kind of mobility that is a nightmare for defenders to deal with.
Midfielders Shine
The U.S. midfield was one of the standout areas during the January camp. Diego Luna showed great character and perseverance personified by coming back into the match after suffering a broken nose thanks to a wayward elbow from Creichel Pérez.
Luna’s 45-minute stint showed enough for Pochettino to at least keep an eye on the Real Salt Lake midfielder going forward. Luna is ready for the next step and remains the most intriguing prospect to come out of the January camp.
The only pity was that Luna did have to come off at halftime because of his injury. However, he’s by no means the only midfielder to shine. Emeka Eneli proved adept at connecting his passes and assisted on the second U.S. goal, a very sharp finish from Caden Clark.
Fresh Faces Emerge
The U.S. defense contained more familiar names than any other part of the field. However, a pair of relative newcomers caught the eye – George Campbell and DeJuan Jones. Campbell looked strong against Venezuela, even when he ventured forward. Jones earned his 10th cap and was given license to get forward as much as possible from left-back.
Jones dazzled with a gorgeous, outside-of-the-foot pass that sprung Agyemang for his stoppage-time tally. While there just don’t appear to be too many spots open in the team, Pochettino has accumulated plenty of data on players like Steffen, McGlynn, Agyemang, and Luna.
The Road Ahead
While the January camp may have been a positive start for the USMNT, it’s still early days. The full scope of its success or failure won’t be known for some time. However, one thing is clear – the team has plenty of talented young players who are ready to make an impact.
From Steffen and Agyemang to Luna and McGlynn, there are several players who could provide a challenge to the established names in the team. With Pochettino at the helm, it’s likely that we’ll see more of these young players getting opportunities to shine.
