Football is the world’s one truly global sport. A few large nations have been lagging behind, namely the north American neighbours United States of America and Canada, as well as China and India.
While China’s exploding economy has now found their next sector to target in the shape of their national league, USA’s talent pool has massively improved recently and it seems like it will continue to improve.
South of the border, Mexico has been one of the standout performers of CONCACAF producing legitimately great players like Hugo Sanchez, Rafael Marquez, and Javier Hernandez. This list will aim to highlight the five best youngsters under the age of 23 representing either of the two countries.
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A notable omission who could easily be on this list is Jack Harrison, the young Englishman making waves plying his trade alongside Andreas Pirlo, Frank Lampard and David Villa at New York City FC. He misses out only due to a lack of citizenship at the moment. If granted a citizenship in the near future, he seems keen to represent the USA.
On that note, here are the five best young players from USA and Mexico:
#1 Christian Pulisic
Borussia Dortmund, every year have a mountain to climb to match the level and stature of Bayern Munich. While the latter are massively successful commercially and are known to acquire the best talent available from the Bundesliga competitors, Dortmund has a track record of developing fantastic youngsters or buying very young talents and growing them into world class players.
In the recent batch of youngsters to be brought into the squad, there lies an American who is considered to be the best prospect from the continent since Landon Donovan. The well-respected sporting director of Dortmund, Michael Zorc spotted Pulisic at the age of 15 and signed him in February 2015.
Part of the youth teams initially, Pulisic lasted just 15 games before being called up to the senior squad. The attacking midfielder cum winger’s future seems so bright that Nike, in order to complement their sponsorship with US men’s national team(USMNT), has signed Pulisic till 2022, while he has also been courted by Liverpool, and Red Bull Leipzig amongst other clubs for a fee in the region of €20 million.
Since breaking into the first team squad and the national team, he became the youngest foreigner to score in the Bundesliga, youngest player to score two times in the Bundesliga, youngest player to represent USMNT and score in a World Cup qualifying campaign.
The goal for USMNT came one day after he was specially allowed to attend high school prom. Three weeks later, he set up the equalising goal against Real Madrid. He is destined to become one of the best players from the North American region, and being at Dortmund, he is in good hands to realize his potential.
(Video courtesy: WorldOfFootball HD)
#2 Hirving Lozano
Nicknamed Chucky, Hirving Lozano is hailed as Mexico’s best young prospect. He first came into prominence and in the public eye after scoring the winning goal on his debut away at Club America.
He has established himself as the most important player at his one and only club so far, Pachuca. The versatile attacking midfielder has consistently been amongst goals scoring 37 goals so far for Pachuca but his most impressive performances have come for the Mexico U-20 squad.
In the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, the then-teenager was directly involved in five goals in their first game. Along with winning the Championship, he ended up as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner with five goals. Lozano has since been a part of the Mexico Olympic squad and has been called up for the national team as well.
The 21-year-old was courted by many European clubs, amongst which PSV had their bids swatted away by Pachuca while this summer, it was claimed even by his father-in-law that he would join Manchester United after the Olympics. While the move did not transpire, it shows the level of talent the youngster possesses and has the potential to reach the stage where current Mexican icon Javier Hernandez reached in his career.
(Video courtesy: ScoutNation HD)
#3 Jordan Morris
Jordan Morris is not a familiar name outside the United States but he has already staked a claim for being the most important player for a Seattle Sounders squad consisting of American legend Clint Dempsey.
The 22-year-old, originally from Mercer Island, Washington has had a fantastic youth career. For Eastside FC, he was a part of six Washington State titles in seven years. In 2011 and 2012’s US Youth Soccer National Championship, his team placed third while he personally was named in the Best XI in 2011 and won the Golden Ball in 2012. He eventually went on and won Stanford University the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournament along with being awarded the Hermann Trophy 10 months ago.
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Morris had a trial with Werder Bremen in January and declined their offer to play for his hometown Seattle. Despite a poor start to life with the Sounders, he burst into life in April scoring in five consecutive games and despite a vital injury to center back Roman Torres and Clint Dempsey’s unavailability due to Copa America and his heart ailment, he along with new signing Nicolas Lodeiro inspired Seattle to a playoff run.
(Video courtesy: Major League Soccer)
Currently, Seattle is in the Conference Finals and will vie with Colorado for a spot in the finals. The most impressive feat is that he received his first call-up to the USMNT when he was in college, the first player to do so in the 21st century and he even scored a goal on his debut against Mexico.
Although Morris wasn’t old enough to be awarded the Man of the Match prize due to him being legally too young to drink alcohol, there will be many more awards to savour for the striker.
#4 Gedion Zelalem
Akin to Dortmund, Arsenal, and their manager Arsene Wenger are one of the best at developing and promoting youth to the first team in England. One of the shining lights in the Arsenal academy since a few years is Gedion Zelalem.
Zelalem has been in the public eye since 2013 when he was surprisingly included in Arsenal’s summer tour and performed strongly. Half a year later, he had made his debut for the senior squad. His ascent to professional football saw him have a successful campaign at Rangers last year, guiding them to promotion to the first division and a runner-up spot in the Scottish Cup.
(Video courtesy: Scouting football)
He is highly regarded in the Arsenal camp, and Petr Cech was quoted in an interview praising the youngster. He said, “Obviously as he gets more experience, it will help him to make the right choices and I believe he has a very big potential to make the team."
While not all talented academy youngsters break into Arsenal’s first team, Zelalem can take inspiration from Alex Iwobi and Francis Coquelin who have grasped their opportunities and are now important team members.
#5 Ethan Horvath
For as far as memory goes, United States have primarily deployed three reputed goalkeepers hailing from the Premier League in recent years – Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, and Brad Guzan.
Guzan has had a terrible run with a poor Gold Cup in 2015, Aston Villa’s dismal season and is currently on the bench at Middlesbrough, while Tim Howard is 37 and well past his prime years and Brad Friedel is long gone.
But fortunately, United States have found a shining young talent developing in Norway in the form of Ethan Horvath. A 6’4” goalkeeper, first choice at Molde, the club famously managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with experience in the Champions League as well as the Europa League.
Originally from Colorado, Horvath was recruited by Solskjaer in 2013. In 2015, the first choice goalkeeper till then for Molde, Orjan Nyland was sold and Horvath was promoted to the first XI. In his first full season, he conceded just 31 goals, second best only to the champions, Rosenborg.
An even more recognisable achievement was him leading Molde to the first spot in a tough Europa League group consisting of European mainstays Ajax, Celtic, and Fenerbahce. His best moment on the pitch came against Ajax when he was awarded the Man of the Match for his 10 saves including a point-blank header.
Last month, Horvath received his first international cap against Cuba and was described as the country’s biggest hope for the future for the goalkeeper position by manager Jurgen Klinsmann. He is on his way to ousting both the rear guards blocking his path to the first-team spot and will soon reach the upper echelons of the game.
(Video courtesy: soccersubjectively)
