USMNT abroad vs one player per MLS team
by plaid_pants (2018-07-17 21:57:42)
Edited on 2018-07-18 02:30:55

The question below about selecting the USMNT with one player from each MLS team deserved a little analysis. I am going to cut off the older players on this list to make it a plausible 2022 team.

First, the all abroad USMNT, noting three players were developed by the MLS:
GK Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge 39 apps) 5 caps
DR Eric Lichaj (Nott Forrest 173 apps) 15 caps or Yedlin (Newcastle 61 apps, started in MLS) 52 caps
DC Matt Miazga (Vitess 55 apps, started in MLS) 7 caps
DC Carter Vickers (Ipswich 14 apps) 5 caps
DL Villafana (Santos Laguna 53 apps, started in MLS) 19 caps or Antonee Robinson (Bolton 30 apps) 2 caps
M Julian Green (Furth 24 apps) 10 caps
M Weston McKennie (Schalke 23 apps) 4 caps
M Joe Corona (250 apps in Liga MX, 15 apps at America) 23 caps
M Fabien Johnson (Gladbach 77 apps) 57 caps
FC Christian Pulisic (Dortmund 70 apps) 21 caps
FC Timothy Weah (PSG 3 apps) 3 caps




Now selecting one player per MLS team:
ATL: Darlington Nagbe - shuttling midfielder/defensive winger (25 caps)
CHI: Dax McCarty - holding midfielder (13 caps, 11 youth caps)
CLB: Gyasi Zardes - winger, deep lying forward (38 caps)
DCU: Paul Arrioloa - winger (16 caps, 29 youth caps)
MON: Evan Bush - goal keeper #3...there is nobody else
NER: Kelyn Rowe - utility wide player, fullback/winger (4 caps, 11 youth caps)
NYC: Sean Johnson - goal keeper #1 (5 caps, 6 youth caps)
NYR: Tyler Adams - utility player, fullback, midfield (6 caps, 35 youth caps)
ORL: Sacha Kljestan - #10 attacking midfielder (52 caps, 32 youth caps)
PHI: Alejandro Bedoya - defensive winger (66 caps)
TOR: Jozy Altidore - #9 (better used as a holding winger as Lukaku was used against Brazil) - 110 caps
COL: Edgar Castillo - left fullback (18 caps, 11 Mexico youth caps)
DAL: Kellyn Acosta - midfielder (17 caps, 39 youth caps)
HOU: Luis Gil - midfielder (2 caps, 62 youth caps)
LAG: Sebastian Lletget - winger (3 caps, 11 youth caps)
LAF: Lee Nguyen - attacking midfielder #10 (9 caps, 2 youth caps)
MUFC: Miguel Ibarra - winger (3 caps)
POR: Marco Farfan - left fullback (no caps)
RSL: Danilo Acosta - defender (16 youth caps) or Brooks Lennon (24 youth caps)
SJE: Fatai Alashe - midfielder (23 youth caps)
SEA: Jordan Morris - attacking forward (25 caps, 16 youth caps)
SKC: Matt Besler - central defender (47 caps and ND alum)
VAN: Aaron Maund - defender (8 youth caps and ND alum)


For a head-to-head of battle (which would make a hell of an all-star game...hint hint MLS):

------------------Horvath-------------------
Lichaj----Miazga----------Vickers---Villafana
---------------------------------------------
Corona-------Green-------McKennie----Johnson
---------------------------------------------
-----------Pulisic--------Weah-------------



------------------Altidore------------------
----------------------------------------------
Nagbe-------------Kljestan-------Lletget/Zardes
------------------------------------------------
-------K. Acosta---------------T. Adams-------
-----------------------------------------------
Castillo-----Besler-----D. Acosta--------Maund-
-----------------------------------------------
------------------Sean Johnson----------------


In general the MLS has an excess of below international quality central midfielders, and both squads are short on striker depth.


**Edit**: I think we should use the European line-up for games in Europe and the MLS line-up for games in CONCACAF to have less flight time and be more suited to the quality of play and refereeing. I also think we should play international friendlies in both Europe and CONCACAF simultaneously each FIFA window, one with each team. We can use all of the practice we can get.


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