Pochettino Bets on the Teenagers: Five Young Prospects Emerging in the US Men's National Team

Thirteen of the 28 players called up have never worn the senior national team jersey before. Of those thirteen, eight are still teenagers. Those numbers alone say plenty about the direction Mauricio Pochettino is taking ahead of the late September and early October friendlies: giving a break to several regulars and opening the door to a generation dreaming, unhurried but unstoppable, of the 2030 World Cup.

This is no ordinary list. Some of these kids are still literally teenagers in soccer terms, yet they're already putting up numbers that turn heads. Here are five names worth tracking during this window, with data from the last 365 days across all competitions.

Zavier Gozo, the tireless engine

At just 19, the midfielder made his MLS debut in 2023 with Real Salt Lake and this summer made the jump to the Premier League with Crystal Palace. He typically plays on the right flank, and his energy is on another level: 8.1 progressive carries per 90 minutes. Even though he hasn't played in MLS since July, he still ranks second among the league's teenagers in total progressive carries and dribbles.

Over the past year he has racked up six goals and five assists in 1,614 minutes, with 3.1 shots per game and 6.8 defensive actions per 90 minutes, a number that confirms he wins the ball back too.

He's a physical beast. If I told you the numbers he runs, for his age, I think they're world class.Nate Miller

Miller himself doesn't hold back when discussing his future: "We don't know who's going to end up standing out, but he should be one of the main guys for the national team going forward."

A teenager in the Bundesliga and a phenom bound for Manchester

In April, Mathis Albert became, at 16 years old, the youngest American to debut in the Bundesliga, doing so in the colors of Borussia Dortmund. His minutes off the bench are still limited, but he averages 8.3 progressive carries, 3.3 shots and 11.9 ground duels per 90 minutes. In a recent 5-0 rout of Hamburg in the German Cup, he was his team's leader in shots, dribbles and duels won.

Youth coach Gonzalo Segares describes him without hesitation:

He was fearless, he was brave, he was tireless. What stood out most was his one-on-one ability; that's something special we look for in attacking players, and he had it.Gonzalo Segares

Then there's Cavan Sullivan, only 16 years old and already with a ticket booked for Manchester City once he turns 18. Since MLS resumed after the World Cup, he's been keeping pace with Lionel Messi: the two lead the league with 13 goals plus assists apiece. He averages 1.10 goals plus assists, 2.4 chances created and 2.9 shots per 90 minutes. Philadelphia Union interim coach Ryan Richter points to something beyond the stats: "A lot of attention gets paid to the creative side, but what strikes me most is his mentality, his competitiveness and how he approaches every day."

The New York Red Bulls' twin engines

Forward Julian Hall, 18, is MLS's leading teenage scorer this season with 10 goals in 26 games. He converts 51 percent of his shots on target and, over the last year, has combined for 18 goals plus assists in 2,448 minutes. Coach Michael Bradley sums him up this way: "What stands out most with Julian is his mentality. The speed, the ability to change a game, to get behind defenses, that's already clear to see. He has real belief in himself."

His teammate Adri Mehmeti, 17, does the less glamorous but equally valuable work: he leads the entire league with 6.6 recoveries per 90 minutes and also tops the teenage rankings in touches and line-breaking passes. Bradley is asking for patience with his development: "Now the challenge is learning to manage a game over 90 minutes, understanding when to take risks, when to hold onto the ball and when to give the team a breather." With Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada on the schedule, it will be interesting to see how he responds in his first call-up.