The US national team will kick off a new cycle in their history on Tuesday, when they face Portugal in Leiria in a friendly. Interim USMNT head coach Dave Sarachan has called up a roster of 21 players, mostly young or players not central to the national team in recent years, to feature in Portugal.
Of course, there are always players who miss the call who may deserve a shot. Here are some of the top snubs for the latest roster:
Christian Ramirez
Seriously, what does this guy need to do? The Minnesota United striker is the Rodney Dangerfield of American soccer, unable to get the full measure of respect due to a player who has succeeded at each level of pro soccer he's played. Following a 14-goal season in 2017 at the MLS level, where his scoring rate was just a tick under a goal every two games, the 26-year-old is still waiting for a debut USMNT call. Strikers are always in demand, aren't they? What's it going to take to get a selection?
Tim Parker
The Vancouver Whitecaps center back is probably the very first name on Carl Robinson's lineup sheet each week, and he's put in two and a half seasons of consistency. You may be a bit surprised to learn that Parker is still 24, so he's outgrown the "prospect" stage but has a good combination of experience and productive years ahead of him. If given a chance, it's not hard to see Parker become the next Matt Besler of the US national team – quiet but productive. But first, he needs a chance to show what he can do.
Justen Glad
Now if you are looking for a player who's more of a prospect, albeit one with a fair amount of hype (and first-team minutes) look no further than Glad. The 20-year-old has been a regular for Real Salt Lake when not injured or on international duty, stepping into a high-pressure situation with aplomb. If his progress continues at an upward trajectory, don't be surprised if he's MLS Defender of the Year material very soon, and drawing major interest from European teams.
Erik Palmer-Brown
It's probably a good sign that there's a number of center back options who could push for a call-up very soon, but another player on the outside looking in for the Portugal friendly is EPB. The 20-year-old has experience playing professionally in Portugal, for Porto's B team, and he's about to leave the hometown comforts of Sporting Kansas City for the lion's den of Manchester City. He's going to have to go through a gauntlet in the next two years, in finding his feet and likely making a quick adjustment to a loan stint, but getting a senior USMNT call-up would have been a good way to kick off his European adventure.
There are, of course, a few other players who probably should have been called up, but their teams are still in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs: Cristian Roldan, Marky Delgado, Zack Steffen.
