USMNT
Which USMNT players are performing best this season?
Berhalter’s USMNT are set for a pair of tricky ties, but some of their squad come into the break in fine form.
The USMNT are set to take on Germany and Ghana in a pair of friendly fixtures that come at the end of a long and demanding season in MLS.
Manager Gregg Berhalter has named his squad for the upcoming clashes with plenty of interesting yet recognisable faces to defend the Stars and Stripes badge. “In line with our long-term strategic approach towards 2026, we have a great opportunity to play against two world-class opponents and continue to progress our group of players,” Berhalter said. “We are focused on selecting strong rosters and maintaining continuity as much as possible, and this is another important building block.”
Out of the players involved, many of them have had solid seasons up until this point. But who has been the star performer for their club side? Let’s take a look:
Who is the highest performer in the USMNT squad?
Malik Tillman, born to a German mother and American father, tops the Sofascore list with an average rating of 7.34 so far for PSV. However, the attacking midfielder will not be able to strut his stuff against Germany and Ghana as he has left the squad due to injury. German journalist Kerry Hau reported that “Bayern player Malik Tillman (currently on loan at PSV Eindhoven) has had to withdraw from international duty with the USA due to injury [...] and will be out of action for around two weeks.” No other information was given.
Next on the list is Christian Pulisic, who is presumably having a great time during his first season with AC Milan. “It was love at first sight for me too, especially when I saw the fans. I had never found a passion like this”, said Pulisic to La Gazzetta dello Sport back in September, “the culture here is very different than in London, in some things in Italy the pace is slower and I really like this thing that I can have the sun every day.”
Who makes the top ten highest performers?
In 8 games Pulisic has 4 goals and 1 assist this season for the 7-time European champions, and has impressed under Stefano Pioli in the Champions League. He also scored AC Milan’s last-minute winning goal against Genoa in Serie A, with an assist from fellow US international Yunus Musah.
Staying in Italy, Weston McKennie appears on the list as the midfielder has played 8 times for Juventus this season, although he has no goals and just one assist. It is something of a redemption season for the former Schalke 04 player, as his previous season, on loan at Leeds United, was a disaster class in being a Premier League footballer. McKennie looked off the pace from minute one and never managed to get up to the speed in the league, meaning the English club rejected an option to sign him on a permanent deal. However, fortunately for The Old Lady and Gregg Berhalter, he appears to have turned a corner after leaving Yorkshire.
Folarin Balogun is the USMNT’s top performing striker
Folarin Balogun, a player with a lot of media hype and plenty of potential, also makes the list, down in 9th position with a 6.92 per game average. The striker is the hope of the future for the USMNT, and a move away from Arsenal to Monaco appears to have done wonders for his confidence.
The forward, who is just 22-years-old, has scored 3 in 5 and has 1 assist to his name so far. His last goal came against Stade Reims, where he got a late strike in a 3-1 win. However, his strongest performance of the campaign arguably came the week before, when he got a goal and an assist in Monaco’s 3-2 win over Marseille. He is the future for the USMNT, and it appears just a matter of time before Gregg Berhalter puts the responsibility firmly on his shoulders.
All statistics used in this article come from sofascore.com