3 American Defenders In Europe To Watch In 2019: Gutman, Moore, & Richards

3 American Defenders In Europe To Watch In 2019: Gutman, Moore, & Richards

These three young American defenders in Europe could contribute to Gregg Berhalter's USMNT sooner rather than later.

Jan 21, 2019 by Wesley Davidson
3 American Defenders In Europe To Watch In 2019: Gutman, Moore, & Richards

The U.S. men’s national team is in the midst of its first camp with Gregg Berhalter at the helm. Team morale is reportedly high and the players involved have been full of praise for the new tactician. There was an unfortunate development, however, as FC Cincinnati defender Greg Garza pulled out of camp with a quad injury.

The camp is comprised entirely of MLS players, as Berhalter is operating in a window outside of the official international calendar and will be watching Yanks in Europe from afar. Friendly matches against familiar foes Costa Rica and Panama will round out the camp.

Meanwhile, American youngsters in Europe are already making waves this weekend. Both Celtic’s Tim Weah — on loan from PSG — and Dundee United’s Ian Harkes found the back of the net in their debuts, and both will be hoping to fine-tune their game in Scotland in the months to come.

This year is the most crucial in recent memory for the U.S Soccer Federation following a World Cup absence and new coaching hire. Newcomers and veterans alike will be bending over backward to cement a place in Berhalter’s plans moving forward. Offensive stars such as Weah and Christian Pulisic will likely steal the headlines, but there are several U.S. defenders in Europe with plenty to prove. 

Here are three to keep tabs on in 2019:

1. Andrew Gutman

The Chicago Fire continue to kick themselves over losing out on the top talent out of the college ranks. The Illinois native and 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy winner (top male college player) is a homegrown talent and turned down the Fire’s offer in favor of joining the Scottish powerhouse Celtic.

Gutman quickly got his first minutes for the Hoops following the move across the pond. He featured for the Celtic reserves on Saturday in a 4-3 friendly loss to Arbroath. There has been significant turnover in recent years at the left back position for the Stars and Stripes, which should give the 22-year-old plenty to work toward under manager Brendan Rodgers and alongside American teammates Tim Weah and Manny Perez.

2. Shaq Moore

The U.S. selection for right back was a no-brainer for years when Steve Cherundolo bombed forward in attack while being just as sure-footed in defense. Following his retirement, the national team thoroughly struggled to find a consistent replacement. However, Newcastle’s Deandre Yedlin has made tremendous strides in England, most notably in his defensive capabilities, and he surely has the position locked up for now.

In 2017 Moore became just the fourth American player to feature in La Liga (Levante), demonstrating plenty of promise on top of his quality performances for U.S. youth squads. While making five appearances for the Stars and Stripes senior team in 2018, his club career has taken a downturn with a season-long loan to Reus in the Spanish second division. He will need to rediscover his previous form in 2019 to catch and hold the attention of Berhalter.

3. Chris Richards

Life came fast for Richards in the summer of 2018. The FC Dallas product joined a laundry list of Americans plying their trade in Germany when he completed a loan deal to Bayern Munich in July. The 18-year-old made his debut for Bayern Munich in an International Champions Cup match against French giants PSG shortly thereafter.

Richards recently signed permanently with Bayern and will likely continue to develop with the under-19 side. The center back is physically adept and has tremendous skill with the ball at his feet, making him a prime candidate for development in Berhalter’s system.

As the new boss makes the transition from club competition to working with players only a handful of times a year, the chance is there for American players to make their case as to why they should feature heavily in a new era for U.S. Soccer.


Wesley is a graduate of the University of Alabama (BA) and the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (MA). He currently works in youth soccer in Austin, Texas, and can be found on Twitter.