FloFC continues its series looking at Gregg Berhalter's first team camp with the U.S. men's national team, which prospects he has chosen, and how their chances are shaping up.

Daniel Lovitz, Montreal Impact

Lovitz’s presence on the camp roster was a surprise. He’s 27 and an under-the-radar left-sided player, having spent three years as a depth option for Toronto FC and the following two quietly growing into a starting defender in Montreal. 

The USA never has a left back, so seeing what you have in a late-bloomer of a former second-round draft pick can’t be bad. Lovitz is a slight, skinny presence on the touchline with a willingness to venture forward. Watching how he develops, particularly on the defensive side, will be interesting on this year’s Montreal team.

Lovitz would need to impress quickly to solidify a fringe role on the national team, however.

Djordje Mihailovic | Chicago Fire

Mihailovic, a Chicago Homegrown signing, returned from an ACL tear in August and turned 20 in November, having re-earned a starting job in the Fire’s midfield. Mihailovic was part of the reason that Chicago Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic became so devoted to playing Bastian Schweinsteiger on the backline — it was an experiment that failed badly (and one that Pauno couldn’t seem to let go), but it helped give Mihailovic 582 late-season minutes as a midfielder.

Schweinsteiger is supposed to return to the midfield this year. On a Fire team desperate to erase 2018’s disaster, a midfield trio of Schweinsteiger, Mihailovic and Dax McCarty is enticing. Mihailovic is a connector in high places, though not an outright creator. He bounces around and has the feet and IQ to put his teammates in good spots. He’s a more aggressive, less versatile version of Alejandro Bedoya. 

Mihailovic managed a goal and four assists in those 582 minutes, quality on-goal production in a short span of time. He’s a name to watch on the USMNT level.

Harrison Hamm is a sportswriter who covers American soccer and MLS for FloFC. He also covers sports for FanSided and The Comeback, and has freelanced for the Washington Post.