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.

Mark McKenzie & Auston Trusty | Philadelphia Union

I’m lumping these two together because they played many of their minutes together on Philly’s backline last year, as center back partners. The two U-20 national team veterans will enter their age-20 professional seasons (McKenzie turns 20 in February) likely as the Union’s starting central defenders. McKenzie was nominated for the Rookie of the Year, only losing out to Baird.

These two will grow and develop in tandem. Trusty in particular looks well-suited for on-ball duty under Berhalter, having assumed some distributing responsibilities in Philly. 

Keegan Rosenberry | Colorado Rapids

Philadelphia dealt Rosenberry to the Rapids this offseason with a logjam emerging at right back. Rosenberry should start immediately for a Rapids team that still has a lot of work to do — and should worry about lagging behind with Anthony Hudson still at the helm.

But Rosenberry rebounded in 2018 after he hit a sophomore slump in 2017, winning a weekly starting job again. This January camp should go better than the one he attended two years ago, after which he promptly lost his MLS starting spot. 

Berhalter was recently quoted as saying Rosenberry could play in the midfield as well as the backline. That would be an interesting experiment. It may hold the key to more Rosenberry call-ups.

Christian Ramirez | LAFC

Long a USMNT snub, Ramirez finally earned a call. He’s a pure goalscorer, with elite finishing ability and striker’s instinct. His primary use could be off the bench in an important game. Throw him out there and hope he can score a set piece equalizer. 

Two things hold Ramirez back. For one, he’s a one-dimensional type of striker, without foot skill or significant athleticism. Whether his finishing and poaching abilities offset his lack of stretchiness and on-ball skill is the important when considering Ramirez’s role.

His MLS role also calls into question his long-term prospects. He does not have a guaranteed spot in a stacked LAFC attack, and that super-sub poacher job could be what Bob Bradley has in mind for him. He needs playing time to stick around the USMNT picture, especially considering he turns 28 in April.

Tyler Miller | LAFC

There’s an unforeseen goalkeeping drain in U.S. Soccer right now. Until now, there always seemed to be a new bald dude ready to take the title of starting keeper, and often that bald guy played on a good Premier League team. 

Zack Steffen has loads of potential and is in fact on the books of a good Premier League team. But questions remain about his ability to avoid errors playing out of the back and his consistency as a refined shot-stopper. Behind Steffen, there are precious few options.

Miller is ready for his chance. He’s 25, which is about 22 or 23 in goalkeeping years, and fared fairly well in his first season as a starter for LAFC.

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.