Several Americans in Europe made waves over the weekend at their respective clubs, and they will be hoping their performances over the final stretch earn coveted spots at the 2019 Gold Cup under Gregg Berhalter. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams continue to garner much of the recognition and are part of an ever-growing list of Yanks who have found success in Germany.
Midfield competition abounds in the U.S. player pool and there are a number of talents in addition to McKennie and Adams who stand plenty to gain this year. FloFC’s "Americans in Europe" series continues, this time with the spotlight on those making their teams click in the middle of the park.
Kenny Saief
Israeli-American Kenny Saief was virtually an unknown commodity when he broke into the national team in 2017 following an approved change of association request. Born in Panama City, Florida, under rather unusual circumstances, the 25-year-old first began play in Europe in 2014 with Belgian outfit Gent and has since moved to Anderlecht, following in the footsteps of American midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
Colombia ran Saief’s side of the field ragged in an October friendly in his fourth and most recent appearance. Saief was included in the November camp under interim manager Dave Sarachan, but he departed early due to an injury-related lack of fitness.
Once recovered from a summer injury, the 25-year-old featured heavily in fall club matches against Belgian and Europa League opponents but has been in and out of the squad in recent months. 2019 provides a valuable chance to recover his form and prove that his work rate, physicality and offensive capabilities can play a role for the Stars and Stripes.
Emerson Hyndman
Fulham F.C. continued their trend of dipping into American talent when Academy Director Huw Jennings convinced Hyndman to join as a 15-year-old in 2011. Following a 2014-2016 spell for the senior team, the Dallas native signed for Bournemouth where he proceeded to complete loan spells at Scottish sides Rangers and Hibernian before making a return this month.
Hyndman is no stranger to those familiar with the U.S. system. The quintessential central midfielder captained the U20 side at World Cup in New Zealand, and he has since earned nine caps at the U23 level and two for the senior squad.
Hyndman may have made his return to Bournemouth just in time. A lack of options in midfield grants an increased possibility of securing minutes in the second half of Bournemouth’s Premier league campaign.
Lynden Gooch
The attacking midfielder has been a stalwart this season for Sunderland, who currently occupy the third position on the English League One table. He is a product of the club’s youth academy and has seen the pitch 28 times across all competitions in 2018-19 while producing an impressive six goals and eight assists. On New Year’s Eve, club officials were delighted to sign the 23-year-old to an extension that keeps him at the Stadium of Light until 2022.
U.S. midfielders have long been known for their no-frills, workmanlike approach, but Gooch’s creative flair, dribbling ability and pace make him an intriguing prospect for the type of play Berhalter wishes to implement at the national team level. He came into the USMNT picture toward the end of Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure and earned four appearances.
The 23-year-old’s performances may ultimately play a significant role in whether or not Sunderland gain promotion, which should warrant the attention of Berhalter as he constructs a roster for this summer’s CONCACAF competition.
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.