From the NBA to the NFL, America has been flexing its muscles in many sports. One sport they particularly couldn’t capitalize on is the most popular one- soccer. With the introduction of many young talents, however, that may just change. 

“I think this year around, they[USMNT] have a lot of talent, such as Dest, Reyna, McKennie, and much more” Rene Lopez said, the captain of the Edison soccer team. “I think that they would start winning some trophies and make it far in the World Cup.”

Rene referred to some of the country’s top talents playing in Europe’s top five leagues. Sergino Dest is a left back for FC Barcelona, and is one of the most in-demand fullbacks in the world right now. Giovanni Reyna, playing for Borussia Dortmund, is another star who has been attracting attention. At just the age of 18, the teenager is having an admirable season this year with 3 goals and 4 assists. 

Other talents, like Christian Pulisic who is the most expensive American player ($78million), also add to the team’s brilliance. Weston McKennie, playing for Juventus FC, is a key player for the team’s campaign this season. At just the age of 22, McKennie is a top talent for the country. Whether this team can strike gold in the 2022 World Cup, however, is in question. 

“I think American fans are overconfident.” said Rene Lopez. “They are still young… really promising young talent. Hopefully they make it out of the group stage.”

Will this golden generation find success in the World Cup? Or is the team overrated? Only time will tell.