GOAL US writers debate at Pulisic's upcoming season, USMNT coach search, and ask if Mbappe will make Real Madrid unstoppable
Although the EFL seasons opened last week, the higher-profile games are nearly upon us. Europe's big five leagues (the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and La Liga) will have all started their campaigns or domestic cup runs in full come Sunday, kicking off nine months of footballing chaos around the continent.
Many of the U.S. men's national team's top talents play at the club level in Europe, with Christian Pulisic starring at AC Milan and Timothy Weah playing at Juventus, to name two. This season could be crucial for a number of players in the USMNT player pool. Transfer rumors abound, like Weston McKennie and his status, plus chances for players to seize starring roles on their team – Cole Campbell comes to mind.
Meanwhile, the biggest transfer saga in recent memory has come to an end with Kylian Mbappe set to (finally) suit up for Real Madrid. It's fun on paper, but it will be fascinating to see how it all fits together in real life. It will all make for fascinating viewing, and the GOAL US writers break it all down in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
GettyWhich American player are you most excited to watch in Europe this season?
Tom Hindle: Tyler Adams (if he's ever fit). Love a reliable defensive midfielder, and at his best, Adams is as steady as they come. It's a shame that he was injured at Copa America. The U.S. captain is a real talent. Not sure if he can be a game-changer for any club, but for Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth, he could be a real asset. Until he's back, it will also be fascinating to see what happens with Gio Reyna. Can he recapture his form? Or will he fade into irrelevance? One of the top storylines of the season.
Jacob Schneider: The fair response here is Pulisic. He needs to show that his performance in Serie A was not just a one-season flash in the pan. From the perspective of excitement, though, there's a good chance that someone like Campbell at Borussia Dortmund could break into the first team and have an impressive debut season under a manager like Nuri Sahin. He had a top preseason with the senior roster and recently notched a goal and two assists in a 3-1 victory over Schalke for the U19 squad. Others to keep an eye on are Weah, who is rumored to be switching to striker under manager Thiago Motta at Juventus, and Folarin Balogun, who now has the keys to the forward position at Monaco with Wissam Ben Yedder out of the club.
Ryan Tolmich: Reyna, easily. This is a massive year relative to his future, and it won't all take place on the pitch. The first big challenge won't involve an opponent, but rather his agent and team figuring out what is the best fit for his future. Wherever he ends up, Reyna can't afford to waste another season. He's burned away too many at Dortmund, stalling his development in the process. A recent Instagram post hinted that his future may lie at Dortmund, but it all feels so uncertain. The 21-year-old needs to play, wherever that is, and his choice of where to go will have a lasting impact on his career. Hopefully, it's the right club that allows him to shine and, if it is, American fans will have a lot of fun this season.
AdvertisementGetty Is there a realistic candidate for the USMNT who can have an Emma Hayes-like impact?
TH: Realistically? Absolutely not. So much of the Hayes hire made sense. Here was a world-class coach, a serial winner with Chelsea FC women's team who also practiced her trade in America earlier in her career. She had coached the best on both sides of the pond, and had the right sort of ruthless streak to turn around a struggling side. The fit couldn't have been more perfect. The USMNT don't really have a manager of that caliber available in the coaching candidate pool. Jesse Marsch, now leading Canada, could have been that guy, but U.S. Soccer made the rather silly decision to not hire him. Unless Pep Guardiola decides to quit – or Jurgen Klopp decides he no longer has an utter contempt for international football – then it's a case of trying to sort between a number of distinctly "whelming" candidates.
JS: The answer is probably Zinedine Zidane, but that's unrealistic. You need a serial winner who is also interested in the team and the market here in the U.S., including MLS, the players abroad, and everything else that U.S soccer fans care about. Not sure that dynamic candidate exists.
RT: Probably not. The fact is that Hayes is arguably the best women's soccer coach on the planet – she just led the U.S. to a gold medal in just her 10th game – but Klopp or Guardiola isn't walking through that door on the men's side. The USMNT can get a very good coach, but can they get a great one? That remains to be seen. Even so, Hayes was handed a sleeping giant and a team with arguably the most talent of any in the world. That's not the case with the USMNT job so, no, there isn't a coach that can really replicate the miracle she pulled off this summer.
Getty ImagesWill this be Pulisic's best season yet?
TH: Who knows? He really raised his levels last season, and looked good for the USMNT this summer. His cameos as a No. 10 for Milan have been kind of fun, while a new manager might give him the kind of bounce he needs to become truly world class. Equally, a new position could really limit his involvement in the game – think Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool vibes. There will likely be some good and bad. Ask again in January.
JS: Hypothetically, it should be. He's the first member since Kaka himself to reach double digits in both goals and assists as a midfielder (yes, we realize he's a winger, let the agenda live). With rumors of him moving into the midfield at the 10 slot for the 2024-25 season, there will even be more opportunity to build on that through creative interplay in the final third. However, he's under a different manager, meaning nothing is guaranteed. This is arguably his most important season as a pro yet, but whether or not it will be the best remains to be seen.
RT: It could be. After last season, it really does feel like Pulisic has found a home, one where he can be "the guy." That feels even more pertinent this preseason as new coach Paulo Fonseca has handed the USMNT star the reigns as the team's No. 10. Is that his long-term position? Maybe not, but Fonseca trusting him to play there says plenty about how he rates the American star. Pulisic is clearly comfortable and, after years of uncertainty at Chelsea, that really does mean something. Comfort doesn't always lead to growth but, in this case, it's exactly what Pulisic needs to get better and better.
GettyDoes Kylian Mbappe make Real Madrid automatic UCL winners?
TH: Yes, probably (but you'd hope it's not that cut and dry.) Kylian Mbappe is either the best or second best player on the planet. Real Madrid are the best team in Europe. Put those together, with a genius of a manager in Carlo Ancelotti to oversee it all, and should really batter anyone. Butthere is a real chance that there might be some growing pains. Mbappe and Vinicius might clash positionally, and the whole fine-tuned machine thing could fall apart. In an likelihood, they will be too good for anyone. Still, there is a world in which this all goes wrong.
RT: Yes. Write it in Sharpie. The Champions League's final boss just added the best player in the world – let's not overthink this. Will there be things to iron out? Definitely. Chemistry will be an issue as this team looks to fit all of these attacking pieces together. Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Endrick, Jude Bellingham, it's almost too much, but Ancelotti won't complain. If there's anyone that can figure this out, it's him. He's coached superteams before. By the time May rolls around, this team will be a machine. Good luck to anyone trying to stop it.
JS: Absolutely not, despite that being the consensus. It showed at PSG with Mbappe, Neymar and Messi together — sometimes, too much star power in one club is difficult to manage. There's already something stirring in the pot as both Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. play on the left wing, and one of them will likely be asked to move central as they both cannot line up there. So who will play striker for Madrid? Rodrygo showed he is not a striker at Copa America and Endrick, well, he's still so young. Nothing is certain at a key position for Ancelotti.