Takeaways from USMNT's Trophy-Winning Summer

In 2019, 20-year-olds Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie watched Mexico walk across the stage to hoist the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record eighth time. The previous year was the first time the U.S. Men’s National Team failed to qualify for the World Cup for nearly 30 years. While the future looked bright with Pulisic and McKennie the face of the Gold Cup squad, and Tyler Adams watching from home due to injury, the present was dull in comparison.

The summer of 2021 makes the 2019 Gold Cup feel like a distant memory as the USMNT won both the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League and got their revenge with a Gold Cup win of their own. Both wins came in dramatic fashion against fierce rivals Mexico. Perhaps more promising than lifting two trophies in the eyes of Gregg Berhalter will be the squads he did it with.

The first trophy of the summer was the Nations League, and this USMNT squad featured the highest profile players the United States currently has to offer. Christian Pulisic of Chelsea, Giovanni Reyna of Borussia Dortmund, Weston McKennie of Juventus, Tyler Adams of RB Leipzig, Sergiño Dest of FC Barcelona, and Zack Steffen of Manchester City headlined an impressive squad of players.

Previous generations of USMNT fans were not used to seeing these clubs penciled into paper next to their player’s names on the team sheet. Pulisic, Reyna and McKennie all grabbed goals in a win which featured the youngest USMNT to start a final in the federation’s history.