The past year has been one of transition for the U.S. Men’s National Team. Forging ahead after just missing out on qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the last 12 months have seen the MNT guided by the experienced hand of veteran coach Dave Sarachan.
Chosen to lead the program forward while the search for a General Manager and permanent head coach took place, Sarachan largely elected to use his time at the helm to give the next generation of U.S. Men’s National Team players their first taste of the international stage.
“I think he’s done a really good job of getting this group to understand what it means to be a U.S. Men’s National Team player,” said MNT midfielder Wil Trapp, who served as captain for much of the year. “Within that, you have so many young players that have gotten their feet wet and begun to step into roles on the team where the experience has grown, but I think the chemistry and comfort within this group has also gotten there.”
Knowing the experiences provided to young players early in the cycle were more important than results, the Rochester, N.Y. native’s tenure has largely been defined by laying the early groundwork for the Men’s National Team program as it approaches the rest of the cycle. In 12 matches guiding the MNT, Sarachan gave 23 players debuts – by far the most of any manager during the modern era in the same time span.
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MNT Debuts in First 12 Games of Tenure |
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Head Coach |
First Caps Awarded |
Time Frame |
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Dave Sarachan |
23 |
Nov 14, 2017-Nov. 20, 2018 |
|
Bruce Arena |
16 |
Nov. 6, 1998-Sept. 8, 1999 |
|
Bob Bradley |
15 |
Jan. 20, 2007-June 28, 2007 |
|
Jurgen Klinsmann |
9 |
Aug. 10, 2011-May 30, 2012 |
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Bruce Arena |
8 |
Jan. 29, 2017-July 19, 2017 |
|
Bora Milutinovic |
8 |
May 5, 1991-Oct. 19, 1991 |
|
Steve Sampson |
1 |
April 22, 1995-July 22, 1995 |
Twenty of the debuts that occurred under Sarachan came during 2018, a figure that ties with 2007 for second-most during the MNT’s modern era, just behind the 21 attained in 1992. Those years also saw the MNT play a much higher number of games, presenting Bora Milutinovic and Bob Bradley more opportunities to offer up first-time opportunities.
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MNT Debuts by Year (Modern Era) |
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|
Year |
GP |
Debuts |
Future World Cup Players That Debuted |
|
1992 |
21 |
21 |
Mike Burns, Thomas Dooley, Brad Friedel, |
|
2007 |
18 |
20 |
Jozy Altidore, Kyle Beckerman, |
|
2018 |
11 |
20 |
-- |
|
1996 |
16 |
14 |
Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Lewis, Eddie Pope, Preki |
Beyond the raw numbers, most valuable is the age at which MNT debuts have come under Sarachan. Of the 23 debutants, 13 have been age 22 or under, while 11 of those are players who will be age-eligible for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
As time goes by, that group would project to be in the prime years of their career when the USA co-hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
“Dave has done an incredible job of giving us the experiences we need now for the future,” said Tyler Adams, one of Sarachan’s 23 debutants. “When we look forward, whether it’s in the Olympics which a lot of us can play in or towards 2022 and 2026 World Cups, we’re going to be in our prime ages to go out and perform.”
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Olympic Eligible MNT Debuts (November 2017-November 2018) |
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Player |
Debut |
Debut Age |
2020 Age* |
2026 Age** |
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Tyler Adams |
Nov. 14, 2017 at Portugal |
18 |
21 |
27 |
|
Cameron Carter-Vickers |
19 |
22 |
28 |
|
|
Weston McKennie |
19 |
21 |
27 |
|
|
Tim Weah |
March 28, 2018 vs. Paraguay |
18 |
20 |
26 |
|
Erik Palmer-Brown |
May 28, 2018 vs. Bolivia |
21 |
23 |
29 |
|
Antonee Robinson |
20 |
22 |
28 |
|
|
Keaton Parks |
20 |
22 |
28 |
|
|
Josh Sargent |
18 |
20 |
26 |
|
|
Luca de la Torre |
June 2, 2018 at Ireland |
20 |
22 |
28 |
|
Jonathan Amon |
Oct. 16, 2018 vs. Peru |
19 |
21 |
27 |
|
Reggie Cannon |
20 |
22 |
27 |
|
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*2020 age reflects age at start of the Summer Olympics -- July 22, 2020 |
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**2026 age reflects age as of June 1, 2026 |
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And while minutes on the field are one thing, Sarachan’s tutelage has also helped set a number of players up for milestone career moments. Five players each have recorded their first goal or assist during Sarachan’s tenure, while two goalkeepers have earned their first win and kept their first clean sheet in the same time span.
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Individual Firsts Since November 2017 |
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First Goals |
First Assists |
First Win/Clean Sheet |
|
Tyler Adams |
Joe Corona |
Alex Bono |
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Weston McKennie |
Matt Miazga |
Zack Steffen |
|
Josh Sargent |
Antonee Robinson |
- |
|
Tim Weah |
CJ Sapong |
- |
|
Walker Zimmerman |
Tim Weah |
- |
Then there are the team moments, and while results haven’t been the most important factor during the past year, a young and rebuilding MNT group has come together to pull off some impressive performances.
The notable highlights began with Sarachan’s first match in charge, when an MNT side reeling from the World Cup disappointment a month earlier played to a 1-1 draw with reigning European Champions Portugal last November in Leiria.
Taking on Bolivia in May, Sarachan selected a lineup that averaged 22 years, 160 days – at the time, the youngest of the modern era – which had little difficulty in a 3-0 win against La Verde.
Facing a tougher task a couple weeks later, he boldly trotted out what was then the second youngest MNT lineup (22 years, 183 days) to face France in the host’s last match before heading to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. A first-half goal from Julian Green put the MNT in front in Lyon and saw the team ultimately settle for a 1-1 draw against the soon-to-be crowned World Cup champs.
Adams added, “It’s not easy to throw teenagers out on the field and there could have been guys that came in and already had a bunch of caps, but he’s trusted us and given the confidence to go in and be fearless to do our jobs.
“The experiences of playing France, Brazil, Portugal, England and Italy this past year will go a long way to help us be confident in our abilities.”
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MNT Player Pool Breakdown (November 2017-November 2018) |
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|
Called to Camp |
Appeared |
First Camps |
First Caps |
First Starts |
|
72 |
55 |
29 |
23 |
21 |
In September, Sarachan oversaw the USA’s 1-0 victory against Mexico in Nashville. The win was the MNT’s first against its regional rival since 2015, and memorably came on September 11, days after the team toured Ground Zero in New York.
In his final match as MNT head coach, Sarachan put out a group averaging 22 years, 71 days against Italy, besting the average age record set during May’s 3-0 win against Bolivia and setting a new mark that may never be broken.
The mission of guiding the MNT through the past year has been no easy task, but one the long-time coach has done with grace, class and the overriding goal of setting up the program for future success.
The path ahead is promising and Sarachan has played a big role in laying it.