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Landon Donovan Has Contrarian Take on Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT Call-Up

Donovan and Tim Howard also named their top five best USMNT young players right now.
Grey Whitebloom|
Landon Donovan (left) is never one to hide his true opinion.
Landon Donovan (left) is never one to hide his true opinion. | Nick Potts/PA Images/Getty Images (Donovan), Omar Vega/Getty Images (Pochettino)

U.S. men’s national team joint-top scorer Landon Donovan admitted to rating New England Revolution midfielder Brooklyn Raines above his Red Bull New York counterpart Adri Mehmeti, who earned a call-up for Mauricio Pochettino’s latest roster while his compatriot went overlooked.

Raines and Mehmeti both earned their first caps during the extended September-October fixtures. While the slightly more senior Revs operator featured in all four wins, the teenage Mehmeti was an unused substitute in the biggest fixture of all, a 3–0 triumph over Mexico.

Looking back on the 17-year-old’s performances across the recent slate of fixtures, Donovan wasn’t entirely convinced. “He was O.K,” the pundit shrugged on his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer.

“I’m curious to see how that goes over time, but I do wonder—long-term—if he’s a guy who’s going to take [the position of] Tyler Adams or Weston [McKennie] or [Malik] Tillman or even Aidan Morris or [Sebastian] Berhalter. That’s going to be hard.”

Brooklyn Raines (left) and Adri Mehmeti.
Brooklyn Raines (left) and Adri Mehmeti have two different backers. | David Berding/USSF/Getty Images (Raines), Brace Hemmelgarn/USSF/Getty Images (Mehmeti)

Donovan, by contrast, had plenty of praise for Raines, who is four years Mehmeti’s senior.

“He’s very simple in the way he plays,” the former forward gushed. “Tyler [Adams], in a lot of ways, is very simple in the way he plays. He just does everything at an elite level, in a very simple way, which makes your team tick.”

Unlike Mehmeti, Raines didn’t make Pochettino’s roster for November’s fixtures, but he did feature on Donovan’s list of the best USMNT young talents—which is definitely the real quiz.

Landon Donovan, Tim Howard Name Five Best USMNT Young Players Right Now

In the challenge of naming the best USMNT player under the age of 22, there were some notable differences in the lists provided by Donovan and fellow former senior international Tim Howard.

The two World Cup veterans both agreed on three stand-out youngsters, which inspired its own intriguing conclusions. The undisputed Cavan Sullivan was an obvious lock considering he managed to translate his prolific form for the Philadelphia Union onto the international stage in the fall, becoming the youngest player in the program’s history to score after lobbing Mexico’s Raúl Rangel from range.

Julian Hall, who performed even better than Sullivan during his debut camp under Pochettino, was also selected by both ex-pros, alongside the more insightful pick of goalkeeper Diego Kochen.

The Barcelona loanee at Danish side Lyngby is in a fierce battle to earn the starting shot-stopper spot for his country. Kochen played three halves during the September-October friendlies, the same as his main rival for the spot, Brian Schwake. Both had moments which impressed without either mounting a clear lead in a battle which will continue this month.

Landon Donovan’s Top Five

  1. Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union)
  2. Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund)
  3. Julian Hall (Red Bull New York)
  4. Brooklyn Raines (New England Revolution)
  5. Diego Kochen (Lyngby)

Donovan rated Borussia Dortmund’s Mathis Albert, who failed to make Howard’s list entirely, as the second best prospect within the USMNT ranks. “Everybody in camp was like, This kid’s special,” Donovan revealed by way of explanation.

The aforementioned Raines naturally made Donovan’s list while Howard sided with Pochettino by picking Mehmeti. The former Everton goalkeeper also had a soft spot for Crystal Palace’s scarcely spotted Zavier Gozo, who has been dropped this month after amassing a grand total of 45 minutes for the senior side this season.

Tim Howard’s Top Five (Unranked)

  • Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union)
  • Julian Hall (Red Bull New York)
  • Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York)
  • Diego Kochen (Lyngby)
  • Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace)
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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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