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Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

USMNT Watch: How American standouts are performing on world stage

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 4:07 PM ET

The U. S. Men's National team is two months away from a crucial test in the Gold Cup, a biennial tournament that decides North America's strongest soccer team. The Gold Cup will be the USMNT's last competitive international competition before the United States, Canada and Mexico host the World Cup in 2026, and the pressure is on for it to perform.

Here's how USMNT players are playing on the world stage as the Gold Cup draws near:

Winger Christian Pulisic | AC Milan, Italy

This is a less-than-stellar season for AC Milan, which was eliminated from the Champions League before the knockout rounds and sits ninth in Italy's Serie A. But there's one bright spot in Milan's dismal season: Pulisic, who scored Sunday in a 2-0 victory over Venezia.

The goal was his 50th goal/assist in all competitions for the team since joining Milan in 2023. Pulisic, Milan's leading goal scorer this season, is putting together one of the stronger seasons for an American abroad in history.

"It's always good to get goals and assists," Pulisic said after the match, per goal.com. "That's our job." Sure, but some players do that job better than others — and Pulisic is doing it better than just about everyone.

Defender Chris Richards | Crystal Palace, England

Defense has been a weak spot for the USMNT for years, but 25-year-old Alabama native Richards is looking to change that. He played in all 90 minutes of Crystal Palace's 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday in an FA Cup semifinal.

Richards has played lights-out in the FA Cup since the tournament started last fall. He and his Palace back line have conceded just one goal on their way to the final against Man City on May 17.

"Hopefully we can make it just one goal conceded for the whole tournament," Richards said, per the Crystal Palace website.

Defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty | Celtic, Scotland

Carter-Vickers and Trusty, Celtic's American center back pairing, lifted the Scottish Premiership trophy on Saturday after beating Dundee United 5-0. It's Celtic's 55th Premiership title, which levels it with Glasgow rival Rangers for the most wins in Scottish Premiership history.

Midfielder Johnny Cardoso | Real Betis, Spain

Cardoso led Betis to an impressive 5-1 win over Valladolid in La Liga on April 24. The win lifted Betis to sixth in La Liga and put it just one point outside of the Champions League qualification spots for next season.

Cardoso is a composed, cerebral midfielder vital to Betis' success but is rarely the star of the show. Don't let his lack of flash fool you, though. His fitness, consistency and intelligence make him a crucial depth piece for the USMNT.

Diego Luna | Real Salt Lake, United States

Luna scored twice Saturday against San Diego FC, but it was his first goal — an impressive solo effort that began with a muscly interception and ended with a looped shot into the top corner — that showed off his skill set best.

"That's just my style of play, right?" he said, per goal.com. "I'm not the tallest, not the fastest, not the strongest, right, but it's the creativity and the risk-taking that's gotten me here."

Creativity and risk-taking? Sounds like exactly what the USMNT needs as it gears up for the Gold Cup. After years on the sidelines, Luna is finally a shoo-in for the senior roster.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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