USA's U-20 World Cup team not as experienced as in 2015

Christian Pulisic is eligible but not available for the USA’s 2017 U-20 World Cup team. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder will be busy with the German Cup final and USA World Cup qualifiers. That leaves Coach Tab Ramos’ squad with 10 players who have made their pro league debuts, compared to 12 in 2015 U-20 World Cup and six for the 2013 tournament.

U.S. U-20s’ Pro Experience:
GOALKEEPERS (3) 
GP/G PLAYER CURRENT TEAM
0/- Jonathan Klinsmann (Univ. of California)
0/- J.T. Marcinkowski (Georgetown Univ.)
0/- Brady Scott (De Anza Force)

DEFENDERS (7) 
GP/G PLAYER CURRENT TEAM
4/0 Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake)
0/0 Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham/England)
0/0 Marlon Fossey (Fulham/England D2)
35/2 Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake)
0/0 Aaron Herrera (Univ. of New Mexico)
10/0 Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City)
27/0 Tommy Redding (Orlando City)

Justin Glad

MIDFIELDERS (5) 
GP/G PLAYER CURRENT TEAM
8/0 Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls)
0/0 Luca De La Torre (Fulham/ENG D2)
8/0 Derrick Jones (Philadelphia Union)
0/0 Eryk Williamson (Univ. of Maryland)
8/1 Gedion Zelalem (VVV Venlo/Netherlands D2)

FORWARDS (6)
GP/G PLAYER CURRENT TEAM
1/0 Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers)
0/0 Lagos Kunga (Atlanta United academy)
8/1 Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake)
0/0 Emmanuel Sabbi (unattached)
0/0 Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri)
17/0 Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake)
GP=First-team pro league games.

Nine of the 10 players who’ve made their pro debuts ply their trade in MLS, including three who debuted this season: Danny Acosta, Derrick Jones and Brooks Lennon.

Ramos’ 2015 squad, which reached the quarterfinals, included 10 foreign-based players. The 2017 squad has four-foreign-based players, only one of whom has played in a first-team league game:Gedion Zelalem.

Going into the 2015 U-20 World Cup, 12 U.S. players made a combined 187 first-team appearances compared to 10 players in 2017 with a total of 126.