Emergence of Nagbe offers needed help and cover for Pulisic and U.S.

A brace from young superstar Christian Pulisic led the way for a crucial USMNT win and three points in the Hex.

Christian Pulisic is confident that USMNT can build off their World Cup qualifier win and continue to progress as a squad.

Taylor Twellman says Christian Pulisic is showing plenty of promise to be the best U.S. international player ever.

USMNT head coach Bruce Arena says he was satisfied with his side’s victorious response after a frustrating first half.
COMMERCE CITY, Colorado — There’s no stopping Christian Pulisic. And now it looks as though he’s getting some help.
As he has been for much of 2017, Pulisic was front and center Thursday night, scoring twice in the U.S. men’s national team’s 2-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago; of the Americans’ past eight goals, Pulisic has scored four, assisted on another three, and earned a free kick that was converted for a goal.

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Trinidad and Tobago

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Pulisic was his usual stoic self afterward, though his tone of voice perked up…

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Arena must get U.S. balance right for crucial WC qualifiers vs. T&T, Mexico

U.S. U-20 coach Tab Ramos laments their exit to Venezuela, but staunchly affirms the side’s immense talent for the future.

It’s a no-brainer that Christian Pulisic should start every time. But the right supporting cast will be key.

When Bruce Arena took the job as head coach of the United States men’s national team again, he had a pressing problem. The squad, languishing in last place after the first two Hexagonal round qualifiers, desperately needed points in their games against Honduras and Panama. A win and a draw later, the panic about reaching the 2018 World Cup has decreased if not entirely subsided.

Arena, however, finds himself with a new problem: Who should start in the midfield and forward spots?

The manager…

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U.S. Hot List: Dempsey, Morris impress but defensive injuries are a concern

LA’s struggles continued as Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris both scored to earn three points for Seattle.
One U.S. national team mainstay made consecutive Premier League starts for the first time since August, while another is heading back to England’s top flight after a productive detour in the second tier. In MLS, meanwhile, several attacking players are showing off their sharpness, but there’s also worrying injury news for Bruce Arena, both at home and overseas.
With the start of the next national team camp just over a month away, which Americans are trending north and whose stock is heading the…

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Nagbe, Giovinco have breakout performances; Union still winless

From Darlington Nagbe’s stunner to Cyle Larin’s brace, relive all the goals from Week 8 in MLS.

Sebastian Giovinco capped a brace with a brilliant free kick to lead Toronto FC past Chicago Fire.

NYCFC made a late push but could not overcome the 2-goal deficit created from Orlando City’s Cyle Larin.
With another round of Major League Soccer in the books, here’s who fired and who failed this weekend:
Heroes
The frustration with Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe that is so routinely expressed by Portland fans and Nagbe admirers alike is about one thing: His maddening unwillingness to use his ample gifts to take over games. Sure, the Timbers have Diego Valeri to do the bulk of the creative work, but Nagbe’s combination of speed and technique screams for him to shine more in the final…

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U.S. Hot List: Kellyn Acosta on the rise, Alejandro Bedoya on the outs?

The guys chat with U.S. star Jermaine Jones, who has a message for his doubters, and ICC mastermind Charlie Stillitano.

As much as our U.S. Hot List exists primarily to track how American players’ performances with their clubs impact their standing with the national team, the recent international break revealed even more about where members of the squad stand in the estimation of coach Bruce Arena.

The choices that Arena made both with his roster and his lineup for last month’s World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Panama provided the first real window into the current pecking order. And that information that…

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MLS Winners and Losers: Clint Dempsey shines, Sebastian Lletget injured

Clint Dempsey tells Julie Stewart-Binks that his hat trick in his national team return will help him build confidence.

Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez recap the return of Tim Howard in Colorado’s 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls.

Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter joins the Heineken ESPN FC Boot Room to discuss Darlington Nagbe’s potential, his ideal U.S. starting XI and more.

Herculez Gomez attributes Clint Dempsey’s success for both club and country to his fighting spirit.

After playing an abbreviated schedule last weekend during FIFA’s most recent international window, Major League Soccer returns this weekend with a full slate of games. The impact of the international break will linger on by players and their clubs, however. Here are some of the biggest winners and losers as the attention on league play resumes.

Winners 

Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders/USA:
For a guy who wasn’t even supposed to be called in by U.S. coach Bruce Arena after missing eight…

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Nagbe impresses, but US struggle to goalless draw in Arena’s return

A couple shots went just wide, but the U.S. couldn’t find the back of the net against Serbia in their first match of 2017.

FC’s Ian Darke and Taylor Twellman share their takeaways from the draw between the U.S. and Serbia as well as their standout performers.

U.S. head coach Bruce Arena was pleased with his side’s performance against Serbia despite the match ending scoreless.
Bruce Arena’s return to the sidelines with the U.S. Men’s National Team came in the form of a friendly against Serbia at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. With the stakes just a bit higher than in a usual January camp friendly, the Americans ended the day with a slightly dispiriting goalless draw.

United States

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Positives
A wave of enthusiasm swept in with Bruce Arena, as the one-time USMNT boss returned to the job after Jurgen Klinsmann’s dismissal, and there was at least some evidence of it on the field in San…

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Who will be the breakout U.S. national team stars in 2017?

Bruce Arena tells ESPN FC’s Taylor Twellman he has enjoyed working with the players in camp with the U.S.
In many ways, Bruce Arena’s version of the United States men’s national team will look similar to the squad that took the field during 2016. Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Fabian Johnson, Christian Pulisic and a few others are surefire starters, while another handful of players are locks to make the game-day roster. But that doesn’t mean there’s not room for new faces or changes to the depth chart.
Here are 10 players who could dramatically improve their national team standing in 2017.
The Newcomers:…

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Qualifying for the 2018 World Cup first and foremost for Arena, the USMNT

The FC crew assess Bruce Arena’s call-ups for the U.S. January camp, highlighted by several newcomers and the return of Benny Feilhaber.

ESPN FC’s Doug McIntyre assesses where Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones will fit best in Bruce Arena’s team.

Bruce Arena joins Taylor Twellman to discuss what he hopes to accomplish as the new U.S. men’s national team coach.

The FC panel answer your tweets on the playoff series between Toronto and Montreal, Bruce Arena’s January call-ups and more.
The United States men’s national team will kick off their 2017 campaign with the traditional January camp, which opens on Friday. It’s a squad in the midst of a rebrand with new (and old) manager Bruce Arena now at the helm after the up and down Jurgen Klinsmann era came to an end in November. There’s plenty to accomplish, and little time to do so. Here are 17 goals for the Americans in 2017.

1. Qualify for the 2018 World Cup
Klinsmann’s ouster occurred at least in part because the Stars and Stripes…

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