Jalen Neal’s rise has been nothing short of extraordinary, and the LA Galaxy defender made even more history this weekend for the USMNT in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Starting in a back-four alongside Miles Robinson, the 19-year-old talent from Lakewood, California became the youngest central defender to start for the US in a knockout match, beating Steve Pecher’s record set in 1976, nearly 46 years ago.
Although Neal’s record-breaking appearance was cut short 73 minutes in, the accomplishment set by the Galaxy teenager is nothing short of impressive, with the Gold Cup this summer proving to be a real springboard for the defender in his development.
‘Bright future’ tipped for new USMNT star Jalen Neal
With 20 appearances in all competitions for the Galaxy since being promoted from the second team, Neal has come leaps and bounds for club and country this year. And there’s now a growing sense that the 19-year-old could one day become a superstar centre-back for the US.
Lauded by B.J. Callaghan as a talent with a ‘bright future’ in an interview with Goal, USMNT fans joked on social media last night that Neal was the creative heartbeat of the team in what was to be a dramatic win for the Stars and Stripes against Canada.
https://twitter.com/11Yanks/status/1678215239488159744
Indeed, the Gold Cup has recently been viewed as a competition for the US to field out the fringe players and to test out new blood at a decent level. And with Neal passing the test with flying colors, there sky is the limit for the history-making Galaxy defender.
Next stop, Europe?
With five international caps and a regular spot with the Galaxy now locked in, the big question now for Neal is when does the defender take the plunge to Europe. And after this year’s Gold Cup, an answer could soon be on the table.
There’s no doubt that scouts from Europe have been taking note of what the 19-year-old talent has done this summer, and with the pipeline between MLS and some of soccer’s biggest divisions now more fruitful than ever, it could be a matter of ‘when’ Neal makes the move rather than ‘if’.
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