After years of waiting, Sebastian Lletget is finally ready to take advantage of the opportunity of playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team. The LA Galaxy midfielder is one of 32 players vying for places in friendly matches against Serbia and Jamaica at the conclusion of the annual January camp in California.
Lletget, who moved to the Galaxy from West Ham United in 2015, was a key feature in the U.S. youth systems growing up, but his progression up to the senior international level stalled while at West Ham. Since joining the Galaxy, the 24-year-old has impressed with his versatility and pace in the middle of the park, and he’s hoping to now turn that into a spot with the senior team.
“The last couple of years in MLS, he’s played well,” USMNT boss Bruce Arena said. “Obviously this is a first time experience for him at the senior level internationally. He’s been with our youth teams in the past and he’s a good attacking player.
“He has versatility and can play a number of positions in the midfield, so it’s good to see how he fits in with this group and how he compares with some of the other players that have a little bit more experience.”
Lletget has plenty of familiarity with Arena’s system from his two seasons with the Galaxy, where he scored seven goals in his debut season. The midfielder has produced eight goals and 10 assists in 51 MLS matches.
The former West Ham product thinks Arena’s style won’t change too much as the manager returns to the international stage for a second go-around with the Yanks.
“I think he’s going to go with the same approach,” Lletget said. “I think it’s a different one because it’s at the international level and higher than the league we’re used to playing in. I don’t think he’s going to have too much of a difference.”
With so many players invited to the January camp, many of which are competing for spots in the already crowded midfield, there should be some inclination that spots are already locked up by certain players. But that is far from the case in Lletget’s eyes as he works toward his first cap with the USMNT.
“I think it’s clean and all the positions are up for grabs and that’s the way Bruce likes it,” Lletget said. “He’s always done it with the Galaxy and that’s the way I’ve grown to play with him so everybody’s going to fight for it.”
When you look at the midfield players called into this camp there are basically 3 groups:
Veterans: Bradley (30.9), Jones (36.7), Bedoya (31.2), Kljestan (32.8), Feilhaber (33.5)
MLS Vets: McCarty (31.2), Pontius (31.2)
Untested Players: Nagbe (28), Lletget (25.8), Trapp (25.5), Manneh (23.6)
Bruce will rely on veteran players initially as we need points. That means Jones, Bedoya, Kljestan/Feilhaber, etc… will be getting the majority of the minutes. That being said Bruce will use this camp to identify/Indoctrinate their likely MLS replacements (Nagbe, Lletget, Manneh).
Than once the European contingent is added (Pulisic, Gooch, Green, etc…) than the likes of Trapp, Pontius, McCarty won’t be getting called. And once we’ve secured qualification than any of the older crowd (Jones) or under performers (Bedoya, Kljestan) will get left off. I just can’t imagine the USMNT continuing to rely on Jones, Kljestan, Bedoya, & Feilhaber all staying in contention after 2017.
My bet: Barring injury, Jones is at the World Cup
No WAY a 38 yr old Jones should be playing midfield at the 2018 World Cup. NO WAY!!!
I believe the ages listed are how old they will be in Summer 2018. Jones will be 36 in Russia not 38.
At this point you have to also lump Nagbe in with the other MLS Vets, he’s been in the league for several years, has 2 mls cup appearances and one ship to his name.
I think it’s too early to say what players will be faded out after this year because it’s a new manager and new ideas being brought to the team. If you’re just going off of age, I don’t think that’s a fair way to include or exclude anyone, especially if they are contributing to the team. The WC, once you get there is about trying to win it, not for developmental purposes so if the like s of Klejstan or Benny or JJ, etc are all balling you’d have think they would be considered. JJ has proven us time and time again not to count him out, although injuries are starting to mount up. Benny and Klejstan don’t have the wear and tear in their legs from playing for club and country the last 4-6 years, something that can’t be overlooked. The both of them will only be around 32 or 33 y/o which is not too old to be playing in a WC.
If Arena is looking for some creative players in mls, well he has the best of those types of players in camp(aside from Lee Nyugen)from mls. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out tactically and what players put their stamp on the team going forward
As someone that is a Galaxy fan and watches alot of their games, I don’t understand why Lletget is looked at so highly. He’s not a game changer for the Galaxy. I would argue Boateng from the Galaxy is superior to Lletget by alot.
On that note, can anyone that has seen alot of both Boateng and Manneh compare the two players?? For someone as hyped as Manneh I have seen very little of him. If he’s as good or better than Boateng then I can get excited about him (and yes I know Boateng isn’t American and can’t play for USMNT). It’s just for comparison.)
And you talk about my comments. Yours smh. Lol
Seriously. I can never take his comments seriously, they’re so off-base that it is comical.
Boateng and Lletget are completely different kinds of players, so comparisons are pretty difficult. When Lletget played wing, he was a winger like Dempsey was at Fulham. His job was to bring the ball up the wing and make crosses, or take the ball inside for the shot. Boateng is purely a speed guy whose job it is to get behind defenses. Boateng is more similar to Zardes. Lletget is much more technical than either of those two and lacking their speed. Also, Lletget has been moved to the middle of the midfield so he is not a scorer , but a distributor for the Galaxy now.
So if the Galaxy could only keep one player who would you want them to keep? Boateng or Lletget?
What a stupid question. It would depend on the situation, the team, the need, etc. A more valid question would be would you pick Boateng or Zardes? Lletget or Juninho, for example.
Haha stupid question or are you just too stupid to understand? That is a simple and straightforward question. Lletget or Boateng. “It would depend on the situation, the team”, I clearly said the Galaxy. They both play for the Galaxy right now. Can’t you read? They are both midfielders. Even if they played completely different positions the question would still be valid, you can only have one out of those two, who you taking? I think you just had a senior moment.
Lletget may be holder without problems
along with Bradley, Pulisic, altidore, Brooks,
Johnson