A trio of United States Youth National Team players are getting some serious looks in Germany.
Haji Wright, Weston McKennie, and Nick Taitague all trained with the Schalke 04 first team on Wednesday as they got some serious work and looks from the coaching staff. The three young Americans abroad all play for Schalke’s U-19 team as they try and further their hopes of playing for their European club.
#U19 players @HajiWright, @WMckennie, Phil #Halbauer Tobias #Fleckstein, Luke #Hemmerich & @NTaitague joined first team training today! #s04 pic.twitter.com/ZFIc70ATgb
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) March 22, 2017
All three players have the potential to be included in the U.S. U-20 World Cup team this summer, and their progression within Schalke’s system will only help their chances. Wright, McKennie, and Taitague all joined the Bundesliga team less than a year apart, with Wright and McKennie coming from the New York Cosmos and FC Dallas academy, respectively, and Taitague joining from an amateur contract with the Carolina RailHawks (now North Carolina FC) of the NASL.
The news is good for the future of the USMNT, as it seems like Schalke is serious about developing their young American talent into first-team contributing players. The U-20’s enter this summer’s World Cup having won the first CONCACAF U-20 championship in team history, earning the first ever U-20’s win over Mexico in the process.