The striker position in the U.S. Men’s National Team player pool is chock full of interesting prospects, and another candidate is now set to join the competition.
Young Boys striker Jordan Siebatcheu has made headlines in recent weeks with his goal-scoring exploits in Europa League, and the American-born, French-raised striker has made it clear he is ready to accept a national team call-up from the country of his birth.
“Yes, I have decided, I made my choice a few weeks ago. I will be very happy to play for the USMNT,” Siebatcheu told CBS Sports. “I am very focused right now with (Young Boys) and hope to play with the national team — if that possibility is presented.”
Siebatcheu, 24, has enjoyed a strong season for BSC Young Boys in the Swiss Super League while on loan from Ligue 1 side Rennes, with 12 goals and three assists in 29 matches across all competitions. He also scored three goals in Young Boys in 6-3 aggregate victory over Bayern Leverkusen in the Europa League round of 32.
Born in Washington D.C. before moving to France at the age of two, Siebatcheu received one call-up to the France U-21 national team in 2018. During Dave Sarachan’s tenure as head coach, U.S. Soccer reportedly reached out to gauge Siebatcheu’s interest in representing the United States, but he declined the call-up at the time.
It appears Siebatcheu is now ready to accept a USMNT call, and with friendlies against Jamaica and Northern Ireland set for late March, he could take part in his first USMNT camp if Berhalter elects to call him up.
Les Bleus is no joke when it comes to a player pool. 24 yrs old on loan from parent club to Swiss club is a bit of a career perspective. Would be great if Siebatcheu is about to take his game to another level. Besides his name is fun to say!
the club form discussion gets a little silly as we have already seen with his fellow 9 soto, who also made a career move and got started again and pounded in goals. people like to make such issues into absolutes when sometimes you just don’t fit in a particular team. he was good before rennes and is now back to normal in swiss league. i also as discuss below think that our team, which is so obsessed with one single tactical approach and how you fit it, needs a little sophistication and variety of how it composes a roster. we have traditionally, wisely, included at least one player of this bigger “type” for tactical diversity — someone tall to put on in a game where we think we can do something heading crosses. but that assumes willingness to use varied tactics or sub on people with different skill sets.
i say this because to me when one makes sure a roster has some varied “types” for the bench — some height, some speed, some skill — they may not have the same paper form as their supposed competition, but the deal is we don’t need three identical looking strikers who can be stopped the same way. so to me if we were keeping the bench diverse he should have had a chance regardless of perceived form as a rare exponent of a specific “type” we didn’t have. though to be fair with jozy back around and dike coming in we have more of the type now. at which point performance distinctions matter more — but he’s playing well in club anyway.
I’ve honestly not followed Siebatcheu very closely. I basically stopped paying attention when he chose not to accept a call-up back in 2017/18. I know he’s on a good streak of form at the moment, but not sure how he stacks up against the others options in our pool.
Is he someone who’s capable of pushing Sargent for the starting CF spot or is he another who’ll be streaky or the flavor of the moment?
He’s been streaky throughout his career but is still a talented player. He has enough to push for a spot on the team.
the problem right now is too many people take for granted GB’s silly tactics and don’t think about players instrumentally. a smart coach does not just line up three identically skilled 9s. his use — and dike’s and altidore’s — is they are taller bigger bodies. more traditional target 9 bodies. to me sargent soto pulisic ferreira are a different type of more technical speedy 9. i think you need a mix of speed, technique, and height because sometimes one approach doesn’t work and a sub who offers the same aptitudes doesn’t allow for tactical changes. so to me if we were smart one of the 9s is this bigger body type. not sure if it’s him in particular but we need one of these “types” if we need a header goal late.
Honestly, who’s not streaky including one of our best in Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Mckennie, etc. ?
There are always going to be streaky players/play, and you want to take advantage of players on a good run of form….but at the same time every player has a baseline talent level. My question was more geared to is his baseline, is his baseline good enough to put him in contention to challenge Sargent or is it only when he’s on a streak?
As for the team tactics…I think when we have everyone available/healthy people may be shocked by the formational options available to us due to the versatility of our players. Most of whom can play multiple styles and many who can play multiple positions.
So the question is where does Siebatcheu fit in? Is he a physical banger (Jozy, Dike) a Poacher (Soto, Gioacchini, Hoppe), Speedster (Morris, Weah), or a linker like Sargent?
What talents does he bring and how does he match up against the others in the pool.
3 years ago I would have said he was a shoe in for the US team. Right now I don’t think he makes it on this team. But still worth a look. He has been tearing it up this season but the last 2 seasons haven’t been that great over in France
that would be the irony i pointed out below. few years ago when the cycle started and i pointed him out it was pooh poohed. he had an opening. now that it might be pursued we have a logjam of eligible 9s.
You mean in 2018 when he said no to a call up!
Assuming he’s in camp, what position does Berhalter play’em?
CF
big 6’3″ kid. he’s a 9.
Keaton Parks is 6’4 and he’s a CM?
GB already talked to him early in the year about coming onboard. And back then he said he was receptive to the idea. Sounds like GB talked to him again and will be called for the next friendlies.
That sounds like he’s coming to camp in March.
i think you lectured me about proposing him before. guess since GB is on board it can be discussed seriously now. when the 9s are starting to pile up….
Not making judgements on if he should or shouldn’t be just that it sounds like he is. He’s been discussed for five years it’s just now that he’s admitted his French dreams are over, he’s been stringing the US along since Klinsmann’s days.
meh. you’re neglecting we have no idea if berhalter pursued him during that time period. you’re implying he was wavering when i think GB simply ignored him until club stats perked up. ever considered his objection might have been to playing for sarachan? we can all see now that any games played in that period get basically ignored by GB. sargent, weah, green, wood, etc. all dropped or had to re-earn their way up fresh.
We know Dave contacted him in 2018 and that Berhalter contacted him before the pandemic because Siebatcheu has confirmed that but both times he said he wasn’t ready.