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Top 25 players in the USMNT player pool right now

There will only be a few updates of ProSoccerTalk’s ranking of the top 25 players in the United States men’s national soccer team before the team takes to the pitch for the World Cup in Qatar.

The shifts inside those few rankings, however, could be seismic.

Many players in the pool have changed clubs this summer including several center forwards and center backs currently jockeying for a position in Gregg Berhalter’s squad.

[ MORE: Latest USMNT transfer news ]

More transfers will come before the end of the transfer window and even after — free agents like John Brooks aren’t bound by deadlines — but the Premier League season starts Friday and a number of USMNT men moved into and within England’s top flight this summer.

Below you’ll find the rankings, changes from last time, and the protocol for slotting our 25.

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Before we go any further with this list, here’s a reminder of how we sort the talent with some ground rules:

  • The ranking is meant to illustrate who would be most likely to positively affect a USMNT match, regardless of manager or teammates, right now.

  • Health doesn’t matter to our rankings if a current injury isn’t one that could drastically alter the player’s skill set moving forward.

  • Age/potential/experience doesn’t matter either, at least not much; It’s how likely you are to contribute to the team if you put on the field right now. Obviously, Paxton Aaronson is a better long-term prospect than Jordan Morris, but the Seattle Sounders forward is currently better prepared for the stage than the Philadelphia Union youngster.

  • Finally, if you’re breaking a tie between players… ask which one you’d be more upset to hear was unavailable for a USMNT camp.

Here we go

  1. Christian Pulisic, Chelsea (1)

  2. Weston McKennie, Juventus (3)

  3. Tyler Adams, Leeds United (2)

  4. Yunus Musah, Valencia (5)

  5. Timothy Weah, Lille (4)

  6. Sergino Dest, Barcelona (13)

  7. Walker Zimmerman, Nashville SC (11)

  8. Chris Richards, Crystal Palace (10)

  9. Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United (15)

  10. Antonee Robinson, Fulham (6)

  11. Giovanni Reyna, Borussia Dortmund (9)

  12. Luca de la Torre, Celta Vigo (NR)

  13. John Brooks, unattached (8)

  14. Zack Steffen, Middlesbrough on loan from Man City (16)

  15. Matt Turner, Arsenal (24)

  16. Miles Robinson, Atlanta United (7)

  17. Kellyn Acosta, LAFC (17)

  18. Jordan Pefok, Union Berlin (12)

  19. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic (23)

  20. Haji Wright, Antalyaspor (NR)

  21. Gianluca Busio, Venezia (20)

  22. Paul Arriola, FC Dallas (NR)

  23. Joe Scally, Borussia Monchengladbach (14)

  24. Ethan Horvath, Luton Town (21)

  25. Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, Chicago Fire (NR)

Not included: While you could argue that the writer’s just incompetent — many would tell you that’s valid — it doesn’t speak to the incredible depth of the pool that Erik Palmer-Brown, Ricardo Pepi, Djordje Mihailovic, Jordan Morris, Malik Tillman, and even inevitable roster member Aaron Long aren’t in the top 25 at the moment? Tim Ream, Justin Che, Reggie Cannon, James Sands… what a time to be a USMNT supporter.

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Top 25 players in the USMNT player pool right now originally appeared on NBCSports.com