D.C. United’s 22-year-old central midfielder has 125 skilled video games below his belt, however he has but to make an look with the U.S. senior crew. We are saying that adjustments subsequent month.
BY
Brooke Tunstall
Posted
December 23, 2014
10:11 AM
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Editors word: A gaggle of ASN staffers have created a 23-man roster for the January U.S. nationwide crew camp. We can be unveiling our proposed squad within the coming weeks and crafting arguments for each identify on our record.
IT’S NOT EASY for a younger holding midfielder to crack the U.S. nationwide crew lineup.
For a second straight World Cup cycle Michael Bradley ought to have one of many two central midfield spots on lockdown for many video games. And the depth is such on the place that, by American Soccer Now’s rely, there are 12 capped Individuals* in addition to Bradley who began at defensive midfielder in Main League Soccer this season.
And that doesn’t even embody European-based gamers like Geoff Cameron, who began a World Cup recreation in holding midfield this summer time, Danny Williams, or up-and-comers like Alfredo Morales and Emerson Hyndman, who’ve gotten seems at holding midfield from U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
That goes an extended approach to explaining why promising kids on the place who turned professional early and carved out constant beginning spots in MLS—like Amobo Okugo of Philadelphia and D.C. United’s Perry Kitchen—have but to get a glance from the U.S. nationwide crew.
Nicely, in Kitchen’s case, that ought to change subsequent month. At 22, Kitchen continues to be youthful than a number of the gamers who can be picked in January’s MLS SuperDraft. He has already performed 125 common season video games in his 4 skilled seasons, and this yr he emerged not simply as a younger participant studying the ropes on a foul crew however a key participant on probably the greatest groups within the league.
Serving because the link-man between United’s backline and assault, Kitchen was a key purpose United tied with the champion Los Angeles Galaxy for the stingiest protection in MLS (1.08 targets allowed per recreation) whereas successful the Jap Convention common season by 4 factors. Regardless of doing a lot of the grunt work to interrupt up opposing assaults, which led to 65 fouls and 11 yellow playing cards this yr—each second in MLS—Kitchen nonetheless managed to be a key cog offensively, posting profession highs in targets (5) and assists (4).
This fall United coach Ben Olsen advised American Soccer Now he had spoken to Klinsmann about Kitchen and anticipated him to be part of the January camp. “As good as he’s been, I don’t think he’s done getting better,” stated Olsen. “I think he has a whole ‘nother level.”
Apart from his toughness and talent to play either side of the ball, Kitchen covers a variety of floor as he ranges back and forth to interrupt up performs. And his potential, and willingness, to play as a solo defensive midfielder would unlock the likes of Bradley (or extra attack-oriented midfielders like Lee Nguyen and Combine Diskerud) to maneuver ahead with confidence.
Then there’s this: Kitchen is a well known homebody who spends his free time learning his craft. He’s as singularly targeted about soccer as any participant in MLS and his all-consuming need to get higher and win is strictly the kind of persona Klinsmann says he needs on the U.S. nationwide crew.
Between his standout season, his expertise for his age, his potential to unlock extra artistic gamers, and his give attention to his craft, January ought to see Kitchen invited to his first senior nationwide crew camp.
(*The 12: Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman, Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, Brad Evans, Brian Carroll, Jeff Larentowicz, Sam Cronin, Logan Pause, Dax McCarty, Eric Alexander, Davy Arnaud.)
ASN’s January roster to this point
Tesho Akindele
Lee Nguyen
Robbie Rogers
Matt Besler
Gyasi ZardesBill Hamid
Matt Hedges
Luis Gil
Steve Clark
Charlie Davies
Perry Kitchen
Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You may observe him on Twitter.
