Jonathan Lewis just isn’t one of many gamers many individuals anticipated to be a USMNT contributor to begin the brand new cycle, however Florida native’s numbers are outstadning every time he performs. Now after a robust January camp, Lewis is keen to show himself in opposition to tougher opponents and alongside the most effective USMNT gamers.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 19, 2019
11:00 AM
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THE NEW LOOK United States is assembled in Florida forward of its upcoming pleasant in opposition to Ecuador on Thursday. It’s the first collection of video games new supervisor Gregg Berhalter can have along with his full contingent of gamers and plenty of anticipated faces like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and DeAndre Yedlin are in camp.
However there are additionally loads of surprises on the roster and Jonathan Lewis is a participant few would have anticipated to be on the crew again in 2018. His fortunes began to alter earlier within the 12 months when he was a late invite to January camp as a result of Berhalter determined he wanted one other winger on the roster.
However when given an sudden alternative, Lewis seized it. He impressed in camp and got here in as an offensive substitute in opposition to Panama and promptly arrange an help. Then in opposition to Costa Rica, he assisted once more off the bench and helped the U.S. crew win each video games.
Regardless of being eligible for the Olympic U-23 crew, Lewis is optimistic he can play a job with each the Olympic and full nationwide crew transferring ahead as long as he maximizes his enjoying time along with his membership, New York Metropolis FC, and builds off his performances with the U.S. crew in January.
“I am trying to shoot to maximize my playing time,” Lewis defined. “After conversations with Gregg and Claudio [Reyna], I think I have a good chance to be with the strongest team moving forward. With the U-23 team coming, a lot of the strongest players for the national team could also be with the U-23 team. Playing for the senior team is almost going to be the same thing with the U-23 team.”
Lewis is an attention-grabbing case for Berhalter. He got here into the league rated extremely as with the third general choose within the 2017 draft. His minutes at New York Metropolis had been inconsistent in his first two seasons. He was additionally on the U.S. U-20 crew that received CONCACAF for the primary time ever in 2017 however he didn’t make the U-20 World Cup roster. However with NYCFC, the U.S. U-20 crew, and now the total nationwide crew, every time he was on the sector, he carried out properly.
The numbers Lewis has put up in contrast along with his minutes are spectacular. In simply 659 profession minutes for NYCFC, Lewis has three targets and 5 assists. In 44 minutes for the U.S. crew, he has two assists. For the U.S. U-20 crew on the CONCACAF Championships he had a purpose and an help over 149 minutes.
“We’re looking at him as the game changer,” Berhalter stated of Lewis. “A guy who can come in off the bench and make an impact…Now it will be interesting to see if he can do that against difficult opponents. That’s going to be the real test of him. But he’s another player who has a real thirst to learn, has a great attitude, and executed when he was asked to.”
“You say is it more beneficial for him to play with the U-23s or is it better to have him involved with the first team? This was a tough one. It was tough because what we saw was that he did make an impact for us coming off the bench…It’s hard for me to not reward a player when he gives exactly what was asked of him.”
However the U.S. crew has been skinny on wingers in recent times – even together with the gamers in Europe. And Lewis made a robust opening assertion that he simply gives one thing completely different than different gamers within the pool.
“I think with way Gregg wants to play, he looks at our squad and says: ‘we have talented wingers that can go at players,’” Lewis stated. “It’s definitely about breaking lines with central midfielders and getting out wide to guys in isolation. A lot of it is very fluid with free movement among the front three. A lot of it is getting it out wide with wing play. That is where I come into play. He thinks I am very good going at players.”
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) February 2, 2019
Like many younger gamers, the Olympics are a precedence for Lewis and he’s conscious of the stigma of how the USA has didn’t qualify for the final two Olympics. However he’s optimistic that the 2020 crew might be completely different.
For one, this present U-23 crew might be constructed off the final two U.S. U-20 crew which every received the CONCACAF championship with out lots of the greatest age-eligible gamers. Additionally Lewis insists that profitable the Olympics is a precedence for lots of the gamers of his technology to make an enormous assertion on the beginning of a brand new period for American soccer.
“A lot of the guys in my age group we feel like we are a new generation, a new era with a new type of players,” Lewis stated. “There is a lot of quality from the 1997 age group on down that are playing overseas or playing consistently in MLS. There are a lot of guys 18-19 who are starting abroad and starting in MLS. Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic are all eligible for the Olympic. Then you look at Brazil and they brought Neymar. Why can we bring Christian? We have a very talented team.”
“With the U-23s, we want to go to the Olympics and win it,” he continued. “We’ve never done that before and I know from top to bottom, from Christian Pulisic to Tyler Adams to myself. The next major tournament for our age group is the Olympics and we want to win it.”
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) January 28, 2019
In an period the place there was a rising variety of prime younger American gamers transferring to Europe, there are indicators that MLS would possibly turn out to be a place to begin for these gamers earlier than making the leap. Lewis believes the latest strikes of Tyler Adams and Canadian ahead Alphonso Davies to huge Bundesliga golf equipment may very well be the beginning of a rising development.
Lewis is worked up by this development and notices that the standard of the league enhancing with the shift of imports now transitioning from older Europeans to younger South Individuals. However he additionally hopes that the American gamers can elevate their sport and be given a good likelihood in an improved home league.
“Because of the South Americans and the other foreign guys who are coming over, the league has moved away from the image of a retirement league,” Lewis mentioned. “It’s becoming a place where young players can really come and play, show themselves, and move to big European teams. And they’re not going there to just play, they’re going over there to do well. Jack Harrison is starting at Leeds. Tyler has started with Leipzig. Alphonso Davies has played for Bayern Munich. Almiron is doing well at Newcastle. It goes to show there is talent in MLS.”
“Now it’s time for the American player to push forward and also be given the leeway to develop. In my opinion, if you don’t have any room for error, you can’t develop completely,” he added. “But certain clubs have their philosophies and they’re pushing a lot of young players. It’s good for the league and it’s good for U.S. Soccer. MLS can be a really good stepping stone for Europe and they can make a lot of money selling players like they did with Tyler, Davies and Almiron.”
Like Davies and Adams, Lewis is adamant that Europe is the highest purpose for him. For now, he has to earn that beginning spot and proceed to be taught from NYCFC boss Dome Torrent who’s working with Lewis to enhance his sport with the last word purpose of getting him able to play on the highest stage.
“Every player wants to play Europe,” Lewis stated. “With Dome Torrent – he has coached at the highest level and has given me lots of feedback. He said a player I reminded him of is Raheem Sterling so yesterday he was showing me videos of Raheem Sterling defending. I know he’s come down harder on me defending and said I’ve been getting better defending. But these are the little things he’s trying to help me with to get to the top level. When I get on the field, I have to perform to get European interest. But this is a good place to learn and get games under my belt.”
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Author : usa-foot
Publish date : 2025-01-26 10:12:45
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