As we all sit and 6766801663846705304:1e1.1">watch the US Under-20 national team cruise into the quarterfinals of 6766801663846705304:1e1.2">the U-20 World Cup, it can be very easy to daydream about what Tab Ramos' charges could accomplish once they reach the senior side.
We’ve got to be careful, however. Extrapolating youth national team performances to the full international level is often just bad science. Every country's soccer history is littered with flashes that didn't pan out and late bloomers who did.
For instance, nobody in our soccer bubble needs reminding that Freddy 6766801663846705304:1e1.3">Adu starred at two U-20 World Cups. He scored 16 international goals at that age level, notching three of them to go with three assists in nine U-20 World Cup games. While the 6766801663846705304:1e1.4">playmaker did enjoy a few shining moments in his 16 6766801663846705304:1e1.5">USMNT caps, he never made a senior World Cup squad.
On the other hand, Clint Dempsey scored just once in 13 total U-20 matches and was a mere back-up on the 2003 World Youth Championships. Now 34, he's one goal away from tying Landon Donovan's 6766801663846705304:1e1.6">USMNT career record for goals. Obviously, a player's Baby 6766801663846705304:1e1.7">Nats6766801663846705304:1e1.8"> résumé rarely offers a true glimpse at what he will do as a full international.
With that in mind, we will take a look at five guys who did manage to translate U-20 stardom into a highly successful tenure with the US national team.
5 - Gregg 6766801663846705304:1e1.9">Berhalter
The Columbus Crew SC boss only played four games for the US U-20s, but they came with him wearing the armband at the 1993 World Youth Championships. The team opened play by shutting out Turkey and nearly repeated the feat against England. They allowed just three goals in group play before leaking as many in a quarterfinal loss to eventual champions Brazil.
6766801663846705304:1e1.10">Berhalter would go on to work 44 games for the senior national team, including two at the 2002 World Cup. Perhaps most remembered for a late equalizing bid that was pawed off the line without punishment by Germany's 6766801663846705304:1e1.11">Torsten6766801663846705304:1e1.12">Frings in the quarterfinal, his top-notch performances in that game and the famous Mexico victory that preceded it often get overlooked. He also helped the 6766801663846705304:1e1.13">Nats win the third-place game at the 1999 Confederations Cup and worked 10 World Cup qualifying shutouts.
4 - Carlos 6766801663846705304:1e1.14">Bocanegra
Like 6766801663846705304:1e1.15">Berhalter, the Atlanta United GM was a fleeting U-20 star. 6766801663846705304:1e1.16">Bocanegra only played five matches at that age level, with four of them coming during the United States' Round-of-16 run at the 1999 World Youth Championships.
In that tournament's opening game, 6766801663846705304:1e1.17">Bocanegra helped the team post a clean sheet victory over an England side that featured LA Galaxy star Ashley Cole. In the group closer, he scored the game-winning goal against Cameroon as the US squeaked out advancement over the African nation. The team would go on to lose to the eventual tourney winners, falling 3-2 to Spain.
6766801663846705304:1e1.18">Bocanegra was far from done in red, white and blue. The California native wore the captain's armband on some big occasions: the Gold Cup 2007 final victory over Mexico, the famous win over world No. 1 Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal and all four US matches at World Cup 2010. He currently stands 10th on the 6766801663846705304:1e1.19">USMNT cap list with 110 and is the team's top-scoring defender of all-time (14 goals).
3 - JozyAltidore
The Toronto FC striker looked like a man among boys when he struck four times in five games as the US U-20's came within a whisker of reaching the World Cup semifinals in 2007. He netted both goals in the huge group-closing win over Brazil and nodded home the opener in a tense quarterfinal clash with Austria at 6766801663846705304:1e1.23">BMO Field that the team would eventually lose in extra time.
The goals kept coming after he made the jump to the senior national team later that year. In early 2008, 6766801663846705304:1e1.24">Altidore punctuated his first 6766801663846705304:1e1.25">USMNT start by scoring in a 2-2 friendly draw against arch nemesis Mexico, and the following year would go on to hit for all three goals in a 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in his first World Cup qualifying start.
6766801663846705304:1e1.26">Altidore now stands third among all 6766801663846705304:1e1.27">USMNT players with 37 career tallies from 102 caps; at the age of 27, he looks a solid bet to one day top that all-time chart. He can also count the winner in their 2009 Confederations Cup upset of Spain among his most important strikes, and holds the team record goal streak after hitting in five straight games in 2013. Once a US Soccer Young Athlete of the Year winner, 6766801663846705304:1e1.28">Altidore has since gone on to claim the senior 6766801663846705304:1e1.29">prize twice in the last four years.
2 - Kasey Keller
Though his face is now on the Mt. Rushmore of 6766801663846705304:1e1.30">USMNT6766801663846705304:1e1.31">netminders, Keller got his international start on the underdog 1989 side that became the first – and to date, only – US U-20 team to reach the semifinals of the big dance.
On the strength of a 2-0 shutout of East Germany, the US narrowly advanced to the knockouts of that 1989 World Youth Championships. They would then beat Iraq before bowing out to semifinal foe Nigeria in extras. For his efforts, Keller earned the Silver Ball as runner-up in the tourney MVP voting.
Keller made his senior debut a year later, and would chalk up 102 caps (still second most for a US 'keeper behind Tim Howard) and notch a team-record 47 shutouts before calling time on his international days in 2007. He became the first player to win three US Soccer Male Athlete of the Year awards after captaining the team to the 2005 Gold Cup title, which ended with a penalty kicks triumph over Panama. That would be the last of three Gold Cup crowns for Keller, who also worked five World Cup games across the 1998 and 2006 tournaments.
Despite a long and storied international career, the Washington native will likely always be remembered best for his 10-save master class in the Nats' stunning 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup semis (which remains the team's only win over the South American giants in 18 tries). After the game, Samba Kings legend 6766801663846705304:1e1.53">Romario remarked, "That is the best performance by a goalkeeper I have ever seen."
1 - Michael Bradley
The current US skipper was 6766801663846705304:1e1.66">Altidore's teammate on the skillful outfit that made a thrilling run at the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada. One of the tournament's standout midfielders, Bradley scored the 107th minute winner in their nail-biting Round-of-16 victory over a Uruguay side led by Luis Suarez and 6766801663846705304:1e1.84">Edinson6766801663846705304:1e1.85">Cavani.
Bradley had already been a full US international for over a year at the time, and has since gone on to rack up 130 caps. The TFC captain was a member of the 2007 Gold Cup-winning team, helped the team finish second at the 2009 Confederations Cup and has started their last eight World Cup matches. He played the hero in an important rally draw in their second group stage match against Slovenia at the 2010 tournament by bagging the equalizer with just eight minutes left.
In 2015, he was named as US Soccer Male Athlete of the Year, becoming just third man to earn both that honor6766801663846705304:1e1.115"> and the federation's Young Player of the Year award. Bradley often saves his best efforts for rivalry duels with Mexico, notching three goals and four assists in 10 career games against El 6766801663846705304:1e1.125">Tri. The 6766801663846705304:1e1.126">Nats are 22-6-6 in World Cup qualifying matches that he starts.
Currently fifth in career 6766801663846705304:1e1.134">USMNT caps, Bradley will likely pass 6766801663846705304:1e1.139">Cobi Jones' record of 164 by the time he's done with international soccer. He's also one goal away from cracking the top 10 of the all-time 6766801663846705304:1e1.144">USMNT scoring chart and one assist away from moving into a second place tie in that category.
