By OkayGoal
The U.S. Men’s National Team has continued to be well represented in England’s top leagues, with another group of talent making their way there over the recent transfer window.
Zavier Gozo and Sebastian Berhalter are two of the current players called into Mauricio Pochettino’s camp that are among the recent arrivals in England, testing themselves at a new level. Gozo made the move to Premier League side Crystal Palace while Berhalter was one of three American acquisitions made by second-tier Middlesbrough.
In addition, Max Arfsten, Jack McGlynn, Luca Bombino, and Rokas Pukstas were also on the move from respective leagues to England’s top-two tiers, growing the amount of American players that are featuring in the EPL and EFL.
USMNT defender Chris Richards is in the midst of his fifth season with Crystal Palace, and first alongside Gozo in South London, and praised the impact that the American player pool is making abroad.
“They see that we have some hardworking guys and some guys with talent, and so they kind of tapped into our pipeline and brought players over,” Richards said in a press conference with reporters Thursday. “For us, it’s very exciting because I think the Prem[ier League], or at least the English Football League in general, is the best setup in the world, and it’s the toughest.”
Richards is among the veteran contingent in USMNT camp after featuring in Pochettino’s squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After originally developing his game at Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, the Alabama native moved to Crystal Palace with hopes of playing consistently, a goal he has achieved in flying colors.
With Richards helping Crystal Palace win the UEFA Conference League season and earn a first-ever berth into the Europe League, its continued a growing fandom for American players abroad, something that Richards credited to the past list of USMNT players for paving the way in years past.
“You see people in the crowds wearing U.S. jerseys now,” Richards said. “So I think it’s really cool to have seen the kind of the development and the respect that us Americans have gotten over the last few years in the Premier League. It’s not just myself and Zavier [Gozo]. It’s every person who’s come before us and who’s still playing there in the Prem.”
Gozo, 19, is still in his early days at Selhurst Park after making the summer move from Real Salt Lake. The talented attacker enjoyed a strong first half of the year in MLS before making a monumental move to England, where he’s made three appearances to date in Pierre Sage’s squad.
As he prepares to potentially make his USMNT debut on Saturday against Peru, Gozo voiced his excitement to be in camp and compete for a long-term role.
“It’s been amazing,” Gozo said. “Obviously, just from knowing that I’m getting called up to being here and being with everyone, and obviously players that I’ve looked up to for a while now, so I feel like it’s been kind of surreal. But also, obviously, I want to play with the national team and compete for a spot here too. So I’m trying to learn, but also be competitive.”
Both Richards and Gozo will aim to feature in all four of the USMNT’s matches over the next two weeks, knowing they will serve as great preparation for November’s CONCACAF Nations League schedule.