The fringe of a national team is one of the more anxiety-inducing places for a player to reside. Sure, it beats being out of the reckoning entirely, but there is immense tension in terms of trying to get back into a manager's good graces so a player becomes a performer to be counted on rather than an afterthought. Getting to such a place is impacted by multiple factors, not all of which are in a player's control.

As a new FIFA World Cup cycle commences, that is the situation facing more than a few U.S. men's national team players. With USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino saying that he'll "start from zero" in terms of constructing his squad for the 2030 World Cup, that has been interpreted as meaning he'll skew his choices toward youth.

There are a few USMNT players who fall into this category. Yunus Musah, 23, midfielder for AC Milan, has experienced a renaissance under new manager Ruben Amorim. Diego Luna, 23, attacker for Real Salt Lake, has already created 43 chances in 17 league appearances. Aidan Morris, 24, midfielder for Middlesbrough, has long been the prototypical midfield bulldog.