The full version of EA Sports FIFA 19 will be released Friday and with the release comes the annual ritual of inspecting the player ratings.
Here are the top 25 USMNT players on FIFA 19’s Ultimate Team game mode.
1. John Brooks (80)
Injuries have plagued Brooks in his seemingly inevitable trajectory to anchoring the U.S. backline for years to come. Perhaps a surprise as the highest rated U.S. player, the 25-year-old has the physical attributes and ball playing ability to back up the only 80 rating of any U.S. player. The Wolfsburg center back kept his rating from last year.
2. Christian Pulisic (79)
Seen as the present and future of the national team some may be surprised to find Pulisic anywhere on this list other than first. He is entering his third season as a member of Borussia Dortmund’s first team and is already off the mark with the winning goal in the Champions League against Club Brugge. Pulisic improved by one rating point in FIFA 19.
3. Michael Bradley (77)
Another controversial figure, the captain of the national team for most of the last World Cup Qualifying cycle is still the highest rated central midfielder. Despite a rough season for Toronto FC, and the emergence of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, we yet see more of Bradley for the national team. Bradley dropped one rating point in this year’s game.
4. Jozy Altidore (77)
The often-criticized Altidore is still rated the best striking option for the U.S. He sits third on the all-time American scorer list with 41, 16 behind Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. With a new era beginning for the national team, it remains to be seen if Altidore, a regular for Toronto FC, will get the opportunities to break the record. Altidore improved on his 76 rating from last year.
5. Fabian Johnson (77)
One of the breakout stars for the U.S. at the 2014 World Cup, Johnson has played a number of positions during his national team career. He is listed as a left midfielder, where he plays for Borussia Monchengladbach, a position where many followers of the U.S. would have liked to have seen him used more frequently. Johnson dropped two ratings points from last year.
6. Timothy Chandler (77)
A divisive figure in the national team set up, Chandler has become a regular at Eintracht Frankfurt making 32 appearances in 2016-17 and 24 last season. Despite that, Chandler’s last international action came in a 4-0 loss at Costa Rica in World Cup Qualifying that ended the Jurgen Klinsmann era. Chandler improved on his 76 rating from last year’s game.
7. Deandre Yedlin (76)
The speedy Yedlin made the biggest improvement from last year’s game of any player in the top 10 and has solidified his spot at right back under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United. Yedlin was rated 73 in FIFA 18. Already this season Yedlin has started five of Newcastle’s first six games and notched one goal and one assist.
8. Benny Feilhaber (75)
The veteran midfielder also joined expansion LAFC earlier this year and has slotted in as a consistent starter for Bob Bradley. The second-highest rated American central midfielder has been on the fringes of the national team after being a member of the 2010 World Cup team. Feilhaber’s rating did not change from last year’s game.
9. Lee Nguyen (75)
The creative midfielder made the move to LAFC this season from New England Revolution and has started 16 games scoring three goals and three assists. Despite the lack of a true number 10 in the USMNT setup, Nguyen has made just nine appearances since debuting in 2007. His rating remained the same as last year.
10. Ike Opara (75)
A mainstay of the Sporting Kansas City backline along with Matt Besler, Opara has started 26 games this season and made his senior national team debut back in January starting in a 0-0 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Opara improved on last year’s rating of 74.
11. Zack Steffen (75)
12. Sacha Kljestan (74)
13. Bill Hamid (74)
14. Dax McCarty (74)
15. Tim Melia (74)
16. Matt Besler (74)
17. Alejandro Bedoya (74)
18. Matt Hedges (74)
19. Tim Howard (73)
20. Darlington Nagbe (73)
21. Brad Guzan (73)
22. Wil Trapp (73)
23. Luis Robles (73)
24. Gyasi Zardes (73)
25. Matt Miazga (73)
26. Kenny Saief (73)
27. Tim Parker (73)
28. Cristian Roldan (73)
29. Geoff Cameron (73)
30. Omar Gonzalez (73)
31. Tim Ream (73)
32. Drew Moor (72)
33. Alfredo Morales (72)
34. Bobby Wood (72)
35. Aron Johannsson (72)
36. Dom Dwyer (72)
37. Walker Zimmerman (72)
38. Kellyn Acosta (72)
39. Paul Arriola (72)
40. Aaron Long (72)
41. Tyler Adams (72)
42. Weston McKennie (72)
43. Kyle Beckerman (71)
44. Chad Marshall (71)
45. Jonathan Spector (71)
46, Graham Zusi (71)
47. Justin Morrow (71)
48. Danny Williams (71)
49. Sebastian Lletget (71)
50. Sean Davis (71)