The LA Galaxy defender has made a massive leap this year, with his performances this summer suggesting he could go to the very top
United States men's national team interim coach B.J. Callaghan is still relatively new to media duties, but he's plenty familiar with coach-speak. When leading a team, there are certain things you can and cannot say, and because of that, coaches tend to stick to familiar talking points.
Callaghan, though, deviated slightly this week when asked to name a specific player that has stood out to him. The coach-speak answer would have been to praise the team, to hail the group atmosphere that is bigger than one individual. That's not what Callaghan did, though. Instead, he pointed to one player: Jalen Neal.
"From the perspective of a player that has impressed," he began, "the situation that somebody like Jalen Neal was put into, coming in at half-time (against Jamaica) as a young player against, quite honestly, a really dangerous front four and a top, top international striker in Michail Antonio, I think his performance, I wouldn't say surprised us, but the calm and the maturity that he showed lends to a bright future for him. For me, that was a really great moment and something that we hope to continue to foster as he develops into what we hope is a big player for the U.S. men's national team."
This summer, Neal has become the USMNT's newest star. Playing at the Gold Cup, a tournament the U.S. uses as a chance to try out fringe players, Neal has passed his test with flying colors so far.
But who is Neal and how did he rise so quickly with the USMNT? GOAL has everything you need to know about the young defender…
GettyWhere it all began
Neal has been with LA Galaxy from the start, joining the club's academy in 2016 as a teenager after being raised in nearby Lakewood. He's risen through the ranks, appearing in the former U.S. Soccer Development Academy system before becoming a fixture for LA Galaxy II in 2020. He made 12 appearances for the club in the USL Championship that season, making his debut at just 16 years old.
By 2021, the defender had signed a contract with the Galaxy's senior team, completing his rise from academy starlet to first team. “Jalen is a talented defender who has shown his capability at the professional level last season with LA Galaxy II,” then-GM Dennis te Kloese said in a club statement. “We are excited that he will become another player on our first-team roster that has come through our developmental system. We look forward to Jalen continuing to learn and grow with our club.”
He remained with Los Dos for the next two years, though, making 48 appearances, but was handed his first-team debut in 2022 in a U.S. Open Cup win over California United Strikers.
“These last few years with the second team have been really building my confidence," Neal said prior to the 2023 MLS season. "I’ve gotten to grow physically, mentally, vocally too, and I think my leadership on the field has improved a lot. I think I’m ready to take that step to the next level, for sure.”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Prior to the start of the 2023 MLS season, LA Galaxy coach Gregg Vanney tipped Neal for a big year. "He just has a really calm, cool demeanor about what he does," Vanney said. "He’s never really frazzled and gives us nice quality with and without the ball. The next step for him is exposure. Having to live those moments against top players and work with his team-mates.”
Well, it's safe to say Vanney called his shot. Neal's year began with a call-up to the USMNT for the annual January camp, a gathering often used to integrate some of the younger members of the player pool. Neal, of course, was a notable inclusion as he had not yet made his MLS debut for the Galaxy prior to being called-up.
He, ultimately, featured for the senior national team before his senior club team, as he made his USMNT debut against Serbia during that camp. In the months since, he's certainly built off that momentum, becoming a mainstay for the Galaxy in central defense.
Neal has been so important for the Galaxy, in fact, that the club controversially refused to release him for this summer's Under-20 World Cup. He was too vital to the team, the Galaxy said, as Neal, a regular for the U20s, was prevented from travelling to Argentina as the Galaxy looked to stay afloat after a tough start to the season.
It hasn't hurt his standing with the national team, though, as Neal has quickly become the breakout star of this Gold Cup campaign.
GettyHow it's going
Neal is the third-youngest member of the USMNT's Gold Cup squad. He's also far and away the youngest central defender in the team. The LA Galaxy star, though, has been fantastic so far for the U.S., offering the composure of a veteran despite being a teenager.
After Aaron Long went down with an injury in the opening match against Jamaica, Neal stepped in at half-time and improved the USMNT defense. While the U.S. was shaky against the likes of Antonio and Leon Bailey in the first half, Neal helped the U.S. backline immensely as the team came back for a 1-1 draw.
"Jalen Neal was honestly put into a tough situation tonight and exudes what we preach all the time: when you're number's called, you step up," Callaghan said of the young defender after the draw. "He did it in a calm, composed way and that's what you're most happy about. The stage wasn't too big for him. He stepped right in and did a tremendous job."
He was handed his first start of the tournament in the next game against St. Kitts and Nevis and, once again, he didn't put a foot wrong. The U.S., of course, dominated the game, but, even with that caveat, it was hard not to come away impressed with Neal's performance.
Neal completed more passes than any other USMNT player in the win, including one absurd line-breaking pass from inside his own half to set up a chance, while also winning the most duels.
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LA GalaxyBiggest strengths
It doesn't take long to figure out what those in LA and with the USMNT see in Neal. At 6'3, Neal is the perfect height for a center-back and, at 19, there's still plenty of time for him to fill out that big frame. Thanks to that frame, though, he's already solid enough in the air.
Still, the first thing you really notice about Neal's game is his composure on the ball. He's already got that modern center-back mentality, despite being very, very new to the professional game. He's smooth on the ball and can kickstart attacks. Neal can keep things ticking, but also step forward and hit passes that break lines, making him an evolving weapon even from that center-back spot. There are times where he feels like a midfielder in a defender's body; his vision is simply that good.
Because of that, he's already a great partner for a more 'old school' central defender that can help cover up some of the still-evolving aspects of Neal's game.