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Is Kelyn Rowe USMNT Material?

By John Adair

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Kelyn Rowe entered an established UCLA soccer program with the pressure of high expectations.

Luckily for him, three years into his professional career and he has continued to impress on the pitch. Rowe is easily one of the most exciting young prospects in Major League Soccer, but whether he can make an impact on the international stage has yet to be seen. With his teammate Lee Nguyen getting the nod to play for the Yanks against Colombia, it got me thinking about Rowe’s potential future with the squad.

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    • After just two seasons as a Bruin and Pac-12 Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, the New England Revolution selected Rowe with the third overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Known as a well-rounded playmaker, New England was hoping for an immediate impact from the stat-stuffing midfielder. In 46 appearances as a collegiate player, Rowe tallied 46 points, including six goals and ten assists as a sophomore.

    As a professional, Rowe has established himself as a difference maker in the final third with 15 goals and 18 assists already to his name, including seven goals and eight assists in his second season in the league. Everything starts and ends with technical ability when it comes to Rowe. He plays well in tight spaces and often puts on a passing display that can drop jaws.

    With accurate and properly weighted passes to go along with his outstanding vision for a 22-year old, Rowe is already one of the most dangerous creators in MLS. To go with his technically sound skill set, Rowe plays stronger than his 5-foot-8, 150 pound frame suggests.

    Perhaps the most exciting part of Rowe’s game is that he excels in a variety of positions. Whether he is asked to play the role of a creative midfielder, winger, or forward, Rowe has the ability to turn in an equally good performance.

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    While it is yet to be seen if Rowe will ever make an impact with the U.S. Men’s National Team, he is a veteran at the international youth level. He has played for the U-18, U-20, and U-23 teams thus far.

    In 2011, Rowe scored 3 goals and notched an assist in two group play matches of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship including the two goals in a United States 2-0 victory over Panama.

    Jurgen Klinsmann has proven that he is not afraid to give young players opportunities in big moments. Just a few months removed from the World Cup, Klinsmann has already turned plenty of heads. Calling up Jordan Morris, who still plays collegiately for Stanford, and Miguel Ibarra of NASL’s Minnesota United are just two moves that have grabbed headlines.

    In addition to that, Greg Garza seems to have found a place in Klinsmann’s heart and Mix Diskerud has already played as a defensive midfielder behind Michael Bradley. Last but not least, I can’t leave out the decision to transition Jermaine Jones into a center back.

    If anything is certain, if Rowe can continue to develop and produce while he is still young, he will get his chance to shine.

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