The U.S. men’s national team opens a new World Cup cycle without a single proven striker in camp, and the job of leading the line has fallen to a 22-year-old who arrived as an emergency call-up.
Damion Downs replaced the injured Ricardo Pepi, who limped off early in PSV Eindhoven’s loss to FC Twente on Sunday. Folarin Balogun, a three-goal scorer at the World Cup this summer, has only just returned to action with Monaco. Haji Wright and Patrick Agyemang are also missing.
Why Damion Downs Suddenly Matters
With 13 of the 28 players chasing a first cap, Downs and his six appearances make him one of the more experienced attackers available. None of the five forwards Mauricio Pochettino has named has ever scored for the senior team.
The 6-foot-4 forward won the U.S. its Gold Cup quarterfinal in 2025 by converting the decisive penalty against Costa Rica. Pochettino picked him ahead of Toronto’s Josh Sargent and Vancouver’s Brian White.
His recent club form is a real concern. Downs scored 10 goals as Köln won promotion to the Bundesliga in 2024-25, but he has not found the net for a club in roughly 17 months since. Spells at Southampton and on loan at Hamburg produced nothing, and he is still searching for a first goal at St. Louis City.
Downs told reporters he sees the camp as a chance to play his best and learn as much as possible. He added that he feels close to a breakthrough in St. Louis.
Teenagers Waiting in the Wings
Behind him sit three uncapped MLS talents. Julian Hall, 18, has 10 goals for Red Bull New York. Orlando City’s Justin Ellis, 19, has 10 assists, and 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan has 19 goal contributions for the Philadelphia Union.
The four-game window starts Saturday against Peru in Orlando, followed by Chile in St. Louis, Mexico near Phoenix and Canada in St. Paul. A goal against Chile on his club’s home field would be the perfect way for Downs to reset his story.
