Alexi Lalas' Top 5 U.S. Players At Gold Cup: Luna And Tillman 'Real Stars'

Published July 06, 2025

To make the final of a tournament, you have to have some standout performances and, certainly, standout players — this is my best five for the United States at this year's Gold Cup.

As you've seen through the tournament with my power rankings, a player could move because they increased their stock, or it could just be someone who has brought it every day.

I put Diego Luna at the top because when you talk about stars, it's about the ones that everyone comes to see, and I think, right now, Diego Luna is as big as a star as this U.S. team has had in a long time.

Malik Tillman and Diego Luna are the two real stars of the U.S. men's national team.

Chris Richards has been wonderful throughout the tournament. I think he's a starter not just this summer but come the World Cup next summer unless something happens.

He started every single game and we know this U.S. team needs a striker. I think he's put himself at least in the conversation for future camps.

We know what he can do with his set piece prowess. That is important going forward and really a consistency that is going to keep him in the conversation.

Alexi Lalas is a soccer analyst for FOX Sports and host of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast." He represented the USMNT at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and had a nine-year professional career. In 2006, he became the president of the LA Galaxy and helped bring David Beckham to Major League Soccer.

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