Jalen Neal: The USMNT's Gold Cup rising star emerging as American soccer's next top center-back

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.”

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.

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.

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.

Like most young defenders, the actual defensive side of the game is still a bit of a work in progress for Neal. The Galaxy were somewhat slow to integrate him due to that fact, with the club letting him earn experience with Los Dos before the big step up to MLS. It's been important for Neal to get experience defending against grown men, which is always a massive step for a teenage defender.

Neal, of course, will likely fill out his frame in the coming years, which will allow him to battle with some of those more physical strikers. At the moment, though, the strength aspect is something of a weakness.

His actual defending, too, can improve. His USMNT debut against Serbia also showed that, at the moment, he has a disastrous moment in him, as his first cap was unfortunately soured by a bad, bad mistake leading to a goal.

It's a bit of a lofty comparison and the odds are that Neal will never get close to Pique, who was truly one of the best defenders of a generation. Still, the ex-Barcelona man is a player that Neal should look to emulate.

Both were blessed with great height, but neither are renowned for their physicality, at least not yet in the case of Neal. Both are also extremely comfortable on the ball, capable of driving it forward and picking out a pass that cuts the opposing team's midfield right out of the play.

Pique's best attribute, though, was ultimately his mind. As he grew older, his ability to read the game made him an elite defender. When you add that to his ability on the ball... There's a reason why he's remembered as one of the best modern center-backs.

If Neal can be paired with someone more in the Carles Puyol-archetype, a bulldog that can do most of the heavy-lifting defensively, he can thrive in that Pique-esque role of that duo. Still, it's obviously very, very early for a defender with fewer than 20 senior MLS games under his belt.

In terms of the USMNT, Neal is a player pretty similar to Chris Richards, a player who also looks destined for a breakout after starring for the U.S. this summer in the Nations League. Neal, of course, is a few years behind the Crystal Palace defender, but there are a lot of similarities between the Richards we saw in his early days at Bayern Munich and the Neal we see now.

Neal's first priority, of course, will be continuing on in the Gold Cup. The U.S. will face Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday as they look to book their spot in the knockout rounds.

After that, though, the focus will be on a busy summer with the LA Galaxy. It's been a difficult season for the club, who sit second-to-last in the Western Conference with little sign of making a real playoff push. The injury to Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez may have effectively ended their season and their hopes of a post-season run.

For Neal, though, the season is vital as he continues to develop as a player. MLS is a great league for young defenders due to the variety of tactical styles deployed by different teams. From physical monsters like Christian Benteke to creative playmakers like Jesus Ferreira, there are all sorts of different strikers to battle.

Neal will get better through those battles and, from there, who knows? He could be the USMNT's next European export someday, but it's still very early for a player that is only beginning to discover his own potential.