3 USMNT World Cup hopefuls who should ditch Europe for MLS this summer | OneFootball

The landscape has changed. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has clearly indicated that the best way to earn a spot on the U.S. men's national team is to make sure you are playing somewhere and playing well, even if that's in MLS.

That's a shift change from previous boss Gregg Berhalter, who at times relied on players who were at more elite European clubs but not seeing much first-team action. And in the recent Concacaf Nations League debacle, it was MLS-based players Diego Luna and Patrick Pagyemang who provided the lone bright spots.

With that reality becoming clear, here's three players whose World Cup stock could benefit considerably from an MLS move as soon as the summer transfer window.

Matt Turner

United States v Canada: Third Place Match - CONCACAF Nations League | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/GettyImages

The current Crystal Palace goalkeeper came under fire for his positioning on both game-winning goals in the Nations League. And the reality is he's only played a handful of club games for manager Oliver Glasner.

And unlike being a field player, there arguably isn't a ton of downside to being a goalkeeper at an MLS level instead of the Premier League from a competitive standpoint. Stopping shots is stopping shots.

There are also plenty of MLS teams who could use an upgrade at the goalkeeper position, based on what we've seen so far this season.

Turner has remained Pochettino's No. 1 through his early tenure, but that seems unlikely to continue if Zack Steffen stays in his current form with the Colorado Rapids and Turner remains planted to the bench. It's time to consider a change.

Gio Reyna

Canada v USMNT | Robin Alam/ISI Photos/GettyImages

The fact that Luna got the nod ahead of Gio Reyna on Sunday said eveything about where the current Dortmund attacking midfielder is right now.

Reyna is arguably the most technically gifted player in the entire U.S. player pool. But there must be a reason he's not seeing significant minutes under any the European managers he's had recently.

He would be a risky signing for an MLS club based on the potential price tag and, from a distance, what appears to be a questionable mentality. But he might be the kind of player who needs playing time to keep locked in and motivated in training, not the other way around.

There could be some similarities to early Landon Donovan in that respect, though the legendary USMNT star eventually matured and became a fan favorite at Everton in two loan stints late in his career.

Gianluca Busio

Udinese v Venezia - Serie A | Timothy Rogers/GettyImages

The versatile Venezia midfielder appears to be falling out of favor of late as his team again faces a Serie A relegation scrap. And he's been mostly out of sight, out of mind with the U.S. recently.

He was a starter in Pochettino's first two matches in charge, a pair of friendlies against Panama and Mexico. Then he came off the bench in both halves of the USMNT's quarterfinal win over Jamaica.

But he wasn't a part of Pochettino's March squad, and maybe worse, he wasn't really part of the discourse about who was snubbed from the squad.

He would be a major upgrade for a lot of MLS teams at multiple midfield postions, including his former club, which desperately have the look of needing some fresh talent. And it's unclear what he would gain from a return to Serie B with Venezia.