21-year-old USMNT midfielder Lynden Gooch made a successful start to his club season on Tuesday, scoring the game-winning goal for Sunderland in their 2-1 victory over Carlisle in the EFL Cup.
Gooch earned his first two USMNT caps last fall, but a serious ankle injury last December disrupted a promising start to his Premier League season. Sunderland, of course, were relegated, but Gooch was one of the few players to escape serious criticism from supporters by virtue of actually looking like he gave a f**k.
The California native is currently on the outside, looking in with regards to making the 2018 World Cup roster, but a massive season for Sunderland in the Championship would give Bruce Arena a nice selection headache.