Philly-bred USMNT assistant coach B.J. Callaghan helps navigate a time of uncertainty

NASHVILLE — The interim period that the U.S. men’s soccer team is in right now brings natural uncertainty for outsiders and insiders alike.

But the soccer world isn’t waiting for the new manager and sporting director. So there’s plenty of work to do in the short term, and it’s up to short-term boss Anthony Hudson and his staff to do it.

Right now, that work includes preparing for next month’s final games of the Concacaf Nations League group stage. The U.S. men will gather for training camp in Orlando in late March, then play at Grenada on March 24 and host El Salvador in Orlando on March 27.

How many of the stars will Hudson and his colleagues call up? And how many prospects who didn’t make the World Cup but are striving with European clubs will get a look?

The U.S. staff is starting to work on the answers this month with a trip to Europe for scouting and meetings. U.S. Soccer announced the trip and its destinations, bringing some welcome transparency for the growing fan base.

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Hudson went overseas first, and he watched the biggest names: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Medford’s Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United; Hershey’s Christian Pulisic at Chelsea; and Gio Reyna at Borusia Dortmund. The last of those got quite a bit of attention, given the ongoing scandal with Reyna’s parents.

Eric Laurie of the national team’s scouting staff was next, heading to the Netherlands. His agenda included meeting with Ricardo Pepi, the striker who fueled the World Cup qualifying campaign but fell short of a ticket to Qatar.

Now it’s B.J. Callaghan’s turn, and, for Philadelphia fans, that’s local news. Before he joined the U.S. staff in 2019, the longtime Philly-area resident — and grandson of Villanova basketball legend Jack Kraft — spent many years as a Union assistant. Before then, he worked at ‘Nova, St. Joseph’s, and Ursinus.

So it’s fitting that Callaghan’s travels will take him to a pair of Union academy alumni in England: Media’s Auston Trusty at Birmingham City and Downingtown’s Zack Steffen at Middlesbrough. Callaghan will watch Trusty duel with Josh Sargent’s Norwich City on Tuesday, then he’ll go to London for Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson’s Fulham vs. Wolves on Friday.

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The next day, Callaghan will attend Steffen’s clash with Daryl Dike’s West Bromwich Albion. And the day after that, the trip will end with one of the world’s great rivalries, Rangers vs. Celtic in Glasgow, Scotland. There are Americans on each side of the vaunted Old Firm, as it’s known: Malik Tillman and James Sands with Rangers and Cameron Carter-Vickers with Glasgow.

“I think a lot of times we use the word scouting as if we’re just going there to, like, sit in the stands and evaluate the player and his performance,” Callaghan told The Inquirer. “Which is certainly part of it, but I think something that we have built over the last four years is this real personal connection to all of these players. For us to make the effort to go over there to meet them in person and just have that personal connection, I think it goes a long way and really puts actions behind our words when we talk about being there for each other and those type of things.”

Along with being a measure of relationships, it’s a measure of U.S. Soccer’s bank account. While there’s plenty of history of U.S. coaches going to Europe to visit players, the growing number of U.S. players abroad means there’s more to do there than ever.

“For me, this is part of our duty,” Callaghan said. “There never has been any hesitancy for us to travel over there and meet with players. … We feel the support, and I think it also shows the ability for us to adapt to the changing landscape.”

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It will be especially meaningful for Callaghan to meet with Trusty and Steffen, players he’s known for many years. This will be the coach’s first time seeing his former pupils play for clubs in England.

“Both those guys, I have really close off-the-field relationships with,” Callaghan said. “A rewarding part of this job — not necessarily the national team job, but being a coach and being around long — is just seeing them grow up from young kids that have dreams of being professional soccer players, have dreams to play on the men’s national team, and both of them living out their dream.”

Steffen is well-known by now, even though he didn’t make the World Cup team. He was the longtime frontrunner until Matt Turner overtook him in the last months before kickoff. Trusty is a different matter: he went from the Union to Colorado to a shocking move to England’s Arsenal, then a loan out to second-tier Birmingham City before playing a second for the Gunners.

It’s been a rough season for Birmingham, currently in 18th place out of 24 teams, but Trusty has been a bright spot. Callaghan has watched it all from afar, and now he’ll watch up close.

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“I think the characteristics and the traits that he brings — a lot of belief in himself, very hard worker, willing to do anything — I think those endear you to any type of locker room and any type of culture to begin with,” Callaghan said. “And so it’s not a surprise to me that he’s been able to fit right in, and earn a position to be pretty much a full-time starter.”

What has surprised Callaghan (and not just him) is Trusty notching four goals this season, mainly off set pieces.

“We were always trying to set him up in Philly to be a target, and they found a way to unlock him,” Callaghan said. “It’s giving him a lot of confidence. And a player with confidence, the sky’s the limit.”

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