Auston Trusty may have left international duty with an injury concern but his stock has never been higher.
The Celtic centre-back was one of the few positives from a difficult break for the USA, despite heavy defeats to Portugal (2-0) and Belgium (5-2).
Trusty didn’t feature against Belgium, but he made a huge impression in the loss to Portugal.
His numbers told the story.
66 touches, two tackles, one block, nine clearances, three headed clearances and six recoveries in a standout showing in a tough night for his side.
And it didn’t go unnoticed.
Speaking on CBS Sports, via RecordSport, former US internationals were unanimous in their praise.
Charlie Davies said: “Trusty has put in a hell of a shift. I think he made the World Cup roster, by the way, on tonight’s performance.”
Tony Meola added: “His stock has probably lifted more than anyone’s in this camp. He’s at the top or somewhere near the top of that list — my biggest positive, if you will, is that we have found another centre-back that we feel comfortable putting in.”
And Jimmy Conrad agreed.
He said: “I would agree. I think Trusty really took his opportunity and demonstrated that, ‘Hey, we do have a left-footed centre-back, who’s younger.
“More athletic. Covered a lot of ground. Very good in one-v-one situations.’ I think that bodes well for Auston Trusty’s future to potentially make the World Cup roster.”
There is a concern, though.
Trusty was forced off late in the match after appearing to limp off, and he didn’t provide an update post-match.
Celtic will now be sweating on his condition but on the international stage, Trusty has just made a major statement.
The Hoops have a tough trip to Dens Park to make on Sunday. Having Trusty in great form could’ve been a massive boost for the Hoops, who can’t afford anything but a win.
He’ll head back to Celtic to be assessed by the club’s doctors and we’ll await an update from there.
