USMNT coach Greg Berhalter has high hopes for Justin Che at Bayern Munich

In an interview with Sport Bild, USMNT coach Greg Berhalter spoke about some of his country’s young prospects who play in Europe. 17-year-old center-back Justin Che, who has just spent half a season on loan at Bayern Munich from FC Dallas, is among those who have caught the coach’s eye.

“Justin has incredible potential and made such a great impression on Säbener Strasse that the Munich team want to keep him,” said Berhalter. “Bayern are a great club and it is a great sign when those responsible believe in this young player and plan for the future with him. It’s a great honor for Justin and a strong symbol for us as a US team.”

Che has apparently impressed enough for Bayern to pursue a permanent transfer, and negotiations underway with FC Dallas. This would make him the second American defender to make the switch from Dallas to Munich, after Chris Richards a couple years back. Richards’ development has been nothing short of stellar, and he has even managed to cement himself in the lineup of a proper Bundesliga team during his loan at Hoffenheim this season.

If Che follows in his footsteps, he could be setting himself up for similar success. Berhalter recognizes this, saying, “If Justin continues to play at Bayern, it will help him develop and improve the quality of our national team.” Che has already been called up to the USMNT for its upcoming training camp, signaling that they have a lot of faith in the youngster. From a Bayern perspective, we wish him the very best — the club could always use more talented youngsters in its academy.