This past week’s the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team camp in Spain is the start of the cycle, which will culminate in qualifying for the 2020 Olympics. In two games played on Friday and Sunday, the U.S. lost 2-0 against Egypt, but showed improvemetn in a 0-0 draw against a talented Netherlands team.

This age group is always a difficult one to get a read on, as teams are generally not inclined to release players for camps or even Concacaf qualifying. That’s been part of the reason why the United States has struggled to qualify for the past two competitions.

It’s clearly a priority for U.S. Soccer this time around, and former Orlando, NYCFC and Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis has been tabbed as the man the lead the charge this time. And while there is marked improvement in the player pool, there are certainly big gaps on any potential roster.