For years, U.S. men’s soccer measured progress through simple accomplishments: qualifying for a World Cup from an undecorated region and advancing to the knockout stage, growing the domestic pro league and sending players abroad.
Now take in what will occur Saturday at a Portuguese stadium: A young American attacker who commanded a U.S.-record transfer fee two years ago and a goalkeeper who passed through the NCAA and MLS before also landing in the English Premier League will collide in club soccer’s biggest spectacle, the UEFA Champions League final.
“I get goose bumps thinking about it,” Gregg Berhalter, the U.