Remember those backyard games? Any fan will admit they pretended to be their idols, kicking a ball for fun. Kochen did the same, only he favored his hands over his feet.
The Barcelona youngster, on loan at Danish side Lyngby, burst onto the senior international stage. He entered at halftime of the United States’ 4‑1 victory over Peru on Sep. 26, keeping a clean sheet in his 45 minutes in Orlando.
A day later the 20‑year‑old completed the full match as the Stars and Stripes routed Mexico 3‑0 in Phoenix. It was just a friendly, yet the win felt unforgettable.
Diego Kochen’s idols
Although Kochen has avoided major mishaps so far, fans hope his composure secures the position for years. In my view, his calm under pressure bodes well for the US, and a former keeper paved the way for his choice of the gloves.
“The person I really looked up to was Tim Howard,” Kochen told Men in Blazers in November 2025.
“Watching the 2014 World Cup with my family left me absolutely awestruck by his performance,” he recalled. His god‑mother even gave him Howard’s biography, which details the keeper’s mindset and view of the game.
“Honestly, it reshaped my entire perception of the role,” he said. “It earned me massive respect and clarified the path I was on.”
Howard spent four Premier League seasons with Manchester United, and another Red Devils star also guided Kochen toward goalkeeping.
“David De Gea—those reactions, the saves, the flight,” Kochen gushes. “That’s what made me fall for the position. Watching him glide on a YouTube clip, dead‑pan, never bragging, just calm. It felt like another day at the office.”
DIEGO KOCHEN’S GOALKEEPING INSPIRATION 🇺🇸 USMNT goalkeeper Diego Kochen, just 20, kept a clean sheet against Mexico in his first senior start. Last year, he told @rogbennett which iconic American made him want to play the position 🧤 pic.twitter.com/XJnVmWImeT— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) October 4, 2026
Kochen’s path from Miami to Barcelona
Kochen moved to Spain with his parents at age 12 in 2018 and was snapped up by Barcelona’s La Masia academy a year later. The Miami‑born shot‑stopper previously played for Marcet Football University, which partners with clubs like Barça for youth tournaments.
Although he’s appeared on several matchday rosters, Kochen has yet to debut for Barcelona’s first team. He has logged nearly 40 games for Barcelona Atlètic, the Catalan B side competing in Spain’s third and fourth tiers.
Game time in Denmark
As expected for a club fighting relegation, Lyngby have endured a rough start, winning just one of their first nine league fixtures. Kochen has featured in every match, conceding 16 goals, yet impressed enough to earn a USMNT call‑up from coach Pochettino.
Born in Florida to a Peruvian mother and Venezuelan father, Kochen also holds Spanish citizenship, giving him multiple national options. Having represented the United States at every youth level from U16 to U23, he appears set on a senior future with America.
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