HARRISON, N.J. -- Ethan Finlay was as elated as any of his Crew teammates last weekend after Columbus upset the New York Red Bulls with a 2-1 aggregate win over two legs -- a win that gives them the chance to play for MLS Cup against the Portland Timbers on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN) in front of their home fans.
But when Insider caught up with him an hour after the match, the 25-year-old Finlay, who emerged as one of the most productive players in MLS this season with a career-high 12 goals and 13 assists (one of just four players to hit double digits in both categories), was still kicking himself for missing a golden chance to score what would've been a backbreaking early strike.
"I'm happy we won, but I'm a little bit disappointed on a personal level," he said. "I could've put the game away. When you start talking about the national team, that is the expectation for guys at that level. I'm always going to want to be better in moments like that."
Finlay found himself in alone against Red Bulls backstop Luis Robles just 90 minutes into the match, but the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year managed to pull off a spectacular save. Finlay was also mad at himself for letting the disappointment linger.
"That's one of the characteristics of the best players in the world," he said. "They can forget their mistakes quickly."
Still, the fact that the fourth-year pro out of Creighton University holds himself to that sort of standard speaks volumes. It's what has allowed him to get dramatically better this season -- he started all 34 games for the Crew and was recently named to the 2015 MLS Best XI -- and why an invite from U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann to the national team's annual year-opening training camp next month seems inevitable.
There's a big difference between participating in the MLS-heavy January camp and remaining on the roster when European- and Mexican-based players are also available, however.
"Having two games at the end of that camp earns them a cap and maybe gives them national team status," Klinsmann said this week on U.S. Soccer's website. "But then you don't see them anymore because maybe they were simply not good enough to break into the team."
That's been the case for countless MLS standouts through the years. At the same time, a couple of players usually take advantage of the opportunity and end up sticking around long-term. Last year, that player was Gyasi Zardes, the 2014 MLS Cup MVP whose pace and work ethic helped him make 19 appearances for the U.S. this year, tied for tops on the team.
This year, several of Finlay's club teammates think he can be that player.
"Ethan's a fighter," Crew captain Michael Parkhurst told Insider after last weekend's match. Parkhurst has earned 25 U.S. caps since 2007 and was among the final cuts from last year's World Cup squad.
"He's a nonstop worker, the way he gets up and down the wing. I think that it's important at the international level to have that work rate, and he's improved so much in the two years I've been here."
Fellow U.S. prospect Wil Trapp, a mainstay on the U.S. U-23 squad, agrees.
"He would be a great addition," said Trapp, who made his lone senior team appearance last January. "I think he deserves it based on his year this year."
At 5-foot-9, Finlay does not have the athleticism of Zardes. What he does have is speed. That's not a commodity easily ignored at the top level, and it's one reason that an inexperienced player like DeAndre Yedlin beat out a veteran like Brad Evans for a spot on the last World Cup team (where Yedlin performed well). "Opponents always have to be cognizant and aware of where he is," Trapp said, "because at any moment, he can run in behind you."
That's not to say Finlay is a finished product. His touch is good enough for MLS, but it remains to be seen if his technical ability would translate against the world's best, where speed of play -- and thought -- are significantly higher than at home.
"I want to be one of the best players in this league and hopefully make the national team someday and perform at a high level," Finlay said. "Those are my goals, but I still have a lot of work to do."
Parkhurst has been particularly impressed by Finlay's ability to beat players and to adjust his game once opposing defenders started limiting his time and space. Parkhurst also thinks Finlay could fill a need with the U.S.
"We don't really play with wingers that often with the national team," Parkhurst said. "I think that if we wanted to change things up, it's nice to have somebody who's willing to do the work that can get down the line and beat guys one-on-one and cross the ball. It's unpredictable. I think he can add that. Hopefully he gets his chance down the line."
A big-game performance in MLS Cup would virtually ensure it.