Now after A.S. Men have qualified for the 2022 World Cup, who will represent the nation in returning to the competition? It's not easy to narrow the pool.
US The men's national team is once again a World Cup-caliber team, having completed their qualification for this year's competition in Qatar. To get there, manager Greg Berhalter turned to an expanded player pool, and for good reason. This qualifying slogan was unlike any other in modern USMNT history.
Playing through a narrowed seven-month period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US squeezed in 14 matches in five windows, four of which were three matches over seven days. Coupled with the workloads that demand travel and matches, these players are already working on their clubs and the COVID-19 curveball has complicated rosters and logistical planning, and it's no surprise that Berhalter had to use 38 players during qualifying. This is the U.S. The qualifying cycle is by far the second most used, with 43 being called in the 2010 cycle – but consisting of 18 matches and multiple rounds against different levels of competition.
Now, after cultivating his player pool in the CONCACAF Nations League, Gold Cup and qualifying, and the number of credible alternatives increasing, Berhalter faces the opposite task: cut the pool down to a tough 23. Unless FIFA adopts a roster expansion like UEFA did for last summer's Euros, when teams were given a 26-player allocation (and it's reportedly up for discussion), Berhalter has to face some incredible odds. Tough choices will need to be made. Players who came up with crucial moments on the qualifying road could enthrall the spectators. Injuries, as always, will play a factor as well. US Never had anyone who would consider their true 'A' team the most at once on the field under Berhalter in any competition or friendly. That's not to say it can't happen at the World Cup, but the chances are the U.S. are not in favor of.
So what might an American World Cup team look like? There are many variables that could change the equation over the next eight months. There are always wild cards coming late which also hinders planning. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup, Hercules Gomez and Edson Buddley made themselves invincible with their scoring form. Ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Bayern Munich's rising talent Julian Greene won the U.S. over Germany. , wound up on Jurgen Klinsmann's final roster and still has the usual answer to the question: "Who scored the USMNT's most recent goal in the World Cup?"
It's not always fair to those who have done most of the heavy lifting in qualifying, but fairness has little to do with managers' choice of who they feel can propel their team to their greatest heights on the biggest stage. As much as Berhalter claims his roster selections are what America looked like at a given point in time, he's also adamant about building a culture and brotherhood, so perhaps the wild-card factor won't be as prevalent this time around.
Nevertheless, over the next eight months the U.S. The roster picture of is going to be the target of scrutiny and speculation. Injury reports, club form, club transfers and international allegiance will all play a part in turning Berhalter's pool into a final roster and a set of options. Here's our best illustration of what it looks like right now, with merit fresh in mind:
locks
Jack Stephen (Manchester City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution), Sergino Dest (Barcelona), Antoine Robinson (Fulham), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Younes Moussa (Valencia), Weston McKennie ( Juventus), Kellyanne Acosta (LAFC), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Tim Weh (Lille), Brendan Aaronsson (Salzburg)
Barring the injury, these 13 are on the plane. Steffen and Turner are both likely to be Premier League backups at the time of the World Cup, which may (for supporters, anyway) be a cause for panic, but that hasn't stopped Steffen from becoming a regular for the national team when Healthy. Turner will have to make adjustments to Arsenal after his summer transfer, but will return to the U.S. when given the chance. Has been a reliable shot-stopper for It shouldn't change.
In front of them, Dest and Robinson are the first choice fullbacks, full stop. They are U.S. He gives dynamic options that move from both sides, and while Dest's defense is in progress, he was going strong with Barcelona before the final qualifying window before a hamstring injury.
Zimmerman, a two-time MLS Defender of the Year, is the only sure thing in the central defense at the moment. Fluctuating form, injuries and club conditions are all affecting others in the pool to such an extent that it is difficult to say unequivocally that they will be moving to Qatar.
The favorite midfield trio of Adams, McKennie and Moussa should be included in the XI for America's World Cup opener, while Acosta has quietly been one of Berhalter's most reliable players, a really long time in America's 28. has played. His last 29 matches are from before December 2020. His ability to deliver on set pieces while delivering depth in multiple locations—and mastery of the dark arts—make him an invaluable asset.
US Along with the wing options of first choice, Pulisic, Reyna, Veh and Aaronson all prove reliable in large spaces and are all versatile enough to adapt to more central roles when needed. They have either the temperament or the pedigree (or both) to distribute the light at its brightest.
Possibility
Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest), Reggie Cannon (Boavista), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim, on loan from Bayern Munich), Luca de la Toure (Herakles), Christian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Paul Ariola (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders)
The rest of the tickets are most likely to come from this group. The third goalkeeper spot is currently Harvath's loss, but that could change and with the flow in game time leaning back towards Sean Johnson. It wasn't until recently that Horvath got regular minutes at Nottingham Forest (ironically, the two he's behind in the pecking order are unlikely to have regular minutes, but no one said the rules were the same. were for all). Cannon and Yedlin are on the right (unless COVID-19 and suspensions keep them out, as they did this week), while Robinson, Long and Richards represent the next men on the fluctuating center back depth chart .
De la Torre is making it very difficult for Berhalter to stop him from moving forward. He may have joined the nucleus late, but his performance has been measured and steady, and he has the kind of a player who can relate. His strong season in the Netherlands has played to his advantage, and it looks like he has leapfrogged both Rolden and Basio into midfield.
As far as attack options are concerned, Pepi entered the U.S. in the fall. Having helped save K's qualifying campaign, he has left far behind. He hasn't scored for either club or country since the October double versus Jamaica, and his $20 million move to Augsburg hasn't been a smooth one. He has time to rediscover his scoring touch, but Berhalter himself has said he is "worried" about the drop in scoring rate. Morris, Ferreira and Ariola have proved their worth to Berhalter with the latter two—now FC Dallas teammates—scoring in the final qualifiers of Panama.
These 13 plus the above 13 make for 26 players. That means, there isn't already room for three of them, except expanding the squad—and not taking into account who stays in the frame and can make their way up the ladder. As if...
On the radar
Sean Johnson (NYCFC), Shaq Moore (Tenerife), Joe Scali (Borussia Monchengladbach), Brian Reynolds (Kortrijk, on loan from Roma), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United), John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Justin Che (Hoffenheim), Mark Mackenzie (Genk), Eric Palmer-Brown (Troys), George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld), Sam Wines (Antwerp), James Sands (Rangers), Sebastian Llett (New England Revolution), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Matthew Hope ( Mallorca), Jordan Payfolk (Young Boys), Daryl Dyke (West Brom), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)
There are cases for so many players that eventually get called out, and this group is proof of that. By last September 1, you would have had Brooks' name inked in the World Cup starting XI. Then he had a terrible opening qualification window and an uneven season with Wolfsburg. He has been in the U.S. since September. Has not returned, but Berhalter insists that he is not personable. Brooks, to his credit, owns his position and promises to do whatever it takes to get back. An upcoming club move this summer will play a big part in determining how quickly—if at all—he can move back up the center depth charts.
He is hardly the only one knocking on the door. Depth and versatility are everything in a competition with a limited roster, and Scali's ability to play both fullback spots works to his advantage. Moore's sudden arrival for Sunday's Panama game was followed by a strong showing that also raised his profile.
You get the sense that Berhalter wants Sargent to be the man leading the front row, but outside of his two-goal performance at Norwich City, he has yet to show that he has what he needs consistently enough. Seems like. Being part of attack-challenging, relegation-threatening clubs for the vast majority of his pro career hasn't helped a player whose work rate is consistently praised.
Payfolk, despite having a knack for leading the Swiss league in goals and getting to the end of set pieces, would have looked full-blown World Cup hopes like his blown-up opportunity against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. Dyke and Hope need to stay healthy, play and score goals regularly for their clubs before getting back into the mix at any more realistic level.
Then there's Zardes, a longtime favorite and trusted striker of Berhalter, whose inclusion in the final squad could give USMNT Twitter a collective aneurysm, but whose club form has yet to merge with it this year.
Wild card
Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Jonathan Gomez (Real Sociedad), Eric Williamson (Portland Timbers), Jozy Altidore (New England Revolution), Folarin Balogun (Middlesbrough, on loan from Arsenal)
Let's go crazy Given the lack of a reliable centre-forward, is there any way out for the 32-year-old World Cup veteran Altidore, who was called up to Berhalter's January camp in 2021 but hasn't returned since? There is something to be said for the World Cup experience, and the current U.S. Near some in the picture. If he takes a look at June's CONCACAF Nations League, you might consider that door open.
His Revolution teammate, Jones, a dynamic leftist, was called to the first half of the January camp this year before departing before qualifying matches. There isn't a lot of depth behind Antoine Robinson, so there could be an opportunity if there is another bounce at club level. For Williamson, he was playing his part in the national team's midfield when he played for the U.S. Tore his ACL shortly after helping Ko win the Gold Cup. He has just returned to action for the Timbers, and he has time to build his form back where it was.
Then there are dual nations. Slonina, 17, has been part of qualifying as the third goalkeeper and future U.S. goalkeeper. K is a prime candidate to become goalkeeper (as long as he stays with the U.S. and opts for Poland). Gomez, 18, jumped from Louisville City to Real Sociedad in the USL and has Mexican eligibility. It would not be in line with Berhalter's track record to offer a World Cup roster spot as a bargaining chip for a dual national, but would be worth locking in on another potential future left.
Finally, Balogun, a 20-year-old, New York-born England youth international who will need to file for a FIFA one-time switch to represent the US, is Moussa's former Arsenal academy teammate, whose The age and quality profile has to match the nucleus of this team and the striker may be the missing piece that makes America even more prolific in the final third. There's no sign yet that he's considering a switch. He scored as recently as last week for England in the U-21 Euro qualifying. But could a fast track to play in the World Cup - not realistic for him with Gareth Southgate's Three Lions - affect his thinking? And would Berhalter be entertained by recruiting a relative outsider to his close unit of competition? That's about eight months to find out.