Picking the USMNT’s World Cup Squad

Tomorrow evening, the U.S men’s national team manager, Gregg Berhalter, will announce the 26 players he will bring to Qatar to compete in the 2022 World Cup, our country’s first since 2014. He has some tough decisions to make and some injuries to pay attention to, but in this article, I will be playing the role of the head coach and making these decisions for him.

Goalkeeper

Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Sean Johnson

Traditionally one of the strongest positions for the U.S, the past few years have seen Turner and Steffen battle it out for the starting role, and recent signs point to Turner as finally making it his own. He has done well when called upon for cup competitions in a backup role at his new club, Arsenal.

The jump in training quality from the New England Revolution to the English club is certainly a valid reason for the move abroad. He should start with Steffen being the first backup and Johnson being brought along not only by merit of being the third-best goalkeeper but also to add an older head to a team that will almost certainly be the youngest in Qatar.

While he does not have previous World Cup experience and has only played in the MLS, Johnson is still the type of experienced, top professional that can make a difference in a locker room of younger players.

Center Back

Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream

While I can guarantee that this will not be the group of four Berhalter brings with him (there is no chance he leaves our Aaron Long), these are the four strongest options available.

Zimmerman is one of the best defenders in MLS, and his qualifying performances saw him take a larger role as a leader and become one of the first names on the team sheet for fans and Berhalter alike. The spot next to him became very much up for grabs after Miles Robinson went down with a torn Achilles in May.

Chris Richards is the most talented next man up, but he has dealt with some injury issues of his own and has only made four appearances this year for new club Crystal Palace. Regardless, the 22-year-old needs to be on the plane. Carter-Vickers is playing the best football of his career for Celtic and brings a blend of physicality and athleticism that could be very valuable against all three of the U.S’s possible group opponents while being much more secure on the ball than Long.

Finally, Ream has put together a full year and a half of being Fulham’s best defender in the Championship and the Premier League. He has strong chemistry with Antonee Robinson, and what he lacks in athleticism at age 35, he makes up for with a fantastic understanding of the game, leadership, and quality on the ball.

I did not consider John Brooks because while this is who I think the U.S should bring to Qatar, it seems as though he is not even being remotely considered. So Long is unfortunate to miss out, but these four are simply better and more proven over the past few years.

Fullback

Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, DeAndre Yedlin, Reggie Cannon, Joe Scally

Robinson and Dest are the surefire starters when healthy, although both have dealt with injuries this season, including more recently for Dest. Robinson has looked very good for Fulham and was arguably the most consistent player for the U.S throughout qualifying. Dest still has a long way to go defensively but provides a dynamism from fullback that we have probably never seen from an American in that position.

Yedlin will likely be the only American in Qatar with previous World Cup experience, as he was a 20-year-old emerging for the 2014 team. He not only provides that needed experience and leadership but is a more than capable backup who put in consistent performances for Inter Miami all season.

Cannon and Scally would be unlikely to see the field unless both Robinson and Dest got hurt, but each of them can fill in if needed and have impressed at times for the national team when given the opportunity. Having only one natural left-footer is a bit troubling, but there is just none who have stood out enough to warrant consideration. With Dest and Scally able to play both sides, I think we will be okay.

Center Midfield

Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Kellyn Acosta, Malik Tillman, Luca de la Torre

The starting trio of Adams, McKennie, and Musah is set in stone as long as McKennie can return from his thigh injury that may keep him out for one to two weeks. They played together in midfield throughout qualifying when available and complemented each other very well.

Adams and Musah have been great for Leeds and Valencia recently, and while it is hard to shine for Juventus these days, McKennie has been able to provide a spark at times in a dysfunctional squad. Kellyn Acosta is the most reliable bench option and is best used deputizing for Adams, but he could play in one of the higher roles or alongside Adams if needed.

Tillman has had some great moments for Ranger this season, especially in their Champions League qualifying run. If he gets an opportunity, he could be a difference-making X factor in Qatar. He’s a high-ceiling, low-floor player to bring along, exactly what you want from guys near the end of the bench.

De la Torre impressed with the U.S off the bench in qualifying and in place of McKennie when he couldn’t play, but has barely featured for new club Celta Vigo in La Liga and looks to be injured up until the opening days of the World Cup. But we have a deep winger pool, and a few of them, including Gio Reyna and Brendan Aaronson, can also play in midfield. De la Torre stands head and shoulders above his competition for the spot, so he should be on the plane even with injury questions.

Winger

Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Brendan Aaronson, Jordan Morris

Obviously, Pulisic is the face of the team. While it hasn’t been smooth sailing at Chelsea recently, he will be in a completely different mindset and has the full confidence of his manager and teammates on the national team. Weah was electric for much of qualifying, and his directness in attack helped set up a lot of chances and stretch the field in a way no one else in the player pool can. He’s needed, and I think he has also earned a starting spot.

Aaronson has looked completely at home for Leeds in the Premier League this year, showing off his incredible pressing while creating chances at a high rate. His end product is improving as well. Reyna probably has the best end product in the player pool and is getting back up to speed at Dortmund after a long injury-ridden spell. The 19-year-old is so creative, and while he probably won’t start the tournament’s first game, he can earn a larger role if he is healthy.

The final spot comes down to Morris or Paul Arriola, and either player would likely only see the field in desperate moments when Berhalter has to throw the kitchen sink at the opponent. In this case, I would prefer Morris’s aerial abilities and power in the box, especially when we have others built in the same mold as Arriola. The winger pool is deep and will be relied upon to spark the team in the final third.

Striker

Ricardo Pepi, Jordan Pefok, Jesus Ferreira

Striker is the most debated and questioned position group of the squad selection process. As you may have heard, the U.S could not find a reliable number nine during their run through qualifying, and no one has really staked their claim to be the guy.

Ferreira seems to be Berhalter’s favorite, and while he does drop into midfield and link play well, he has shown to be wasteful in front of goal against good competition. Pepi was on fire 12 months ago, but the teenager then went almost a year without scoring. He does have five goals in seven appearances for Groningen in the Eredivisie, but the inconsistencies of a young striker are ever present in him.

Pefok has been given the least number of national team opportunities among these three, but he has three goals and three assists in 12 Bundesliga games for second-place Union Berlin. I think Pefok provides the most well-rounded game of the options, but still, his presence is not striking fear into opponents.

Josh Sargent, in decent form for Norwich, is the odd man out due to his recent disappointing performances for the national team. I would have liked to see Gio Reyna in a false nine role, but it is too late to start implementing such a change with just one week to prepare once the players get to Qatar.