What Needs to be Addressed Before Qatar?

With only one more International window and two games to go before the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar, the U.S Mens’ National Team does not have too many major issues to figure out.

Most of the core lineup is set, the team atmosphere is strong, and the most recent set of games was filled with more positives than negatives. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few key position battles still playing out in the starting 11, and that many of the squad’s key players could be looking at less than consistent minutes this upcoming season.

Starting in the goalkeeper position, Matt Turner and Zack Steffen have split time through qualifying, and the race is really as close as it gets. Turner is the better shot-stopper, but Steffen is better using his feet, which the team needs when building out of the back. However, Turner has certainly gained ground in this area, and it seems as though he has jumped in front of Steffen ever so slightly in the pecking order. If the World Cup started today, Turner would likely be the starter because at the end of the day, the most important job of the keeper is to stop the other team from scoring, and he does that better while not lagging too far behind with his ball playing abilities. Turner has also had more consistent minutes recently, as he is the New England Revolution’s unquestioned starter, while Steffen is the backup at Manchester City. By November though, Turner’s pending move to Arsenal means they both will have spent August through October on the bench, which is not ideal for the U.S. Because of this, keep an eye out for Sean Johnson of NYCFC, if he is able to perform well in MLS up until the World Cup, Gregg Berhalter may go with the most in form keeper of the three. 

Sean Johnson put in a strong performance against Uruguay this month

Moving up to the back line, Miles Robinson’s torn Achilles has opened the door for someone to step in and partner Walker Zimmerman at center back. Aaron Long and Cameron Carter-Vickers recently got opportunities, while Chris Richards probably would have been ahead of both of them if he had been healthy. Richards is the most talented of the trio, while also being the youngest at 22. He is currently under contract at Bayern Munich, but without a path to consistent minutes he will likely go on loan as he did last year, or transfer permanently. He has many suitors, and if he picks the right spot and stays healthy, his quality should show and put him in position to start. Long and Carter-Vickers are solid options, but neither are on the same level as Richards talent wise. John Brooks’s removal from the U.S squad by Berhalter has been puzzling, as many view him as one of the two best American center backs, along with Zimmerman. Not only is his ability obvious, but he also has World Cup experience after playing in 2014. His leadership and quality on the field could be key if he and Berhalter can hash out whatever differences they struggle with. With Brooks on the field, the U.S would only be stronger.

Continuing along the spine of the team, the number nine role is the one with the most questions. Unlike the goalkeeper and center back slots, where the players battling seem to be making strong cases for themselves, no one up top has come close to stamping their name in the 11. Ricardo Pepi had his moment but hasn’t scored in 2022, Jesus Ferreira has good link play but lacks clinical finishing, Haji Wright recently got publicly dumped on by Berhalter after a limited opportunity, Jordan Pefok missed a sitter against Mexico in the Azteca, and Daryl Dike, Josh Sargent, and Gyasi Zardes all haven’t done too much to impress the coaching staff either. Ferreira seems to be in the lead in Berhalter’s eyes, and he does well to drop in creating space for the likes of Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, but his finishing is just too wasteful at the moment. He has a strong nine goals in MLS so far, but with the national team he has not been clinical. Ricardo Pepi likely has the most potential of all the options, but it is important to remember he is only 19 and still finding his feet on club level in a new country. Haji Wright and Jordan Pefok had the most successful club seasons among all American strikers, but Berhalter has given them limited opportunities as opposed to the likes of Ferreira and Sargent, and it seems he may have already deemed them not right for the starting 11. If no striker steps up before Qatar, it would be interesting to see the U.S use Gio Reyna or Brendan Aaronson in a false nine role in order to get the best players on the pitch, but there isn’t much time to practice and hone those tactics. The U.S desperately needs a striker to cement themselves as a starter, and be a goal scoring threat. As it stands, that seems unlikely to happen before November.

Gio Reyna could be an unorthodox answer to the U.S’s striker questions

Finally, this U.S team has struggled with injuries, as a jarring amount of key players missed games in qualifying and the window that followed. Without the depth of powerful nations such as Brazil and France, the U.S needs everyone available to make a run in Qatar. There isn’t much they can do about injuries except hope for the best, which is worrisome. The likes of Sergino Dest, Pulisic, Reyna, Richards, Weston Mckennie, Tim Weah and more must also be healthy in order to lock in consistent playing time with their clubs, as far too many of the U.S’s starters did not always feature for their club sides. Some may look for a move on loan or permanently before the World Cup, because fitness and form often come down to how often you are playing at the club level.

Now that all the issues have been brought up, we can’t lose sight of the fact that this team is so young. They are also fearless, and have brought life back to U.S Soccer after the disaster of not qualifying for 2018’s World Cup. These players have brought so much joy to the fans, and hopefully they can keep doing so.