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It’s crunch time for Gregg Berhalter and the United States men’s national team as fewer than 100 days remain until the World Cup in Qatar kicks off. With the September international window around the corner, Berhalter’s last chance to view his team before taking them to Qatar is almost here, so the squad will need to be settled soon. Teams will be able to take 26 players and use five substitutes per match.
It’s a massive year for the red, white, and blue to prove their ability on a global scale after missing out on the 2018 edition. It has been a summer of movement for members of the national team headlined by Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams to Leeds United, Chris Richards to Crystal Palace, Luca De La Torre experiencing a new environment at Celta Vigo, and the keeper battle between Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen heading to the Championship.
So how is that roster looking here with European seasons underway? Let’s take a look:
When it comes to picking who will make the trip to Qatar, barring an injury or a situation where they’re no longer starters for their team — and for a few players even losing their starting spots at their clubs wouldn’t stop them from going to the World Cup — the players below will be on the trip:
Transfers see two players fall from being locks in Aaron Long and Luca De La Torre. Long is in an interesting place as he could be the starter in Qatar or lose his spot to Chris Richards if he’s able to secure consistent playing time with Crystal Palace. If Richards is the starter, Berhalter could opt to go with a versatile defender on the bench, but it’s something to keep an eye on. De La Torre had a move of his own to Celta Vigo, but it’s one that could negatively impact his playing time. He did not play in their league opener. With the other 15 members who are locked in, things are more or less the same outside of a few moves and injuries looming.
While there are no new entries into the locks category, there are quite a few changes to some situations. Antonee Robinson is now in the Premier League with Fulham, and the team is looking good to kick off the campaign. Joining him in the Premier League are Aaronson, Adams and Matt Turner. Aaronson and Adams have taken well to Leeds United, while we’ll have to wait for Europa League and cup matches to see Turner in action.
Steffen is now with Middlesbrough on loan but Horvath has also gone to Luton Town on loan as the battle for the number one shirt could go down to the wire. Steffen has had a rocky start, but with so many years of inconsistent playing time, he could find his footing before the World Cup to ensure that he keeps his spot in the lineup. Weston McKennie has a shoulder injury, but he has returned, and Gio Reyna is healthy but Dortmund are bringing him along slowly to ensure that he doesn’t pick up any further injuries.
Christian Pulisic doesn’t seem to be in Chelsea’s plan and has drawn interest from Newcastle United and Manchester United, but starting for Chelsea or not, the left wing is his with the national team. Hopefully, he isn’t in a situation where he isn’t playing ahead of the World Cup, but there isn’t a world where a healthy Pulisic doesn’t start for the national team. Sergino Dest is in a similar situation as he’s not in Xavi’s plans this season for Barcelona but will be the starting right back for the national team as long as his legs work. Not much has changed with the other locks, and that’s a good thing considering how many looming questions Berhalter has to answer between now and November.
Goalkeepers (3): Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough), Matt Turner (Arsenal), Ethan Horvath (Luton Town).
Defenders (9): Sergino Dest (Barcelona), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), James Sands (Rangers).
Midfielders (6): Weston McKennie (Juventus), Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders).
Forwards (8): Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Ricardo Pepi (FC Augsburg), Tim Weah (Lille), Paul Arriola (FC Dallas), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders).
This is a fluid group. Anything from a transfer during the summer to a slight shift in playing time could vault them right into the picture for the World Cup squad. An interesting mix of players in MLS and abroad make up this group.
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