United States’ missed opportunity to qualify for the 2018 FIFA world cup was a nightmare for every USMNT (United States Men's National Team) fan but this time they qualified for the FIFA world cup 2022. So many expectations from USMNT this time.
Football’s biggest tournament is now in the footsteps because the FIFA world cup 2022 starts on 20 November.
The official regulating authority IFAB confirmed that rosters would be expanded to 26 players from the initial expectation of 23 players, allowing teams to take three more players than in the past. Who will therefore be included among the 26 players selected for soccer’s most coveted tournament, and who will be excluded?
We attempt to estimate who will make the final squad in mid-November since manager Gregg Berhalter and his USMNT coaching staff will spend the next month preparing the final list of talent. He planned a mini-camp for several domestic players who had been knocked from club play in late October to keep them in shape.
Of course, how this turns out will be greatly influenced by injuries. With just over a month until the start of the World Cup, the USMNT players’ health is improving as October progresses, but anything may happen at any time.
FIFA increased World Cup rosters from 23 players, including three goalkeepers, to 26 players this year, giving Gregg Berhalter a little more room to recruit players who can contribute in many areas.
Berhalter will have a very difficult time narrowing down the American player pool to the 26 best — or, most effective — players, keeping in mind team harmony.
The starting line-up and main contributors seem relatively set, but every roster spot is valuable, and the goal will be to maximize every position with players who can contribute in multiple ways on and off the field.
USMNT Key players, strengths, and weaknesses at 2022 World Cup
Key players
Photo by Erik Drost
The unquestioned star of the USMNT team is Christian Pulisic, and his ability to stay healthy and carry the attack will determine how far the U.S. can advance at the World Cup. With his playing time at Chelsea diminished, he will need to energize himself ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
The Leeds United pair of Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson has also risen to significant prominence on this team, with their pressing abilities fitting the Gregg Berhalter system perfectly. Adams in particular is an engine in midfield, generating turnovers at the No. 6 position and building possession out of the back.
Weston McKennie is another fixture in the middle, and his partnership with Adams and Yunus Musah has affectionately been dubbed "MMA." The absence of any of those three has proven costly to the U.S. and their health will be of critical importance. McKennie and Musah have developed a true No. 8 pivot, with Musah being in charge of progression while McKennie has a more box-to-box role.
Strengths
The American team's obvious strength is their midfield. Although the American midfield is not exceptionally deep, the "MMA" trio's presence is a huge plus for the country because they can compete with many of the best midfielders in the world. However, Luca de la Torre's injury highlighted how poor the depth is behind those three.
Surprisingly, full-back is now a position of strength after years of underperformance in that position. Gregg Berhalter is able to build his tactical strategy around the strengths of the two players by having Antonee Robinson on the left and Sergino Dest on the right. However, the team's depth is seriously limited, so losing either player would be a big loss.
With a focus on both the 2022 World Cup and the 2026 event, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico, the youth of this U.S. team is another significant factor. Any success in the 2022 World Cup will raise hopes that this same team can expand on that base and become a legitimate contender in four years.
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Sean Johnson, the backup goalkeeper, is the only player on the expected roster who is 30 years of age or older; everyone else is still in the prime of their careers. The only player who was part of the FIFA world cup 2014 roster is DeAndre Yedlin. Aaronson, Dest Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, and even 24-year-old Pulisic are examples of talented young players that give confidence for a promising future.
It's amazing how quickly things can change. A few months ago, the goalkeeping position was one that had some concerns. Matt Turner was having issues with playing time before a move to Arsenal, and Zack Steffan was stuck playing behind Ederson at Man City. Form going into the World Cup was also a major concern. However, Turner has played well while appearing as Arsenal's goalkeeper, and Steffen has recovered from a knee injury to retake his starting position while on loan at Middlesbrough. Things are improving.
Weaknesses
Going into the World Cup, this team has a lot of unanswered questions.
Image Credit : Getty Images/Robin Alam/ISI Photos
The striker position is the most important of these. Jesus Ferreira may appear to be locked into the starting position, but there aren't many other contenders, nor Ferreira's capability to win the position. A jumble of in-form but inexperienced reserve players and out-of-form preferred alternatives are behind him. Ricardo Pepi, who is still young, had a terrible move to Augsburg and needed a loan from the Netherlands to get back on track.
Although Jordan Pefok and Haji Wright are in great condition for their teams, Berhalter doesn't seem to want to bring them in. Gregg Berhalter clarified that Pefok is still in the contention for a place in Qatar despite his omission from the September camp roster. Brandon Vazquez of FC Cincinnati is in excellent form for his team, but Berhalter's critical comments rendered a berth for him improbable, as validated by Vazquez, who has been informed he is out of the running.
For the United States, the center-back position is also a cause of confusion. Although Walker Zimmerman is unquestionably a starter, who will play next is anyone's guess. Miles Robinson was supposed to be that person, however he was unable to travel to Qatar due to an Achilles tear. Although Berhalter prefers Aaron Long, his dismal performance in MLS after coming back from an injury may force Berhalter's hand. Although Cameron Carter-Vickers excelled at Celtic, he has only just returned to the spotlight after years of toiling under the radar.
There is little hope in the other center-back possibilities. Chris Richards was formerly regarded as a young, talented prospect, but injuries have seriously hindered him and he hasn't appeared often for Crystal Palace. Erik Palmer-Brown or Mark McKenzie might be selected based on club performance, but their limited experience with the national squad does not give them much hope. Tim Ream had a strong start to the season at Fulham to re-insert the veteran into the discussion, but Gregg Berhalter didn't invite him to training camp in September, making Ream an utter impossibility.
James Sands, who has played defensive midfield for Rangers and established a role there, is a slim chance to replace de la Torre. Although it appeared that his performance against Champions League opponents in September cost him his starting position at the club, he was used in the midfield against Napoli in late October and performed admirably despite the match 3-0. Given his positional versatility and club minutes, Sands is a more sensible addition to the roster than players like Djordje Mihailovic and Sebastian Lletget given the limited choices because now Luca de la Torre is injured.
USMNT starting line-up at the FIFA World Cup
How will they line up now that we have the final 26? The starting lineup should be fairly obvious, but there are still some choices to be made.
Between the pipes is where the largest issue lies. There are now two USMNT goalkeepers playing for top Premier League teams—both as backups—after recent starting goalkeeper Matt Turner moved to Arsenal, where he will battle for playing time and probably back up Aaron Ramsdale.
It is still unclear if Steffen or Turner will receive enough playing time to consider themselves prepared for World Cup games because goalkeeper form is crucial.
The third midfield position is the subject of a major question. When healthy, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams will be in the starting lineup. Brenden Aaronson led the midfield trio admirably throughout the summertime international break, including a standout performance against Morocco, making the last position appear more open. The finest American attacking players might potentially all be on the field at once if this were to happen.
