ASN: A take a look at Berhalter’s first main check: the 2019 USMNT Gold Cup roster

The 2019 Gold Cup was at all times going to be Gregg Berhalter’s first main check as supervisor. This morning the New Jersey native named his squad for the regional championship and most of the nation’s greatest gamers will participate. The roster additionally contains some surprises. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta takes a glance. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
June 06, 2019
11:00 AM

SHARE THIS STORY

UNITED STATES nationwide group supervisor Gregg Berhalter at this time introduced his 23 participant roster for the 2019 Gold Cup and whereas it incorporates most of the prime gamers within the pool, it comes on the heels of a really disappointing 1-0 loss to Jamaica on Wednesday night time.

Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Jozy Altidore, Zack Steffen, and Matt Miazga will all be collaborating. Regular starters DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks are carrying accidents and weren’t on the 40-player preliminary roster.

A number of of the gamers who took half within the loss to Jamaica didn’t make the ultimate roster together with U-23 Olympic eligible gamers Antonee Robinson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josh Sargent, Jonathan Amon, Jackson Yueill, and Djordje Mihailovic would possibly as an alternative deal with that group which has an upcoming camp in Salt Lake Metropolis.

Right here is the roster together with a number of ideas

The Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 12-Sean Johnson (New York Metropolis FC; 7/0), 22-Tyler Miller (LAFC; 0/0), 1-Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC; 9/0)

DEFENDERS (8): 14-Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 10/1), 3-Omar Gonzalez (Toronto FC/CAN; 50/3), 2-Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 3/0), 23-Aaron Lengthy (New York Crimson Bulls; 5/0), 16-Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Influence/CAN; 4/0), 19-Matt Miazga (Chelsea/ENG; 13/1), 13-Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 29/1), 5-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 6/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 145/17), 20-Duane Holmes (Derby County/ENG; 1/0), 8-Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 8/1), 10-Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 25/10), 15-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 10/0), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 16/0)

FORWARDS (6): 17-Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 110/41), 7-Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 22/3), 21-Tyler Boyd (Vitória Guimãres/POR; 0/0), 18-Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 4/0), 11-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 27/5), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 44/7)

There’s appreciable firepower
This group has the expertise to win the Gold Cup, no query. Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, Matt Miazga, Weston McKennie, Duane Holmes, and Tyler Boyd are all coming into this group on the heels of robust seasons.

If Boyd and Holmes combine shortly into the group, it is going to be an incredible enhance because the group has wanted extra offensive choices who can breakdown defenses.

Jozy Altidore and Aaron Lengthy may also be essential to the group’s probabilities if they’re wholesome. Each gamers – together with Jordan Morris, have missed time in latest weeks as a result of accidents.

However that is no doubt the strongest roster that Berhalter has assembled up to now in his tenure and he clearly has proven an open thoughts to recruiting twin nationwide gamers like Holmes and Boyd who might pay enormous dividends.

Shopping for into the “disruptive” system
On paper, this group might do very properly. However will it translate? That’s an open query. That’s the reason the U.S. group’s loss to Jamaica was regarding. That definitely wasn’t the most effective U.S. group however on paper it was nonetheless superior to a Jamaican group the place a lot of the gamers have been primarily based in USL or Jamaica. However Jamaica had a plan to succeed and performed rather a lot tougher.

Berhalter needs his group to be disruptive and that didn’t occur as Jamaica managed the ball with ease. This Gold Cup group is spectacular but when it doesn’t play as much as its potential, it might very properly lose. Having gamers all on the identical web page is much extra necessary.

The important thing gamers to look at can be these that may win the ball again within the midfield. Duane Holmes was one of many few gamers who confirmed properly towards Jamaica. Weston McKennie can also be essential as that’s his specialty. Then there’s Tyler Adams who will seemingly proceed his hybrid proper again/central midfield position however getting Adams to be a defensive presence within the midfield is essential.

Wil Trapp and Michael Bradley are the questions marks right here. Each can move properly however will they provide an excessive amount of time and house to opponents? Trapp failed in doing that towards Jamaica in what was a really poor recreation from him.

The primary few video games of the Gold Cup, nevertheless, ought to permit for preparation for the knockout phases.

A Have a look at the notable omissions
A couple of can be shocked to see Josh Sargent not on the group provided that he might even have performed on the U-20 World Cup. However Sargent has not performed a whole lot of soccer in 2019 for Werder Bremen. Even when he was sitting on the bench for the membership’s first group, he was not taking part in necessary reserve matches.

Jonathan Amon didn’t make the U-20 World Cup group however can also be seemingly eyed in direction of the Olympic group. The very fact he was referred to as as much as this senior group regardless of having a restricted position inside U.S. Soccer exhibits that Berhalter is looking for a job for Amon proper now. Berhalter went with Lewis for the super-sub winger position – and to be honest, Lewis is taking part in much more after his transfer to Colorado (which has additionally improved since Lewis joined). 

The Olympic group is skinny on wingers however whether or not or not Amon performs within the qualifying event will come right down to his launch. Proper now it’s rumored that Membership Brugge is and so they is likely to be extra cooperative than Membership Brugge.

Except for Lewis, so most of the gamers on the bubble however who have been additionally eligible for the U-23 group didn’t make this group. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Djordje Mihailovic, Antonee Robinson, Jackson Yueill (who performed towards Jamaica however was not an possibility for the Gold Cup group), and Josh Sargent are all examples.

Having these gamers play for the U-23 group proper now shouldn’t be a nasty resolution in any respect as long as there’s a life like probability they are often launch for qualifying – the dates and codecs of that are nonetheless not finalized. Having a powerful and well-functioning Olympic group is a big software for the boys’s program.

Last ideas
The Gold Cup roster, on paper, is an efficient one. It’s not superb and there are definitely some holes – like left again, central protection depth, the No. 6 questions, and questions as to how promising newcomers will combine into the group. U.S. Soccer continues to be working by a developmental hole and having a balanced roster with expertise that options gamers excelling at each place continues to be not attainable.

Some supporters can be upset with the cuts of some younger gamers which can be nonetheless new to the skilled recreation – however that can also be one thing that may hopefully be mounted by the gamers within the yr forward by way of incomes common minutes.

For now, this roster is roster is powerful sufficient to win the Gold Cup whereas additionally giving the U-23 group sufficient house to develop and hopefully return to the Olympics (which traditionally was an important stepping stone into the primary group).

Now the strain can be on Berhalter to get his roster to play to its potential and win the video games forward. If he does that, it is going to be a a lot wanted enhance of enthusiasm and momentum to program that badly wants it.