ASN: ASN evaluation: Berhalter names long-awaited USMNT World Cup qualifying roster

After almost 4 years, the U.S. nationwide workforce will play its first World Cup qualifier. The bitter style of that final defeat continues to be recent within the eyes of the followers and the complete U.S. Soccer males’s program. Now the U.S. workforce will have the ability to begin anew and ASN’s Brian Sciaretta together with his ideas on the gamers and workforce who be a part of the opening three video games. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
August 26, 2021
2:30 AM

SHARE THIS STORY

AT LONG LAST and after months of speculations and dealing in direction of this, Gregg Berhalter has lastly revealed his first roster of the 2022 World Cup qualifying marketing campaign. Because the resumption of play from COVID, the U.S. nationwide workforce has performed in two CONCACAF tournaments – profitable each – and performed a bunch of friendlies simply to construct up to now of being ready for qualifying.

In fact, the U.S. nationwide workforce will open on the highway towards El Salvador and that will likely be adopted up by a house sport towards Canada in Nashville after which a highway journey to Honduras. If the U.S. can rack up factors early, it’ll pave the way in which for easy qualification.

A part of what went unsuitable for the USA within the failed 2018 qualification wasn’t the ending, it was the poor begin – with two opening losses.

Right here is the roster together with ideas on the workforce.

The 26-player Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 7/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester Metropolis/ENG; 23/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 7/0)

DEFENDERS (10): George Bello (Atlanta United; 3/0), John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 43/3), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 11/1), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 6/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 45/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 12/0), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 9/3), James Sands (New York Metropolis FC; 6/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 64/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 17/2)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 37/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 14/1), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 29/7), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 24/7), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 25/0)

FORWARDS (8): Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg/AUT; 7/3), Konrad de la Fuente (Olympique Marseille/FRA; 1/0), Jordan Pefok (BSC Younger Boys/SUI; 6/1), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas; 0/0), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 38/16), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 8/4), Josh Sargent (Norwich Metropolis/ENG; 16/5), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 13/1)

General ideas

That is very sturdy roster. Is it 100%? No. There are some accidents and gamers left off as a result of they haven’t performed these days as a consequence of latest or probably pending transfers. However the odds the U.S. nationwide workforce or some other nationwide workforce will likely be at 100% may be very slim.

What the workforce has proper now could be Pulisic, Adams, McKennie, Dest, Brooks, and Reyna on a roster. These six gamers – all Champions League starters from golf equipment within the “Big Five” leagues of Europe – are on the workforce. Then you have got key backups and different key contributors too.

An enormous portion of this new qualifying formation (with eight groups, and three-game home windows) is that it is going to be a check of depth. That could be a good factor for the USA because it now has extra depth than simply about any workforce in CONCACAF.  

Groups are going to be arduous pressed to begin gamers for all three video games in a single window – and the U.S. workforce can deal with lacking sure gamers at any cut-off date. One query many don’t appear to be asking is how opponents deal with video games towards the USA and Mexico? Do they begin their greatest lineups, or do they discipline backups whereas saving key gamers for extra winnable video games? That is still to be seen.

Certain, there are just a few quibbles some followers may make right here and there with the roster. That can at all times be the case. However the objections are nibbling on the margins. The overwhelming majority of the important thing choices are right.

Berhalter is definitely very happy with what he was capable of choose, and the U.S. workforce ought to really feel assured heading into qualifiers.

Formation ideas: 6 CBs, wingers, mids

Calling in six central defenders (Brooks, Robinson, McKenzie, Sands, Zimmerman, and Ream) is loads. However that must be revealing in that Berhalter is critically fascinated about going with a 3 central defender formation at the very least among the time in these video games. Berhalter used that within the closing of the Nations League and he additionally used it for the beginning of the Gold Cup – till Zimmerman was injured.

The items appear to suit for that strategy. The U.S. workforce has the speedy fullbacks who wish to get ahead – Dest, Robinson, Yedlin, Bello – plus in addition they have restricted central midfielders.

The U.S. workforce additionally has an abundance of wingers on this workforce – Pulisic, Reyna, Aaronson, Weah, and de la Fuente.

That appears to counsel we are going to see (at the very least typically) a formation that could be a variation of a 5-2-3 with two wingbacks becoming a member of the 2 central midfielders. There have been additionally fewer central midfielders chosen in proportion to the remainder of the workforce.

It’s arduous to see Berhalter abandoning his typical 4-3-3 formation however he appears to be deciding on a roster that provides him an opportunity to play loads with a 5-2-3 formation.

Pepi’s huge inclusion

Probably the most shocking inclusion on the roster and the one that may generate loads of headlines the collection of Ricardo Pepi – the most recent gem from the FC Dallas academy. The 2003-born ahead has at all times been thought-about a prime prospect in American soccer and this season he has scored 9 objectives in 20 appearances for FC Dallas. European scouts are beginning to circle and Pepi is justifying the hype.

However these days Mexico has began to recruit him arduous – Mexico’s head coach Tata Martino particularly. Pepi, a local of El Paso, is eligible for El Tri and has been publicly non-committal about such a choice.

Now it’s necessary to notice that if Pepi performs in these video games, he isn’t completely cap-tied as a result of new FIFA guidelines and his age. Nonetheless, it could make it very arduous to change to Mexico as he must wait three years (an not play for the U.S. within the meantime). For all intents and functions, if he performs in these video games, he’ll possible by no means play for Mexico.

Having Pepi on this camp is a large win for Gregg Berhalter and his workers. In the event that they do certainly play him, they may have possible landed the highest teenager American ahead in a number of years – and doing so within the face of the U.S. workforce’s arch-rival.

Whereas it’s definitely a bonus to safe commitments from twin nationals who’re both born and/or raised solely overseas, additionally it is massively necessary to not let homegrown developed expertise slip away.

Different shocking inclusions?

There are few surprises on this roster. It was at all times anticipated that the overwhelming majority of this roster was going to return from the Nations League and Gold Cup profitable groups from this summer season. That turned out to be true. Of the 26 gamers on the roster, simply two gamers weren’t half from both of the summer season rosters. The primary was Pepi, the opposite is Konrad de la Fuente.

De la Fuente, 20, is a welcome inclusion into the workforce and he has impressed mightily since shifting from Barcelona to Marseille in France. The Miami-area native didn’t stand out in his first caps final 12 months – within the break following the COVID-19 shutdown – and he had a tricky time on the 2019 U-20 World Cup the place he was taking part in up a cycle.

After shifting from Barcelona this summer season, he had an awesome preseason adopted by a robust first couple of video games to begin the season.

He’s vital for just a few causes – one being permitting gamers to play pure positions. Gio Reyna and Brenden Aaronson have been taking part in on the wing for the U.S. workforce however neither is more likely to stay as a winger for his membership – Aaronson performs predominantly as a No. 10 for Philadelphia and now Salzburg. Reyna has already began that central transfer for Borussia Dortmund.

De la Fuente is a real winger. If he can play properly for the U.S. workforce, it offers Berhalter extra freedom to maneuver Reyna and/or Aaronson into the center.

That’s nonetheless just a little additional down the highway as de la Fuente hasn’t been with the U.S. workforce for a while and can in all probability come of the bench for the approaching video games.

Notable omissions

Each roster has some robust choices of gamers to depart off. This roster is not any completely different. It is imporant to take a look at the gamers who aren’t on this roster – as a lot of them could possibly be a part of the workforce later on this qualifying marketing campaign. 

Along with long-term accidents to Richard Ledezma, Jordan Morris, and Aaron Lengthy, there have been additionally newer accidents to Yunus Musah, Gyasi Zardes, Daryl Dike, and Paul Arriola. Whereas Musah returned to coaching with Valencia this previous week, he nonetheless hasn’t even been taking part in in preseason video games. He’ll as an alternative stay together with his membership in the course of the break and try and return to the beginning lineup.

Matthew Hoppe impressed in the course of the Gold Cup however has as an alternative returned to a poor Schalke workforce the place he hasn’t performed – possible trying to make a switch. His lack of video games this previous month possible made the choice simpler for Berhalter. Plus, of Hoppe does switch inside this week, he can alter to his new membership. The inclusion of Pepi additionally in all probability gave protection to depart Hoppe off.

In a lot an analogous style, Reggie Cannon hasn’t performed because the Gold Cup closing and hasn’t even been a part of Boavista’s matchday rosters. He’s searching for a transfer and will additionally use the time to regulate to a brand new membership ought to the transfer occur.

Berhalter has incessantly spoken extremely of Chris Richards and his omission was one of many extra shocking choices for the roster. However he has solely performed just a few restricted minutes for Bayern Munich and will very properly exit on mortgage quickly – making his time higher spent securing a beginning job. The U.S. workforce’s central protection is in fairly fine condition now. Richards will possible be concerned with the U.S. workforce prior to later, however it could higher for everybody if he was in a membership scenario the place he was beginning often.

After being the highest possibility for the U.S. workforce on the Gold Cup and securing a transfer to Royal Antwerp, Sam Vines wasleft off this roster and Berhalter as an alternative went with George Bello as the opposite left again together with Antonee Robinson. Vines has performed simply as soon as with Antwerp and continues to be getting adjusted. In the meantime, Bello has been in prime kind not too long ago for a quickly bettering Atlanta workforce.

Matt Miazga is one more participant who’s adjusting to a brand new workforce – Deportivo Alaves in La Liga – and he’s but to make and look for them after occurring mortgage from Chelsea. Miazga didn’t play within the Nations League video games and the emergence of central defenders on the Gold Cup made the place extra aggressive for him. Miazga is within the image however must play properly in Spain to get again into the combination quickly.

Eryk Williamson was considerably of a shocking omission on condition that the workforce didn’t choose many central midfielders and Williamson impressed on the Gold Cup within the wins in each semifinal and closing. The possible motive is that Berhalter felt snug with Aaronson or Reyna shifting into the center if wanted. His omission, nonetheless, was extra shocking than anticipated.

Gianluca Busio confirmed some promise on the Gold Cup but it surely was additionally revealing in that he wanted to enhance in different areas of his sport. He’s simply getting located with Venezia the place he might debut this weekend. His membership goes to be in a contact combat for survival in Serie A this 12 months and Busio wants to regulate there in order that he can contribute.

Nicholas Gioacchini: The Kansas Metropolis native was a helpful participant off the bench on the Gold Cup however could possibly be on the transfer very quickly from SM Caen.

Luca de la Torre: the Heracles central midfielder performed properly within the March friendlies however the truth that he missed out on the summer season rosters (the place he requested out of the Gold Cup) price him right here. He can nonetheless get again into the workforce however he must be sturdy out of the gate to begin the Eredivisie season.

Julian Inexperienced: one other participant who simply misplaced out due to different gamers elevating their sport. If he is a winger, he misplaced out to Pulisic, Reyna, Weah, Aaronson, and de la Fuente. If he is a ahead, he misplaced out to Sargent, Pefok, and Pepi. If he is a midfielder, there simply wasn’t any room. He can get again into the combination, however he must step up much more with Greuther Furth.