ASN: Predicting the September roster and analyzing the USMNT participant pool.

On the eve of the USMNT roster drop for the ultimate pair of video games earlier than the World Cup, ASN’s Brian Sciaretta predicts the September roster and breaks down what he thinks are the whole participant pool. 

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Brian Sciaretta

Posted
September 13, 2022
4:00 AM

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ON WEDNESDAY, United States nationwide group head coach Gregg Berhalter is ready to launch his roster for the September friendlies that are extraordinarily vital given that it’s the final time the group shall be collectively and play earlier than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Throughout this window, america will play Japan in Germany on September 23 and Saudi Arabia in Spain on September 27.

What can we learn about each Gregg Berhalter’s depth chart for Qatar and the way he is considering the September roster? Listed below are some notes based mostly on his latest interviews.

It is going to be laborious, however not unattainable, for somebody to make the group who has by no means been with the group or who has been away from the group for a very long time. This may have an effect on gamers like Brandon Vazquez, Johnny Cardoso (who hasn’t been with the group in almost two years), John Tolkin, and perhaps Djordje Mihailovic who was scheduled to be on the June roster however who subsequently picked up an harm.

Berhalter informed Extratime that he feels assured about 22 of the 26 gamers he’ll take to Qatar.

Berhalter informed the media two weeks in the past in New York that his depth chart is about 38 to 40 gamers.

The U.S. supervisor additionally mentioned that he’s trying about 26-27 gamers for the September camp.

He additionally added that there may very well be a state of affairs the place a participant is left off the September roster however nonetheless has a superb probability of going to Qatar. This might come right down to a participant who’s at an vital stage along with his membership and Berhalter believes he has totally evaluated the participant.

Whereas Berhalter didn’t say this particularly, it looks like a logical conclusion could be if a bubble participant shouldn’t be on this roster, the possibilities of going to the World Cup appear very slim exterior a wave of accidents.  

With that mentioned, here’s what I predict the September roster will seem like and that is additionally what I imagine the 38-40 participant depth chart appears like proper now.

Earlier than we get to the roster, there are accidents to the participant pool that ought to be recognized to specify why I don’t assume they’ll be on the September roster.  

Injured (4): Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Zack Steffen, Cristian Roldan

Predicted September roster (27 gamers)

Goalkeepers (3): Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson

Fullbacks (5): Sergino Dest, Reggie Cannon, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Sam Vines

Central Defenders (4): Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Aaron Lengthy

Midfielders (7): Tyler Adams, Kellyn Acosta, Weston McKennie, Luca de la Torre, Yunus Musah, Djordje Mihailovic, Malik Tillman

Wingers/attacking midfielders (5): Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic, Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola

Forwards (3): Josh Sargent, Jordan Pefok, Jesus Ferreira

The remainder of the participant pool

Berhalter mentioned his depth chart is 38-40 gamers deep. Between the 27 participant roster and the 4 injured gamers, that brings the overall to 31. I’m going to broaden it to 41 since Berhalter said that the pool was 40 gamers earlier than the harm to Antonee Robinson and that may drive him to no less than contemplate one other left again possibility (reminiscent of John Tolkin) provided that George Bello pale.

That is my guess as to who the remaining 10 gamers are:

Remaining participant pool: Haji Wright, Erik Palmer-Brown, James Sands, Ricardo Pepi, Brandon Vazquez, Tim Ream, Eryk Williamson, Mark McKenzie, Johnny Cardoso, John Tolkin

Evaluation of the participant pool

Backup midfield spots

When it comes to shock picks to the September roster, I don’t see many. Djordje Mihailovic is certainly the largest shock I’ve on my roster however there are two vital notes relating to him: 1) he was scheduled to be on the summer time roster, so Berhalter does have him someplace on the depth chart, and a pair of) Luca de la Torre’s state of affairs possible means Berhalter wants to have a look at one other different within the midfield.

De la Torre is a crucial backup central midfielder. The issue is that de la Torre hasn’t been enjoying at Celta Vigo and his membership kind courting again to final season has been combined. He was one of many higher gamers on a group relegated out of the Eredivisie. If de la Torre comes into the September camp, doesn’t present properly, after which returns to Spain and doesn’t play for his membership, what’s the different?

Not one of the choices Berhalter has tried for this backup position have labored out significantly properly. Gianluca Busio hasn’t had an incredible 2022 in Italy. Eryk Williamson may very well be an possibility however the ACL harm final yr got here on the worst potential time. I might be very shocked if Johnny Cardoso is on the September roster however I wouldn’t be shocked. I feel Berhalter has rated him and my guess is that he’s on the depth chart, someplace.

There’s a good probability Mihailovic doesn’t get the decision for September however the query will nonetheless stay what occurs if de la Torre doesn’t present properly? That leaves an enormous query mark within the backup midfield.

Malik Tillman can also be an enormous query mark. He impressed early when he joined Rangers and scored an enormous purpose in opposition to Union SG after which arrange an enormous purpose in opposition to PSV. His kind hasn’t been nice since then. He struggled within the Previous Agency after which in opposition to Ajax. That’s actually powerful competitors and that’s the reason I nonetheless assume he’ll be given a glance on this camp. However additionally it is a reminder of how new to first-team minutes he actually is.  

Fullbacks

With Antonee Robinson out, Berhalter must handle who’s the group’s backup left again. All through most of World Cup qualifying, we noticed that it was both George Bello or Sergino Dest shifting from the best facet to the left facet.

However these two backup choices have their flaws. Bello, in fact, has struggled mightily at Arminia Bielefeld and it’s laborious to see him nonetheless within the image. Shifting Dest from the best facet to the left facet takes one of many group’s finest gamers and strikes him out of place and has implications on each fullback roles. Protecting Dest at proper again solely implies that left again is affected by Robinson’s absence.

Joe Scally can play left again pretty properly as a second place. However there’s additionally Sam Vines who’s an everyday starter at a Royal Antwerp group that has an ideal 24 factors from eight video games to start out the Belgian season. There are a variety of components to think about. If the group is used to Robinson on the left, can the backup fluctuate too completely different stylistically in contrast with Robinson in that it will drive the group to regulate an excessive amount of? Berhalter will need to have a look at each choices to see who one of the best backup possibility for Robinson is. John Tolkin actually is adversely affected by by no means having been known as up however Berhalter has talked about him varied press conferences and Tolkin has had an incredible season with the New York Pink Bulls (who shall be fortunate to maintain him subsequent yr).

On the best facet, Dest is clearly the starter whereas Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin have been the backups. Once more, there are questions right here on the backups. Cannon is enjoying as a central defender at Boavista and Yedlin’s kind at Miami hasn’t been nice. This helps Scally on the best facet but when Scally is required on the left, it opens the door once more for Yedlin and Cannon.

Central protection

It’s honest to say from World Cup qualifying and thru the summer time that Berhalter is snug with Walker Zimmerman. However the remainder of the central protection participant pool has shifted loads over the previous yr.

From the summer time of 2021, the participant kind in central protection has been important – which isn’t essentially nice because it has damage constructing stability on this space of the sector. Throughout this time interval, Miles Robinson suffered a critical harm and is out of the World Cup.

John Brooks wasn’t all the time rated extremely by Berhalter however Brooks damage his personal case dramatically by not resolving his membership state of affairs till September and is now at a state of affairs the place he gained’t play. Matt Maizga was on the Nations League roster however had a brutal season in Spain in 2021/22. Mark McKenzie was as soon as considered a key man however his 2021/22 season wasn’t nice and solely in latest weeks did he lock down the beginning job at Genk after the membership bought Jhon Lucumi to Bologna. For McKenzie, it’s in all probability a bit late.

In contrast to McKenzie and Brooks, Tim Ream has carried out nothing however assist his case over the previous yr. He led Fulham to promotion and has held up within the Premier League properly to start out this season. He was additionally on that Nations League group from 2021. I may see him getting again into the image however for now, I feel he’s behind others as a consequence of his age and lack of pace. Happily for Ream, he’s the kind of participant who may in all probability return to the group in a short time if wanted.

James Sands was in a superb place after the Gold Cup however he didn’t impress with the U.S. group in qualifying and whereas he has a beginning job at Rangers, Berhalter was readily available to observe him wrestle within the Previous Agency loss – whereas Cameron Carter-Vickers impressed.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has carried out a superb job the previous yr in lastly elevating his profile from being Championship “loan army” fodder and into being an efficient central defender. The Scottish league isn’t nice, however Carter-Vickers has responded properly in huge video games for the group and in European competitions. On prime of that, he logs a ton of minutes and is used to a heavy workload.

Chris Richards ought to make this roster and that could be a testomony to how extremely Berhalter thinks of him. If we’re speaking about present kind (which is a key issue for this mid-season World Cup), Richards doesn’t have an incredible case. He’s performed round 584 minutes of membership soccer in 2022. He hasn’t been with the U.S. group since January as a consequence of varied accidents. He additionally was not a part of the U.S. group for both of the profitable 2021 summer time tournaments. An older participant would possibly be capable to excuse a scant latest physique of labor with a a lot general bigger profile. However Richards continues to be a younger participant at 22.

Berhalter thinks Richards could be very proficient, in any other case he could be behind guys like McKenzie, Sands, and even Erik Palmer-Brown. The query, nevertheless, turns into what occurs if Richards doesn’t have a superb camp?

There may be additionally the problem of Aaron Lengthy. Berhalter needs to have sooner central defenders, however I additionally don’t imagine he’s a lock if he doesn’t carry out properly.

The hardest lower would positively be Erik Palmer-Brown who has solidified himself at Troyes in Ligue 1 enjoying in a five-man backline. However Palmer-Brown’s state of affairs through the summer time, even earlier than he picked up a knock, didn’t recommend he was nearing a spot on the group.

However that sums up central protection and if Berhalter goes with my projected 4 (Zimmerman, Richards, Carter-Vickers, and Lengthy), it will spotlight an absence of consistency at this place in contrast with who had been seen as the highest choices within the 2021 summer time tournaments and the beginning of World Cup qualifying.

It’s additionally a case the place I may see much more adjustments forward of the World Cup as properly as a result of I nonetheless solely see Zimmerman as a lock.

Heart forwards

This has been the largest supply of debate, however I feel it’s coming to an anticlimactic conclusion. Sure, a variety of forwards have been scoring and that provides Berhalter vary of gamers he can confidently choose from. However he’s additionally certified that in some latest feedback saying he’s in search of sure profiles, he needs somebody who has ideally been with the group, and he charges kind.

Brandon Vazquez’s kind for Cincinnati has been very admirable. He’s scored some high-quality targets and been an enormous purpose why that group has turned issues round fully. However Berhalter has mentioned it is going to be loads more durable for him to make the U.S. group at this stage after having by no means performed with them earlier than – though he mentioned it’s not unattainable. However my tackle that is that for the “not impossible” path to a call-up to occur, it means different forwards have to wrestle. That simply hasn’t occurred.

Like many different gamers who fail to make the lower, Vazquez is actually within the combine to start out the following cycle if he can proceed to play properly.

Ricardo Pepi is within the combine however he nonetheless hasn’t scored since final October for both FC Dallas, Augsburg, now Groningen, or the U.S. group. He now has an opportunity to reset his profession in Holland, however till he does that, he’s possible on the skin.

Haji Wright is a more durable lower, however he’s in all probability redundant behind the additionally in-form Jordan Pefok or Josh Sargent. I’m not certain he affords something completely different behind these two.

Josh Sargent all the time appeared more likely to return to the group as soon as he discovered a strong run of kind. He was dropped final yr when is confidence crumbled and nothing appeared to work out.

Berhalter has tried to combine Pefok into the group 4 instances (March 2021 friendlies, 2021 Nations League, Fall of 2021, after which in March 2022). Pefok had a really poor sport in opposition to Mexico in Azteca this yr after which wasn’t introduced again in the summertime. However he’s been nice for a surging Union Berlin and is on the level the place Berhalter in all probability has to present him one other shot.

Jesus Ferreira, in the meantime, has had an incredible season and is a distinct kind of “false nine” participant who may give the group a distinct look with out being redundant.

With a have a look at the type of the gamers, I feel it’s trending to having Ferreira, Pefok, and Sargent on this camp and because the entrance runners to go to Qatar.

Goalkeeping

This place has been talked about loads and for good causes – there are considerations over every of the 4 gamers vying for the three spots. Matt Turner doesn’t play a lot for Arsenal. Zack Steffen hasn’t performed for a lot of the previous three years and his kind/well being to start out his Middlesbrough mortgage hasn’t been nice. Ethan Horvath has hardly ever performed over the previous 4 years and solely now at Luton City has that chance. He had an incredible Nations League remaining in 2021 however was poor in opposition to El Salvador this previous summer time. Sean Johnson has been the regular No. 3 however he, together with everybody at NYCFC, hasn’t been nice because the summer time. Johnson did play properly in a summer time pleasant vs. Uruguay.

Regardless of the Arsenal state of affairs, Turner nonetheless has performed for a lot of the previous 4 years. He has a gentle physique of labor to not simply make the roster, however to in all probability begin in Qatar given Steffen’s struggles.

If he’s wholesome, I can’t see Steffen being lower altogether. Berhalter is aware of Steffen maybe in addition to anybody on the nationwide group and whereas Steffen may not begin, he’s nonetheless in all probability a strong backup for the U.S. group.

Goalkeeping isn’t nearly what the goalkeeper can do, it’s concerning the confidence the group (in significantly the defenders) has in him. If a group doesn’t have faith of their goalkeeper, issues can go poorly shortly because it impacts resolution making throughout all of the gamers on the sector. At this level with two video games earlier than the opener in opposition to Wales, it’s too late to make drastic adjustments to the goalkeeping place. If Steffen and Turner have been the highest two choices, they’ll possible be the highest two in Qatar.

 As for the third goalkeeper, it can possible be Sean Johnson. He has been the third keeper for many of this cycle and he left the summer time camp forward of Horvath.