World Cup 2022: Historically young USMNT see bright future
By Laken Litman
FOX Sports Writer
The U.S. Men’s National Team are going to the World Cup.
It doesn’t matter that they lost 2-0 at Costa Rica on Wednesday, a place the USMNT have never won a World Cup qualifier. This team did what it had to do and has officially clinched a spot in Qatar, avenging the disaster of missing out four years ago.
Alexi Lalas on USMNT qualifying for World Cup
That failure, however, spawned a new generation of exceptional, young and ambitious talent. The group that manager Gregg Berhalter will take to Qatar later this year will actually be historically young — the squad’s average age is 24, which is the youngest to qualify for a World Cup in USMNT history. Fifteen players are 24 or younger, and just one player is older than 30.
Over this seven-month qualifying cycle, that average age has been even younger, at times 22 or 23. To put it into further perspective, Nigeria was the only team at the 2018 World Cup that averaged younger than 26.
While there could be changes to the roster in the coming months — only DeAndre Yedlin has played in a World Cup, so perhaps Berhalter will add more experience — the USMNT will be a fresh and hungry group.
"It’s amazing watching them grow, watching them make progress and seeing them grow as a group and gain experience and what they’re doing with their clubs," Berhalter said. "Overall, it’s a really good group of guys to work with. I can’t stress that enough."
What the Americans might lack in age they make up for in overall experience. More U.S. teenagers are moving abroad and playing and contributing in the top European leagues. They’re starting on some of the best clubs in the world and winning UEFA championships.
Christian Pulisic, 23, is a star for Chelsea. Gio Reyna, 19, plays for Borussia Dortmund. Tyler Adams, 23, plays for RB Leipzig. Weston McKennie, 23, stars for Juventus. The list goes on. And it’s a trend that will continue to pay dividends for the USMNT.
"Guys are getting older, and guys are getting more experience, and they’re playing more for their clubs and playing in big games for their clubs," Berhalter said. "I think there’s still a lot of room for growth with this team. I think there’s some players that may even make a step up that we don’t even know about yet or are just on the fringes."
How will they do when they get there?
Last summer, the Americans won both the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup and went into World Cup qualifying with confidence. Then they got "kicked in the teeth," Berhalter said, adding, "We were potentially overconfident, not understanding what qualifying was about, and we learned that lesson quickly."
The U.S. struggled early in the cycle, kicking things off with a draw in El Salvador in a tough environment. They learned that road games are especially difficult, and you can’t go into any game expecting to blow a team away. They also know now that they can’t overlook any opponent or look too far ahead. Embracing these challenges and accepting these lessons have helped a young squad mature and be more composed in big games.
"It’s one of those things where I look back at it and say, ‘Maybe we were a bit naive in a certain sense,'" Adams said. "You have certain guys on our team who have gone through that qualifying process, but I don’t think they really could have put into words or stress the difference of what a World Cup qualifying process is like.
"I think we’re happy with the development of the group and the direction we’re moving in and how we approach each and every game with the right mentality and not looking too far ahead."
With more than seven months to go until the World Cup begins, there’s plenty of time for the USMNT to keep jelling, keep maturing and keep gaining experience that they hope will set them up for success in Qatar. They’ll play in several friendlies over the summer, have training camp, and Berhalter will keep evaluating the roster.
"Any player that emerges, we’re open to looking at them and giving them an opportunity," he said. "That’s been our stance since Day 1. And if you’re performing at a high level, you'll get an opportunity. Just like if guys haven't been involved in a while, they still have opportunities based on what they're doing. We don't close the door on anyone."
Rosters are fluid. For example, had the U.S. gone to Russia four years ago, they likely would have added some younger players. Maybe Berhalter will include a couple veterans before heading for Qatar. After all, there’s something to be said for having more experienced players in the locker room while preparing for knockout competition against a side such as Germany, Spain or Belgium.
"When we were about to face Portugal [in the 2002 World Cup], and I looked around and saw guys like Claudio Reyna and Earnie Stewart and Cobi Jones, guys who had been part of World Cup teams, it settles you," said Dave Sarachan, a former USMNT assistant and interim head coach in 2018. "It helps in the big picture of what they’re about to face, and I think there’s value in that. To add experience without sacrificing quality would be huge."
Regardless of any impending changes, this team that just qualified is a tight-knit brotherhood, with many players coming up together on the youth national teams. There are strong leaders, such as Adams and Pulisic, who represent the future of this squad. Looking at the broader picture, they will be the veterans in four years who compete and star in the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
"As a team, we've created a bond and a chemistry that, to be honest with you, is very different than a lot of teams I've played on," Adams said. "And I think that comes down to the fact that we’re young, we’ve played together on youth national teams before, and we've really prepared ourselves for this opportunity.
"Gregg speaks on the fact that coming into World Cup qualifying, we really wanted to rewrite how American fans view us. Not just through our style of play, but our intensity, commitment, our belief that we want to take U.S. Soccer to the next level. Everyone has really bought into that fact, and it's really infected the team in a way."
And everybody is eagerly waiting to see what that looks like in the months and years to come.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously covered college football, college basketball, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and the Olympics at Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. Her first book, written in partnership with Rizzoli and Sports Illustrated and titled "Strong Like a Woman," will be published this spring marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
