2022 World Cup: USMNT stock watch heading into March window
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
As difficult as it might be to believe, the U.S. men’s national team is just over two weeks away from potentially qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Work still has to be done, it’s true. As a practical matter, the USMNT almost certainly have to beat Panama on March 27 (7 p.m. ET, FS1 and the FOX Sports app) in Orlando to grab one of the CONCACAF region’s three guaranteed berths. If the Americans also manage to get at least a point against Mexico three days before that, the third and final match of the three-game March window, on March 30 in Costa Rica, might not even matter.
We all know what happened the last time, though. As much as U.S. fans can all but taste a return to the biggest stage in soccer after missing out on the 2018 tournament, they have also learned — in the cruelest possible way — to not take anything for granted. Not with teams fighting until the end for their World Cup lives. And not with midfielder Weston McKennie, easily the best U.S. player through the first 11 games of CONCACAF’s 14-match "Octagonal," out until the summer because of the broken left foot he suffered last month while playing for Juventus in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Finding a replacement for McKennie is coach Gregg Berhalter’s biggest challenge, but it’s far from his only one. There are also major questions at forward and in goal. The answers will be contained within the March roster that is expected to be released next week. Who makes the cut — and who plays in these three crucial games — will depend to a large degree on who is performing well with their clubs in Europe and MLS.
With the clock ticking, which Americans are making the strongest cases for themselves? Let’s go position by position.
FORWARD
Any of five center forwards could realistically get the nod at the Azteca. That speaks not to the program’s strength at striker but to its most glaring weakness.
Jesus Ferreira, Gyasi Zardes and Ricardo Pepi each started a game last window, but who’s up top later this month is anyone’s guess.
Pepi hasn’t scored a goal for club or country since October. Zardes struggled against Canada and isn’t even starting for the Columbus Crew right now (though he did notch his first goal of 2022 last weekend).
Ferreira remains in the mix, but could this window see the return of Josh Sargent and/or Jordan Pefok? The Europe-based pair hasn't been summoned since September. But Berhalter was in England watching Sargent last week, so you have to think he at least cracks this roster. Meanwhile, Pefok has five goals in his past six games for Swiss club Young Boys and 21 in 27 across all competitions this season. It could be difficult to ignore those numbers now that Pefok’s team isn’t in the middle of its winter break, as it was in January and early February.
The USMNT have the opposite problem on the wings, with four of their top attackers (Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and potentially Gio Reyna) vying for just two spots. Pulisic, who had a goal and an assist over the weekend for Chelsea, is rounding into top form after struggling in early 2022.
The U.S. need Pulisic near his best with McKennie out. Weah has hit a rough patch recently with French champ Lille, but he’s still the most dangerous option on the right. Reyna said recently that he’ll be available this month, but he’s unlikely to log major minutes after missing most of Borussia Dortmund’s season due to hamstring issues. It’s also possible that Berhalter deploys Aaronson or Pulisic in McKennie’s spot in midfield, at least in Orlando.
MIDFIELD
Kellyn Acosta is the clear front-runner to replace McKennie against Mexico. The hard-running LAFC midfielder was superb against El Tri in the three U.S. wins last year and in last month’s 3-0 victory over Honduras. Acosta is also especially adept on dead balls, which could be the Americans’ best chance to score at the Azteca.
Deep-lying defensive midfielder Tyler Adams is a lock for all three matches if he’s healthy, despite being in and out of the lineup for RB Leipzig in Germany. Yunus Musah, who started seven of Valencia's past eight La Liga matches, is almost as certain a starter as Adams.
With the U.S. needing three points against Panama whatever happens south of the border, expect Berhalter to go with a slightly more attack-minded option in McKennie’s place. Silky dribbler Luca de la Torre is the leading choice after the coach named him player of the match against Honduras. Gianluca Busio is another, assuming the muscle injury that kept Busio out of Italian side Venezia’s previous match isn’t too serious. There’s also Sebastian Lletget, who has started the new MLS season strong in New England.
DEFENSE
The most stable area of the field, for now, is the back line. Jedi Robinson, recovered from the illness that kept him out of Fulham's Feb. 26 win over Cardiff City, is a lock on the left. With Hoffenheim central defender Chris Richards still nursing the ankle injury he suffered in Canada, also locked in are MLSers Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman. Both are also back in season. And first-choice right back Sergiño Dest is playing regularly again for Barcelona; Dest has gone 90 minutes in four of Barca's past six contests.
The big question concerns John Brooks. The veteran center back wasn’t called in for November or January, but Richards’ injury could open the door, especially with Mark McKenzie having logged just 202 minutes this calendar year for Belgian team Genk. Aaron Long, a U.S. starter before he ruptured his Achilles in May, is match-fit again and could return this month.
Veteran fullbacks Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin should round out the defenders. That means no Joe Scally, Tim Ream, Cameron Carter-Vickers or Erik Palmer-Brown (who are all playing regularly in Europe) or George Bello, Matt Miazga or Sam Vines (who aren’t).
GOALKEEPER
The USMNT have a problem in goal as things stand today. Manchester City backup Zack Steffen, Berhalter’s No. 1, remains sidelined by the back ailment that ruled him out in January. Matt Turner, who has started eight qualifiers in Steffen’s place, missed New England's first two MLS games and will be out another couple of weeks because of a foot injury.
Steffen is expected to return soon, but if one or both can’t report, expect Ethan Horvath to get his first invite since his Nations League heroics last June. Horvath might get a call over Sean Johnson anyway, now that Horvath has gotten a run of games with English second-tier side Nottingham Forest. He has certainly proven that he can perform in big games.
After Johnson, experience probably makes two-time World Cup vet Brad Guzan next in line over 17-year-old Chicago Fire phenom Gabriel "Gaga" Slonina.
One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
