USMNT Stock Watch: With some regulars injured, key spots up for grabs
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
As far away as the World Cup seemed when the United States Men's National Team qualified for Qatar 2022 back in March, it feels a lot closer now.
The USMNT have just two more opportunities to convene before they take the global stage in November.
U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter will name his roster for four June matches — friendlies against Morocco and Uruguay and CONCACAF Nations League matches versus Grenada and El Salvador — later this month. A couple of weeks after that, the Americans will learn which one of Scotland, Ukraine or Wales will join them, England and Iran to round out Group B.
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Berhalter has indicated that the final get-together for his team, in Europe in September, will be made up mostly of the players expected to be on the final, expanded 26-man World Cup squad. That means that next month could be the last, best opportunity for many of those on the fringes of the player pool to convince the coach to include them.
June’s roster will be around 27-strong, the same size it was for the final window of qualifying in March. But a growing list of injuries that will rule out some key regulars, most recently starting central defender Miles Robinson, puts a number of spots up for grabs.
With the MLS season in full swing and the European campaigns winding down, here’s a position-by-position look at where things stand personnel-wise for the USMNT.
FORWARD
In the days after successfully qualifying for Qatar, Berhalter said the team’s glaring hole at striker could end up being filled by the hottest American scorer heading into the World Cup. Six months out from the main event, the same logic applies to June’s tuneups.
Jesús Ferreira, the joint top scorer in MLS, obviously will be there next month. Berhalter told the Washington Post last week that Haji Wright will also be included. Wright, 24, wasn’t involved in qualifying and has never appeared for the senior team. But the former U.S. youth international has 13 goals in the Turkish Super Lig this season, including seven in his past six games for Antalyaspor.
It’s slim pickings up top after that.
Ricardo Pepi still hasn’t scored since October and desperately needs a break after playing nonstop for more than a year. Jordan Pefok is injured, as are Daryl Dike and Josh Sargent, both bubble players at best. Veterans Jozy Altidore and Gyasi Zardes have just two goals in 19 MLS appearances between them. Could Brandon Vázquez get an invite? The 23-year-old from FC Cincinnati has six strikes so far, just one fewer than Ferreira, including a late game winner last weekend.
The U.S. remains deep on the wings despite Gio Reyna’s latest hamstring injury. Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola and healthy-again Brenden Aaronson are all playing regularly and contributing for their clubs.
MIDFIELD
Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah are locks for next month if healthy. But it remains to be seen if the final member of the USMNT’s "MMA" midfield, Weston McKennie, will be recovered from his broken foot in time to join them. McKennie recently returned to training with Juventus.
Kellyn Acosta will be there. So will Netherlands-based Luca de la Torre and Cristian Roldan, who just helped Seattle win the CONCACAF Champions League. James Sands could spell Gianluca Busio if Busio needs a mental break after a tough first season in Italy with Venezia. In the meantime, Montreal’s Djordje Mihailovic has been making a case for a recall, and Argentina-based Alan Soñora is looking for his debut.
DEFENSE
While Miles Robinson’s Achilles injury is the big news and almost certainly rules him out for the World Cup, center back is still one of the deepest positions in the U.S. player pool.
Walker Zimmerman remains a projected starter. Chris Richards started four of five games in the middle of World Cup qualifying before getting hurt midway through the penultimate window. Berhalter said last week that Richards could participate in June if the thigh injury he suffered last month is sufficiently healed. The boss also revealed that Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers, who didn’t appear in qualifying, would be summoned next month.
Erik Palmer-Brown and Aaron Long, a starter before he ruptured his Achilles a year ago, figure to stick from the March roster. Mark McKenzie is also in the mix again after winning back his job at Belgian club Genk. It’s even possible that 34-year-old Tim Ream could return to the USMNT for the first time since September after helping Fulham earn promotion back to the English Premier League.
As for John Brooks, Berhalter gave no indication that he’s planning to extend an invite to the 2014 World Cup vet this summer. "I know what John can do," Berhalter told the Post.
Now for the fullback pool, which is suddenly far shallower with Sergiño Dest out indefinitely:
Dest has been both Berhalter’s first-choice option on the right side and ironman Antonee "Jedi" Robinson’s primary cover on the left. Right backs DeAndre Yedlin, Reggie Cannon and Shaq Moore have all performed well in Dest’s absence, but none of them offers close to what the Barcelona man can deliver in the attack.
The drop-off at left back is even bigger, with neither George Bello nor Sam Vines getting consistent minutes in Germany and Belgium, respectively. Right-footed DeJuan Jones is a possibility, as is versatile youngster Joe Scally, who can man either side. Scally hasn’t been starting lately, though, playing just 26 minutes off the bench in his past three Bundesliga games.
GOALKEEPER
It will be fascinating to see if Berhalter goes with Matt Turner, who finally returned to the field in New England two weeks ago following a foot injury, over Manchester City understudy Zack Steffen next month.
Steffen was Berhalter’s No. 1 during qualifying, despite his lack of regular minutes at club level, and he had shaky moments across several games. Last month, Steffen made a costly error in City’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Liverpool.
But in July, Turner moves to Arsenal, where he’s poised to back up Aaron Ramsdale. Ethan Horvath has been on the bench for Nottingham Forest’s past 10 games. Sean Johnson and 17-year-old Gabriel Slonina have played more than any USMNT keepers this year, logging every minute for their MLS teams so far, but both are unproven at the highest level.
And despite taking home tournament MVP honors following Seattle’s triumph over Mexican club Pumas, Sounders backstop Stefan Frei is a long shot as a 36-year-old with zero international experience.
One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
