USMNT World Cup roster prediction: Alexi Lalas picks his 26-man roster
The United States men's national team will reveal its 26-man World Cup roster Wednesday.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated announcement, we asked FOX Sports soccer analyst and former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas to step into Gregg Berhalter's shoes and make his selections.
Lalas has broken down the USMNT player pool by position on his podcast, "State of the Union," but this roster prediction isn't based on who he thinks should be on the plane; it's based on what he believes Berhalter values on and off the pitch.
Here's where he landed:
Alexi's analysis: I think USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter places a high value on players who have been part of the group over the last few years. Maintaining the fragile dynamic of this young team, that has been cultivated over the last few years, is very important to Berhalter, and I think he will "dance with the ones that brung him."
Someone like Cristian Roldan will be on the plane as much for what he brings off the field as on it. Having said all that, I think Gregg might surprise us with a few picks.
Goalkeepers (3)
Matt Turner
Zack Steffen
Sean Johnson
Who Should Gregg Berhalter start in the World Cup?
Fullbacks (3)
Sergiño Dest
DeAndre Yedlin
Antonee Robinson
USMNT fullback preview
Central defenders (4)
Walker Zimmerman
Aaron Long
Chris Richards
Cameron Carter-Vickers
USMNT backline preview
Midfielders (7)
Weston McKennie
Tyler Adams
Yunus Musah
Kellyn Acosta
Luca De La Torre
Cristian Roldan
Malik Tillman
USMNT midfielder preview
Wingers (6)
Paul Arriola
Gio Reyna
Tim Weah
Brenden Aaronson
Christian Pulisic
Jordan Morris
USMNT winger preview
Strikers (3)
Jesus Ferreira
Josh Sargent
Ricardo Pepi
Jesus Ferreira, Josh Sargent or Jordan Pefok?
You can watch the "State of the Union" podcast on YouTube or subscribe on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts.
