January camp is over, the European season is again in full swing and the switch deadline is days away. In different phrases, now’s the right time to take stock of the U.S. men’s national team participant pool.
While many of the (few) gamers who impressed in the USMNT’s drab, year-opening 1-0 loss to Slovenia final weekend are much more doubtless to be taking part in for the Olympic crew this summer season than with the varsity on the Copa América in opposition to the likes of Argentina and Brazil, there is no scarcity of potential motion inside the senior squad.
Is Folarin Balogun‘s status as Gregg Berhalter’s first alternative striker in jeopardy? Will Tyler Adams be wholesome when the CONCACAF Nations League finals start in late March? And if Adams cannot go, may Chris Richards change him in defensive midfield?
There are loads of questions on the fringes of the roster, too. So let’s dive proper in.
Strikers
Berhalter may have an enormous resolution to make if Balogun’s present hunch — the 22-year-old multinational who dedicated to the USMNT over England final May has only one purpose in his final 10 video games for Monaco — continues into the following worldwide break.
Ricado Pepi has been patiently ready behind Balogun. But now there’s one other in-form contender for the job in Josh Sargent. Sargent has two objectives in 4 video games since coming back from damage final month for Norwich in England’s second tier. Don’t neglect: Just 14 months in the past, Sargent began two of the Americans’ three group-stage video games on the 2022 World Cup earlier than lacking the spherical of 16 loss to the Netherlands due to damage.
Other choices embody Coventry’s Haji Wright, who has eight objectives in 26 appearances in England’s Championship division; West Brom’s Daryl Dike, who earlier this month scored upon his return from a protracted layoff following Achilles’ surgical procedure; and Jordan Pefok, who has two objectives in his final two outings for German Bundesliga aspect Borussia Monchengladbach. Meantime, Qatar 2022 vet Jesus Ferreira may play his means again into the dialog with a powerful begin to the brand new MLS season. Ferreira scored the lone purpose Monday in FC Dallas’s preseason win over Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
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Wingers
As lengthy as Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are wholesome, accessible and taking part in each week for AC Milan and Juventus, respectively, they’re starters. But the race behind them is broad open. PSV’s Malik Tillman is an everyday for Champions League knockout stage participant PSV Eindhoven, although Berhalter would possibly choose him in a central function. Brenden Aaronson lately made his first begin for Union Berlin since October. His youthful brother, Paxten Aaronson, hasn’t featured in any of Eintracht Frankfurt’s final 5 contests, whereas fellow 20-year-old Kevin Paredes misplaced the beginning job he briefly gained for Wolfsburg within the fall.
And then there’s Gio Reyna. If the 21-year-old — who’s reportedly nearing a loan move to Premier League Nottingham Forest — will get his want and earns common taking part in time, he’ll push Weah on the best aspect and probably compete for a spot within the center, too.
Midfielders
Another Milan/Juve duo is a lock right here in Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie. Tyler Adams, who missed all of 2023 for the USMNT due to persistent hamstring troubles, ought to slot straight again into the defensive function behind these two in March and reprise Berhalter’s favored “MMA” midfield.
“Everything I hear in my conversations with him is progress is going well, and he’s doing well with his recovery,” Berhalter stated of Adams earlier this month. “We’re excited about that.”
Berhalter and his employees are additionally enthusiastic about Johnny Cardoso, whose stock soared this month after his switch to Real Betis in Spain. The New Jersey-born, Brazil-raised pivot began in opposition to Barcelona on Sunday and helped Betis erase a 2-0 halftime deficit earlier than being substituted. (Barca scored twice extra after Cardoso exited en route to a 4-2 win.)
Luca de la Torre has two objectives and 4 assists in 23 appearances for La Liga aspect Celta Vigo, with each strikes coming within the final week in Copa del Rey motion. And the extra defensive-leaning Lennard Maloney has began all 18 of Heidenheim’s Bundesliga video games in 2023-24. It’s potential that MLSers Kellyn Acosta and Aidan Morris may additionally get consideration for the March roster, too.
If Adams cannot go in March, Richards may plug into the D-mid spot he occupies for Crystal Palace. “Personally, I see him longterm still as a center back,” Berhalter stated of Richards. “But to know that you could have potential depth in that position does help things. He’s playing in the Premier League as a central midfielder, so that’s always a good thing.”
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Fullbacks
Who steps in for the suspended proper again Sergiño Dest within the Nations League semifinal in opposition to Jamaica on March 21? Joe Scally is the most secure wager; the 21-year-old begins each week for ‘Gladbach. Shaq Moore is still kicking around, but Reggie Cannon is playing 90 every week for QPR and could be next in line for a recall after Scally.
Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is an automatic starter on the left, though he still has no clear-cut understudy. Is it Kristoffer Lund, who started friendlies when Jedi was banged up last September and October? Auston Trusty has been used as a left-sided defender recently for Sheffield United. But like Richards, he’s a natural center back. DeJuan Jones was one of the bright spots in the JV’s loss to Slovenia, but is he a better option on the left in an emergency than Dest? Expect John Tolkin and Bryan Reynolds to be with the U.S. under-23s in March and with the Olympic team this summer.
Central defenders
There are plenty of potential starters here and a glaring lack of shoo-ins. Fulham’s Tim Ream is 36 and hasn’t played since early December because of a calf ailment. Richards doesn’t play center back with his club. Cameron Carter-Vickers does, but he won’t be tested much heading into the Copa América with Celtic out of the Champions League. And Berhalter doesn’t seem to be sold on Trusty despite his Premier League pedigree.
Walker Zimmermann, who started three of four games at the last World Cup, missed the January camp because of a foot injury. “Walker was, I think, up until the beginning of January in a [walking] boot,” Berhalter said. “His rehab is gonna take a little bit longer.” In better news, after being slowed early last year following his Achilles’ rupture, Miles Robinson is fully fit and hoping for a career season with new MLS club FC Cincinnati.
“Last offseason, I was rehabbing my injury so I didn’t really have a preseason,” Robinson told FOX Sports in a recent interview. “Now I feel fresh, I feel super healthy and quick — just that kind of fast-twitch movement in myself again. Hopefully it will just set me up for success this year.”
Mark McKenzie remains on the outside looking in. Same for John Brooks. Brooks lost his starting job with Hoffenheim this month, not that a USMNT invite was in the cards before that.
Goalkeepers
After losing his starting role twice under since-fired Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper, Matt Turner has a new lease on life with new coach Nuno Espírito Santo having preferred the American to Greek backstop Odysseas Vlachodimos so far. After Turner, who knows?
Nineteen-year-old Belgium-based Gaga Slonina is the only other American keeper playing regularly in Europe. Ethan Horvath needs a new club desperately, with Hull City the rumored destination. Meantime, Berhalter somewhat surprisingly started Patrick Schulte against the Slovenians over Drake Callender and Roman Celentano. Schulte is still unlikely to crack the Copa roster, though, with both he and Slonina age-eligible for the Summer Games in Paris.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and girls’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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