Its been a long time since the USMNT played a competitive match. They had a friendly back in March but the last competitive match was clear back last November. And since they apparently will not have any matches in the next FIFA window in October the hope is that they will be able to have a match or two in the November window. The problem is that most European teams will be tied up with the League of Nations so it will be difficult to find an open team. Manager, Gregg Berhalter has already stated that the October camp will likely be domestic players and the November camp will be the European based players.
The latest (and I emphasize latest because things are still very much in flux due to Covid-19) schedule for CONCACAF qualifying for WC 2022 won’t start until sometime after the Gold Cup set for July 10 to August 1, 2021. Then there are the Japan Olympics currently slated to begin on July 23, 2021. So where I am going with all this? Well your perspective depends on whether you are a glass half full or half empty type. This is really the proverbial good news bad news.
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Lets start with the bad news. Not to bring up a painful reminder but the USMNT did not qualify for WC 2018 in one of their most disappointing stretch of matches ever. So all eyes were on 2022. The team was in a disarray and it was clear that it was past time for the team to infuse some younger players. And there was plenty of time to do that before 2022 qualifying began. Then it hit and the entire world got set on its ear including sports to the point where there were essentially no sports for several months.
But all this bad news actually is resulting in some good news. Some very good news and that is the focus here. First off, delaying CONCACAF qualifying until after the Gold Cup there will be plenty of quality matches for Berhalter to hone in on his preferred lineup and tactics. The biggest decision facing the US Soccer Federation is going to be how to approach the Gold Cup and the Olympics since they are somewhat on top of each other. Its tough not to go all out for the Gold Cup since that is our top tournament outside of the WC. But if there ever was a time to really go for Olympic gold this may well be the time. Olympic soccer is a bit of an odd format. Teams are limited to players born on or after January 1, 1997 (U-23) with the caveat that each team may have three players outside this age restriction. I assume that the U-23 age restriction will be kept even though the Olympics have been delayed a year meaning the new cutoff will be January 1, 1998. So why is this important for the US? One of the main topics of discussion on the various soccer forums is always around just who are a countries current best XI. Here’s a look at the general consensus on just who are the USMNT current best starting XI.
Now I could make another graphic showing the best Olympic team but I will save some space. Its the EXACT same graphic. Zack Steffan, Aaron Long, and John Brooks would be the three designated over age players. All the rest of those guys are U-23. Certainly there are some other players that many would argue belong in the top XI. Certainly the players chosen for a given match depend on a number of factors including current form, fitness, and the opponent. But suffice it to say that this is a heck of a lineup and one that can stand on the field against any team in the world and not be embarrassed. It remains to be seen how Berhalter handles the Olympics and Gold Cup but our first team could be strong contenders for an Olympic medal or winning the Gold Cup. And it may well be after additional players get time over the winter that we could do well in both these tournaments!
Now one last piece of good news. If you look at the top ranked soccer leagues in the world you will see that Major League Soccer, our domestic league ranks around 15. Some sites have them even lower. That is not a diss on MLS but it puts the rest of this article in perspective.
Given that there just isn’t much USMNT stuff to focus on just what should fans be looking at? The answer is simple. Watch our key players playing in Europe and we have a lot of them! There are currently over 40 players that have played for the USMNT, are in the current mix for roster spots, or are upcoming youngsters that have a good chance to factor in fairly soon. Not only that but 14 of those players are currently playing in the Big 5 (EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1)! So here’s a synopsis of the key players you should be watching over the winter. And yes there are still some key players in MLS too!
Goalkeepers:
Zach Steffan – The current #2 keeper at Manchester City got his first start for them earlier this week. With City winning their court case against UEFA they will be playing in Champions League this winter. Between EPL, FA Cup, League Cup, and UCL there will be plenty of matches for Steffan to get minutes against good clubs. Back from his injuries over the last year the US need Zack to step up in preparation for WC qualifying.
There are two other keepers to watch as well. Ethan Horvath with Club Brugge in the Belgium top flight. The problem is he hasn’t been getting any playing time with them for over a year and really needs to get a transfer out of there to keep in the mix for the US. The other one to watch is Matt Turner with the New England Revolution. There is a growing camp that believe he may be our best keeper.
Defense:
John Brooks – Starting center back for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg and mainstay in the center for the USMNT. Brooks is solid defensively, good in the air, and very good passing the ball out of the back. But he tends to have mental gaps where he loses his man and he isn’t the fastest defender around.
Aaron Long – New York Red Bulls center back is a solid and smart player. He is fairly quick and partners well with Brooks as their strengths cover for each others weaknesses.
Antonee Robinson – Playing left back for EPL side Fulham is a key for the next good USMNT. Left back has been a problem area for the US for awhile. Players like Tim Ream have been serviceable but haven’t been quite the level needed. Robinson is young and needs to improve on his 1v1 defensive skills. But he is superb down the flank supporting the attack.
Sergino Dest – Now pay attention closely here. Dest is currently playing in the Dutch Eredivisie with Ajax. But that is going to change any day now. It looks like he is going to transfer to Barcelona in La Liga although Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga are also making a push, In any case Dest is going to be playing right back for one of the best clubs in the world no matter which side he ends up on. He is similar to Robinson in that he needs to improve his 1v1 defending. But this guy really flies down the wing and creates all kinds of issues for opposing defenses. And with his speed he is able to quickly recover and get back on defense. The biggest issue for the USMNT will be to get these guys to recognize when they should push forward and when they should stay back. If they both get caught up field then its a problem. A big problem.
Others to watch include Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham), Erik Palmer-Brown (AustriaVienna in the Austrian Bundesliga), Tim Ream (Fulham), and lastly really keep and eye on Chris Richards (Bayern Munich)!
Midfield:
Weston McKennie – After several strong seasons with Shalke in the Bundelsiga he was recently sold to Juventus. Yeah that team that has won 9 straight Serie A titles. Yea that team that has Cristiano Ronaldo. And he hasn’t disappointed so far. In their first match of the season he was robbed twice on what looked to be sure goals and had a secondary assist. Juve management and fans alike are really high on him so far.
Tyler Adams – Playing with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, Tyler has been a key cog in their midfield. He is very solid defensively and can cover for center backs if they move forward. His passing is superb and he can shoot when the situation calls for it.
Gio Reyna – Name sound familiar? It should, he’s the son of one of the best all time US players, Claudio Reyna. Like his father he is sound tactically and technically although not at his level yet. But he has one huge thing going for him and that is his size. He is a stout kid. He is 6’1 and a solid 180# (and growing). He is only 17 and already making starts for Dortmund in the Bundesliga. And he scored his first goal last week. This kid is good and maybe really really good. As in world class good.
Christian Pulisic – Another attacking midfielder playing with Chelsea in the EPL. All he did in his first year with Chelsea was lead them to a top 4 finish and a berth in UCL. The only downside to him so far is his problem with injuries. But when he is on the field he is already a world class player. Rounding out a midfield with these four guys is going to be very special to watch and they are young. Pulisic is the “old man” of the group and he is only 22.
Others to watch include Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona), Tyler Boyd (Besitkas in Turkish Super League), Julian Green (SpVgg Greuther Furth in Bundesliga 2), and especially Tim Weah (Lille in Ligue 1). Many think Weah is going to be starting on the right wing for the US soon.
Forwards:
Josh Sargent – Playing for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga makes it somewhat hard to gauge his performance. After all the job of a striker is to score goals. But Bremen is a bottom dwelling team and had to go to a playoff to avoid relegation. Sargent is just 20 years old and starting for a Bundesliga side. That says plenty about his talent and his game took a good step forward last season.
Jordan Morris – The Seattle Sounders forward has been in terrific form for almost two years now. His speed is death to defenses and he opens up lots of space for supporting runners to get into dangerous spots. His crosses are good and over the last year he has really worked hard to develop his left foot. That is no longer a weakness and he can cross and shoot adeptly from the left now.
Others to watch include Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC in MLS) and Jonathon Amon (Nordsjaelland in the Danish Super League).
Perhaps this is a bit too much of a rosy outlook but fans of the USMNT have a lot to excited about. This team, if they gel together, could provide us with a lot of excitement for a long time!
Soccer Analyst
Steve is an avid fan of all things soccer and the O’s. Originally from the west, he grew up in the Baltimore area. He returned to the west for college where he earned a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University and spent 36 years working at the Idaho National Laboratory prior to retiring in 2013. It was during his school years in Baltimore where he learned to play soccer and that developed into a life long passion. He played competitively for over 40 years and was a four year starting goalkeeper at MSU. He also coached and refereed in the Idaho premier soccer and High School programs for many years.