The USMNT 26-man roster for World Cup 2022 announced p80 #1991

3 GK
2 RFB
4 CB
2 LFB
2 DM
4 CM
4 WINGS
2 CF
this is 23, and how id divy up the spots

3 Extra spots now
DM, CF, FB i guess
Busio, Hoppe, whoever is playing well.

at least bring 3 young guys for the experience

 

I am not sure what I am missing but isn't Roldan likely to go to Qatar? When is the last time he was not called in for a roster? I'm not asking rhetorical questions either. Do people think he isn't going, because I am just assuming that he is on the roster. Why would Gregg have him on every single roster to this point if he doesn't plan on having him in Qatar?

 

My fantasy 26 right now.

10 Forwards & Attacking Mids: Pulisic, Weah, Aaronson, Morris, Sarge, Reyna, Wes, Musah, LDLT, and whichever big CF (Pepi, Dike, Pefok, Wright, Hoppe) is hottest w/their club.

Explanation: Reyna and Aaronson can play AM or FW. Sarge and Morris can play CF or wing. I prefer Morris to Arriola because I think he can handle elite competition better and he gives us a little size inside.

2 D Mids: Adams & Acosta

Explanation: Only 2 because both LDLT and Musah can fill in at the 6.

5 Fullbacks: Dest, ARob, Yedlin, Cannon, Scally

Explanation: Yedlin’s form has been declining, but he’s fast and a WC veteran. Cannon and Scally were uninspiring last window, but Bello, Moore, and Vines are worse. And both help with roster and tactical flexibility. I still think Bryan Reynolds should have gotten more of a look.

5 Centerbacks: Zimmerman, Richards, Brooks, CCV, Long

Explanation: I assume Robinson won’t be healed by Nov. Brooks deserves to be in the mix because of his ability and WC experience. If Gregg wants to go 3 in the back, he will have 3 players who have played that way in Cannon, Brooks and Richards. He will also have two speedy CBs in Long and Richards.

3 Keepers: Turner + the best two keepers who are starting for their clubs.

Explanation: it is difficult to overstate how little confidence I have in Steffen, who I thought was poor throughout the qualifying cycle. Horvath head for a fewer chances, but was also poor. The lesson seems clear. Use keepers who play.

1 Vibes Man: Roldan

Explanation: None needed.

 

Some of the guys likely to make the team (Reyna, Dest, Pepi, Richards) were not on the last roster for various reasons. So were others (Busio, Sands) who are competing for a spot. I suspect Roldan's spot is fairly tenuous. Will be dependent on injuries/form of some ahead of him.

 

Especially given that while Berhalter regularly calls him up, he rarely actually gives him playing time. He may make it, but it’ll depend on who else is available.

 

It's interesting that I think there's probably 14 locks and 12 that can fluctuate from now until the world cup.

GK
Locks

In contention
Turner
Johnson
Horvath
Slonina
Steffen
Will be 3 of these guys but no ideas on which 3 it will be. Big run of games for this group.

Striker
Locks
Ferreira

In contention:
Dike
Pefok
Sargent
Pepi
Vasquez

Fb
Locks
Robinson
Dest

in contention:
Yedlin
Cannon
Scally
Paredes
Vines
Bello
Moore

Midfield
Locks
McKennie
Musah
Adams
Acosta

In contention:
LDLT
Busio
Sands
Tillman
Mihailovic
Roldan
Clark

Winger
Locks
Pulisic
Weah
Aaronson
Reyna

In contention
Morris
Arriola

CB
Locks
Zimmerman

In contention
Richards
Long
CCV
EPB
McKenzie
Ream
Miazga

Wildcard:
Cowell
Jonathan Gomez
Bryan Reynolds
KDLF
Gioacchni
Mueller
Pomykal
Williamson
Cardosa

 

At this point I've moved Luca de la Torre to lock.
It's partly due to his performance, but also non-performance from some competition. I mean, when I look at the other midfield "in contention" guys above.................on what basis would any of them be selected over de la Torre? If Tillman had come in and lit the world on fire, then we'd have a different story.

 

So you think that people who haven't yet been called in are still in contention?

 

I had said on the ES post game thread that an all touch video of Robinson would be brutal.
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/usa-vs-el-salvador-6-14-22.2121328/page-15#post-40574554

(Edit: oops, wrong thread, it was actually in this one
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/t...r-world-cup-2022.2121302/page-6#post-40574504)

I just did a rewatch of the first half of the Morocco game and was a little shocked at how bad ARob was in that one as well. Not sure what happened to the all touch videographer who used to pop up (Watke?) but you can look at the game spotlighting ARob if you have it on tape,

Don't want to sound like I'm harping too much on one guy but it seems to me that people are whistling past the graveyard on that LB position and I don't see "oh, we can just move Dest to LB and use Yedlin at RB" as something all that smart. Dest is a stubborn kid and he'll want to look his best at the WC (wouldn't we all?). We need to consider all options at LB. It's possible ARob really picks his game up in Prem but that's all hope and not much substance.

 

Interesting little nugget to note from Wahl's latest podcast release. A whole bunch of the guys, at the very least McKennie, Musah, Jedi, and Richards all extending time together in miami, this is the second summer in a row where guys from the team vacationed together after a camp. Maybe it's never been reported before and only social media makes it possible to note this, but yep, a bunch of the guys vacationed in Miami this past week after the final NL game and to take part in the Legends game down in Miami this past weekend.

Legends at the game:
Ronaldinho
Roberto Carlos
Rene Higuita
Valderamma

In addition, a bunch of Juventus and Real Madrid squads also down there, along with Pogba and Vinicius in particular....

Anyway, I mention it for the '26 thread to prop up Berhalter, if I bash with one hand, I need to bless with the other when it's earned. Three years ago I was deeply alarmed by chemistry issues w/the team in the summer and fall of '19, and tended to think Berhalter was not trusted and a net negative. Down the line 3 years later it's obvious the chemistry is actually quite good for the most part all over the place. There are issues like there are on any team (rumors that Roldan isn't happy w/playing time, that JAB may not be a guy you can have on the bench if he isn't starting, the weirdness on twitter w/Wright etc), but the fact that we have players vacationing together, picking each other up in the moment, and protecting eachother on the field, that dual nats are quite clearly (other than Mexican-American's which have separate set of concerns) really enjoying the chance to play in the group is HUGE.

This is a cohesive group, and it's almost impossible to imagine how one could argue that Berhalter hasn't been a part of that. I really appreciate what he's done in that arena, and it will color the final 26. You can't find a national team vet from the past that doesn't underline how important matching the right kinds of teammates and personalities in a group is. They all argue this point, both about really great experiences ('02, '09-'10) and bad ones ('98), so down the line with edge decisions, it's going to play a role with whose in and out on the bubble. It feels like there are about 4-6 bubble guys, though honestly, I only have about 3-4.

Also interesting to note that in the latest Athletic update, they have some really interesting guys making it that I didn't:
Scally
CCV
Sands
Mihailovic
Tillman
Vazquez

This is a blend of Tenorio and Stejskal's 26's for the group.

 

The distribution of minutes this qualifying cycle put ARob at the top of the list, suggesting that Gregg sees that issue differently. I confess I wasn't watching closely, but his touches didn't stand out to me as bad compared to, say, Arriola.

 

Speaking of whistling past the graveyard, one position that hasn't garnered the attention it should is the back up dmid. People blithely put Acosta in there fully expecting he will not play a minute if Adams is available. Suppose he is not? Musah isn't prepared for that position. He doesn't do much tackling anyway. McKennie doesn't either for those who see McKennie as the solution to all problems.

Why exactly is Acosta thought of as a 6, worthy of the spot at the WC, when no club manager has played him there?

 

Who are you suggesting as the alternative?
I think that's why we don't talk about it more....................

 

I think they're in contention because of the lack of depth. I think if they get a move or get really hot there's a chance that they take that 25 or 26th seat as a Wildcard. Do I anticipate that? No. But those are the guys who I think are on the radar of Berhalter from the interviews.

 

True. Having Sands on the roster could give some comfort altho he isn't playing there for club either (to be fair, he was a Rangers winter transfer who wasn't slated for a specific spot).

Yueil? Alfredo Morales? The latter is a Bundesliga vet and has been doing a good job with NYCFC in the absence of Sands. Berhalter also had him in camp to witness his desire (Canada LON game?).

the interesting thing about Morales (7.0 WS rating in 10 games so far at dmid) is that he plays next to Parks, who is the guy going forward for the most part, in a 4231 so he'd be playing the part he plays at club and he's 31 yrs old so he is experienced in seeing where young Musah might be needing defensive support.

 

Speaking only for myself it is on the strength of performances defensively against Mexico. I don't expect him to help in the attack, and generally pray he won't be in giveaway mode with the ball at his feet. Unlike you, I think both Musah and LDLT can fill in there in a pinch.

 

Indeed. I think Acosta has enough good performances under his belt as a #6 to have won that backup job. [As long as we keep him at the #6 and don't use him as a #8.]

I mean, the guy is up to 52 caps now. I bet if we made a chart of the most capped players since the COVID restart..........Acosta would be #1. I'm too lazy to check. But the guy played in 13 of our 14 WCQers, played in all of the 2021 Gold Cup, and both Nations League games.

So two things:

1) There are a dearth of options.

2) We're unlikely to leave off the guy who's been in all the wars over the last two years.

We don't talk about an Acosta alternative for the simple fact that Kellyn Acosta has earned that spot thru commitment and enough good performances.

 

My uninformed guess at what Berhalter is thinking:

Forwards/attacking mids (7 total): Ferrara, Pulisic, Weah, Reyna, then 3 out of the following 4- Arriola, Pepi, Pefok, Morris

Midfield (7 total): McKennie, Adams, Musan, LDLT, Aaronson, Acosta, Roldan

Defenders (9 total): Dest, Robinson, Zimmerman, Richards, Long, another CB (either McKenzie, EPB or CCV) two right backs (probably Cannon, then either Yedlin or Moore. I don't think Cannon had a good window, but he's the only RB that plays the tucked in 3 at the back formation that Berhalter used this window.), a Left back (????, though I wouldn't shocked if Berhalter tried out Moore over here instead of a natural left back)

GKs: Turner, Steffen, then either Horvath or Johnson

Sands might be a possibility, but I think flexibility from other positions makes that less likely. Maybe Brooks or Miasma gets another look but I'd be a little surprised at this point. Maybe another forward goes on a huge run, but other than that I think they're aren't many more questions, short of injuries.

 

The EPL & Bundesliga start Aug 5, and the Championship July 30. There will be almost 3 months of play before the roster is chosen. I wonder how that will impact Gregg’s decisions?

 

well, if someone whos literally been called into every camp for two years is in a "tenuous" position whos to say, really?

 

The absolute final date is like Oct 21? But there's always the chance Berhalter follows Bob Bradley's example and names the roster and alternates way ahead of the deadline.

At this point for whom might European seasons be meaningful for? Pepi, an lb candidate (Paredes, Vines, Bello, Scally) a cb (CCV, EPB, Miasma, Brooks if the last two are still under consideration) Pefok some other forward candidates. The Keepers. Most other players would either already be on or off.

 

My explanation:

Scally - When you get real, that lb position is weak and moving Dest there may not be too smart. Scally is a gamble because we have so little time but otherwise he has some quality and we don't really have time with anybody else either.

CCV - he has always been good defensively, especially in the box where he's a tank. Always liked him since u20's back in 2015. Over the course of some years, he has learned to pass, of a fashion, and that was his main weakness that kept him out of the big time. A good picture of old CCV would be the international v. Italy, the last Sarachan game, 2018. Italy left him op[en to receive the pass from keeper and we could never advance the ball. Even I am willing to give him a pass, after seeing him pass with Celtic recently, and happy to have him in Qatar. His teammates have to know what his limitations are.

Sands - I don't think Berhalter trusts him. I always worried a little since his u17 days but who will play the 6 if Adams can't go? I raised this before and was told Acosta was great because......Mexico. So I rewatched a half of Acosta at Azteca and there was nothing there apart from one pass to Pulisic in the box. But the fact is Adams was playing that game and was all over the place. Do people mean a different Mexico game? Sands is the anti-Acosta: He's a little too eager to make a mark on the game. But at least he's there to win the game and not so much "hey, looka me".

Tilman - Every cycle we have to promise and deliver something to a German-American who makes the switch in the 11th hour. This goes down as brownie points for the US manager whoever that might be. When reviewing Klinsmann, it was obligatory to note that he had "convinced" the German-Americans to play for us. It must be really hard to convince somebody to play in a World Cup, huh?

Mihailovic - haven't watched him in a while. I didn't like him early cycle because he was physically anemic. He seems more rugged these days and scores goals. I guess it's a matter of what's not to like about that?

Vazquez - I have no idea.

 

Moore played left back for us v. Italy and looked really unhappy as he should have been. He picked up immediately in the second half when he was moved to right back.

 

No doubt he's better on the right, and I'm not really advocating. It's just that Berhalter seems really unhappy with his choices of a 2nd left back and he likes Moore as a player.

 

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