Pre-match: 2026 World Cup Roster

Maybe Banks is going through an epiphany moment and realizes that Germany is not interested in him?

 

Bradley was there just for practice. At no point he was any type of a candidate. In 2006.

 

1000% disagree. Wright's always been finesse, and has only kind of learned how to play inside since moving to the Championship. Balo is not built to be a physical striker, but he is one, physically powerful, can hold off defenders, he's got pace, and he's not a target striker obviously, but he's built rock hard athletic/strong, and can play physically, and Pepi's been absolutely fine, scoring a boat load of goals inside.

I just don't see Haji as a physical player, actually, I know he isn't, it was a running joke for a long time that he's 6'4 but plays like he's 5'8', I think the Championship really helped him learn how to use his size more effectively so its no longer a joke, but so effectively that he's more of a naturally physical player than a balo or Pepi? I don't know. In Balo's case, I absolutely concede that he doesn't play as a target or bull in the box striker, but Wright rarely ever has either, only adding that to his game relatively recently, he's always been more or less similar to Balo, using pace to run onto balls and score that way.....

We're just going to disagree, I think I understand your premise, Balo isn't a target guy, doesn't collect a pile of poacher's goals, totally concede that, but Balo's game including fighting off
defenders to score all the time. Pepi does plenty of Wright does and always has done so. I just don't see the idea that he's a physical striker (Wright).....but whatever, we just disagree, I kinda think I get your point, but even if I don't, so be it.

 

I probably am, I do use hyperbole as a crutch to get my point across clearly sometimes, probably too often. I think what McGlynn does well, he does really well, its just his liabilities are more than likely why he's still in MLS (along with his injuries) and they are absolutely why he's not playable at this level to me. You have to be otherworldly to get away w/meh or worse defending once you play top 20ish teams, in terms of attacking skills, even Ronaldo has been a liability his last few tournaments and if not for his reputation he almost surely would no longer be a part of the program...McGlynn aint Ronaldo, he aint walking Messi etc. He's a guy with a cannon and a lovely dead ball strike, who lacks pace and top end acceleration, and is not a good defender. I'll tolerate that more with Berhalter who can defend reasonably well in MLS and subpar to poorly in the international game, but I'm not going to be happy w/an even worse grade than that, and I'd give McGlynn much worse grades defensively, than Berhalter, even if McGlynn's the naturally more gifted attacker.

These days we just need that defense, and McGlynn isn't up for it, at least to me. I'd use him in B friendlies and Gold Cups, but not at World Cups, Copa Americas or WCQ.

 

I have seen enough. Gozo should be in the squad. With 26 players, there is no reason to deny him the last spot.

 

Aerial duels and headed attempted are listed as statistical strenghts for Haji Wright. He must be reasonably physical.

 

I know when players appear out of nowhere to make the World Cupvthat pundits run with the "But this other player earned it by playing for the rest of the cycle."
None of our CBs have definitely earned a spot other than Richards. I appreciate their service. But have the dencesitters done enough? No.

 

On the CB debate, I wish Ream had retired from international play. He retains the luster of when he was a great CB, but he isn’t athletically up to the job anymore IMO. And his minutes have interrupted integration of younger, faster players who can keep up.

 

If we played with two CBs I would roll with Richards and Trusty… with 3 I’m not sure who else I would add.. McKenzie I guess but don’t love it

 

Musah should be last midfielder now that Cardoso likely out. I’d have him over Roldan and Morris. And Seb.

 

If we have a young Doku, or a young Olise, maybe he should go to WC. But we don’t at this time.

 

Musah is not in form because he is not playing. Bring Morris or a young phenom at least they are playing.

 

I just don't get how guys are calling for players (Musah and Reyan) to be on the roster when neither of them plays. I at least get Reyna. He can't probably go even a half but he could/might/possibly provide that one magic moment.

But Musah? Good grief he never plays. He is very good with the ball in the middle of the pitch but totally clueless in the attack. Yet guys want him over Roldan and Morris both whom are playing and playing well. Crazy talk.

 

Musah is 0.0% chance.

He hasn't been called up in a calendar year now. Not since the 2025 Nations League.

Reyna? Poch seems to think he has something special in him, and so the playing time requirement doesn't apply to him.

I have no idea which way that one is going to go. 50%??

But if people are demanding somebody like Gozo, he's going to have to take somebody's spot in those 25th/26th slots. Those are kind of position independent. Could be somebody like Reyna.

 

I expect Reyna to be there. I’d be shocked if Musah makes it.

 

So just thinking about the tradition of calling in the “hot-hand” for an attacking World Cup spot, here are the top 5 Americans in MLS by Goal Contributions.

Preston Judd: 11 (9g, 2a)
Julian Hall: 11 (9g, 2a)
Sebastian Berhalter: 10 (6g, 4a)
Zavier Gozo: 9 (6g, 3a)
Brian White: 8 (8g, 0a)

 

Out of those, Berhalter is in good shape. I have him in my squad. The stats on the MLS site have him at 6 goals and 7 assists.

Gozo has been more of a hope of the board. There's no actual evidence he's in the mix. In blistering form, though. Poch has to be taking notice.

White may be in the mix with another forward injury. He could be 4th or 5th on the depth chart with Sargent.

 

Not sure why people are doubting Luna being called up. Dude should be a lock.. He does everything well as a AM... and fits Poch's W style to a tee. AAR... I have been calling for Gozo all season and he hasn't disappointed. He plays with the youthful brash confidence you absolutely want in this scenario... and the physical attributes he brings are seriously lacking in the rest of the pool. I could also see Hall getting the nod over Wright. I think Berhalter will make it based on his form for club and country in the Poch era.

 

When does this start showing up in Haji's game? I'd argue it was in the championship, I don't think he had barely any headed goals at all circa 2016-2023ish. I think this is a product of the championship and having to survive in there. He's certainly way better now in terms of aerial game than in his Bundesliga, Danish and Turkish league days.

 

I really wonder how many people have watched Musah the last couple years. Like it's not just the lack of passing or the uselessness in the final 3rd. His defensive awareness got worst. Like there are moments where you see he can be a plus defender when in man defense, but he allows a lot of free runners in his zones, and he tends to panic and take stupid yellows

 

I almost think we should have a separate thread for "Should be there and won't be, and shouldn't be there but will be," or something like that.

Musah is a good option to stake a claim on that we're making a mistake, even if his club form is in the toilet the past couple of years.

But we also know there's literally ZERO chance he goes. He has not been called up for a year and the only chance he had, slim though it be, was to get a loan and be spectacular, which is the opposite of what happened. He will 1000% not be on the WC team. If I were to imagine a percent chance he had, it would be something like .001 to .05% or something that miniscule.

Meanwhile a guy like Ream, 1000% should NOT be there. It's patently obvious he's past it, but he's also basically a coach on the field, a captain, and a guy Poch has clearly turned to in his nearly 2 years here. He will be there and may even start. "The horror, the horror," is all I can think of when I consider the possibility. How could it be possible that Turkey, Australia, and Paraguay failed to scout out this possibility, just isolate him, force him to rely on his pace, and, "Good Night Irene", xG out the wazoo.

Ream is a disaster in the making, should absolutely have just been hired as an assistant or something, instead we walk tenderly over a bridge with innumerable holes, the structure weak and failing, if we roll him out, that's what I picture.....just white knuckling over him being found out, isolated, turned, hopeless.

I can see why Musah could help, but I also know there's no chance at all that he's on the plane.

I can envision exactly the disaster coming if Ream starts/plays, but it doesn't matter, he's 1000% on the plane, well, maybe 99%, maybe Poch and friends will decide his play is just no longer up to it, they have to know it, but they are waying him as a liability versus his role as a veteran, as a coach on the field, as a team leader, and if they can cover up the fatal flaws he can create.....

But yeah, that's kind of for me why I get frustrated at times with Roster talk threads like this, because I get the interest in Musah, or the long shot interest in Gozo say 2 months ago, but in the former case, there's no chance at all that Musah goes, while Gozo has gone from a prayer to actually a possibility with his run of white hot form, and who knows, maybe "class" with staying power (redundant though the phrasing be).

 

If Richards injury is serious we sell our first borns to lock Banks up.

He was hobbling and injured

 

I'm kind of wondering if part of this is just lack of reps, just dug in, and it's really only this year where his playing time collapsed. League Play he's:
'20-'21 1532
'21-'22 1260
'22-'23 2121
'23-'24 1470
'24-'25 1574
'25-'26 444

So, other than the aberration in '22-'23, he's been a 1300-1550 minute guy his whole career until this year.

I guess he's just fading out, otoh, he's younger than I thought. Dude doesn't even turn 24 until after thanksgiving next winter.

 

Totally agree… I’m still not convinced Roldan will be able to perform at World Cup level. If he plays, and has one of his underwhelming performances where he gets exposed, I’m going to be extremely disappointed. Aside from the one recent game where he played well, he’s just never looked like he belongs.

 

Aerial duels had been a statistical weakness for Haji in Turkey.