Knock, knock, knocking on Berhalter’s Door: Guys on the Fringe

I believe he’ll get a look in December. After his first round of call ups, he hit a slump, which it’s taken him awhile to do enough to redeem himself.

That said, we should worry about his athleticism. He has really good technique. But he’s definitely not the biggest, fastest, nor most aggressive.

 

Knocking on the door - Last Call Before the World Cup (by position)​

GOALKEEPER: The starting and back up Goalkeeper is set. That job belongs to Zack Steffen and Matt Turner. And for the time being, Sean Johnson has a stranglehold on the number three position.

So, who’s knocking on the door? At the moment, the only player that I can see sneak in would be Gabriel Slonina. He has the most upside of any keeper in our pool... and he may have the most upside than an American goalkeeper ever. Truly, his ultimate potential could exceed Tim Howard, Brad Friedel, and Kasey Keller. And he could dream of one day reaching the levels of Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, and Oliver Kahn. But he still has a long way to go and much further to get into that World Class territory. But he’s still only 17!

Other than Slonina, there really isn’t anyone. Ethan Horvath’s career is a train wreck. Brad Guzan seems to be out of favor although he’s still going strong in MLS. I believe Bill Hamid has tapped out his potential and he’s become increasingly more injury prone. Tim Melia and Steffen Frei are already over the hill....even for goalkeepers. And William Yarbrough, Tyler Miller, JT Marcinkowski, Brad Stuver, Joe Willis, etc are in that category of, they’re alright in MLS but I hope we never have to rely on them internationally. And I don’t see any youngsters doing enough to impress in time to make it to the World Cup.

RIGHT BACK: Do we consider either of Sergino Dest or Joe Scally an option for left back? Personally, I do. And that allows some wiggle room for depth at right back. Now, he’s fallen out of popularity, but if DeAndre Yedlin is starting at right back in Qatar, I’m not going to have this “oh crap” feeling before the game starts. There is a lot to critique about Yedlin, but for the most part, he can hold his own against anyone in the world. And we need guys with experience. He has a ton of that now. And he’s still not old. He’s in the prime years of his playing career. So, the depth chart at Right Back appears mostly set.

But who will be our guys to back up our main guys? That’s where it gets tricky. Reggie Cannon is still the odds on favorite. Bryan Reynolds was Mourinhoed this fall, but he appears to be on the move and he could rectify his situation if he lands at the right club. Berhalter seems to be giving an extended look at Brooks Lennon - who I don’t believe will be up to snuff for the big show. Berhalter seems to have ignored assist-king Aaron Herrera - and perhaps for good reason. Shaq Moore has torpedoed his stock after an extremely impressive Gold Cup. And I don’t know what’s going on with Tim Chandler who is a rotational starter for Eintracht Frankfurt. It seems that he has retired from international soccer. Lastly, we’ll see how Kyle Duncan does this year in Europe. I’m not expecting him to light the world on fire but hopefully he can show signs to be competitive.

P.S. you know who could be an X factor? Julian Gressel. He’ll be eligible in time. He’s got that wicked right cross. And he’s a lot more seasoned that many of our depth guys. But how much of an upgrade is he? Is it worth bringing in an old timer this late in the game (I know he’s in the prime of his career. He’s just old in comparison to the other candidates)?

LEFT BACK: As mentioned before, can we effectively move either Sergino Dest or Joe Scally to left back and not also rob Peter to pay Paul? That’ll be one of the main questions of the year. Irregardless, we know that Antonee Robinson has a stranglehold on the left back position - even if it’s just as a back up. Critics can debate all that they want, but the Jedi is a very useful addition to our very thin pool of left backs.

Now, the two main contenders to sneak in would be George Bello and Sam Vines. Vines had the unfortunate event of being injured when he could have been called up to boost his stock during the early stages of World Cup qualifying and the misfortune of not being available for the pre-camp to show that he’s superior to George Bello. Therefore, it’s likely that right now that George Bello has the edge over Sam Vines. And on Bello, he was hit or miss last year. He was great in the Gold Cup final. He was great in MLS. But he’s been subpar in World Cup qualifying. That said, he’s only 19. He has the next year ahead of him to polish the holes in his game. And we should expect him to do so. Still, we should see Bello as an X factor youth prospect at the World Cup rather than seasoned veteran.

So, who else? I like DeJuan Jones as an outside contender. He was amazing last year. Shockingly underrated performance by most fans. He has all the tools to be successful. It’ll just be a matter of, can he polish those tools in time for the World Cup. He’s older than Bello and Vines, but he’s still technically a young player who has yet to reach his prime years.

Other than Jones, we can keep our eyes on, but I have my doubts that they’ll be seasoned enough by fall 2022 to contribute, Kevin Paredes, Jonathan Gomez, and John Tolkin. To be clear, I’m really optimistic about these guys. But they’re still so young and raw; that they’re going to have to really impress this year to show that they’re superior to our more seasoned but still very raw candidates.

CENTER BACKS: Berhalter needs to quit tinkering so much with his center backs and start building team chemistry. Personally, I would say the game is up and my four guys to take me to hell and back are John Brooks, Chris Richards, Walker Zimmerman, and Miles Robinson. Of course, we need to be mindful of form, injuries, and suspension. But we also need to be mindful to give this cohort as many reps as possible before the World Cup. And it does us a disservice to play anyone else besides these four (unless they’re not available).

Of note, I’m all for yanking a player when he’s out of form. But pulling John Brooks out of the player pool seems like madness to me. That’s one position where a little loyalty might be a good thing. Especially for someone who we’re counting on his leadership and experience. In my eyes, Brooks might not be a starter. But he’s a lock to be on the plane for Qatar.

Now, who are our depth guys? Berhalter seems to favor Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream. Personally, I’m not a fan of these two options.

On Tim Ream...I believe we all know that’s a sunk cost investment. Sure he can handle weaklings in CONCACAF, he’s versatile, he’s a leader, and he’s got that wicked left foot. But he’s old as Methuselah and he’s slower than dirt. If he actually plays in the World Cup, I believe we’ll lose by multiple goals against anyone we might face. In other words, just think of Jeff Agoos 2002. He’s a liability and Berhalter needs to let go of one of his favorite people.

On Mark McKenzie...If there’s one thing that I can’t stand, it’s an erratic center back. Mark McKenzie is that. Granted, he’s very talented and extremely athletic. And he could become a very good center back. But for this cycle, it’s a fools errand to attempt to ready him for the rigors of the World Cup in time.

Now, I personally prefer, in order, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Matt Miazga as my “oh crap” candidates. And for all the crazy call ups that Berhalter has called in at center back who don’t really stand a chance to make this World Cup (Justin Che, Kobi Henry, Auston Trusty, and Donovan Pines), CCV and Miazga should be considered the Go-to center backs if we need to do so.

That said, I don’t mind our MLS options in Aaron Long and Henry Kessler being used too. In an age when not all our best guys are available, there’s the possibility that these two could actually sneak in this year and prove they’re in the top 4. Long has been a reliable and trusty leader and veteran. And Kessler was a standout in 2021 and finished off the year with a very impressive showing against Bosnia. Both cannot be ruled out at this point.

To finish off, I would not place any bets on the remaining outliers: Erik Palmer-Brown, Lennard Maloney, Justen Glad, Jonathan Tomkinson, etc. as good as they might be, we really don’t have time to give them a shot before the World Cup. And the good news for these guys, they’ll have the next four years to prove that they belong. It’s just not going to happen for WC22.

P.S. James Sands can cover for center back, but I would not select him specifically select him for that position.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD: I don’t know why Berhalter is so rigidly persistent on his formation choice to include a designated defensive midfielder, personally I don’t like it, but it is what is. Berhalter isn’t going to change course now and we must plan that we’re on this train to whatever train wreck it leads us. Now, the reason that I don’t like the designated DM is because we only have one legitimate player who can play the position: Tyler Adams. Anyone else might be okay for CONCACAF, but they’re very likely to get slaughtered at the World Cup. Thus, we are trusting everything on one player and we are an injury, suspension, or poor form away from annihilation.

Simply, Kelyn Acosta has proven to be a solid addition to the player pool. But how much do you trust him against the giants of the world? Personally, I really like Acosta. He’s definitely a contender in my eyes to make the World Cup. He’s versatile, tough, and a leader. And he’s good on set pieces. Nevertheless, I don’t have him as my “we can’t survive without” piece either. And my butt cheeks are slightly clinched that Berhalter has given him so much faith.

Now, there’s also James Sands who showed lots of signs of promise last year and lots of signs that he’s not ready either. He’s still a baby, especially at the DM position, so he could improve. But we’re trusting a lot in hope for him to emerge as a legit candidate for the World Cup. Of note, he could double as a center back candidate; therefore, that might give us the option to bring a specialist on the team or an extra forward or winger.

Joao Lucas de Cardoso, AKA Johnny Soccer, is a guy that I hope that he emerges in this next year. Like Sands, he’s still just a baby. And we’re trusting a lot in hope. But he could be a factor.

Then, there’s Tanner Tessman - but again, trusting in hope.

And Lord help us if we have Jackson Yuiell playing at all in the World Cup. Jesus. I can only imagine the massacre that will be inflicted upon us if Yuiell has earned Berhalter’s trust to be at Qatar as anything more than just a fan. To be fair, 2021 was just not Yuiell’s year (because he was okay before that). Maybe he had a lot going on between the ears that he can figure out between here and then. But my confidence meter is on absolute zero at the moment that he could be anything more than an addition to our opponents team if he plays.

Now, the most likely scenario is that Gianluca Busio makes the full conversion to defensive mid between here and then and he earns his spot as the rightful back up to Tyler Adams. But that might be robbing Peter to pay Paul because at the moment, Busio is needed at depth in one of the advanced midfield positions.

To conclude, I would not place any bets on the other outliers: Chris Durkin, Christian Cappis, Leon Flach, Jack McGlynn, etc. Strange things can happen and that back up position is still open for the taking, but these are 2026 candidates, not 2022 candidates. And I wouldn’t put much faith in Matt Polster, Russell Canouse, Wil Trapp, Marky Delgado, and Fredo Morales.

ATTACKING MIDS: First off, let’s figure out, is Gio Reyna a winger or an 8/10 in Berhalter’s scheme? Personally, I bet he’s both, but I’m betting on that his primary position will be the 8/10 so long as Pulisic, Aaronson, and Weah are in the picture.

With that mentioned, I think we have our primary midfield cohort in Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah. But there’s still an open spot, and I don’t know yet if we have to move Gianluca Busio to DM. Oh, and Berhalter also uses Kelyn Acosta as an 8/10 too. In other words, there’s room for competition. And there’s an issue with health and fitness among this cohort. So we need depth.

Berhalter has favored Sebastian Lletget and Cristian Roldan as his guys. And perhaps, they would be okay. But neither trigger a lot of enthusiasm at the highest level. Between Roldan and Lletget, I would select Lletget all day, every day, any day. Roldan is a try-hard and a team-guy but he’s not enough of a difference maker and at this point, his presence is a sunk-cost investment. At least, Lletget can score and assist at times.

That said, we maybe seeing the emergence of promising youngster, Cole Bassett. But he still has a ways to go. There’s Caden Clark, but I worry that he’s taken a step back in his progression. So unless something changes, he’s probably more of a 2026 candidate. Djordje Mihailovic has re-emerged after a blistering 2021 campaign where in many games he seemed to want to impersonate Zinedine Zidane. But Mihailovic is impeded by poor athleticism which will probably hold him back at the highest levels.

Personally, I’m betting, or at least hoping, that Luca de la Torre and/or Richy Ledezma emerge this year as viable candidates. I don’t get why Luca always seems to get snubbed. I think he’s the same level as Busio is now, and he’s not old either. He should still be a contender. And if Ledezma can get back to pre-injury level and form, he’s in. And he has plenty of time to get back to that level. For emphasis, I should exclaim that Richie Ledezma has the most potential of any prospect on the fringe to be a difference maker at this World Cup. To be specific, I believe he could be the one to get at the level of Aaronson, Weah, etc if only he can get back to pre-injury form and fitness. So watch him closely.

Lastly, I would not count out but not count on: Paxton Pomykal, Alex Mendez, Malick Tillman, Tim Tillman, Julian Green, Christian Cappis, Eryk Williamson, Taylor Booth, Paxten Aaronson, etc. I’d probably say the others: Baker-Whiting, Richardson, Parks, etc are not on the radar for this WC at the moment. But we’ll just have to see how this cohort progresses in the next year. There’s still the possibility of a wild card to take a spot.

WINGERS: If I’m counting Reyna as an 8/10, then my primary winger cohort is locked on Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, and one opening. But before I discuss the options, we should painfully be aware of Pulisic’s and Weah’s injury proneness and pray that neither get any boo-boos when we need them at the World Cup.

That said, who are we looking at for that last spot? The primary contenders are Jordan Morris and Konrad de la Fuente. And the secondary candidates are Josh Sargent, Niko Gioacchini, Paul Arriola, and Matthew Hoppe.

In all honesty, Jordan Morris probably has the edge. He looked really sharp against Bosnia and he has all year to shake off any rust from his injury. But I find it hard to rule out a starter for Olympique Marseille who will be only 20 years old when things kick off. And of course, I think Sargent, Gioacchini, Hoppe, and Arriola will be very competitive. But they need to go out this year and prove that they’re better than the rest. Ultimately, it’s probably going to come down to form. Who’s the hottest winger at the moment should get on the plane.

Now, we could maybe include Jesus Ferreira in this group. But he’s probably competing more for that #9 shirt. Also, we could include some of the midfielder candidates: Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Lletget, Djordje Mihailovic, Caden Clark, Cole Bassett, Luca de la Torre, Richy Ledezma, Alex Mendez, Alan Sonora, Paxton Pomykal, Malick Tillman, Tim Tillman, Julian Green, etc. But a lot depends on the depth and need in these other positions.

Lastly, I’d probably say Cade Cowell, Kevin Paredes, and anyone else are not in the running at the moment for a spot in this World Cup. Because Cowell and Paredes were snubbed from the pre-camp, they’ve got an uphill battle to climb to get on the plane. But that can change. If either have a year like Pepi had in 2021, they could sneak in. And both have that potential.

P.S. I don’t know how much I’m counting on dual-nationals, such as Folarin Balogun (who might be more of a 9), Julian Gressel (who might be more of a RWB), and Alex Mighten. I got my eye on them. But it’s a big hill to climb.

FORWARD: At the moment, I believe we can trust that Ricardo Pepi is on the plane, but he’s not in very good form either. We really need him to rekindle some flame and finally prove that we have a reliable goal scorer.

After Pepi, I believe we have almost a tie between Gyasi Zardes, Jordan Pefok, Jesus Ferreira, and Daryl Dike. Between this group, it’s honestly going to come down to form. Who’s in the best form right at the time of selection? That’s what’s going to be the difference maker.

Furthermore, there’s also the option of bringing on one of the candidates who fit more into the winger/outside forward category. In particular, Josh Sargent, Matthew Hoppe, and Niko Gioacchini. Even Jordan Morris might be someone who could contend for a #9 spot. Again, it’s going to come down to form. Who’s hot? Who’s not?

Now, I don’t see anyone else breaking into this cohort in time for the World Cup. Yes, there’s still Folarin Balogin, Malick Sanogo, Fede Oliva, and others, but that’s a long way to go to get on the radar. Also, there’s the older MLS and YA contingent of Rubio Rubin, Bobby Wood, Jozy Altidore, Andrija Novakovich, Sebastian Soto, Benji Kikanovic, Brian White, etc. but all are very unlikely as it stands now. At the same time, it’s not as though the USMNT is in a position to snub anyone who can prove to be a reliable goal scorer. So if anyone, between here and then, proves they can score, they can get on the plane.

 

Thank you, sir!