Gregg Berhalter has finally revealed his squad for the World Cup as this ushers in a new era for the USMNT, however, it does not come without controversy. Every cycle, fans debate who the USMNT head coach should bring to the World Cup and even some who voice their dislike for some selections. Well, ironically, I am one of those fans, but at least my reasons for both liking and disliking some selections here are legitimate critiques. Before I voice those, here is the team selected by Berhalter:
Goalkeepers
Matt Turner
Ethan Horvath
Sean Johnson
Defenders
DeAndre Yedlin
Tim Ream
Walker Zimmerman
Aaron Long
Antonee Robinson
Sergino Dest
Shaq Moore
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Joe Scally
Midfielders
Kellyn Acosta
Weston McKinnie
Tyler Adams
Cristian Roldan
Brenden Aaronson
Yunus Musah
Luca de la Torre
Forwards
Christian Pulisic
Jordan Morris
Tim Weah
Josh Sargent
Jesus Ferreira
Gio Reyna
Haji Wright
Ok, right off the bat with the goalkeepers! I’m shocked, but not shocked that Zack Steffen was not selected. Steffen has been a mixed bag of results with Middlesbrough and even at the national team level as his form has not been consistent enough. I’m definitely glad Horvath got in as he’s been in really great form. Johnson was a shocker, but in terms of his MLS form he’s been good. That being said, Johnson isn’t likely to see the pitch and if he does then the USMNT is in big trouble. So in that regard, Steffen probably should be on the roster. However, that’s just me being cautious as this selection is probably not going to factor all that much. I don’t have a problem with this selection here.
In the defenders, these selections were shockers and not necessarily in a bad way. When Chris Richards announced that he was not going to be able to make the World Cup, that opened up the door for other players to get the call. Tim Ream finally getting a chance is huge as he’s been in great form for Fulham and has a partnership with Antonee Robinson which makes it seem like bringing their chemistry over to the World Cup as a no brainer. Even Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated to Ream that if he was younger (Ream is 35) that Guardiola would've brought him in onto his side. That’s a huge compliment from a world class manager. Aaron Long is someone who should be nowhere on the roster, but it’s not a shocker that he’s in there considering he's one of Berhalter's guys. That being said, someone like Mark McKenzie deserves a chance. However, it’s egregious that Erik Palmer-Brown was not selected especially in the type of form he has been in. Even Auston Trusty deserved more of a look over Long. There were significantly better options than Long, but here he is. Shaq Moore was a bit of a shocker too, but I am not that opposed to this selection. I am also shocked that Reggie Cannon didn’t get selected as I even thought he was going to get in, but I am also not surprised that Yedlin was selected over him and I am not opposed to it.
Now the midfielders are a different story. While I am not high on Kellyn Acosta and think Johnny Cardoso should’ve gotten the nod, this selection isn’t so egregious. That being said, if Acosta is getting minutes, something went horribly wrong. However, why is Cristian Roldan on this squad?! Roldan offers nothing aside from sage coaching on the sides, which if he had been brought on for coaching reasons then it’s fine. A player like Malik Tillman is someone who should absolutely be selected no questions asked. It’s not even debatable. Even Djordje Mihailovic deserves a spot over Roldan.
As for the forwards, this one is also head scratching. Jesus Ferreira is a talented player, he’s not been in the best form and he usually doesn’t play well against teams that are physical. So why pick him over Ricardo Pepi or Jordan Pefok who have been in better form? It even puzzles me that he selected Haji Wright after being incredibly critical of him recently in a camp. While I don’t oppose the selection, it’s shocking nonetheless. But Ferreira shouldn’t be included over Pepi and Pefok who have been better.
So data shows that most countries use between 18-19 players during tournaments, so the likelihood most of these players get a chance to play is low. However, a head coach should never assume that and should pick the best 26 best possible players. Depth is always key and also it always helps to have players who offer something different when making a substitution. That’s why you always pick the best possible 26. Berhalter unfortunately picks a lot of his favorites instead of looking at players who are in better form or play at a higher level. You can never not play it safe especially if there’s an injury. Berhalter continues to make questionable decisions, let’s hope it doesn’t backfire.
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