The United States men's national team will be playing in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup this Sunday as they will take on Mexico, something that was expected, but this tournament has taught a lot of us of what the squad has. This was never expected to be the best possible side as this tournament was meant to see what type of talent and depth the US has while also competing for a trophy. Think of it more as a "B" or "C" squad or even a mixture of the two, but it's also a good way for head coach Gregg Berhalter to evaluate the options in front of him. While there were some controversial and obvious squad decisions made before the Gold Cup began, it was always going to be a team that many were trying to audition to be mainstays. What have we learned? Let's take a look.
Matthew Hoppe
This has been a very good tournament for Matthew Hoppe as he has shown the type of talent he brings to the USMNT. It also begs the question for Berhalter to answer as to why Hoppe wasn't selected for other squads or used more. Either way, Hoppe has shown he will be a valuable option for the US in their quest to win a World Cup. He has also shown that he could be used out on the wing despite it not being the best place to play him. Hoppe has been one of the best players for the US in this Gold Cup and expect to see more of him in the future.
Darryl Dike
There is no question the type of talent Darryl Dike is, but this has been a very inconsistent tournament for him. Dike has shown flashes of brilliance and at times he has looked nonexistent. It's unclear why he has played like this at the tournament as it could be he is not being used properly or doesn't have the proper forward partner(s) to play off. Either way, Dike needs to step up if he wants to be a first choice forward, which he has the potential to be, when going into the World Cup. He was coming off a nice form after his loan spell with Barnsley, but Dike needs to reclaim that said form again.
Matt Turner
While it might be a bit premature to suggest Turner is ready to be the first choice goalkeeper over Zack Steffen or Ethan Horvath at the moment, but if he keeps up this type of performance like he's having this tournament then he will undoubtedly become that. Turner has been the USMNT's best player at this Gold Cup as he has made some miraculous and unbelievable saves and has consistently put up that type of performance from match to match. This type of play he is having might even mean Turner should be making a transfer to a better league which thus improves his abilities. While he deserves a shot at competing for the first choice role, Turner should seriously be considered at least to be the backup.
Other Talents Have Shown Potential
While there were some questionable squad decisions, some of Berhalter's call ups have shown to be options for the World Cup or at the very least the Qualifiers. Reggie Cannon, Sam Vines, Miles Robinson, James Sands, Shaq Moore, George Bello, Gianluca Busio, Eryk Williamson, and Nicholas Gioacchini have all been very good this tournament and deserve at least a shot to be called up for the next year and a half. That gives Berhalter more options and tougher squad decisions which is a good problem to have. It just goes to show the type of talent the US is now starting to grow and that hope for World Cup glory is inching closer to reality. While some of these players might not get the call up they deserve as it sadly becomes a numbers game, it shows that Berhalter is comfortable with these players as options and for them to compete at the international stage.
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