The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) is on the precipice of qualifying for their first World Cup since Brazil ’14. The USMNT roster is out and as always with the release, there has been lots of chatter. Some people like it some hate it, but what is common amongst USMNT fans is that everyone has an opinion, and everyone most certainly includes me. Here’s a look at the USA’s roster for the final 2022 World Cup Qualifiers.
USMNT Roster for Final Qualifiers
Below is the roster that has been released by the federation prior to the injuries to Sergino Dest and Brenden Aaronson which means that they will most likely be replaced before the Mexico match on Thursday.
I am actually quite pleased with the roster selection for this window with a couple of question marks, but in a roster of 27, I never expect to agree with every decision. The major snubs in my opinion are Joe Scally, John Brooks, and Josh Sargent.
Scally, especially now with Dest being out makes a lot of sense and I hope he ends up replacing Dest, but it seems more likely that Bello will be the choice. Scally has been playing consistently and very well in the Bundesliga, so seeing him left off the list was a bit of a surprise.
John Brooks not being on the roster makes no sense to me. I understand his last couple of national team appearances were lackluster, but his form for Wolfsburg as of late has been outstanding. It seems there is more to why Gregg Berhalter isn’t selecting him than he is making public, but hopefully, Brooks can gain favor before Qatar ’22 if the US does indeed qualify.
Lastly, we have Josh Sargent who should absolutely replace Aaronson especially after being on the alternate list. He has played good minutes for Norwich as of late and has tallied some goal contributions to boot. He will certainly help in this window and could even reclaim his place as THE #9 for this team.
How will the USMNT Lineup in these Qualifiers?
I feel like this team against Mexico should be in the 4-2-3-1 formation. It will give them a strong defensive structure with lots of creativity and goal potential in the front four.
I believe Berhalter will go with his typical 4-3-3. This is a known system that will allow for an athletic midfield that can cover ground which will be important given that Mexico will likely outplay us at the Azteca
I don’t believe Gregg will rotate against Mexico nor do I think he should. I have heard a lot about how our B team beat Mexico’s A team in the Gold Cup this past summer. While that is true, one, that game was in Vegas, not Mexico, and also if the USA B team beat Mexico why on earth would they be unable to beat Panama at home?
This team needs to go into the Azteca with the mindset of getting at least a point. Realistically they should be trying for three with how many problems the Mexican National Team has been having. This will be a difficult window, but this team cannot allow a repeat of 2017 because heads will roll if they again fail to qualify for the world’s biggest tournament.
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