With the nightmare of the failed qualification to the 2018 World Cup officially put to bed, USMNT fans can look forward to the big dance once again. And now they know the 26 players who will take them there.
U.S. national team manager Gregg Berhalter named his final roster on Wednesday, November 9 and there were a few surprises that caused raised eyebrows from fans and media.
Veteran Fulham defender Tim Ream made the cut, as did Seattle Sounders duo Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris. Nashville right-back Shaq Moore and teenager Joe Scally beat out Reggie Cannon. And Haji Wright and Josh Sargent were taken ahead of Union Berlin's Jordan Pefok and Groningen's Ricardo Pepi, with the latter just beginning to turn things around on loan in the Netherlands.
"That was a really difficult conversation I had to have with him [Pepi]," Berhalter told ESPN during the reveal show. "He scored three goals in World Cup Qualifying and he's not going to be part of the program. Josh [Sargent] is competing in the [English] Championship and he played in the Premier League last year. We're playing Wales and England and both teams are stocked with players from those leagues.
"Haji Wright is in great form playing for his team in Turkey and Jesus Ferreira has been good for us and understands the game plan and how to execute it," Berhalter continued. "Haji Wright is in better form than Jordan Pefok in this moment."
As surprising was the exclusion of goalkeeper Zack Steffen who was the No. 1 goalkeeper for the USMNT earlier in the cycle.
"I think in some of the cases it's more about what we have than what we don't have," Berhalter said about the goalkeeper situation without referencing Steffen in particular. "With the three goalkeepers on the roster we feel great."
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USMNT World Cup roster for Qatar 2022
Here are all 26 players on Gregg Berhalter's final list:
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| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 12 | Ethan Horvath | Luton Town (ENG) | 27 | 8 | 0 |
| GK | 25 | Sean Johnson | NYCFC (USA) | 33 | 10 | 0 |
| GK | 1 | Matt Turner | Arsenal (ENG) | 28 | 18 | 7 |
| DEF | 13 | Tim Ream | Fulham (ENG) | 35 | 46 | 1 |
| DEF | 20 | Cameron Carter-Vickers | Celtic (SCO) | 24 | 10 | 0 |
| DEF | 2 | Sergino Dest | AC Milan (ITA) | 21 | 17 | 6 |
| DEF | 15 | Aaron Long | NY Red Bulls (USA) | 30 | 29 | 2 |
| DEF | 18 | Shaq Moore | Nashville SC (USA) | 26 | 15 | 4 |
| DEF | 5 | Antonee Robinson | Fulham (ENG) | 25 | 28 | 13 |
| DEF | 26 | Joe Scally | Gladbach (GER) | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| DEF | 22 | DeAndre Yedlin | Inter Miami (USA) | 29 | 74 | 9 |
| DEF | 3 | Walker Zimmerman | Nashville SC (USA) | 29 | 31 | 10 |
| MID | 23 | Kellyn Acosta | LAFC (USA) | 27 | 52 | 13 |
| MID | 4 | Tyler Adams | Leeds United (ENG) | 23 | 19 | 13 |
| MID | 8 | Weston McKennie | Juventus (ITA) | 24 | 34 | 7 |
| MID | 6 | Yunus Musah | Valencia (SPA) | 19 | 18 | 10 |
| MID | 17 | Cristian Roldan | Seattle Sonders (USA) | 27 | 32 | 5 |
| MID | 14 | Luca de la Torre | Celta Vigo (SPA) | 24 | 12 | 4 |
| FWD | 11 | Brenden Aaronson | Leeds United (ENG) | 21 | 21 | 11 |
| FWD | 7 | Gio Reyna | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 19 | 11 | 3 |
| FWD | 9 | Jesus Ferreira | FC Dallas (USA) | 21 | 12 | 6 |
| FWD | 16 | Jordan Morris | Seattle Sounders (USA) | 27 | 47 | 6 |
| FWD | 19 | Haji Wright | Antalyaspor (TUR) | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| FWD | 10 | Christian Pulisic | Chelsea (ENG) | 24 | 50 | 10 |
| FWD | 24 | Josh Sargent | Norwich City (ENG) | 22 | 19 | 3 |
| FWD | 21 | Timothy Weah | LOSC Lille (FRA) | 22 | 24 | 9 |
WORLD CUP 2022 SELECTED SQUADS:
Australia | Argentina | Belgium | Brazil | Cameroon
Canada | Costa Rica | Croatia | Denmark | England
France | Germany | Ghana | Iran | Japan | Mexico
Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Senegal
Serbia | Spain | Switzerland | Uruguay | USA | Wales
Berhalter indicated that three players heading to Qatar with injuries are progressing well.
"Weston McKennie's prognosis is that he's going to come to the World Cup in a good way," Berhalter said about the Juventus midfielder. "Luca de la Torre is recovering from his hamstring injury. And Matt Turner is OK and was on the bench for his cup game."
Chris Richards and Miles Robinson were two players who missed the World Cup with long-term injuries.
USMNT stars, strengths, and weaknesses at 2022 World Cup
Stars
The unquestioned star of the USMNT team is Christian Pulisic, and his ability to stay healthy and carry the attack will determine how far the U.S. can advance at the World Cup. With his playing time at Chelsea diminished, he will need to re-energize himself ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
The Leeds United pair of Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson have also risen to significant prominence on this team, with their pressing abilities fitting the Gregg Berhalter system perfectly. Adams in particular is an engine in midfield, generating turnovers at the No. 6 position and building possession out of the back.
Weston McKennie is another fixture in the middle, and his partnership with Adams and Yunus Musah has affectionately been dubbed "MMA." The absence of any of those three has proven costly to the U.S. and their health will be of critical importance. McKennie and Musah have developed a true No. 8 pivot, with Musah being in charge of progression while McKennie has a more box-to-box role.
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Strengths
The midfield for the U.S. is the team's clear strength. While it's not particularly deep, the presence of the "MMA" trio is a massive boost for the U.S. and those three can match up against many of the world's midfield players. Backup Luca de la Torre is recovering from an injury, but will be heading to Qatar.
Full-back is also a position of strength, surprisingly, after years of lacking talent in that area. The presence of Antonee Robinson on the left and Sergino Dest on the right allows Berhalter to work his tactical approach around the pair's strengths. The depth, however, is lacking significantly, and any injury to either player would prove a significant blow.
Youth is also an extremely important aspect of this U.S. squad, as they not only enter the 2022 World Cup with energy and exuberance, but also with an eye towards the 2026 tournament that the U.S. will host alongside Canada and Mexico. Any success at the 2022 World Cup will give hope that this same group can build further on that foundation to be a true contender four years from now.
The goalkeeping position was one with a few concerns not long ago, but it's amazing what a few months will do to change that. Matt Turner was facing playing time concerns ahead of a move to Arsenal, and form heading into the World Cup was a real concern. However, Turner has seen time as Arsenal's Cup goalkeeper and played extremely well so things are looking up.
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Weaknesses
There are a significant number of question marks on this team heading into the World Cup.
Chief amongst those is the striker position. While Jesus Ferreira seems entrenched in the starting role, that's largely due more to a lack of other options than Ferreira's ability to claim the spot. But behind him the options are not guarantees. Haji Wright only has three appearances with the USA, which is the same amount of goals that Josh Sargent has in 19 appearances, a return that has been heavily criticized.
Similarly, the center-back position is one of confusion for the United States. Walker Zimmerman is a clear starter, but alongside him it's anyone's guess. Miles Robinson was meant to be that guy, but a torn Achilles ended his chances for a spot in Qatar. Chris Richards was also believed to be a possible option, but injury torpedoed his chances, too.
Of the players who are heading to Qatar, Aaron Long is a potential preferred option for Berhalter, but his subpar play in MLS since returning from an injury could force Berhalter's hand. Cameron Carter-Vickers has done well at Celtic, but is only recently back in the mix after years of toiling off the radar. Tim Ream could be the surprise starter alongside Zimmerman given his run as a starter in the Premier League for Fulham.
USMNT starting lineup at the FIFA World Cup
So now that we have the final 26, how will they line up? Despite all the projections, head coach Gregg Berhalter has sprung some surprises.
Starting in central defense alongside Walker Zimmerman is Fulham man Tim Ream, whose great club form in the Premier League not only forced his way onto the roster, but also into the starting lineup. The 35-year-old gets the nod over the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Aaron Long.
The other big question was at striker, and Josh Sargent won the battle to play against Wales over Jesus Ferreira. On the right wing is Tim Weah who is deployed with Gio Reyna on the bench as an attacking option late in games.
- United States starting lineup vs Wales (4-3-3): Turner (GK) — A. Robinson, Ream, Zimmerman, Dest — Adams, McKennie, Musah — Pulisic, Sargent, Aaronson.
MORE: Analyzing the USMNT's best starting XI at the FIFA World Cup
USMNT World Cup roster cuts
With just 26 spots available to Berhalter, some players were left on the outside looking in.
Up front, Ricardo Pepi looked to revive his chances at Dutch side Groningen, but the level of the league and his form were not quite enough to beat out Haji Wright and Josh Sargent. The same occurred in the case of Jordan Pefok as his great early-season form with Union Berlin essentially evaporated. And the days for Gyasi Zardes to make this squad are long gone.
The center-back battle was totally wide open, with Erik Palmer-Brown and Mark McKenzie left out. Long-term injuries kept Chris Richards and Miles Robinson off the roster.
The omission of accomplished goalkeeper Zack Steffen will be a topic of conversation through the World Cup.
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USMNT World Cup roster cuts and omissions
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Josh Cohen | Maccabi Haifa (ISR) | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | Stefan Frei | Seattle Sounders (USA) | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | Brad Guzan** | Atlanta United (USA) | 38 | 64 | 0 |
| GK | Gabriel Slonina | Chicago Fire (USA)* | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | Zack Steffen | Middlesbrough (ENG)* | 27 | 29 | 6 |
| DEF | George Bello | Arminia Bielefeld (BEL) | 20 | 7 | 2 |
| DEF | Mark McKenzie | KRC Genk (BEL) | 23 | 8 | 2 |
| DEF | Chris Richards** | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 22 | 6 | 5 |
| DEF | Miles Robinson** | Atlanta United (USA) | 25 | 21 | 11 |
| DEF | James Sands | Rangers (SCO) | 22 | 7 | 1 |
| DEF | Reggie Cannon | Boavista (POR) | |||
| DEF | Erik Palmer-Brown | Troyes (FRA) | |||
| DEF | Sam Vines** | Royal Antwerp (BEL) | 23 | 9 | 0 |
| MID | Johnny Cardoso | Internacional (BRA) | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| MID | Sebastian Lletget | FC Dallas (USA) | 30 | 33 | 4 |
| MID | Djordje Mihailovic | CF Montreal (CAN) | 23 | 6 | 0 |
| MID | Malik Tillman | Rangers (SCO) | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| FWD | Konrad de la Fuente | Olympiakos (GRE)* | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| FWD | Matthew Hoppe | Middlesbrough (ENG) | 21 | 6 | 1 |
| FWD | Jordan Pefok | Union Berlin (GER) | 26 | 9 | 3 |
| FWD | Ricardo Pepi | Groningen (NED) | |||
| FWD | Brandon Vazquez | FC Cincinnati (USA) | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| FWD | Gyasi Zardes | Colorado Rapids (USA) | 31 | 68 | 5 |
* On loan
** Injured
