Well, the countdown has officially begun. In just 100 more sleeps, we will be waking up to the first World Cup our nation has participated in since 2014 (which was roughly 3,000 sleeps ago).
Members of the USMNT Lining up Pre-Match (via Soccer Wire)
And, while 100 days may feel like somewhat of a long time to prepare, the US Men's National Team feels like it has a handful of questions to answer before we roll out our first XI vs Wales on November 21st. So, here are 3 main question marks we may need to address before our we suit up for our first match in Qatar.
1) The striker situation
It's probably the most talked about issue with the USMNT, but that's because it is the biggest issue moving forward for the Red White and Blue: We don't have a definitive number 9 coming into this tournament. And, in tournament play, having a central striker who can provide consistent output is often vital to a team's success.
Long gone are the days of Landon Donavan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore, but since their departures we have never really had a consistent presence at the striker role. And these days, it’s not that we don't have options, it's more that we don't seem to love any of the options that we do have.
USMNT Forward Jesus Ferrera (Via CBS Soccer)
Our most likely World Cup striker options are as follows: Jesus Ferrera of FC Dallas, Jordan Pefok of Union Berlin, Haji Wright of Antalyaspor, Josh Sargent of Norwich, Darryl Dike of West Brom, and Ricardo Pepi of Augsburg. And, while six names all gunning for one spot may sound like good depth, it feels more like a revolving door rather than a long line of talent, with none of these players really stepping up to the plate and making the position their own.
So, I think this question can only be answered in the lead up to the tournament, as it seems like whoever is in the best form for their club will likely get the nod come November. But, if I had to make the call now, I'd probably put forth Jesus Ferrera and Jordan Pefok as my two frontrunners for the starting spot, as they've both demonstrated good form as of late. But 100 days from now..who knows who will be in good form?
2) The Goalkeeper Decision
For question number two, I raise the question of who the "No. 1” will be for USA in their opening match, as the goalkeeping situation for the past year or so has been largely a two horse race between Zack Steffen and Matt Turner.
I would argue that the goalkeeper position had actually been our strongest asset for many years, but right now, that doesn't exactly feel like the case. Since the retirement of USMNT legend Tim Howard, it felt like Zack Steffen would step up to fill that void and become our next concrete starter at GK...but then Matt Turner came along. After some injury difficulties with Steffen, Turner became the favorite of head coach Gregg Berlhalter. But then Turner got hurt, and the baton was passed back to Steffen.
USMNT Goalkeepers Matt Turner and Zack Steffen (Via Sports Illustrated)
But, having both of them healthy (for now) puts Berlhalter is in a bit of an awkward spot. And, to make things more complicated, both keepers have moved to new clubs this summer. Turner made the big jump from MLS to the Premier League to join Arsenal this off-season, while Steffen stepped down to the Championship on loan at Middlesborough.
So, while Turner's move feels like the more impressive of the two, Steffen will likely be seeing the most playing time as Turner is set to deputize Arsenal's No. 1, Aaron Ramsdale.
So, depending on how Berlhalter prioritizes playing time, form, and the quality of recent USMNT performances, it seems this decision could really go either way.
3) The Center Back Conundrum
Despite the question marks at striker, and the decision be made on our starting goalkeeper, the center back position may be our weakest point as a squad going into this tournament. While I hope I'm wrong with that take, I just can't shake the feeling that our lack of experience in that position might hurt us when we come against the experienced attacking opponents that we may face in this tournament.
The only player for me who feels like a shoe-in starter at CB is Walker Zimmerman of Nashville SC. And while I'll be the first guy to hype up MLS any time I can get the chance, I'm not sure how I feel about our one "lock" at center back being an MLS player, when in our midfield and our forward line both possess a wealth of talent playing at some of the biggest clubs in top 5 European leagues.
USMNT Center Back Walker Zimmerman (Via Us Soccer)
But, Berlhalter has stuck with Zimmerman at every turn for the past year or so, even captaining him a number of times for his squad. He was the rock of a defense that lifted a handful of trophies for the USA this past summer, and for that I can't see the gaffer dropping him.
But who will join him at CB in the World Cup? With Berlhalter’s other favorite, Miles Robinson, suffering a season-ending Achilles injury, and with National Team veteran Jon Brooks seemingly exiled from the US Roster, we’ll have to be looking elsewhere for our other center-half. This means we’ll likely have to play someone who hasn’t featured much for this young US side.
The next in line seems to be newly minted Crystal Palace signing, Chris Richards. No one has ever really questioned the former Bayern Munich player's talent, but with only 6 appearances for the USMNT at the senior level, throwing him right into the deep end at a World Cup seems like a tall order for the 22 year old.
New Cyrstal Palace Signing Chris Richards (Via Crystal Palace)
Aaron Long is another name that seems to be in the running for the second center back spot, but I (and seemingly all of USMNT Twitter) have serious reservations about this pick, as he has had some dodgy performances of late for both club and country.
For me, this leaves Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic as the next most viable option. He made 33 appearances for the Scottish Premiership champions last year, and made his way into the Team of the Season in the process. Despite being around for what feels like ages now, the Tottenham loanee is still only 24 years old, and given how thin we are at CB going into this tournament, I think he has to be on the plane to Qatar.
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