Gregg Berhalter has made his first big tactical move of the World Cup: a reverse Landon.
Remember the shocking 2014 roster, when Jurgen Klinsmann picked Aron Jóhannsson but not Landon Donovan? For 2022, the U.S. head coach removed his preference for youthful dynamism by choosing former and apparent international Tim Ream over a younger option.
Whereas Klinsmann seemed like a Beach Boys-inspired tactician, his impulsive process based on picking up good vibes, Berhalter is a more deliberate, cautious and cerebral figure. So welcoming Ream from the desert just 12 days before the Group B opener against Wales is as bold as he gets. And this less than two months after explaining to reporters exactly why Ream was a bad fit for the system.
Given the overall youth of the roster, adding a veteran can’t hurt. Berhalter has repeatedly stressed that he would be influenced by form as well as how players adapt to his tactics. And stale displays against Japan and Saudi Arabia in the final warm-up in September must also have weighed on his mind and motivated him to shake the team around the edges.
The other dramatic moves in Wednesday’s announcement were Berhalter dropping goaltender Zack Steffen and forward Ricardo Pepi, who had featured prominently in the standings. Two very controversial omissions, although neither player was likely to start. And if the Americans struggle to score, taking just three forwards might seem questionable.
Expected starting line-up against Wales (4-3-3): Turner; Right, Zimmerman, Long, Robinson; Adams, Musah, McKennie; Aaronson, Ferreira, Pulisic
The goalkeepers
Matt Turner (Arsenal, 20 games) Ethan Horvath (Luton Town, 8) Sean Johnson (New York, 10)
It’s pretty clear that Turner is Berhalter’s first choice and has been for a few months, so we’re debating shuffling between reserves here. But stranding Steffen was still a ruthless move that leaves the coach open to criticism.
Turner recently missed three games with a groin injury and was on the bench as Arsenal lost to Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. His absence is a particular setback as he is missing first-team action, having only played in the Europa League since joining Arsenal from the New England Revolution in the summer. If Turner fails, expect the word “rusty” to be on critics’ lips, as he’s only played six times all season.
Steffen, meanwhile, who was coached by Berhalter when they were at Columbus Crew, has made 16 appearances for Middlesbrough on loan from Manchester City. That said, Turner topped 90 against Japan and Saudi Arabia and looked solid, while Steffen has looked shaky in his recent games for the United States. Even so, it has gone from being number one at the beginning of the World Cup classification to not being in the top three. Addressing the issue curiously vaguely at the team’s made-for-TV reveal event in Brooklyn, Berhalter said Horvath is “competing at a good level at Luton in the Championship,” but this is equally applicable to Steffen.
Johnson, 33, is a known quantity – a capable all-round goalkeeper who made his senior international debut in 2011, although he has only amassed ten caps so far.
defenders
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic, 11 games) Sergiño Dest (AC Milan, 19) Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls, 29) Shaq Moore (Nashville, 15) Tim Ream (Fulham, 46) Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 29) Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 3) DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami, 75) Walker Zimmerman (Nashville, 33)
Berhalter targeted the 35-year-old Fulham defender after Crystal Palace centre-back Chris Richards confirmed he will not recover in time for the tournament.
Aged, quiet and unexceptional on set pieces, Ream doesn’t fit the Berhalter mold. He has not played for the national team since September 2021. But his experience, passing and decent form for a mid-table English Premier League side – where he plays usefully alongside Robinson, the first-choice American left back- they turned him into a cautious one. choice
Given Ream’s lack of international caps and call-ups, Berhalter still prefers Long to accompany Zimmerman in the opener against Wales. If that goes south, it could bring Ream in for the England game, where his experience and familiarity with the opposition should come in handy.
While Ream has 46 international caps, Yedlin, Dest’s 29-year-old replacement at right-back, is the only player on the roster with previous World Cup experience.
Sam Vines suffered a fractured tibia last week, knocking him out of contention as a reserve left back. Full-backs Moore from Nashville and Scally from Borussia were selected ahead of Boavista’s Reggie Cannon, but are unlikely to see action in Qatar.
midfielders
Brenden Aaronson (24 games), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC, 53), Tyler Adams (Leeds, 32), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, 12), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 37), Yunus Musah (Valencia, 19) and Christian Roldan (Seattle). , 32)
The easiest field group for Berhalter as he already knows his first choice trio of Adams, Musah and McKennie. So intrigue, such as it was, surrounded who he would pick as backup options. Acosta, fresh off winning the MLS Cup with Los Angeles FC, was an obvious choice and is more likely to be brought in if one of the previous three is injured. Roldan is versatile, while De La Torre, a playmaker, suffered a leg muscle injury last month that is clearly not serious. Students of Berhalter’s often subtle hints about his plans (greggologists?) may want to note that Aaronson was named in the middle of the field for this list, even though he had previously been grouped with the forwards. Berhalter did not draw his wild card, the exciting, if raw, 20-year-old Rangers offensive midfielder Malik Tillman.
in front
Jesús Ferreira (Dallas, 15 games) Jordan Morris (Seattle, 49) Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, 52) Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, 14) Josh Sargent (Norwich, 20) Tim Weah (Lille, 25) Haji Wright (Antalyaspor, 3 ) )
Berhalter is blessed with an abundance of exciting options on the wings, but a dearth of high caliber options up front. He has made a pragmatic choice by opting for Wright ahead of last year’s emerging hope, Pepi, who is back in goalscoring form but with Groningen but similar to the likely starter, Ferreira (who last scored on 10 September). That is, young, lively and busy off the ball, but inconsistent and not a conventional centre-forward.
Wright is a pick with Plan B in mind. After two disheartening friendlies in September, Berhalter may have accepted that the U.S. will spend periods chasing plays and fighting for possession, so it’s smart to have the option to hit the ball to a target man, even if it’s rough.
At 6 feet 3 inches, Wright can be effective in the air, act as a outlet and hold the ball up. The 24-year-old has long been seen as a promising prospect but did not make his senior debut until June. He scored a penalty against Morocco in a friendly that month. Berhalter cited his “great form” and Wright is indeed a prolific goalscorer for Antalyaspor in the Turkish league, with nine goals this season.
The 28-year-old Morris’ experience and terrier tenacity can make him useful off the bench, although FC Dallas’ Paul Arriola offers many of the same breakout qualities but misses out . With eight goals this season for Norwich City, albeit in the second tier, Berhalter clearly sees Sargent as a hot hand, while Jordan Pefok of Bundesliga side Union Berlin is overlooked. He has started the campaign well but has not found the net in 10 games.