NEW YORK — For all of the drama that is usually attached to World Cup roster announcements, U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino stuck to the tried and true. Out of the 26 players named, 13 took part in the last World Cup, including well-known names such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. The rest of the squad, which was formally announced on Tuesday, was relatively predictable.
However, there were a couple of decisions that might come back to haunt Pochettino.
They start with the domino effect of omitting Olympique Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann. It’s well-documented that Lyon shut down Tessmann for essentially the month of May due to what manager Paulo Fonseca called a “muscle strain.” The thought was that Tessmann would be able to recover in time. Pochettino thought otherwise, and left Tessmann off the roster.
Sources tell ESPN that this came as a “big surprise” to Tessmann. But this line of reasoning is typical Pochettino. His tenure with the U.S. team is rife with examples of him leaving players off rosters if there was the slightest hint that they might not be fully fit.
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Obviously, there is a big difference between an international window in November and the World Cup, but it’s in keeping with Pochettino not wanting to gamble with a player’s fitness.
What is puzzling is what Pochettino did in response. Rather than replace Tessmann with another midfielder, such as Middlesbrough’s Aidan Morris, Pochettino opted to add another outside back in Borussia Monchengladbach’s Joe Scally.
Morris is an absolute bulldog in midfield and takes good care of the ball, as illustrated by his 92% pass completion rate with Middlesbrough this season. To be clear, Morris has his weaknesses. His desire to jump into passing lanes aids the U.S. cause when he wins the ball, but when he doesn’t, it leaves the defense in scramble mode. That said, with Tessmann unavailable, Morris was the next best option.
The inclusion of Scally seems redundant and unnecessary.
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Yes, the Gladbach defender is versatile. While primarily operating as a right back this season, he’s played center back and right wingback when the need has arisen. He also has experience, having been on the 2022 World Cup roster and amassing over 150 appearances in the Bundesliga.
But there are other players on the roster who are better equipped to handle those positions than Scally — be it Timothy Weah and Sergiño Dest as wingbacks, or Dest and Alex Freeman as right backs. The squad already has five other center backs without Scally.
The result is that this World Cup roster for the U.S. looks thin in the center of the park.
Adams is a lock starter but has been susceptible to injury. McKennie could start alongside him, but he seems more suited to playing as an attacking midfielder. Cristian Roldan is a possibility to start beside Adams, which would allow McKennie to stay further up field.
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Yellow card accumulations are a lingering concern. A suspension or two in midfield would really compromise the Americans’ defensive shape. Having Morris around would have gone a long way toward alleviating that weakness.
There’s always a chance that the U.S. team won’t be punished for Pochettino’s decisions as they relate to the midfield. But the World Cup has a way of exposing any roster vulnerabilities, especially if a team makes a deep tournament run, which the Americans are obviously hoping to do.
In 2022, the decision to take Jesús Ferreira over Ricardo Pepi proved to be a mistake — one that was exposed when Josh Sargent got injured. Ferreira started against the Netherlands and didn’t meet the moment.
Even though Pochettino is taking only three forwards this time, that position is as well-stocked as one could reasonably hope. Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright and Pepi are all in sparkling form at the moment, and they are coming off outstanding club seasons.
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Wright’s 17 goals for Coventry City were the lowest of the three, but that still proved a massive haul in the Sky Blues’ successful push to gain promotion to the Premier League. Balogun is still the odds-on favorite to start, but at least there are capable replacements waiting in the wings.
Granted, forwards are only as effective as the service with which they are provided. The 2022 World Cup for the USMNT was notable for some stellar approach work but also an inability to consistently create clear-cut chances out of those opportunities. It will be up to the likes of McKennie, Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Weah and Alejandro Zendejas to provide that creativity.
The question is: Will they?
Pulisic has been in a total funk with AC Milan, with just two goal contributions — and no goals — since the start of this year. It will no doubt help Pulisic’s cause to have a forward such as Balogun by his side to draw some attention away from him. McKennie’s presence — if he plays in a more attacking role — will benefit Pulisic as well.
Zendejas is the attacking wild card, with his quickness, creativity and energy providing the U.S. with a different dimension in attack. Combined with the attacking forays of outside backs Dest and Antonee Robinson, a diverse attack begins to emerge — one that could put Pulisic in a position to thrive and be the driving force the U.S. needs him to be.
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Reyna represents a different kind of wild card. Will the U.S. see the player who struggled to get on the field during the club season, or the man who impressed during the November window when he scored a goal and added an assist over two games? Circumstances will dictate his usage, but putting Reyna on the field would represent a significant gamble because you just don’t know what you will get.
Injuries will be a factor, as they always are. On Wednesday, all eyes will be on the UEFA Conference League final between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano. Will U.S. defender Chris Richards play, despite an injured ankle? If so, how much? If he doesn’t, how much does that set him back in terms of being ready for the USMNT’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12? He is back in training with Palace, but a “final decision” on whether he can play awaits.
With questions still abounding about how the backline will be constructed, one thing is clear: The U.S. needs Richards on the field. The form of the remaining center backs has been uneven of late. If Richards is sidelined for any part of the World Cup, the team’s path to deep tournament run will become much more difficult.
