Being the USMNT manager is a pretty hard task. As the overall talent of the team improves on a monthly basis, selecting 23 players is no easy feat. But that’s exactly what Jurgen Klinsmann has done – after all, it’s his jon. This past weekend, the German tactician announced the squad for the start of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers final round.
First of all, let’s take a look at the roster for the upcoming games against Mexico and Costa Rica. These are the two toughest rivals for the USMNT, so a good start is imperative. Two bad results could seriously complicate the team’s chances of reaching the 2018 World Cup. As we look at the roster, we’ll start analyzing each position and judge what Klinsmann has done.
USA 26-MAN ROSTER
Goalkeepers:
Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough/ENG)
Ethan Horvath (Molde/NOR)
Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)
William Yarbrough (Club Leon/MEX)
Defenders:
Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United)
John Brooks (Hertha Berlin/GER)
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG)
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER)
Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca/MEX)
Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER)
Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana/MEX)
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG)
Midfielders:
Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
Lynden Gooch (Sunderland/ENG)
Julian Green (Bayern Munich/GER)
Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids)
Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls)
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER)
Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz/LIE)
Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards:
Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC)
Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen/GER)
Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC) (replaced by Alan Gordon, LA Galaxy)
Bobby Wood (Hamburg/GER)
The first thing that’s noticeable is that there aren’t many surprises. Starting at goalkeeper, where Klinsmann already announced Howard will start and Guzan will back him up. Yarbrough and Horvath are fighting for the third-string keeper role, and any would be a proper choice at this point.
The defensive line will have a huge absence in Geoff Cameron. The Stoke City defender has been left out due to an injury, and all signs indicate Omar Gonzalez will take his spot in the starting XI. The rest of the team is pretty similar to recent squads, although the absence of Matt Miazga is a bit puzzling. The Chelsea defender has looked solid for Vitesse in the Dutch Eredivisie, so he could’ve been a good addition to the side.
Arguably the team’s most talented zone is the midfield. And Klinsmann’s tactics will decide whether the American dominates the middle of the pitch or not. They have strength on defense in the duo of Bradley and Jones. Bedoya offers versatility. And players like Green and Pulisic have a perfect mixture of youth and creativity. But there’s more.
MVP candidate Sacha Kljestan can operate as a typical n° 10, while Zusi can play either as a winger or as a wide midfielder. The wild cards are Gooch and Stanko, as the former doesn’t have a lot of experience and the latter is struggling to get consistent playing for FC Vaduz. It’s not much of a problem as Bradley and Jones are likely to play at CM, though. But if any of the two isn’t fit, then Klinsmann would likely miss the depth that someone like Kyle Beckerman could’ve offered.
The attack offers a lot of versatility, but there’s also depth. Even though rookie star Jordan Morris won’t play due to injury, the USMNT still has a talented attacking group. Altidore is set to start as the lone striker, while Wood can either operate as a second forward or in a wing role. Johannsson can play all over the final third, so he’s a nice bench piece. And late-addition Alan Gordon can offer a different skill set as a target man. The best thing of this is that players like Chris Wondolowski are no longer part of the squad. It seems Klinsmann is finally giving young players a chance, but now they have to prove they belong.
The first game will be against Mexico, the toughest team the USMNT could’ve asked to start the Qualifiers. Will they come out on top, or will they start the final round? All these questions (and more) will be answered on Friday.