Leeds United forward Brenden Aaronson has been backed to be the USMNT’s influential player ahead of their 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar.
The tournament finally got started and kicked off on Sunday when hosts Qatar took on Ecuador. The World Cup has been hugely controversial in its build-up with many key figures critical of the host nation’s human rights record as well as its attitudes towards women and homosexuality.
The United States will face Wales in their opening Group B match on Monday. Manager Gregg Berhalter will be desperate to get off to a flying start before mammoth tests against England and Iran are set to decide whether they advance to the knockout stages or not.
The USMNT arrive in Qatar with arguably their strongest ever World Cup roster. The US missed out on qualifying for the 2018 tournament in Russia, but the team boasts a number of players who are familiar with the Champions League stage, including captain Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna.
However, it is Aaronson who has been backed to flourish at the World Cup by Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni. The 22-year-old has impressed in the Premier League with Leeds, scoring once and generally proving to be a nuisance for opponents.
“He really drives a group forward and is also crafty enough to create and to score goals,” Mastroeni told MLSsoccer.com. “I don't think he's a sleeper by any stretch.
"He's a top player for this team, but if he has a good start to the World Cup, he can be super influential and dictate things.”
In the same interview, Chicago Fire manager Ezra Hendrickson picked goalkeeper Matt Turner as the man to star for the USMNT. Turner is the most experienced shot-stopped in the squad with 20 caps under his belt and is set to start for the USMNT at the World Cup.
“Goalkeeping has always been a strong point for the US team when it comes to these tournaments,” Hendrickson told MLS Soccer. “It’s no different this year. Matt has shown his shot-stopping ability to be very, very good. That’s going to be incredibly useful for this current squad.”
Arsenal fans are yet to see too much of Turner following his summer move to the Emirates, although he has featured four times in the Europa League. He has impressed in those games though, making a number of smart saves and conceding just once.
The US are in a difficult group and Turner could be frequently called upon if they are to stand a chance of advancing. The USMNT take on Wales in their opening game on Monday.
