At the very least, this wasn’t fully unexpected.
Asked late last month whether he could pinpoint his ideal starting XI for the U.S. men’s national team’s 2022 World Cup opener vs. Wales, manager Gregg Berhalter was rather pragmatic.
“In a perfect world, I have it in mind,” he said. “But one thing I know is that’s not international soccer. So do I think we have the best players in each position identified? Yes. Do I think they’re all going to be available for the start of the World Cup? I don’t know. That’s just what every international manager will be dealing with right now. We’ll be holding our breaths hoping that’s the case.”
