The U.S. men’s national team is a World Cup–caliber team once again, having polished off its qualification for this year’s competition in Qatar. To get there, manager Gregg Berhalter turned to an expanded player pool, and for good reason. This qualification slog was unlike any other in modern USMNT history.
Playing over the course of a compressed seven-month span due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. squeezed in 14 matches across five windows, four of which featured three matches in seven days. Couple that travel and match demand with the workload these players are already taking on at their clubs and the COVID-19 curveballs that have complicated roster and logistical planning, and it’s no wonder that Berhalter had to use 38 players over the course of qualifying. It’s the second-most ever used in a U.S. qualification cycle, with 43 called upon in the 2010 cycle—but that encompassed 18 matches and multiple rounds against varying levels of competition.
Now, after cultivating his player pool across friendlies, the Concacaf Nations League, Gold Cup and qualifying, and growing the number of reliable options, Berhalter faces the opposite task: Cut the pool down to a hard 23. Unless FIFA adopts roster expansion like UEFA did for last summer’s Euros, when teams were granted a 26-player allotment (and it’s reportedly up for discussion), Berhalter will need to make some incredibly difficult choices. Players who may have come up with key moments on the qualifying road could wind up spectators. Injuries, as always, will play a factor as well. The U.S. has never had what most would consider its true ‘A’ team on the field all at once under Berhalter in any competition or friendly. That’s not to say it can’t happen at the World Cup, but the odds are not in the U.S.’s favor.
