Soccer in the States: United States has plenty of options for its starting team

We’re out of the storm now. 

We’ve had a few weeks to reflect on the first three matches of the United States Men’s National Team’s World Cup Qualifying campaign. Five points from the first three games certainly wasn’t the plan, but I hate to admit that I still have hope for this team. That’s not to say the team is without its question marks, though. Now that I’ve had a chance to examine each game without being overly reactionary, it’s time for me to give my two cents on what 11 players should be starters moving forward. 

In goal, I have to say I’ve been impressed with Matt Turner. His Gold Cup campaign was one to remember, but I had my doubts on how he would translate his success to the next level in qualifying. Usual first-choice keeper Zack Steffen’s availability issues have given us a chance to see Turner and Ethan Horvath step up as viable No. 1 keepers. All this being said, club prestige is a big factor in this equation. Steffen has to stop shots from some of the world’s best players on a daily basis at Manchester City — that’s something Turner and Horvath can’t say. Based on what I’ve seen from all of them in a USMNT shirt, I’d be satisfied with any of the three in the net for the foreseeable future, but my preference remains with Steffen. 

Centerback Miles Robinson is the rock of the USMNT defense. That’s a sentence I never thought I would be writing, yet here I am, saying it with my chest. He too emerged from his Gold Cup success as a starter and made it evident as to why he deserved to stay in the lineup. Robinson’s composed nature at the back helps to settle down the defense in possession, but don’t sleep on his tackling skills and aerial prowess.

Sadly, with the rise of Robinson, we’ve seen a stark regression in centerback John Brooks. He was once the stalwart of the U.S. defense, and his iconic goal vs Ghana in the 2014 World Cup will go down as one of my favorite USMNT memories. Unfortunately, he’s lost a step, and it’s pretty apparent. His lack of defensive awareness and poor positioning directly led to the U.S. conceding against both Canada and Honduras. It’s really sad to see because his leadership and technical skills are, for the most part, still a plus, but I think it’s time manager Gregg Berhalter begins to phase him out of the starting 11.

For fullbacks, I really just want to say three things. One, Antonee Robinson should be starting every match at left back. Two, Sergiño Dest should be starting every match at right back. And three (hope you’re reading this one especially, Gregg), don’t ever play midfielder Tyler Adams at right back again. It’s really that simple.

Picking a three-man midfield is often the most difficult task for a manager with a lot of options, so I don’t really blame Berhalter for not quite figuring it out yet. That being said, I think we’ve had enough game time to determine who should be where, and it is as follows: Tyler Adams at defensive midfielder, Weston McKennie at box-to-box (if he can hold off on violating team protocols) and Brenden Aaronson at attacking midfielder. 

Adams should have his spot in the 11 solidified, as he captained the team in the El Salvador match and backed it up with influential defensive play. He’s the definition of a guy who knows how to serve his role. McKennie’s absence was felt in the final two games of the most recent qualifying window, even after a lackluster performance in the first match. He’s undoubtedly America’s most talented pure central midfielder, and his ability to lead the transition from defense to attack is unmatched. Aaronson secured his spot in my team after displaying clutch attacking positioning and clinical finishing ability against Canada and Honduras. We’ve seen him out wide as well, but it was when he drifted into the central channels that he made his biggest contributions, scoring both of his goals from this position.

Now the front three, which was the main concern of the first two and a half games, as attacking chances were few and far between with a need for new ideas as winger Christian Pulisic described it. Assuming he’s healthy enough to play, Pulisic will be the captain at left wing, and this is non-negotiable. At right wing, I’d like to see Giovanni Reyna. There have been calls to play him more central in an attacking midfield role so as to get him more involved in the attack, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him as a winger. For me, he was one of very few bright spots in the El Salvador game. His pure dribbling ability and pace are marquee traits of a good winger, and he’s talented enough to find his way into games even when he’s not in the middle. 

Now, the ever-so-controversial No. 9 spot. I will be the first person to defend striker Josh Sargent despite a lack of goal contributions. His mobility and intelligent running brought creativity back to the attack when he was on the field. Where he falls short is the finishing touch, and since that’s such a key feature of a striker, I don’t think Berhalter has him as his first choice, and neither do I. That title goes to 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi. Pepi earned his first ever start as a USMNT player against Honduras, and despite struggling to find his footing in the first half, he made his mark with a headed goal to put the U.S. ahead in the 75th minute. Pepi didn’t stop there, dishing an assist to Aaronson and nearly scoring a second goal on a shot which was tapped in on the rebound as the fourth U.S. goal of the night. Pepi’s performance may not have been as magical as it seems to a box-score watcher — he definitely had moments where his inexperience showed — but it was a massively encouraging performance nonetheless. For that, he gets the start at striker in my team. 

Injuries and absences could impede Berhalter from playing a full-strength team, and we’re still a few weeks out from the next game against Jamaica in Austin, Tex. If the lineup that I’ve just laid out is available and healthy, I’m confident it would provide the most balanced look for the USMNT and give the Americans a chance to get nine points from their next three games. 

Adam Jasper is a sophomore providing updates on the U.S. Men’s National Team and its road to qualifying for the World Cup as well as general soccer news. He is also a sports editor at the Daily Trojan. His column “Soccer in the States,” runs every Thursday.