By this time subsequent 12 months, the 2022 World Cup could have come and gone. Soccer’s nice and good could have descended on Qatar for essentially the most controversial match within the sport’s historical past, they usually’ll have left once more. New world champions could have been topped. Whether or not or not the US males’s nationwide workforce could have participated, although, continues to be unknown.
As issues stand, Gregg Berhalter’s workforce stand a superb likelihood of being in Qatar. The USA occupy second place within the last spherical of qualifying – Concacaf’s first ever ‘octagonal’ – with greater than half the fixtures performed. The ghosts of 2018 World Cup qualifying nonetheless hang-out American soccer, no one is taking something as a right, however it will be a shock if, from this place of energy, the USA didn’t make the 2022 match.
Berhalter has systematically discovered options in most areas of the pitch since his appointment as head coach three years in the past. His midfield is now a well-established unit with the USA’s protection in higher form than it was a 12 months in the past. Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Timothy Weah and Brenden Aaronson additionally give the squad actual high quality within the attacking midfield and extensive positions.
Up entrance, although, there may be nonetheless a place to be earned. Berhalter has choices, however none to construct round this far out from the World Cup on the finish of the 12 months. Some nations are fortunate sufficient to have a world class quantity 9 to raise their stage – see Robert Lewandowski for Poland and Harry Kane for England – however the US don’t have that. Not but, anyway.
Within the eyes of many, Ricardo Pepi may doubtlessly be that determine. The 18-year-old striker has solely simply accomplished a $20m transfer to Augsburg the place he's anticipated to be a first-team participant within the Bundesliga. Reach Germany and Pepi will certainly be Berhalter’s first choose to play as his quantity 9 on the World Cup (assuming the USA qualify).
2021 was a breakthrough 12 months for Pepi at worldwide stage with the teenager referred to as into Berhalter’s squad for the primary time in August. He scored his first USA purpose on his debut in opposition to Honduras in World Cup qualifying the next month and backed it up with a brace in a win over Jamaica the month after that.
Pepi is a penalty field poacher. Flanked by top of the range extensive man, the teenager will get goalscoring alternatives for the USA. Pepi can also be able to creating probabilities for himself on the dribble. Anticipation and technical potential on the ball make the previous FC Dallas teenager a superb match for Berhalter’s system and normal method.
“We’re all excited,” Berhalter stated when requested to explain Pepi’s potential. “For us, we’re simply sitting there and we’re on the prepare. He’s an 18-year-old who will get a chance, takes benefit. What you see and I feel what I actually like is that he has this intuition, and it’s actually exhausting to show that to gamers.”
Daryl Dike is one other younger American ahead who may feasibly play a giant position for the USA on the 2022 World Cup with the 21-year-old additionally making the transfer to a brand new membership this month, becoming a member of West Brom in a reported $9.5m deal from Orlando Metropolis. Dike already has English Championship expertise having flourished in a mortgage spell at Barnsley final season and has been signed to spearhead the Baggies’ promotion problem.
On expertise alone, there won't be a lot between Dike and Pepi, however Berhalter’s system favors the latter. Certainly, the USA won't want a battering ram like Dike to guide the road in Qatar, though a superb 2022 at membership stage for West Brom would certainly see him included within the World Cup squad as a depth choice on the very least.
Josh Sargent stands a superb likelihood of being included in Berhalter’s 23-man squad, though the 21-year-old’s underwhelming type for Norwich Metropolis has referred to as into query his position for the USA. In distinction, Jordan Pefok has scored a formidable 16 targets in 30 video games, together with 5 in European competitors (and one in opposition to Manchester United), for Younger Boys this season, guaranteeing that the 25-year-old will likely be talked about in any dialogue over who ought to begin up entrance on the World Cup.
A flurry of targets by Matthew Hoppe for Schalke within the last levels of final season thrust one other younger American ahead into focus just for the Barca Residency Academy graduate to fade into obscurity at Actual Mallorca, the place he has began only one league match since becoming a member of in the summertime. In the meantime, Gyasi Zardes, a relative veteran at 30 years previous, stays a dependable choice and a favorite of Berhalter’s.
The prospect of enjoying Pulisic as a ‘false 9’ has even been raised, notably after getting used on this place by Chelsea supervisor Thomas Tuchel. Pulisic, after all, is a winger by commerce. That he's even been talked about as a possible quantity 9 with the 2022 World Cup on the horizon highlights how the USA nonetheless must choose a frontman.
With the 2022 World Cup being a winter match, there may be nonetheless time for the aforementioned contenders to safe their place in Berhalter’s plans, however the switch exercise that has concerned the likes of Pepi, Dike and Sargent within the final six months proves the race to be the USA’s beginning quantity 9 in Qatar has already began.
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