The construction of a national team roster is always like a Jenga tower – with managers needing to carefully build a squad full of key bricks and pieces.
But one can’t help but feel the Jenga tower that is the USMNT is slightly wobbly going into the final international window of the year.
With a keeper going through a crisis of confidence and two key wingers out with injuries, Gregg Berhalter will be left to put together a top roster worthy of securing the United States a spot in the Copa America next summer. They’ll need to win over two legs in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against pesky rivals Trinidad & Tobago to accomplish that.
Berhalter will have to take on the Soca Warriors without the services of AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic or Juventus winger Timothy Weah – both out with injuries.
Not only that, but these games come just a few weeks after Matt Turner was dropped as starting goalkeeper by his club Nottingham Forest.
Gregg Berhalter will be without some key pieces in this November international window
Both Tim Weah (L) and Christian Pulisic (R) are out with injuries – depleting the wings for the US
Plus, keeper Matt Turner (L) lost his Nottingham Forest top spot to Odysseas Vlachodimos (R)
In a press conference after the November roster was revealed, Berhalter said he spoke to Turner soon after he was seemingly replaced as top keeper by recent Forest acquisition Odysseas Vlachodimos.
‘This is part of playing in the best league in the world, right?,’ Berhalter told reporters. ‘I mean, this is all part of a player’s journey. There’s ups and downs.
‘For [Turner], it’s about being mentally strong enough to endure this… You see it every week, players get dropped. For him it’s about having the right mentality.
‘We’ve spoken about it, he’s refocused and he’s competing every single day in training and waiting until he can get an opportunity again.’
As for the missing attackers, Berhalter says that unlike the injury to midfield staple Tyler Adams, Pulisic and Weah’s injuries are ‘not serious’.
‘Unfortunately, they can’t be able to participate in this camp and we see them on track to get back to play soon. But it’s too short of a deadline, so they won’t be involved,’ Berhalter said.
The manager added that the team is ‘used to this type of thing’ at this point in their squad’s history.
‘Think about World Cup qualifying and all the adjustments we had to make as guys dropped off, particularly this time of year as the pitches get heavy, as the game schedules get loaded. The players are always at risk.
Turner’s poor result in a game against Liverpool led to manager Steve Cooper making changes
Berhalter said he spoke to Turner and said the benching is ‘part of a player’s journey’
Berhalter also told reporters that both Pulisic and Weah’s injuries were not serious but that timelines prevented them from joining the United States for these fixtures vs. Trinidad
‘So you know, we’ll adapt, we’ll put guys in that are prepared and know what we’re doing on the field.’
Those injuries could lead to better chances at getting on the pitch for staples of the team who haven’t logged full matches in recent camps – like Gio Reyna.
Reyna made his return to the squad under Berhalter in October’s friendlies against Germany and Ghana – but only played 45 minutes in each of them.
When asked by MailSport whether or not Reyna could get back to playing a full match in this window, Berhalter couldn’t provide a clear goal for him going forward – but expects that he will be able to make a greater contribution.
‘Our objective [last window] was to build his fitness, not overloading him and getting him into a position where he can go back to Dortmund and play a role,’ Berhalter said. ‘And he did that.’
‘What the next step looks like is yet to be determined. But we can certainly envision him being on the field and us being able to push his minutes.’
Attacking options are limited in this window – and with the injuries to Adams, as well as Pulisic and Weah, improvisations will be likely.
Reyna and Brenden Aaronson, as well as Brenden’s younger brother Paxten, are all listed midfielders that could be used as wingers. That’s in addition to listed forwards Kevin Paredes and Alex Zendejas, who have looked impressive but only have a combined nine caps to their names.
As for Gio Reyna, Berhalter said that the goal last window was to get his fitness up
Berhalter didn’t share any specific plans for Reyna this window but hopes to up his minutes
The absence of Adams – a crucial engine in the midfield – will likely lead Berhalter to use Luca de la Torre, Johnny Cardoso, or Lenny Maloney in that key holding midfielder role.
But the requirement of a bevy of options to make up for Adams’ loss has led to cutbacks elsewhere. Even the striker position has been limited as a result of this.
Jordan Pefok – who now plays at Borussia Mönchengladbach – has three goals and an assist in his last two matches. Berhalter says he gave him a look, but an injury kept him off this roster.
Other strikers like Haji Wright of Coventry City and Jesus Ferreria of FC Dallas have impressed the manager, but they were left home – a tough decision for Berhalter that he hopes will remain a hard choice in the future.
‘We want these decisions to be difficult ones and they certainly are – especially in [the striker] position,’ Berhalter told reporters.
But even in the face of all these subtractions, there’s one key addition in the backline as Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson makes his return.
The Fulham left back was left off the last roster with injuries, but has since returned to his club and will feature in this team.
The return of Fulham left back Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson (L) should be a boost for the USMNT
Berhalter’s focus is now on Trinidad, a team he says the United States cannot overlook
All hands will need to be on deck for these matches against a team that has given the United States fits in the past: Trinidad & Tobago.
This upcoming two-legged affair – with one game in Austin, Texas and the other in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad – must be won by the USA if they hope to take part in the party they’re hosting next summer with the Copa America.
While Trinidad has been particularly troublesome in recent years, like when they bounced the USA from the 2018 World Cup, this latest version of the team isn’t as fearsome as before.
They currently sit 99th in the FIFA World Rankings and just this past summer, the USMNT smashed them 6-0 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Nevertheless, Berhalter is not overlooking them – something that predecessors have been guilty of.
‘We know how difficult these games can be and we’re focused on performing at our levels,’ Berhalter said – stressing the importance of having a ‘professional mindset, having the right mindset to go in and get the job done.’
‘We see this as an obstacle for us to achieve our goals and we want to get past this obstacle. And I know the team will be very focused on our performance in both games.’