There’s an excitement seeping in, with six weeks until the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup opener in Los Angeles against Paraguay. The dream of a deep run – perhaps to the quarterfinals or even beyond – will increasingly radiate optimism as we near the first summer World Cup for the USMNT since 2014, optimism that will inevitably grip the public’s consciousness. But eventually, in all likelihood, it will collide with reality and subside.
If the U.S. meet expectations, advancing to at least the Round of 16, they should face a team that is superior on paper, like their March window opponents. Maybe they can upset one or two of them. But at some point, they’ll probably be eliminated and left wondering when their starting lineup plus a handful of subs can truly compare to the international elite.
In terms of that group of players, not a ton has changed during this cycle.
Folarin Balogun has been a very important addition up top, and there’s a real argument that the Monaco striker or Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards, who missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, is the most valuable player for Mauricio Pochettino. Alex Freeman is poised to be another new World Cup starter as well. The rest of the team’s core mostly remains intact: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, Tim Weah, and Tim Ream.
Overall, despite injuries and inevitable fluctuations in form, those players have progressed pretty well. Apart from the 38-year-old Ream, they could all easily be in the picture for their third World Cup in 2030. And they’ll need reinforcements.
Let’s look ahead to the USMNT’s future. What might the picture look like after this summer’s tournament?
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