Soccer <\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been paying attention at all, you probably know the US men\u2019s national team<\/a> steered straight out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup<\/a> and directly into the doldrums.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Rather than spinning the momentum of that Round-of-16 run into something sustainable, it\u2019s been more of a one-step-forward, two-steps-back kind of vibe. Or maybe even three or four steps back, to be honest.<\/p>\n The past year in particular has been unkind to a program that was supposed to be entering its golden age. After all, more of the US roster was playing in Europe than ever before, right? So this would be the best version of the US yet, right?<\/p>\n Wrong. This golden generation got grouped at last summer\u2019s Copa Am\u00e9rica<\/a> in pretty feeble (and petulant) fashion, a failure that cost head coach Gregg Berhalter his job and the overall program a decent chunk of its goodwill. Some of that goodwill was subsequently reclaimed with the hire of Mauricio Pochettino, and the ensuing breathless media blitz. But the on-field product has not matched the hype, and they have slowly been giving that goodwill right back with a series of disappointing results and some concerning performances.<\/p>\n Over the past 12 months, the US are just 6W-7L-2D with a +1 goal differential. The results under Berhalter in his final year were bad; the results under Pochettino thus far have been worse.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the silver lining: When you\u2019re performing that poorly, it opens up chances for other guys in the player pool. And one of the things we\u2019ve seen over the past couple of camps is that Pochettino is not afraid to bench \u2013 or outright drop \u2013 holdovers who aren\u2019t pulling their weight. He’s willing to integrate new players who had previously struggled to get a look.<\/p>\n That, obviously, includes players from MLS. A few made loud statements in those two camps (none louder than RSL<\/a>\u2019s Diego Luna<\/a>), and more are attempting to push their way into the picture via their club form this year.<\/p>\n Many are on the 60-man preliminary Gold Cup<\/a> roster Pochettino submitted this week<\/a>. Some of them have earned, I think, a chance to help get the US out of those doldrums and into fair winds.<\/p>\n Below are the three MLS guys who, I think, have played their way into this summer’s Gold Cup roster, to the point that there\u2019s not really any argument against them, followed by a baker’s dozen other guys who I think have plausible cases for inclusion.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Diego Luna (AM\/W)<\/strong><\/p>\n Luna\u2019s been one of the best No. 10s in MLS this year, and with Gio Reyna out of the picture (Reyna did not make the preliminary roster due to Club World Cup<\/a> obligations, has barely played for Borussia Dortmund this year and is likely to find a new club this summer) he\u2019s clearly the most creative player Poch can call in.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s hope he\u2019s in the XI from the opening whistle every game, and let\u2019s hope Poch doesn\u2019t play him at right wing again.<\/p>\n Miles Robinson<\/strong> (CB)<\/strong><\/p>\n Robinson<\/a> was not great in his last few USMNT outings, but it\u2019s not like any of the other CBs who\u2019ve gotten minutes have been better (they\u2019ve uniformly been worse, as a matter of fact).<\/p>\n Bottom line is Robinson\u2019s been excellent on both sides of the ball for Cincy<\/a> this year and has physical tools nobody else in the CB pool can match.<\/p>\n Zack Steffen<\/strong> (GK)<\/strong><\/p>\n Steffen<\/a> has cooled off after a scorching start with Colorado<\/a>, but still has the best underlying numbers in the league and was fantastic for the US in his last couple of appearances.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Brian White (FW)<\/strong><\/p>\n Probably the Landon Donovan MLS MVP at this point in the season, given what he\u2019s meant to the first-place Whitecaps<\/a>, especially without Ryan Gauld<\/a>. White<\/a> didn\u2019t look at all out of place in his caps this winter, either.<\/p>\n Patrick Agyemang (FW)<\/strong><\/p>\n Agyemang<\/a>‘s been as disappointing for Charlotte<\/a> as he was impressive for the US. I could see that costing him his chance.<\/p>\n At best, I reckon only one of the two guys above will make the final roster.<\/p>\n Quinn Sullivan (W)<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the breakout young players in MLS this season, Sullivan<\/a> is a relentless two-way winger (more of a wide midfielder, to be honest) who is an elite crosser with a good eye for the final pass.<\/p>\n Maybe more important is how he rates high in xDAWG. The kid will run through a wall if that\u2019s what\u2019s called for, and the US have missed that for the past 18 months.<\/p>\n Jack McGlynn (AM\/CM)<\/strong><\/p>\n McGlynn<\/a>\u2019s come alive playing as more of a No. 10 (or free 8) for Houston<\/a> over the past six weeks, which puts him in a spot that emphasizes his strengths \u2013 he\u2019s a brilliant passer with a wicked left foot \u2013 while hiding his weaknesses (still not much of a defender!).<\/p>\n I think you could play him and Luna together, which would give the US attack a level of unpredictability it hasn\u2019t had in a long, long time.<\/p>\n Brian Guti\u00e9rrez (AM\/W)<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s add Guti\u00e9rrez<\/a> to that group, too. He\u2019s been playing as Chicago<\/a>\u2019s No. 10, but can also play on the wing and has even dropped a little deeper into a No. 8 role when the Fire shift to a 4-3-3.<\/p>\n His end product is still not elite, and I don\u2019t think he\u2019s quite as good at picking locks as Luna or McGlynn (or Reyna), but he could still be a valuable piece for his flexibility and two-way play.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Luca de la Torre (CM)<\/strong><\/p>\n Hasn\u2019t quite been the field-tilting savant he looked like at his best in the first few years of this decade, but he\u2019s nonetheless been a huge and reliable part of one of the best midfields in the league.<\/p>\n De la Torre<\/a> has seemed more comfortable playing deeper than as a true attacker for San Diego<\/a>, which is a crucial role in Pochettino\u2019s 4-2-3-1 formation.<\/p>\n Sebastian Berhalter (CM\/DM)<\/strong><\/p>\n The single most surprising glow-up in the league in years. With White, his club teammate, you could see he always found a way to score, and if you put the ball in the net, and it keeps translating up… I mean, that’s a pretty clear path, even if we’re talking about a 98th percentile outcome.<\/p>\n With Berhalter<\/a>, there was no hint of this. He was a good player the past two years and had a small role before that (after having been discarded by both Columbus<\/a> and Austin<\/a>). Nothing said “best No. 8 in the league and a likely asset for the USMNT because of his courage to get on the ball in the toughest spots and skill in progressing it to the attackers in positions of real advantage.”<\/p>\n But here he is. At this point, I think I’d be more surprised if he isn’t on the final roster than if he is.<\/p>\n Tim Ream (CB)<\/strong><\/p>\n Ream<\/a> hasn\u2019t been great this year, and Charlotte have kind of fallen apart over the past month. But he\u2019s a veteran whose ability in distribution is inimitable.<\/p>\n Tristan Blackmon (CB)<\/strong><\/p>\n Blackmon<\/a>\u2019s been maybe the best center back in the entire league this season? He’s not a game-breaking distributor, but his comfort with the ball on his foot means he\u2019s often able to break the first line of opposing pressure by simply carrying the ball into midfield, then hitting simple passes against a defense that\u2019s suddenly scrambling. That\u2019s a very useful skill.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also 6-foot-2 and is a plus athlete. Pochettino should be looking at him hard; Jesse Marsch reportedly already is<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alex Freeman (RB)<\/strong><\/p>\n The 20-year-old homegrown is putting together a Best XI-caliber season for Orlando<\/a>, and that\u2019s significant since Sergi\u00f1o Dest\u2019s injury last year (he\u2019s on the 60-man roster, and hopefully he\u2019ll be good to get some minutes) laid bare just how much of a drop-off there is from him to the ostensible back-ups.<\/p>\n Freeman<\/a> is not as dynamic on the ball as Dest \u2013 few in the pool are, irrespective of position \u2013 but he\u2019s proved to be an incredible attacking threat whose size and athleticism make him a mismatch for most opposing fullbacks.<\/p>\n Max Arfsten (LB\/LM)<\/strong><\/p>\n Arfsten<\/a> was part of Pochettino\u2019s January camp and plays a position that\u2019s always a need. Plus, he\u2019s logged a ton of miles against top regional talent over the past few years via the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> and Leagues Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Matt Freese (GK)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n