For a year without a major tournament (put your hand down, Concacaf Gold Cup), 2023 was surprisingly important for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Consider the blurry picture of 12 months ago: the team was without a permanent head coach while Gregg Berhalter was under investigation by US Soccer over an assault allegation, his relationship with gruff star Gio Reyna had ended and sporting director Earnie Stewart was on the verge of to leave .
With these issues resolved, 2024 promises to be quieter off the field and much louder on it. The USMNT can look forward to a high-profile competition, the Copa América, which will be a key benchmark two years before the next World Cup and a referendum on Berhalter’s leadership after his surprise re-hire last summer.
So what – other than, just maybe, an order form for more pairs of recherché sneakers – is in Berhalter’s inbox of 2024, now that he took charge of his first match five years ago?
Youth development and the Olympic Games
A 25-man all-MLS roster will train in Orlando for the friendly against Slovenia in San Antonio on Jan. 20. Because it takes place outside a FIFA window, the January camp is traditionally a chance for US-based rookies to make their case. According to the federation, since 1999, 30 players who won their first or second cap in the USMNT’s opening camp of the year have progressed to a World Cup squad, including nine who went to Qatar in 2022.
Fifteen of the squad are in senior camp for the first time and 13 are young enough to meet eligibility requirements for France this summer, when the U.S. men compete in their first Olympics since 2008. The most experienced name on the roster, Miles Robinson, the 26-year-old center back who just joined Cincinnati, is a candidate to fill one of the three spots above 23.
With the Olympics in mind, U.S. Under-23 head coach Marko Mitrović will be part of Berhalter’s staff for this camp. It’s logical to expect that all the standouts in France will be rewarded with an extended look from Berhalter ahead of 2026.
Two exciting 20-year-old Californians, Cade Cowell and Real Salt Lake’s uncapped Diego Luna, are named in this squad, although they will need to be brilliant to break into a first-choice squad already rich in wingers. -attacking midfielders. Los Angeles FC midfielder Timmy Tillman, the older brother of US international Malik Tillman, hopes to make his debut against Slovenia at Toyota Field, the bijou home of San Antonio FC of the USL.
Busy 22-year-old midfielder Aidan Morris, who has four caps, was an integral part of the Columbus team that won the MLS Cup last year, as was goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. With Inter Miami’s Drake Callender and Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano also on the roster, a goalkeeper will surely make his debut against Slovenia. (Gaga Slonina, the 19-year-old on loan from Chelsea to Belgian club Eupen, is not in this selection.)
Win the Concacaf Nations League
It may be a souped-up series of friendlies, but the two-time defending champions will be looking to complete the hat-trick in Arlington, Texas, in March. The US will face Jamaica in the semi-finals, with Panama and Mexico meeting. In addition to a possible clash with Mexico to quicken the pulse, the matches (semi-final or third-place play-off) will be a useful warm-up for the tougher business of the Copa.
The US reached this stage with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Trinidad & Tobago last November. A 3-0 win in the first leg in Austin was followed by a 2-1 away defeat with a strange red card worthy of Sergiño Dest. It was a messy way to end 2023, so the defender and his teammates will have extra incentive to impress against a Jamaica side with more talent than T&T.
Reach at least the semi-finals in the Copa América
As co-hosts, the US will not be asked to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, making this 16-team tournament in June and July a valuable source of highly competitive matches in some of the stadiums that will host matches two years later. With that in mind, these could be the most important and educational games for the Americans between now and 2026.
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In the group stage, the US faces Bolivia (again in Arlington), Panama (Atlanta) and in-form Uruguay (Kansas City). Given the home advantage, Berhalter’s team would have to play their first two matches, with the showdown against Uruguay determining the group winner. In a quarterfinal matchup, the US would likely face a dangerous Colombian team or Brazil (who have been lukewarm as of late). The US cannot meet the favorite, Argentina, before the final.
A repeat of the Americans’ performance in 2016, the last time they participated and hosted the tournament, would be acceptable: reaching the last four. But a better performance against a top nation would be important for a team and a coach who have yet to prove they can compete against the best in the world.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s team was humiliated 4-0 by Argentina eight years ago in Houston and failed to score a shot. Not even an attempt off target. That mediocre squad featured a 17-year-old Christian Pulisic, but was largely made up of players from MLS and non-elite European clubs. Berhalter has considerably more talent at his disposal, so an outcome that gives his critics an excuse to say ‘worse than Klinsmann!’ to carp. wouldn’t exactly enhance your reputation.
Prepare for the unexpected
Most of the players and positions in Berhalter’s ideal Palace). He will also want to strengthen the identity of his preferred reserve full-backs, with Dest one in 2023 “learning experiences” and left-back Antonee Robinson now so important that any absence would be a serious blow given the drop in quality between the Fulham man and his students.
Remember the rumblings ahead of the 2022 World Cup about goalkeeper Matt Turner’s lack of game time at Arsenal and how rust could stiffen his game? Turner was fantastic in Qatar. He then moved to Nottingham Forest, was rewarded with regular Premier League starts, and… well. Gary Neville does not impressed. Turner’s national team berth is more secure, but if he struggles in the Copa, seasoning potential next-generation heirs becomes more urgent.
Meanwhile, Reyna underlined his value last fall with some perky performances. With Tyler Adams set to return from injury next month, one of the most ominous tactical decisions facing Berhalter in the Copa (fitness permitting) will be whether to deploy Reyna as a roaming playmaker against high-calibre opponents or that he will play safer with a more defensive midfield. configuration. Spindle, or fireworks?
However, Reyna’s future at Borussia Dortmund is in doubt, especially with Jadon Sancho returning to the club on loan. Could Reyna find himself in a new location where he can flourish, as Pulisic and Weston McKennie have done in Italy? Or stay on the sidelines? Berhalter is a diligent planner, but sometimes all a coach can do is cross their fingers and hope for the best.