It has been a long four years for the U.S. men’s national team, but finally — finally — graduation day is here.
On Nov. 21, these young American students (of the game) will walk across the biggest stage (in sports). They’ll leave behind their classrooms and confront the harsh realities of the real world (of international soccer).
– Squad reveal: Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT roster for Qatar
– Why World Cup is a guessing game for American bookmakers
Those weak performances in the September friendlies? Nothing more than some senioritis, perhaps. Because now, with everyone watching, these graduates are ready — ready to make an impact, ready to make themselves heard, ready to shine.
Here, then, is your team: The USMNT Class of 2022, grouped, of course, according to their “majors.”
FINANCE
These are the “money” players for the U.S., the ones responsible for delivering currency (that is, goals). A World Cup isn’t about long-term investments, either. In a four-week tournament, these are the players that the U.S. need to go on a heater.
Christian Pulisic
Age: 24
Club: Chelsea (England) | Position: Forward
Debut: Mar. 29, 2016 vs. Guatemala
Appearances: 52 (21 goals)
Look for him to … Create goal-scoring chances and attack from the edge of the field (he prefers it to be from the left). Pulisic has struggled to find regular minutes with Chelsea under two different managers this season, but he remains the American linchpin.
Notable or Quotable: “[It’s] a team that no one loves to play against — it’s that American spirit, that we can always win. That we can beat anyone.” — On the identity of this USMNT
Jesus Ferreira
Age: 21
Club: FC Dallas (USA) | Position: Forward
Debut: Feb. 1, 2020 vs. Costa Rica
Appearances: 15 (seven goals)
Look for him to … Score, likely by using his speed (Second Spectrum data showed he was the second-fastest player in MLS in 2022). Ferreira isn’t the prototypical No. 9, but he scored 18 goals for Dallas this season and has a unique skill set among U.S. striker candidates.
Notable or Quotable: “Cheetah — cheetah is my favorite animal of all time.” — On what kind of animal he’d like to be if he wasn’t a human (Ferreira wants to become a zoologist after retiring).
Matt Turner
Age: 28
Club: Arsenal (England) | Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Jan. 31, 2021 vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Appearances: 20
Look for him to … Start in goal for the U.S., though there’s no question he’ll be pushed by Zack Steffen. A relative latecomer to the sport, Turner’s shot-stopping ability is top-shelf, but he does struggle to offer as much as other keepers when it comes to playing with the ball at his feet.
Notable or Quotable: “I decided to join soccer just to meet some new people and sort of integrate myself and stay in shape for basketball and baseball.” — On why, at age 16, he decided to play on the soccer team at his new high school
Walker Zimmerman
Age: 29
Club: Nashville SC (USA) | Position: Defender)
Debut: Feb. 3, 2017 vs. Jamaica
Appearances: 33 (three goals)
Look for him to … Stabilize the backline, with the rare trip forward on a set piece or corner. Unlike the many young phenoms on the team, Zimmerman is a bit of an international late bloomer, but he has become a defensive mainstay under Berhalter.
Notable or Quotable: “I think it comes with a lot of responsibility. You’re expected to kind of do the right thing, say the right thing. I took a lot of pride in that, and I think it helped develop me as a person.” — On growing up with a father who was the pastor of a Baptist church
Aaron Long
Age: 30
Club: New York Red Bulls (USA) | Position: Defender
Debut: Oct. 16, 2018 vs. Costa Rica
Appearances: 29 (three goals)
Look for him to … Be safe and sturdy in defense, generally taking a conservative approach to marking. Like Zimmerman, Long is a veteran who has been overlooked (and sidelined by various injuries) for much of his career but now seems to finally have found his chance.
Notable or Quotable: “I think I led the league in interceptions that year — we went to the state finals, too.” — On moonlighting as a cornerback and kicker on the high school football team his senior year
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Age: 24
Club: Celtic (Scotland) | Position: Defender
Debut: Nov. 14, 2017 vs. Portugal
Appearances: 11
Look for him to … Be assertive in duels and use improved passing skills to push for playing time at center-back. CCV is a quiet leader, too — when Callum McGregor got injured, Celtic turned to Carter-Vickers to stand in as their team captain.
Notable or Quotable: Was loaned by Tottenham to seven different teams over five years — Sheffield United, Ipswich, Swansea, Stoke, Luton, Bournemouth and Celtic — before finally signing a new permanent deal with Celtic in June
Tim Ream
Age: 35
Club: Fulham (England) | Position: Defender
Debut: Nov. 17, 2010 vs. South Africa
Appearances: 46 (one goal)
Look for him to … Defend fiercely and intelligently (which offsets a lack of speed). Ream isn’t necessarily a perfect fit in Berhalter’s preferred high-line system, but he’s thriving at Fulham, and a slew of injuries to other U.S. defenders pushed him back onto the radar.
Notable or Quotable: Ream has lived through a series of emotional swings with Fulham: Over the past five years, he has been part of two relegations and three promotions.
Ethan Horvath
Age: 27
Club: Luton Town (England) | Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Oct. 7, 2016 vs. Cuba
Appearances: 8
Look for him to … Compete for time as the backup to Matt Turner. With Zack Steffen a surprise omission, Horvath — who has been in excellent form for Luton and is particularly skilled at long-range ball distribution — will battle Sean Johnson for the No. 2 spot.
Notable or Quotable: Despite having only 8 caps, Horvath has already had a historic USMNT moment: in June 2021, he replaced an injured Steffen in the second half and made four critical saves, including a dramatic penalty save, as the U.S. beat Mexico 3-2 to win the Nations League final.
Sean Johnson
Age: 33
Club: New York City FC (USA) | Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Jan. 22, 2011 vs. Chile
Appearances: 10
Look for him to … Provide a reliable pair of hands if the U.S. get into an emergency goalkeeper situation. Third keepers are (by definition) rusty whenever they’re called on, but it’s especially true for Johnson: Playing in MLS means his last game action came on Oct. 23.
Notable or Quotable: “I think I got my first cap when some of these guys were 10 or even younger.” — On what it’s like to be an older player on a young team
ENGINEERING
What does the foundation of the U.S. team look like? It’s these players, the ones who build the American infrastructure, the ones who create the framework for the team’s success. They’re thoughtful and purposeful, dedicated to the system that could (should?) take the U.S. into the knockout rounds.
Tyler Adams
Age: 23
Club: Leeds United (England) | Position: Midfielder
Debut: Nov. 14, 2017 vs. Portugal
Appearances: 32 (one goal)
Look for him to … Be the engine for the U.S., with wide defensive field coverage and a steady sense for moving the ball. Adams embodies the “gritty midfielder” label, but he also shows the occasional flair for a colorful interchange with the wingers.
Notable or Quotable: “I do some of the dirty work that not everyone wants to do.” — On what distinguishes him as a midfielder
Sergino Dest
Age: 22
Club: AC Milan (Italy) | Position: Defender
Debut: Sept. 6, 2019 vs. Mexico
Appearances: 19 (two goals)
Look for him to … Wear out the right wing, making penetrating runs to link the U.S. defense and attack. Dest, who has battled injuries and muscle soreness, remains indispensable to the U.S. even as he has struggled to get the regular playing time he wants at Milan.
Notable or Quotable: “Orange chicken and fried rice — I always get that at Panda Express. The sweet chicken is just perfect.” — On his favorite meal when he’s in the United States
Kellyn Acosta
Age: 27
Club: LAFC (USA) | Position: Midfielder
Debut: Jan. 31, 2016 vs. Iceland
Appearances: 53 (two goals)
Look for him to … Be a steady hand off the bench in the midfield, particularly when it comes to set-piece delivery. Berhalter has talked often about the importance of intangibles with a young team, and Acosta is the embodiment of the idea.
Notable or Quotable: “I thought my national-team career was done. And it was a sad feeling because I experienced a lot but I felt like I still had a lot to give.” — On going more than two years between call-ups before getting another opportunity in 2020
Cristian Roldan
Age: 27
Club: Seattle Sounders (USA) | Position: Midfielder
Debut: July 12, 2017 vs. Martinique
Appearances: 32
Look for him to … Read the game as well as any player on the field, allowing him to be serviceable off the bench in a variety of roles, either in midfield or on the wing. Throughout qualifying, Berhalter raved often about Roldan’s tactical awareness and energy.
Notable or Quotable: Roldan had a choice when it came to which country he would represent internationally. While he chose the U.S., his younger brother, Alex, plays for the El Salvador national team.
Antonee Robinson
Age: 25
Club: Fulham (England) | Position: Defender
Debut: May 28, 2018 vs. Bolivia
Appearances: 29 (two goals)
Look for him to … Push forward (a lot) on the left, helping to create chances as well as attacking at the back post when the ball comes from the opposite side. Robinson is also a robust defender. Over the past year, he’s been statistically top-level in blocks, clearances and aerials won.
Notable or Quotable: Often goes by the name Jedi, which he has been called since he was young because of his love for the Star Wars movies.
DeAndre Yedlin
Age: 29
Club: Inter Miami (USA) | Position: Defender
Debut: Feb. 1, 2014, vs. South Korea
Appearances: 75
Look for him to … Add versatility off the bench either as an attacking wing-back or in a more defensive role. Yedlin is the only player who has previously been on a U.S. World Cup roster: He played in three games during the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Notable or Quotable: “We were just too complacent in the last game, too complacent going into it. So every game I play in, I try to just be in the moment. Because if you get too far ahead of yourself, things that are happening in the present will pass by you. And all of a sudden, you have like the situation what happened to us in 2018.” — On the crushing feeling of failing to qualify for the World Cup four years ago
Joe Scally
Age: 19
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany) | Position: Defender
Debut: June 1, 2021 vs. Morocco
Appearances: 3
Look for him to … Offer insurance at full-back as a player who is stout in defense and likes to push forward, while also serving as an option at center-back. If he sees an opening in the attacking third, too, be ready: Scally has shown a penchant for shooting from distance.
Notable or Quotable: “I feel like the Europeans always think they’re better in all these ways just because they’re from Europe. So that’s definitely one perception I’ve taken when I came over here: that they think we’re just like NFL players running with the ball.” — On how he feels European players see American players
Jordan Morris
Age: 27
Club: Seattle Sounders (USA) | Position: Forward
Debut: Nov. 8, 2014, vs. Republic of Ireland
Appearances: 49 (11 goals)
Look for him to … Give the starters on the wing a break and offer needed energy late in a game. Even at 27, Morris is still a speedster and can finish when given the chance: He scored seven goals for Seattle this season.
Notable or Quotable: The tattoo on his right forearm is of the caduceus, a medical symbol, with the characters T1D above it; it’s there to let medics know, in case of an emergency, that Morris has Type 1 diabetes
FINE ARTS
Inventive. Whimsical. Innovative. These are the creatives, the maestros for the U.S. They’re the ones charged with unlocking the Americans’ flair, the ones who will use their talents to showcase the beauty that lies within the U.S. team.
Gio Reyna
Age: 19
Club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany) | Position: Midfielder
Debut: Nov. 12, 2020, vs. Wales
Appearances: 14 (four goals)
Look for him to … Run with the ball at his feet, creating space and opening lanes for his teammates. Injuries have been regrettably constant for Reyna, but if he can stay healthy for the whole tournament, he figures to be a legit candidate for the team’s most valuable player.
Notable or Quotable: Reyna’s father, Claudio, was a USMNT legend, and his mother also represented the U.S. Danielle Egan, as she was known then, made six appearances (and scored one goal) for the USWNT in 1993.
Luca de la Torre
Age: 24
Club: Celta Vigo (Spain) | Position: Midfielder
Debut: June 2, 2018, vs. Republic of Ireland
Appearances: 12
Look for him to … Make good decisions, utilizing excellent field awareness, when used as a rotational starter or substitute, though inactivity could be a concern. De la Torre hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in a game for Celta Vigo this season.
Notable or Quotable: “I think I have a skill set where I try to put players around me in better positions. So, I think I can make other players better.” — On his role with the USMNT
Shaq Moore
Age: 26
Club: Nashville SC | Position: Defender
Debut: June 2, 2018 vs. Republic of Ireland
Appearances: 15 (one goal)
Look for him to … Be an option off the bench at outside back, where he’s a very strong tackler and aggressive in creating chances. After bouncing around Spanish clubs since 2015, he joined Nashville this summer for the late-season MLS playoff push.
Notable or Quotable: Moore has just a single international goal, but it’s a memorable one: In the 2021 Gold Cup, Moore scored after just 14 seconds against Canada, setting the record for the fastest goal in USMNT history.
