The September friendlies are fast approaching for the U.S. Men’s National Team and Gregg Berhalter’s first match after the Gold Cup will come against the same team the USMNT lost to in the Gold Cup final.
Friday’s friendly against Mexico will be a much different affair than July’s final, which saw Mexico post a 1-0 victory. The USMNT squad that will meet El Tri at Met Life Stadium will be a much different group, a much younger one, while Mexico will boast a stronger squad than the one that lifted the Gold Cup in July.
Veterans Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore won’t play in the September friendlies, leaving opportunities for some new faces in the starting lineup, while John Brooks is a key veteran who will be returning to the fold after missing the Gold Cup due to injury.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1QFJ1KUlEw]
What will the USMNT lineup look like against Mexico? Here is a look at the squad we could see on Friday:
Goalkeeper
Zack Steffen has settled into a starting role with Fortuna Dusseldorf and comes into camp in good form. If Gregg Berhalter decides he wants to split the two September friendlies among two goalkeepers, then we could see Sean Johnson or Brad Guzan against El Tri, but Steffen should be the choice to start both matches.
Defenders
John Brooks and Aaron Long are the favorites to be the starting central defense pairing, and while they have only played one match together, they remain the top choices in the pool. Miles Robinson is in the midst of a breakout season with Atlanta United though, and could see some minutes, though a start against Mexico, and the likes of Raul Jimenez and Javier Hernandez, might be an ambitious assignment for his USMNT debut.
The battle at right back should be a good one, between the same defenders who fought for the starting role at the Gold Cup. Nick Lima has been in better recent form than Reggie Cannon and should get the nod. Berhalter confirmed on Thursday that Sergino Dest would start, and left back is the most likely assignment for the Ajax defender.
Midfielders
Michael Bradley’s absence leaves the defensive midfield slot available, and Will Trapp is a good bet to fill it. He has been in better form in recent months after a tough first half of the MLS season, but his experience in Berhalter’s system should give him the edge over Alfredo Morales, though Morales does come into camp in good form as a regular starter for Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Weston McKennie will reprise his role in the attacking midfield spot, but the playmaker next to him should be different, with Christian Pulisic looking likely to play on the wing in the September friendlies. Cristian Roldan has been in very good form lately, including his two-goal effort in Seattle’s recent win against the LA Galaxy, and should get the nod over Sebastian Lletget for that starting role against Mexico.
Forwards
Pulisic should start on the left wing against Mexico, but the right wing spot is a bit tougher to project. Jordan Morris has been playing well for Seattle, but Tyler Boyd has become a regular starter for Besiktas. Morris has had some success against El Tri before, and has faced Mexico multiple times, but Boyd is an intriguing option who brings more quality on the ball.
The striker position is a toss-up between Gyasi Zardes and Josh Sargent. Zardes has the experience edge, but he also hasn’t been in the best of form since the Gold Cup. Sargent is coming off his first Bundesliga start, which included him scoring a wonder goal. Berhalter could wait to give Sargent a start against Uruguay on Tuesday in front of his hometown fans in St. Louis, but a start against Mexico would provide invaluable experience for the talented youngster. He should get the call against El Tri.
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What do you think of this projected lineup? Who would you like to see start against Mexico?
Share your thoughts below.
“A team is only as strong as the weakest link”, and we need games like this to expose players weakness, and those with limited potential as well as the “one trick ponies”. Hopefully moving forward coaches will be forced to play “skill and talent”, rather than field USSoccer “poster boys”, especially if it means their job will QUICKLY be on the line
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A weak core causes bad defensive / offensive postures, formations, coverage and implementation of game strategies. Certain players, and I will leave it at that, have no place on the national team anymore at this point. For a team to truly be strong it cannot be too dependent on any one person, like Pulisic or McKennie or Steffen, but it has to be a chain with pressure spread EVENLY across the length; with each link supporting the next.
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Lets see what happens today against Mexico. GO USA!!!!!!!!!
Why are Trapp and Roldan getting starts when they’ve proven to be inadequate even against CONCACAF minnows?
Hasnt lima been a LB for the quakes all year, if so why move Dest there let him play RB where has started the season at and played well and play lima where his playing in San Jose.
I don’t mind your starting XI! It’s def better than mine. …because after the disaster in T&T, two years ago, I wrote down who I thought would be starting this match, of course, I would be completely wrong. But here it is! From OCTOBER 2017.
Novakovich
Weah CP
Green
McKennie
Adams
K. Acosta Yedlin
Brooks, Miazga
Steffen
Subs- 1. F-Dwyer 7. F-Wood
2. MF- D.Williams 8. MF- Delgado
3. LB- Robinson 9. MF- Morales
4. MF-Saief 10. RB- Moore
5. CB- Parker 11. CB- CCV
6. GK- Guzan 12. GK- Yarborough
Obviously, players are injured, or are changing leagues, or “Ridin da Pine!”…or just didn’t get the call. I wonder how OUR 3 teams of 23 will look after this month?!
I have no idea what Gregg will do so if he asked me.
CF: Zardes
W: Sargent, Boyd
10: Pulisic
8: Morales
6: McKennie
LB: Dest
RB: Cannon
CB: Brooks, Long
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Vs Uruguay
CF: Sargent
W: Pulisic, Morris
10: Lletget
8: Pomykal
6: Yueill
LB: Ream
RB: Cannon
CB:Zimmerman Robinson
Sargent
Pullisic
Lleget Morales Pomykal. Boyd
Dest. Long. Brooks. Cannon
Steffen
so you’re leaving our best midfielder McKennie, on the bench? Interesting strategy…
Everybody is crazy to see Pomykal, myself included, but don’t sleep on Yueill. His vision and ability to make seam splitting passes is as good as anybody we have.
———–——–SARGENT———————–
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–BOYD——–MCKENNIE——–PULISIC—-
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—––MORALES———-ROLDAN————-
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REAM—-BROOKS——LONG——CANNON
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————–——STEFFEN————————
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Quite frankly, ANY LINE-UP without Altidore, Bradley, Zardes or Trapp is a blessing (and yes I’ll take Roldan over Trapp any day and twice on game day lol)
I don’t know that he’ll play McKennie as the 10 but if he says CP might play wing I don’t know who does.
Roldan is thrash? another one of Beerholders ? MLS brats
First, even though it’s Mexico, it’s a friendly and not very important. I think Uruguay will be a tougher test. With that being said, take out Trapp, put in Morales. Dest should play somewhere to see how well he holds up. I’d replace Boyd with Morris.
Trapp and Roldan the traffic comes smh Ives you must want us to lose. Morales and Llegett should be starting over Trapp and Roldan.
Poymkal should start over Trapp and Roldan too.
Mexico is going to work us… #berhalterOUT
with this roster I would go:
Sargent
Pulisic Lletget Pomykal Zardes
McKennie
Cannon Long Brooks Robinson
Steffen
this lineup doesn’t make too much sense considering Robinson doesn’t play fullback, Zardes hasn’t played on the wing in years and there are better players called in that should fill those 2 positions.
I watched Robinson play wide against Houston fine. Not sure where you’re so sure there. On better RF/RM options, who are we talking? Baird? Roldan? Really? I am not sure Morris is better than Zardes wide. Boyd had a good game once but who knows. I think it’s where Zardes belongs. So I disagree. And it gets Sargent on the field with the first team.
IV: Actually you didn’t really , Atl is using a 3 man backline with Robinson playing RCB. Gressell is the RWB (checked 3 different sites all agreed). My guess is based on the 5-0 Gressell was pretty far upfield most of the night so Robinson would have covered that space against quick counters. Although I think his skill set wouldn’t prohibit it I think it’s unlikely to see him as a RB in 4 man backline against Mexico.
———–Sargent——————
–Pulisic—————–Morris—-
————Pomykal—————-
–McKennie—–Morales———-
Ream-Brooks-Long-Cannon
————–Steffen—————-
would like boyd, lletget, Roldan and trapp to get time off the bench
Swap out Boyd for Morris, and I’m all in with your lineup. This is a dynamic midfield that could work well, and it keeps Trap out of the lineup. As much as I want to see Dest, I won’t be devastated if he starts Ream at LB due to his experience.
Wait, Im sorry, you are saying you are alright with starting Ream over Dest? For experience, in a friendly?
Have to disagree alot there.
Dest who is a starting fullback for Ajax. Who is a duel national,not tied yet.
All due respect to Ream but I think we all have been dreaming of the day where we had a legit, future LB. Or RB for that matter.
I dont care who we are playing. Friendlies are meant for this introduction to new players. Hell with experience. (And yes, i know friendlies effect qualifier ranking, etc.)
Except that a friendly is an IDEAL situation to GAIN experience. Thanks for the #LogicFail.
the sheer bulk of wingbacks called suggests Ream may be a CB.
Dest is a right back, who filled in at left back at times, I would like to see him get 20-25 against mexico at RB, and if that goes well he can start the Uruguay game. Him playing this match doesn’t cap tie him.
@KC Dest does not even do that much defending that is why he is able to go up so much for Ajax. If he defends against a strong team like Mexico or Uruguay he might be in over his head. Ukraine did overwhelm him in the u20s tournament.
Fair enough arguments.
I completely understand this game doesnt cap tie him but cap tying is about a players desire to play for a national team. What better way to solidify his red white and blue passion than to start off in a mexico match?
Havent watched him play for Ajax so Mysterious, def take ure word for it. But id be shocked if a starter in the defensive side of Ajax cant defend. Plus with our system, we want a wing back minded player, no? Ream has been dead weight on that side. With Dest as an attacking wing back, provides CP great support and less likely to be isolated if he is,indeed on wing.
And yes, all bets are off if we are in 3 vack system. Agreed, in that formation, Ream over Dest.
Just funny to me that for all the talk for fresh prospects here, this is a debate.
Morales for Trapp and I’m all in for that lineup.
Don’t hold your breathe on that one. More likely we will see Trapp as captain.
Big disconnect as the to value of Trapp between coach and many fans there.
Trapp actually played much more for Sarachan than he has for GGG. Also he was Dave’s captain 8 times only once for Gregg. I do think he’ll start one of the two matches but not sure which one.
Jr, your argument, as usual, is misleading. Trapp was left out or on the bench by Sarachan 3 times in his tenure. GB then called and played him every single game in a row, starting some, until the second GC contest. He did drop him to the unused bench during GC but he’s in the 23 burning a roster spot still. He hasn’t been left out by GB like Sarachan did yet. So you have a player who has gotten his chance, sucked, but won’t get cut by his former coach even if he squeezes someone out. Don’t pretend he’s any more evolved than Sarachan on his use, and at least Sarachan would try people.
IV: Sarachan took over November 2017 didn’t call in Trapp (no MLS player still in the playoffs except Tyler Adams were called) started and captained the next 2 matches. He did not play against Bolivia because Columbus had a match May 27th (ie he was not released) MLS did not have a break because we didn’t make the WC, he then started the next four matches (captained all of them) until Bradley returned to the NT Oct. 2018. He then played in Dave’s final 3 matches as manager starting and serving as Captain twice.
Sarachan: Available matches 10 played 9 Started 8 Captained 8 averages 80 mins per match played.
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Berhalter: Available matches 12 played 8 Started 5 Captained 1 averaged 60 mins per match played
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Sorry that doesn’t fit your narrative both called him in everytime he was actually available Dave played him in 90% of his games Gregg 66%, even if you can’t the 2 he wasn’t released for Dave’s percent is higher. Wil was Dave’’s captain, captaining 100% of the games he started (and took the armband when Pulisic subbed off in the other). He’s been captain just 8% of the time in GGGs tenure. In fact he was Captain for Andy Herzog more as an U23 than he’s been on the NT for Berhalter.
No, the difference is that Sarachan could leave him off, which Berhalter never has. To a theoretical 24th player wanting in, the difference matters. Getting into who played him how much after he made the team is just a parse. You also don’t acknowledge that GB gets the benefit of Sarachan trying and failing with Trapp — has all that on tape plus his own teams — and yet still rosters him every time. To me that’s worse.
By the end of Sarachan’s tenure he subbed the last two games. GB then elevated him back up to starting 4 games. No matter how you slice it, Trapp had started to fade at the end of Sarachan and got a second run at it under Berhalter. Berhalter then admittedly didn’t play him in the knockouts but continues to roster him for the next international date. That consumes a roster spot when his fate should be sealed.
It’s a lame argument, when a player failed under the other coach and you brought him back and even started him a bunch, to blame the old coach. History moves forward and you have the benefit of hindsight. if you are still bringing a mistake in, you own it. You don’t get to blame the coach canned before you.
IV: you keep trying to change the question because you picked the wrong and you can’t deal with it. It’s like when you kept trying to say friendlies cap tied people until I gave you like 10 links that specifically said they didn’t. The original statement from Quit Whining was Berhalter would start and Captain him. I pointed out that that was more likely under Sarachan and said he’d probably start one or the other. You thought you’d be all smart and look on transfermkt and disprove me. However you weren’t smart enough to notice that Trapp wasn’t available for the two matches Sarachan didn’t dress him for. So then you tried weekly to say Sarachan had soured on him because after all those starts and captainships he subbed him in his last match. Probably knowing that was a weak argument you then tried to make it about whether he deserved a call up. He doesn’t look at the lineups I suggested going back to after the GC I don’t include him, which has nothing to do with the original statement from Quit that he’ll start and Captain because Berhalter. He’s been called in at every level captained at every level so this narrative that it’s all his old manager playing favorites is bogus and tiring.
yup with that lineup. we will lose the midfield and the game.