USMNT Gold Cup roster: Which MLS players should make the cut? | OneFootball

By Matthew Doyle

If you’ve been paying attention at all, you probably know the US men’s national team steered straight out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and directly into the doldrums.

Rather than spinning the momentum of that Round-of-16 run into something sustainable, it’s been more of a one-step-forward, two-steps-back kind of vibe. Or maybe even three or four steps back, to be honest.

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?

Wrong. This golden generation got grouped at last summer’s Copa América 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.

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.

Here’s the silver lining: When you’re performing that poorly, it opens up chances for other guys in the player pool. And one of the things we’ve seen over the past couple of camps is that Pochettino is not afraid to bench – or outright drop – holdovers who aren’t pulling their weight. He's willing to integrate new players who had previously struggled to get a look.

That, obviously, includes players from MLS. A few made loud statements in those two camps (none louder than RSL’s Diego Luna), and more are attempting to push their way into the picture via their club form this year.

Many are on the 60-man preliminary Gold Cup roster Pochettino submitted this week. Some of them have earned, I think, a chance to help get the US out of those doldrums and into fair winds.

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’s not really any argument against them, followed by a baker's dozen other guys who I think have plausible cases for inclusion.

ROSTER LOCKS

Diego Luna (AM/W)

Luna’s 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 obligations, has barely played for Borussia Dortmund this year and is likely to find a new club this summer) he’s clearly the most creative player Poch can call in.

Let’s hope he’s in the XI from the opening whistle every game, and let’s hope Poch doesn’t play him at right wing again.

Miles Robinson (CB)

Robinson was not great in his last few USMNT outings, but it’s not like any of the other CBs who’ve gotten minutes have been better (they’ve uniformly been worse, as a matter of fact).

Bottom line is Robinson’s been excellent on both sides of the ball for Cincy this year and has physical tools that nobody else in the CB pool can match.

Zack Steffen (GK)

Steffen has cooled off after a scorching start with Colorado, but still has the best underlying numbers in the league and was fantastic for the US in his last couple of appearances.

WATCH: Diego Luna erupts for five-minute brace

STRONG CASES

Brian White (FW)

Probably the Landon Donovan MLS MVP at this point in the season, given what he’s meant to the first-place Whitecaps, especially without Ryan Gauld. White didn’t look at all out of place in his caps this winter, either.

Patrick Agyemang (FW)

Agyemang's been as disappointing for Charlotte as he was impressive for the US. I could see that costing him his chance.

At best, I reckon only one of the two guys above will make the final roster.

Quinn Sullivan (W)

One of the breakout young players in MLS this season, Sullivan 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.

Maybe more important is how he rates high in xDAWG. The kid will run through a wall if that’s what’s called for, and the US have missed that for the past 18 months.

Jack McGlynn (AM/CM)

McGlynn’s come alive playing as more of a No. 10 (or free 8) for Houston over the past six weeks, which puts him in a spot that emphasizes his strengths – he’s a brilliant passer with a wicked left foot – while hiding his weaknesses (still not much of a defender!).

I think you could play him and Luna together, which would give the US attack a level of unpredictability it hasn’t had in a long, long time.

Brian Gutiérrez (AM/W)

Let’s add Gutiérrez to that group, too. He’s been playing as Chicago’s 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.

His end product is still not elite, and I don’t think he’s 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.

Gutiérrez vs. De Bruyne: Who makes more sense for Chicago Fire?

Luca de la Torre (CM)

Hasn’t quite been the field-tilting savant he looked like at his best in the first few years of this decade, but he’s nonetheless been a huge and reliable part of one of the best midfields in the league.

De la Torre has seemed more comfortable playing deeper than as a true attacker for San Diego, which is a crucial role in Pochettino’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

Sebastian Berhalter (CM/DM)

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.

With Berhalter, 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 and Austin). 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."

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.

Tim Ream (CB)

Ream hasn’t been great this year, and Charlotte have kind of fallen apart over the past month. But he’s a veteran whose ability in distribution is inimitable.

Tristan Blackmon (CB)

Blackmon’s 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’s 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’s suddenly scrambling. That’s a very useful skill.

He’s also 6-foot-2 and is a plus athlete. Pochettino should be looking at him hard; Jesse Marsch reportedly already is.

Alex Freeman (RB)

The 20-year-old homegrown is putting together a Best XI-caliber season for Orlando, and that’s significant since Sergiño Dest’s injury last year (he’s on the 60-man roster, and hopefully he’ll be good to get some minutes) laid bare just how much of a drop-off there is from him to the ostensible back-ups.

Freeman is not as dynamic on the ball as Dest – few in the pool are, irrespective of position – but he’s proved to be an incredible attacking threat whose size and athleticism make him a mismatch for most opposing fullbacks.

Max Arfsten (LB/LM)

Arfsten was part of Pochettino’s January camp and plays a position that’s always a need. Plus, he’s logged a ton of miles against top regional talent over the past few years via the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.

Matt Freese (GK)

If it were my choice, Freese would be on the final roster. He’s been the most consistent shot-stopper in the pool the past two years, and shot-stopping is what matters most to me.

Patrick Schulte (GK)

Schulte has again been good for the Crew and is a little more well-rounded than Freese. It's worth noting he made the roster for the Nations League semis and final, while Freese did not.