USMNT to show first-choice squad ahead of friendly matches in March

Even though Gregg Berhalter did not like the idea that his team in the Jan. camp of the US national team was a B or JV team, it was not really an exaggeration of D & # 's. 39, call the January team otherwise. -choice team.

The multitude of luminous points among the participants of January made the camp a certain success, and several players reinforced their ranking in the hierarchy. But when Berhalter convenes his next group, for the friendly matches of March against Ecuador and Chile, we will see a wave of players based in Europe enter the roles of beginners.

What will the first USMNT starter training look like in March when all hands are on deck? Here is an overview of the possibilities.

Zack Steffen entered the January camp as a clear starter, and he only strengthened his grip on this spot after signing two shutouts and achieving excellent performances.

Who else could Berhalter call for March? Ethan Horvath is an obvious choice, but from there, Berhalter will have to decide whether he should choose an MLS-based option to become a third goalkeeper or call on one of the new European-based options for fill the post, as Brady Scott of FC Cologne. or Jonathan Klinsmann of Hertha.

John Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin are two well-defined starting options for Berhalter's defense, but the situation becomes much more tricky when trying to complete the rest of the back line.

Matt Miazga was loaned to Reading FC, winning two starts and helping his new team win two draws. If he can continue playing regularly and well, it will put him in a good position to start alongside Brooks. The big challenger of Miazga is Aaron Long, who was captain of the two victories of the month of January at the USMNT and who seemed to fit well into the Berhalter system.

The USMNT remains delicate on the left back and Antona Robinson's injury return could help alleviate this problem if he could return to the field for Wigan in the next six weeks. Daniel Lovitz started the two January matches on the left back and did not do enough to be considered a viable option of first choice. Greg Garza is also to take into account once he has recovered and will play with FC Cincinnati.

Would Berhalter consider moving somebody from the back to the back to play at the back? Nick Lima 's outstanding performance in the January camp should earn him a new convocation in March and if he is fit, Berhalter might consider using it as his left back. Having Lima and Yedlin on the field together could be the best option at the moment.

Could Berhalter appeal to a younger option such as Ajax defender, Sergino Dest? Aged 18, he flourished on Ajax's reserve team and was impressed by the Concacaf Under-20 Championship last November. Dest is a very intriguing option, but one could argue that it's a more natural right back than left, and moving Lima to the left would be easier than calling Dest for its first USMNT camp.

Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are sure to be part of all circles that Berhalter puts together in March, but the real question is who will be the third 4-3-3 midfielder?

Michael Bradley has pleaded for his choice among midfield veterans to play behind a duo of McKennie-Adams, but if Berhalter decides to give Adams a glimpse of that role, it would allow Christian Pulisic's deployment to take over. 39, one of the number 10 duals, giving us the Pulisic-McKennie-Adams midfielder triangle that seemed destined to take over.

Of course, Berhalter has yet to decide where he sees the best adaptation of Pulisic in his system. If Berhalter considers the advance to be a better place for Pulisic, it increases the chances that he will take a look at a Bradley-McKennie-Adams triangle.

Another name to remember is Darlington Nagbe. He may not have played in January's friendly matches, but Nagbe's ability to pbad, make penetrating runs and keep possession of the ball could make it an ideal part of the Berhalter system.

Josh Sargent has already made a good impression on Werder Bremen, allowing him to play regularly and claim his status as Berhalter's first striker in March. Jozy Altidore would be a strong candidate for the job if he was not recovering yet from an ankle surgery in the off season that could leave him out for another month.

Berhalter's extensive 4-3-3 lead roles seem well suited to a Pulisic-Tim Weah tandem. Weah flourishes in his loan to Celtic, Scottish champion. Although he could play any of the first three places, he showed at matches at the USMNT that he could work well on the wing. Pulisic operating on an opposite wing is a good option, but again, it will depend on when Berhalter considers that the future man of Chelsea will be the most effective. If Pulisic is deployed centrally, Berhalter could then call on Bobby Wood to take the lead. Wood is more effective as the main striker, but he has a wide gaming experience and his defensive work pace makes him well able to handle the demands of the job.

If Berhalter aspires to more natural wing options at the forward positions, Jonathan Amon, as well as Paul Arriola, deserve to be considered.

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The above list corresponds to what we would see if Berhalter decided to deploy Pulisic in one of the dueling roles we saw in recent friendlies, a setup that would force Adams into a defensive midfield. . If Berhalter decides that he wants more experience in the role of deep midfielder, then Bradley will be the choice, and the question then will be whether he sits down at Adams – which would be difficult to justify given its current form – or if it alters Pulisic in a broad point forward?

This is what the starting lineup would look like with Bradley anchoring the midfielder and Pulisic acting like a big striker: