Why growing leaders ought to be a precedence for the USMNT forward of 2026

Management inside a locker room and on the sphere is usually troublesome to determine or quantify as a result of there are such a lot of completely different types of management: gamers that lead by instance on the sphere with their performances, gamers that lead vocally, gamers that carry out in large moments, gamers that do not play a starring function however are good teammates throughout the locker room — all of those traits turn out to be an vital a part of the make-up of a profitable crew.

The United States males’s nationwide crew isn’t any completely different.

In truth, if one have been to take a look at previous USMNT groups, and the leaders these groups possessed, they’d see a correlation. Let’s use the 2010 World Cup roster for example.

In the USA’ group stage finale in opposition to Algeria, which got here right down to a last-minute purpose from Landon Donovan, we began six completely different gamers that had captained groups at factors of their careers:

• Carlos Bocanegra
• Landon Donovan
• Tim Howard
• Michael Bradley
• DaMarcus Beasley
• Steve Cherundolo

To their credit score, nearly all of these gamers received common minutes and had vital management roles at their golf equipment, which, A) gave them confidence and B) allowed that confidence to hold over to the nationwide crew. They ended up being extremely vital in large video games.

They have been the kind of gamers that might affect a crew’s momentum. They might choose you up when the crew was down. They knew the best way to keep calm throughout probably the most hectic moments. They knew the best way to deal with strain, whether or not they have been dealing with elimination in opposition to Algeria on the World Cup or going up in opposition to a Spain crew on a 35-match unbeaten run within the Confederations Cup semifinals the yr prior.

Simply over twenty years later, within the qualifying phases of the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT fielded one of many youngest lineups in its historical past. Gregg Berhalter put lots of belief on this younger and gifted group and opted to remain younger, to permit these younger gamers to develop into management roles throughout the crew and discover their very own voice. He empowered them and all through the marketing campaign, we noticed the predictable ups and downs, however many extra good moments than dangerous.

The crew went to the World Cup because the second-youngest crew within the event and received out of the group with a win vs. Iran, a draw vs. Wales and a formidable draw vs. England. The indicators have been encouraging and the final perception was that this crew would proceed to get higher heading in direction of 2026. 

Quick-forward to 2024 and the Copa América. The USMNT went into the event with the overwhelming majority of their vital gamers having not performed vital minutes with their golf equipment and never having vital management roles inside their groups. The outcomes and performances have been there for all to see: a bunch stage loss to Panama with a purple card to Tim Weah, after which an underwhelming attacking efficiency vs. Uruguay.

The USMNT crashed out of the event, changing into the primary host nation within the event’s historical past to not advance previous the group stage.

Popping out of the event, certainly one of my greatest criticisms of the present USMNT was the dearth of management throughout the crew. There simply weren’t sufficient large characters throughout the crew that could possibly be captains on the sphere or provide you with large moments for the crew.

Tyler Adams, who captained the U.S. on the 2022 World Cup, is the crew’s pure chief, however he performed restricted minutes within the event due to his harm and was massively missed within the midfield. Yunus Musah just isn’t a frontrunner on the sphere, neither is Gio Reyna — actually not along with his age (22) and the dearth of minutes that he was getting on the time.

Tim Ream was about the one exception. Ream, 37, captained Fulham to a mid-table end within the Premier League as their beginning heart again earlier than becoming a member of the USMNT for Copa América. That have as a frontrunner benefited the U.S. throughout the event, however there was solely a lot he might do as one particular person main the again line.

Ream’s former Fulham teammate, Antonee Robinson, performed alongside him within the again line and was rock stable all through the event along with his performances, however remains to be on his strategy to changing into the kind of determine that may lead on the nationwide crew stage. 

Now, issues are beginning to change.

On Sunday, Robinson captained Fulham for the primary time in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham. He is been a stalwart for Fulham all season, however now different gamers — and coaches, clearly — are beginning to see that he is able to dealing with the armband, and that is simply going to proceed to empower him.

Robinson is not the one USMNT participant that has grown as a frontrunner in only a few brief months. Pulisic, who’s within the midst of a profession season at AC Milan, has slowly grown into the concept of being a frontrunner.

Pulisic has worn the armband for the USMNT prior to now, however, I believe, extra so, as a result of he is been the crew’s greatest participant and, typically, in these conditions, a coach is aware of the potential impression the star participant has if he then turns into a frontrunner.

Lionel Messi is a superb instance of this. He isn’t the most important vocal chief, although he is grown lots in that space over time; he is not going round doing these large, huge speeches for everybody to see; he is not so animated when he is on the sphere; however he is a frontrunner by instance and efficiency captain. When he is on the sphere, he produces this glorious magic. Gamers round him look to him to provide you with these large moments, and that is the place the management comes from.

Early in Pulisic’s profession, I believe there have been parts of that, however extra not too long ago, I have been actually impressed along with his means as a captain to take some possession and present some management with the best way he talks to the media, the best way he leads the crew on the sphere and the best way he leads by performances.

Robinson and Pulisic’s fast improvement as leaders can simply be traced again to them changing into greater gamers at their golf equipment, and that is the trail ahead for the opposite distinguished names within the participant pool.

Weston McKennie is now enjoying significant minutes at Juventus — can he develop extra assured on the membership stage and a bit bit extra mature as a participant to be a frontrunner for the U.S. that may be counted on as greater than only a man that is going to leap in and combat and be bodily aggressive? He is proven that he is capable of stick up for his teammates and he can lead in that kind of approach, however can he be a relaxing affect as properly for this crew?

There’s additionally Chris Richards. He is been a bit unfortunate with accidents at Crystal Palace, however I believe, as a participant, if he can discover his voice, he could possibly be a man that might lead from the again, both alongside or rather than Ream. As a result of if you do not have Ream again there in 2026, who’s that large, commanding heart again?

When you consider among the greatest groups and international locations on the planet, they’ve these imposing heart backs— Virgil Van Dijk with the Netherlands and Rúben Dias with Portugal — which are leaders within the again. They set up the crew, they intimidate opponents. Can Richards become that kind of function?

Then there’s Yunus Musah, who’s getting extra common minutes at his membership; Tim Weah, who’s changing into an vital participant at Juventus; and Ricardo Pepi, who’s scoring lots of objectives at PSV.

Every participant’s particular person attributes of ability and counting stats are vital, after all, and we, as followers of the sport and analysts, like to obsess over these qualities. However the means to step up and lead in large moments can also be a ability, and arguably has a much bigger impression on a game-to-game foundation, however is not talked about almost as a lot.

The excellent news is that the blueprint is there; the onus is now on the gamers to determine themselves extra at their membership, to tackle greater roles and enlarge impacts, and hope that it interprets to the nationwide crew. The USMNT must have a significantly better and extra skilled core management group heading into the 2026 World Cup — we’ll see who steps up.

Stu Holden, a former midfielder for the USA males’s nationwide crew, is FOX Sports activities’ lead match analyst for its marquee soccer protection.

---

---