World Cup 2022: Which USMNT gamers are on airplane to Qatar?

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports activities Soccer Author

Editor’s Notice: “Airplane to Qatar” is FOX Sports activities’ new weekly characteristic monitoring the progress of gamers hoping to crack the United States males’s nationwide crew’s 26-player roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Now that three of the world’s prime 5 leagues have kicked off — the English Premier League, German Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in France are underway, with Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga following this weekend — the 2022 World Cup is beginning to really feel imminent.

For the primary time, the most important occasion in sports activities will happen in the midst of the European season. And with extra members of the USA males’s nationwide crew employed at prime golf equipment abroad than ever earlier than, it makes now the proper time to take common inventory of the USMNT participant pool.

Introducing “Airplane to Qatar” 

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter is predicted to call his squad round 10 days earlier than the People’ Nov. 21 World Cup opener in opposition to Wales. That is precisely three months away. Many of the locations are accounted for, after all. However there’s nonetheless room for motion out and in of the beginning lineup, and there is additionally nonetheless time for a shock or two.

So, each week over the following 90 or so days, we’ll look not simply at which gamers are prone to be on the flight to Qatar however the place they’re sitting, and on the gamers nonetheless hoping a late run of from or a stroke of fine fortune is sufficient to snare them a seat.

Top quality

F/M Brenden Aaronson (Leeds): Whether or not or not you imagine Aaronson scored the game-winning objective for his new membership Saturday in opposition to Wolverhampton, “The Medford Messi” was electrical in his Premier League debut. He is establishing himself as a lock to begin in Qatar — if he wasn’t one already — both on the correct wing he mans for American coach Jesse Marsch at Leeds or centrally, the place he lined up for the USMNT in June.

M Tyler Adams (Leeds): Adams struggled early in opposition to Wolves however improved as the sport went on, beginning the sequence that led to the winner. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder will solely get higher as he adjusts to the Prem.

D Sergiño Dest (Barcelona): After his robust end to the 2021-22 season was interrupted by harm, Dest seems to have fallen out of Barca boss Xavi’s first-choice lineup this preseason. Irrespective of. The ultra-talented Dest is a shoo-in at proper again for the U.S. on the World Cup even when he isn’t getting 90 minutes repeatedly on the Camp Nou.

F Jesus Ferreira (Dallas): Ferreira’s blistering scoring tempo in MLS has slowed somewhat this summer season, however there is no purpose to assume he is not nonetheless Berhalter’s No. 1 quantity 9. 

M Weston McKennie (Juventus): Regardless of a dislocated shoulder that can drive McKennie to overlook the primary few weeks of Juve’s season, the Texan ought to get loads of taking part in time when he returns with fellow central midfielder Paul Pogba nursing a persistent knee harm.

M Yunus Musah (Valencia): Nonetheless simply 19, Musah is hoping to show an eye-opening preseason right into a breakout marketing campaign in La Liga.

F Christian Pulisic (Chelsea): Pulisic performed the ultimate 25 minutes of the Blues opener and seems set for spot obligation once more this season. The excellent news? That ought to scale back the wear and tear and tear on the USMNT’s most irreplaceable attacker’s physique forward of the World Cup.

F/M Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund): The 19-year-old did not play for BVB final weekend, and he nonetheless is not absolutely match after hamstring accidents value him virtually all of final season. Nonetheless, Reyna can have a minimum of a job off the bench for the U.S. in Qatar even when he isn’t fairly 100%. 

D Antonee Robinson (Fulham): A lock at left again, Jedi helped the Cottagers have a good time their return to the Prem with a 2-2 draw in opposition to Liverpool.

F Tim Weah (Lille): Whereas Weah missed Lille’s curtain raiser with a suspension that carried over from final season, he’ll push for a beginning function with each membership and nation.

D Walker Zimmerman (Nashville): The USMNT’s most constant heart again throughout qualifying has performed nothing to lose his beginning spot.

___

Consolation Plus

M Kellyn Acosta (LAFC): As the one actual backup to Adams, Acosta might even be eligible for an improve right here. 

M Paul Arriola (Dallas): An everyday all through qualifying, Arriola is aware of his function, runs tirelessly and is a good presence within the locker room. These issues do matter at World Cups. Oh, and he is additionally having a profession season with FCD.

D Reggie Cannon (Boavista): Cannon can play at proper again in a four-man again line or in central protection in a 5. That kind of versatility ought to assist get him on the flight.

M Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo): As lengthy playmaker De la Torre will get a minimum of some common taking part in time in La Liga after graduating from the Dutch Eredivisie, he ought to make the lower. 

G Sean Johnson (New York Metropolis): Johnson seemingly moved into the No. 3 keeper spot for good in June. Can he climb into the highest two between now and November?

D Aaron Lengthy (New York Purple Bulls): Lengthy hasn’t been nice in MLS recently, however it will most likely take a extra drastic lack of kind to maintain him from making the journey.

M Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders): Morris been scoring repeatedly for the Sounders, with three strikes in his final eight video games. He additionally presents a defensive tenacity and physicality that’s distinctive within the participant pool.

F Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin): After profitable the Golden Boot in Switzerland final season, Pefok opened his account in Bundesliga on his debut. He’ll play himself onto the squad if he retains scoring.

D Tim Ream (Fulham): He turns 35 in October and hasn’t performed for the USMNT in virtually a yr, however do not depend Ream out. Timing issues, and Ream – who was glorious in opposition to Liverpool regardless of his involvement on the Reds’ late equalizer – is captaining a Premier League crew this season. Like Cannon, the sweet-passing lefty can be snug in several defensive formations.

M Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders): One other glue man, Roldan is in good kind in Seattle, is aware of Berhalter’s system inside out and will not rock the boat if he stays on the bench in Qatar.

D Chris Richards (Crystal Palace): Richards did not play in Palace’s opener following his switch from Bayern Munich, however he is virtually assured to make the U.S. roster even when that does not change quickly.

G Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough): Steffen had a shocker in his second match in England’s second tier, and the frequency of his errors at each the membership and worldwide ranges has turn out to be unimaginable to disregard. That stated, he nonetheless has a few months to place issues proper and discover his recreation.

G Matt Turner (Arsenal): As anticipated, Turner began his first Premier League season as Aaron Ramsdale’s backup. If Steffen continues to wrestle, although, he would possibly discover himself beginning in Qatar regardless. 

F Brandon Vazquez (Cincinnati): The highest-scoring American in MLS with 14 targets, Vazquez has the look of a man who’s taking part in himself onto a World Cup squad.

D DeAndre Yedlin (Miami): The one member of the participant pool with earlier World Cup expertise — that ship has sailed for John Brooks, who nonetheless does not have a membership — Yedlin offers cowl at proper again ought to an harm to Robinson drive Dest to the left. 

___

Standby record 

D George Bello (Arminia Beilifeld): The left again, 20, started on the bench in second tier Arminia’s first three video games, all of which had been losses.

M Gianluca Busio (Venezia): Like Bello’s, Busio’s inventory has fallen since his crew was relegated final yr.

D Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic): The fourth and remaining heart again spot will most likely come all the way down to Carter-Vickers or Ream. 

F Daryl Dike (West Brom): The massive striker’s World Cup aspirations took one other important blow when he suffered a thigh harm earlier than Monday’s tie with Watford.

G Ethan Horvath (Luton City): He is again taking part in repeatedly for the primary time in years, however Horvath’s path seems blocked until one the keepers forward of him will get harm.

D Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes): A tough exhibiting in opposition to Qatar-bound Uruguay in June dropped him down Berhalter’s depth chart.

D Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp): The pure left again has been glorious for Belgium’s prime crew by three video games. If the ultimate fullback spot comes all the way down to Vines or Yedlin, although, guess on the vet.

F Haji Wright (Antalyaspor): The rangy striker drew a penalty and was his crew’s most harmful participant in a 1-0 loss to Turkish energy Galatasaray. However Wright will want targets — a lot of them —to assert a seat.

M Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven): Though a September call-up is feasible, the 21-year-old is a extra lifelike candidate for 2026.

F Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg): Now in his second season within the Bundesliga, Pepi remains to be in search of his first objective.

D/M James Sands (Rangers): An harm to Adams or Acosta might nonetheless open the door for the versatile Sands.

M/F Josh Sargent (Norwich Metropolis): Now taking part in in England’s Championship, the transformed striker getting used within the midfield for the second straight season.

M Malik Tillman (Rangers): One other 2026 venture, Tillman should gentle up the Scottish league to sneak into the cabin. Fortuitously for him, he began on the correct foot (or head) on Tuesday.

M Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers): The extra skilled Roldan possible stands between Williamson and the ultimate midfield slot. 

F Gyasi Zardes (Colorado Rapids): Whereas Zardes stopped getting referred to as towards the tip of qualifying, the veteran ahead was simply named MLS participant of the week after netting a hat trick in opposition to Minnesota. Might a sizzling streak get him again within the combine?

One of many main soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has lined United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities in 2021, he was a workers author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports activities. Observe him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

---

---

---