2023 was a peculiar year for the US men’s national team. For starters, Gregg Berhalter didn’t return as head coach until the summer following a scandal that involved Gio Reyna and his family. After that, the USMNT had time to experiment with some new ideas. Now, though, it is time for the next cycle to truly start.
This summer will be a big one for the USA. The 2024 Copa America will be hosted on American soil with the USMNT invited. They have been drawn in a group alongside Uruguay, Bolivia and Panama and could face Argentina or Brazil in the knockout rounds. This will be a serious test for Berhalter’s team.
Before that, the USMNT face Jamaica in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League with a place in the final against either Mexico or Panama up for grabs. This trophy might not be the most prestigious in international soccer, but it is another opportunity for the USA to reassert its continental dominance.
It’s also a chance for Berhalter to solidify his plans for the 2024 Copa America and beyond with a World Cup on home soil (co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA) looming in 2026. The USMNT head has a number of questions to answer before this summer and every training camp and match between now and then is important.
There has been a lot of discussion around the USMNT’s midfield. Berhalter favoured a central unit consisting of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah at the 2022 World Cup. This is the central trio he built his entire team around, but Adams has missed the majority of this season through injury while Musah is a peripheral figure at AC Milan.
Johnny Cardoso has made an impact at Real Betis in La Liga, but the 22-year-old has only ever made nine appearances for the USMNT. If Cardoso is to be a key figure for the US at this summer’s Copa America, Berhalter has a lot of work ahead of him to integrate him into the team during the current international window.
Adams has been called into the camp for this week’s Nations League semi-final against Jamaica despite the midfielder only recently making his return for Bournemouth. This speaks to the 25-year-old’s importance for the USMNT. Berhalter clearly wants to get Adams back on the pitch as soon as possible.
Gio Reyna is another player who Berhalter must assess before the summer. The 21-year-old has struggled for game time since joining Nottingham Forest on loan from Borussia Dortmund in January, but he remains one of the most talented players in the USMNT pool. He could play a significant role at the Copa America.
“We know Gio is a creative player. We know he’s a great player for the final pass,” said Berhalter ahead of the Nations League match against Jamaica. “And you know, we have to see what he can do in terms of workload, how long he could last in the field because he hasn’t been playing, but we also see other options as well.”
Matt Turner has been demoted to second-choice at Nottingham Forest, but most assume he will keep his place as USMNT number one, not least due to a lack of other options. While Turner has made a series of mistakes in the Premier League this season, he has always delivered for the national team.
In central defence, Chris Richards is expected to occupy one of two positions. Alongside Richards, Miles Robinson and Tim Ream could be fielded, although the latter is well into the twilight of his career at 36 years old and might not be a feasible option by the time the 2026 World Cup arrives.
There is still time for Berhalter to get things right before 2026, but the next two years will be crucial in the USMNT’s development. Berhalter has stated his ambition of leading the national team to the World Cup semi-finals and there’s not yet enough evidence to suggest they are good enough to make such a deep run.
Berhalter still has his critics to silence, but a second cycle presents him with the opportunity to finish the job he started as USMNT head coach. 2023 was a time for experimentation. 2024, however, must be when genuine strides forward are made, starting with the CONCACAF Nations League.
