Assessing the USMNT’s midfield choices – The Athletic

The U.S. males’s nationwide staff started World Cup qualifying with a giant query within the midfield: Who would be the third participant to staff with No. 6 Tyler Adams and No. 8 Weston McKennie?

Adams and McKennie are considerably identified portions. Each stand out extra for what they do with out the ball than what they do with it. Adams, the holder, is a first-class destroyer. He covers an unreasonable quantity of floor, has seemingly limitless endurance, is superb at closing down opponents and is top-notch at placing out fires. McKennie performs in a extra superior position than Adams, however he’s in an identical mildew. He will be sloppy in possession, however he’s wonderful at taking the ball off opponents in their very own half, a top quality that usually creates harmful transition alternatives for the U.S.

When obtainable, they’re virtually sure starters for head coach Gregg Berhalter. But it surely wasn’t sure who could be the third midfielder to begin alongside them heading into the primary set of qualifiers in September. 

Brenden Aaronson obtained first crack, however he struggled within the center at El Salvador and has since established himself as a pressure on the wing. Kellyn Acosta and Sebastian Lletget had alternatives as effectively, however neither cemented themselves within the September window and each struggled within the October camp. 

That left the door vast open for Yunus Musah, who missed the September qualifiers due to an harm however began all three video games in October. The 18-year-old carried out effectively in two of his three appearances and appears more likely to hold his beginning spot for the USMNT’s subsequent match in opposition to Mexico on Nov. 12. We don’t have a lot information on how Musah matches, nevertheless. Not solely is he a newcomer to the U.S. staff, however he performs in a large position with La Liga membership Valencia. It’s price diving deeper on what he brings as a No. 8.