FOXIZ Sports' Assessment of United States Men's National Team's Copa América Prospects

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The latest installment of FOXIZ Sports’ 2024 Copa América roster forecast for the United States men’s national team carries a mixed tone of optimism and concern.

Starting with the setbacks, the availability of right-back Sergiño Dest for coach Gregg Berhalter’s 23-man Copa squad hangs in serious doubt following a significant knee injury suffered by Dest while representing his Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven. The severity of the injury is expected to keep the 23-year-old sidelined for an extended period, raising doubts about his participation in the tournament set to commence eight weeks from Thursday.

Adding to the challenges, U.S. Soccer faces the absence of four other players from Berhalter’s lineup in last month’s Concacaf Nations League triumph over Mexico. Tyler Adams is nursing an injury, while Tim Ream, Matt Turner, and Tim Weah find themselves out of regular action for their respective clubs.

Despite the setback surrounding Dest’s injury, the outlook for the USMNT is not entirely bleak. Gio Reyna has earned consecutive starts in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest, showcasing promising performances. Christian Pulisic boasts a career-high tally of 13 goals and an impressive 3,169 minutes played this season for AC Milan. Weston McKennie continues to shine as one of Serie A’s premier midfielders with Juventus.

Noteworthy performances also come from Nations League hero Haji Wright, who continues to find the net, and Chris Richards, who made a formidable return to the pitch with a commanding defensive display for Crystal Palace in a recent 5-2 victory over West Ham.

As the summer approaches, the question remains: What implications do these developments hold for potential Copa América invitations? Let’s delve deeper into the analysis.

Lineup locks

M Tyler Adams, 25, Bournemouth (England)
M Weston McKennie, 25, Juventus (Italy)
M Gio Reyna, 21, Nottingham Forest (England)
F Christian Pulisic, 25, AC Milan (Italy)
D Chris Richards, 24, Crystal Palace (England)
D Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, 26, Fulham (England)
D/F Tim Weah, 24, Juventus (Italy)

Starting Adams in the Nations League decider against El Tri, knowing his limited playing time due to recovery from multiple hamstring surgeries, highlights his significance in Berhalter’s plans. Despite back spasms sidelining Adams for Bournemouth’s last four games, there’s currently no indication that he won’t occupy a pivotal role for his national team this summer.

The standout development revolves around Reyna. His impactful performance off the bench against Jamaica earned him a starting berth over Yunus Musah in the Nations League final, where Reyna scored the decisive goal, securing victory for the United States. Coupled with his rising prominence at Forest and Musah’s inconsistent campaign at Milan, Reyna appears set for a central midfield role alongside Adams and McKennie.

Weah recently made his first start for Juve since February 12 but remains a likely selection for the national team, either in his customary right-wing position or potentially filling Dest’s vacant fullback role, a position he has occasionally occupied in Italy this season. Given Weah’s attacking prowess similar to Dest’s, Berhalter might favor him over the more defensively oriented Joe Scally, who struggled in a recent outing against Jamaica. Nonetheless, Scally’s versatility becomes more valuable in Dest’s absence, as he can also cover for left-back Antonee Robinson if needed. Shifting Weah to defense would create room for another attacker in the lineup.

Potential starters

F Folarin Balogun, 22, Monaco (France)
M Johnny Cardoso, 22, Actual Betis (Spain)
D Cameron Carter-Vickers, 25, Celtic (Scotland)
M Yunus Musah, 21, AC Milan (Italy)
D Tim Ream, 36, Fulham (England)
D Miles Robinson, 26, Cincinnati (MLS)
F Josh Sargent, 23, Norwich Metropolis (England)
GK Matt Turner, 29, Nottingham Forest (England)
D Joe Scally, 21, Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
F/W Haji Wright, 26, Coventry Metropolis (England)

In a matter of weeks, Wright, with an impressive tally of 18 goals in 45 appearances for Coventry in the 2023-24 season, transitioned from being omitted from Berhalter’s initial Nations League roster to earning a starting role in the final ahead of both Balogun and Ricardo Pepi. Presently, based on his current form, Wright emerges as a top contender to lead the Yanks’ attack. His main competition may come from Sargent, who boasts 15 goals in just 24 appearances in the English second tier.

Following underwhelming seasons in Europe, Balogun and Pepi are likely to compete for the final striker position. However, the versatility of Sargent and Wright, both adept at playing wide positions, theoretically allows Berhalter to include all four if Pepi isn’t designated for Olympic duty instead.

In the realm of central defenders, Ream and Robinson will once again vie for the available spot alongside Richards. Additionally, contenders like Carter-Vickers, who missed the March games due to injury, or Mark McKenzie, who has delivered consistent performances throughout the year in Belgium, remain in contention. Cardoso appears to be the likeliest understudy for Adams. Lastly, despite not featuring for Forest since February, Berhalter’s Nations League selections indicate that Turner retains his status as the coach’s preferred goalkeeper.

Rounding out the Copa América squad

F Brenden Aaronson, 23, Union Berlin (Germany)
GK Drake Callender, 26, Inter Miami (MLS)
M Luca de la Torre, 25, Celta Vigo (Spain)
GK Ethan Horvath, 28, Cardiff Metropolis (Wales)
D Kristoffer Lund, 21, Palermo (Italy)
M/F Malik Tillman, 21, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

Aaronson has featured in Union’s last five Bundesliga matches but has endured a rather underwhelming season overall, earning a spot in the March squad only due to De la Torre’s injury. Additionally, Aaronson has transitioned to a central midfield role in Berlin, adding to the competition within the U.S. squad.

Consequently, it’s conceivable that Aaronson, or even Tillman, could be omitted to accommodate another forward or if Berhalter opts to replace Dest with a permanent right-back. In the latter scenario, a seasoned player like Shaq Moore or DeAndre Yedlin, both veterans of the 2022 World Cup, might be preferred over the relatively inexperienced Bryan Reynolds, bound for the Olympics. It seems likely that Kristoffer Lund, a natural left-footer, will continue as backup for Jedi, a role he has consistently fulfilled since late last year.

With Sargent back to full fitness and Wright impressing for both club and country, Balogun and Pepi are not guaranteed spots in the final 23. While Pepi’s remarkable goals-to-minutes ratio as a super-sub for PSV is noteworthy, his limited starting opportunities for the club this season raise questions. A potential prominent role in Paris next season, if approved by PSV and desired by Pepi, could significantly boost his chances.

Nevertheless, Pepi has outscored Balogun, who has recorded eight goals in 27 appearances across Ligue 1 and Coupe de France matches. If Sargent or Wright has surpassed Balogun as Berhalter’s preferred central forward, Pepi may be viewed as the more potent option off the bench.

In reserve or Olympics-bound

M Paxten Aaronson, 20, Vitesse Arnhem (Netherlands)
M Gianluca Busio, 21, Venezia (Italy)
F Cade Cowell, 20, Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico)
F Jesus Ferreira, 23, FC Dallas (MLS)
M Lennard Maloney, 24, Heidenheim (Germany)
F Duncan McGuire, 23, Orlando Metropolis (MLS)
D Shaq Moore, 27, Nashville (MLS)
D Mark McKenzie, 24, Genk (Belgium)
M Aidan Morris, 22, Columbus Crew (MLS)
M/ F Kevin Paredes, 20, Wolfsburg (Germany)
F Ricardo Pepi, 21, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
D Bryan Reynolds, 22, Westerlo (Belgium)
D/M James Sands, 23, New York Metropolis (MLS)
GK, Patrick Schulte, 23, Columbus Crew (MLS)
GK Gaga Slonina, 19, Eupen (Belgium)
GK Zack Steffen, 28, Colorado Rapids (MLS)
M Tanner Tessmann, 22, Venezia (Italy)
D Auston Trusty, 25, Sheffield United (England)
F Brandon Vazquez, 25, Monterrey (Mexico)
D DeAndre Yedlin, 30, Cincinnati (MLS)
M/F Alex Zendejas, 25, Membership América (Mexico)
D Walker Zimmerman, 30, Nashville (MLS)