United States

Pedigree After an untimely intermission, the United States is back. The humiliating failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament — after an unbroken streak stretching back to 1990 — means that Coach Gregg Berhalter’s team has almost no experience of playing at a World Cup. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen.

Ambition What the U.S. lacks in international experience, this generation of players makes up for in exposure to Europe’s major leagues (and, indeed, the Champions League). Christian Pulisic might be the golden boy, but the likes of Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Gio Reyna have all earned their spurs. A place in the last 16 should be feasible.

Key Question The most obvious concern is who, exactly, will score. A more pressing inquiry might be whether Berhalter’s decision to give youth its day is prioritizing the future at the expense of the present. The U.S. will be among the youngest teams at the World Cup. The hope may be that pays dividends on home soil in 2026.




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