Analyzing the United States Copa America Roster
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
And Then There Were 26...
Being in the Copa America presents a selection problem for manager Gregg Berhalter, because he’s got to decide whether his younger players will get more out of playing in Paris in the Olympics or on home soil against South America’s best. With both events happening this summer, anyone 23 or younger could go either way.
Given that the Yanks’ group includes middling Panama and weak Bolivia, there’s little worry about getting out of Group C. But they’ve been paired with Group D in the knockout stage, which is easily this tournament’s Group of Death with Brazil and Colombia leading the way. The U.S. just faced Colombia in a friendly and lost 5-1, which presents a pretty good idea of the gap between the teams.
The rosters expand from 23 to 26 for this year’s edition of Copa America, so there aren’t a lot of decisions for Berhalter to make. Here’s a look at Berhalter's finalized roster:
Goalkeepers
- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff) - Sean Johnson (Toronto) - Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest).
There’s no mystery here. Berhalter only has three goalkeepers in camp with the USMNT, and three goalkeepers is the minimum for major tournaments like this one. The U.S. used the same three keepers — Matt Turner, Sean Johnson and Ethan Horvath — at the 2022 World Cup, and Berhalter has seen no reason to change. Drake Callender of Inter Miami could have been a new addition, but the 26-year-old will have to wait until next time.
Despite his shaky performance against Colombia, Turner will likely be the choice to start in the net this tournament.
Defenders
- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) - Kristoffer Lund (Palermo) - Mark McKenzie (Genk) - Shaq Moore (Nashville) - Tim Ream (Fulham) - Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) - Antonee Robinson (Fulham) - Miles Robinson (Cincinnati) - Joe Scally (Borussia Moenchengladbach).
With no Sergino Dest, the U.S. had to make some changes. So far, Joe Scally hasn’t been the answer, as he found it difficult to create anything against Colombia. What made Dest so important was that he impacts the game at both ends of the pitch, and the U.S. cannot easily replace his attacking abilities.
With no Sergino Dest, the U.S. had to make some changes.
Getting Chris Richards back after he missed the World Cup should help, but the ageless Tim Ream looked his 36 years against Colombia. Shaq Moore will likely make an impact, but he’s seen more as a defense-first type of player. That might become valuable against Uruguay, but Berhalter will likely want to attack against the likes of Bolivia and Panama. This puzzle will take at least a couple games to solve.
The sure things are Richards and Jedi Robinson, both of whom played against Colombia. Beyond that, there’s work ahead for Berhalter.
Midfielders
- Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) - Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis) - Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo) - Weston McKennie (Juventus) - Yunus Musah (Milan) - Giovanni Reyna (Nottingham Forest) - Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven) - Timmy Tillman (Los Angeles FC).
To call the Gio Reyna situation in Qatar a fiasco would be underselling it. Fortunately, Berhalter and Reyna appear to have patched things up, and he’s likely to be a major part of the squad.
To call the Gio Reyna situation in Qatar a fiasco would be underselling it.
The same holds for captain Tyler Adams, even though he didn’t play against Colombia. Adams has battled hamstring and back issues all year, which restricted him to five appearances for Bournemouth in the club campaign. When healthy, he changes the game for the Americans. Berhalter will be relying on a healthy Adams to control the midfield this tournament.
Yunus Musah has the excuse of not being fully fit, but the U.S. needs more from both him and Weston McKennie in the Copa. The two stars have gained a reputation as stand out American players but have yet to really make their mark on the international stage.
Forwards
- Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin) - Folarin Balogun (Monaco) - Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven) - Christian Pulisic (Milan) - Josh Sargent (Norwich) - Timothy Weah (Juventus) - Haji Wright (Coventry).
Josh Sargent isn’t fully fit, but Berhalter selected him anyway. That means he’s likely quite confident in Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright who played well in the Colombia match. The U.S. play their two easiest games to lead off the Copa, so Sargent has time to recover before they may really need him for knockout stage games.
Expect Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun to figure in the early matches. Both played in the Colombia match, and both will be needed against the stronger side. Berhalter will likely use the Bolivia and Panama matches to experiment before the knockouts.
Compared to the last major tournament, the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the new players on the team are Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards, and Miles Robinson, as well as midfielders Johnny Cardoso and Mark Tillman. Additionally, in the offensive line, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are expected to perform well in this tourney.
Forecasts on the Possible Trajectory of the United States in the 2024 Copa América
To begin with long-term bets, there are some interesting odds for the United States, whether in the group stage or the knockout phase.
United States to the Quarterfinals
After a 2022 World Cup without surprises, where the United States had a discreet but sufficient performance to advance to the round of 16, only to be defeated by the Netherlands, the predictions for this tournament won't be much different.
In a group with Panama and Bolivia, two teams that are significantly lower in the FIFA rankings, the USMNT should advance without issue. However, knowing that they will most likely face strong favorites like Brazil and Colombia in the quarterfinals, they might not have the level to advance beyond that.
