2024 Copa América: Predicting the USMNT's 23-man roster

This newest model of FOX Sports activities’ 2024 Copa América roster prediction for the USA males’s nationwide crew has a “good-news, bad-news” really feel to it.

Let’s begin with the unhealthy. Beginning proper again Sergiño Dest’s availability is in main doubt for coach Gregg Berhalter’s 23-man Copa squad after Dest suffered what his Dutch professional membership, PSV Eindhoven, referred to as “what seems to be a severe knee harm” that’s anticipated to sideline the 23-year-old for an “prolonged interval.” The 2024 Copa América kicks off eight weeks from Thursday.

U.S. Soccer had 4 different gamers in Berhalter’s lineup for final month’s Concacaf Nations League win over Mexico who’re additionally both injured (Tyler Adams) or not taking part in commonly (Tim Ream, Matt Turner, Tim Weah) for his or her golf equipment. Not good.

As deflating as Dest’s obvious prognosis is, it’s hardly all gloom and doom across the USMNT. Gio Reyna has now began consecutive Premier League video games for Nottingham Forest and carried out properly in each. Christian Pulisic has a career-best 13 targets and three,169 minutes this season for AC Milan. Elsewhere in Italy, Juventus’ Weston McKennie stays one of many prime midfielders in all of Serie A.

Nations League hero Haji Wright retains scoring; the massive striker netted a stoppage-time equalizer for Coventry Metropolis towards Manchester United in Sunday’s eventual extra-time loss within the FA Cup semifinals. And middle again Chris Richards, who lately missed three straight Premier League matches for Crystal Palace, was a defensive monster in Sunday’s 5-2 win over West Ham in his return.

What does all of this imply for this summer time so far as Copa invites go? Let’s dive in.

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)

Beginning Adams within the Nations League decider vs. El Tri realizing that the midfield destroyer might solely final a half after recovering from a number of hamstring surgical procedures underscores how essential Adams is in Berhalter’s eyes. As of now, there’s no indication that the again spasms which have stored Adams out of Bournemouth’s final 4 video games will stop him from occupying a central function for his nation this summer time.

The massive information right here is Reyna. The rangy playmaker’s star flip off the bench final month towards Jamaica earned him a begin over Yunus Musah for the Nations League ultimate. Reyna then scored the objective that sealed the dos-a-cero victory, giving the Individuals their match three-peat. Mixed along with his rising stature for Forest and Musah’s up-and-down marketing campaign (0 targets, 2 assists in 38 video games throughout all competitions) for Milan, a central midfield function with Adams and McKennie has abruptly develop into Reyna’s to lose.

Final Friday, Weah made his first begin for Juve since Feb. 12. However he nonetheless initiatives as an computerized choice with the nationwide crew, both at his traditional spot at proper wing or maybe now in Dest’s vacated fullback place — one Weah has crammed usually in Italy this season. Like Dest, Weah is an attacking proper again, which Berhalter may favor to the stay-at-home model of Joe Scally. Scally had a tough 45 minutes vs. the Reggae Boyz and seems to have misplaced his beginning job within the Bundesliga. But his worth to the USMNT will increase within the absence of Dest, with Scally additionally in a position to deputize for left again Antonee Robinson if Jedi is out. Shifting Weah again a line would open up a slot for one more attacker, too.

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 (18 targets in 45 appearances for Coventry in 2023-24) went from being left off Berhalter’s authentic Nations League roster to beginning the finale over each Balogun and Ricardo Pepi. Based mostly on present kind, Wright could possibly be the main candidate to spearhead the Yanks’ assault proper now. His stiffest competitors might be Sargent, who has 15 targets in simply 24 appearances within the English second tier.

After disappointing seasons in Europe, Balogun and Pepi determine to vie for the ultimate striker spot. That mentioned, the flexibility of Sargent and Wright — who every have huge expertise deployed extensive — might in concept permit Berhalter to take all 4 if Pepi isn’t designated for Olympic responsibility as a substitute.

Central defenders Ream and Robinson will once more contend for the still-open spot subsequent to Richards. So might Carter-Vickers, who missed the March video games with an harm, or Mark McKenzie, who’s been a rock all 12 months in Belgium. Cardoso stays Adams’ likeliest understudy. Lastly, Berhalter’s Nations League decisions confirmed that Turner stays the coach’s No. 1 keeper even when he hasn’t pulled the gloves on for Forest since February.

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 began Union’s final 5 Bundesliga video games however hasn’t had a great season general and was solely added to the March squad after De la Torre received damage. He’s additionally now taking part in central midfield (reasonably than wing) in Berlin, and there’s a number of competitors there for the U.S.

So it’s attainable that Aaronson and even Tillman could possibly be sacrificed for an additional ahead, or if Berhalter opts to interchange Dest with a full-time proper again. If it’s the latter, a 2022 World Cup vet resembling Shaq Moore or DeAndre Yedlin could possibly be most well-liked to the comparatively inexperienced, Olympics-bound Bryan Reynolds. There may be little purpose to suppose that pure lefty Kristoffer Lund received’t stick as Jedi’s backup, as he has persistently since late final 12 months.

With Sargent wholesome once more, Wright’s current exploits for membership and nation signifies that Balogun and Pepi aren’t essentially assured a spot on the 23, both. Whereas Pepi’s targets (9) to minutes (693) ratio in a super-sub function is off the charts for PSV, it doesn’t change the truth that the Texan began simply twice and performed the equal of seven.7 full matches for his membership all season lengthy. A starring function in Paris forward of subsequent season could possibly be a godsend if PSV green-lights it and Pepi desires to go.

However Pepi has nonetheless outscored Balogun, who has eight targets in 27 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France video games. If Sargent or Wright has leapfrogged Balogun as Berhalter’s middle ahead du jour, might Pepi be thought-about the extra harmful choice 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)

Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports activities. Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities in 2021, he was a employees author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports activities and he has lined United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Comply with him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.