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The USMNT will announce its World Cup roster on Wednesday. Which strikers will make the cut?
The United States men’s national soccer team will announce its roster for the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday evening.
The striker position has been in flux for most of the year but with just two weeks until kickoff in, some clarity has started to emerge.
Before the roster is revealed, here’s the final edition of Pro Soccer Wire’s 2022 striker stock watch series, with players ranked 1-3 expected to make the flight to Qatar.
The USMNT is still in the mix for the Arsenal product
Folarin Balogun is keeping all doors open, including one that could lead him to the U.S. men’s national team.
The Arsenal forward has had an excellent start to his loan to Reims in Ligue 1, posting six goals in his first 10 appearances since making the season-long move to northeastern France.
That will draw plenty of attention, and the England Under-21 — who is also eligible for the USMNT and Nigeria, and has played for the U.S. U-18s in the past — told L’Equipe in an interview that he’s willing to consider all three countries for his international career.
“Just like my future at club level, I am not closing any doors regarding international selection. All options remain open,” said the 21-year-old, whose most recent international appearance involved showing great composure to score for England’s U-21s in a 3-1 win over Germany.
“Above everything, I feel English, but I also have an American side, because I have family in New York and I love going there,” added Balogun, who was born in New York City. “I have my grandmother and cousins in Lagos, even if I haven’t been there since I was very young. My mother sometimes speaks to me in Yoruba and it is important to me.”
At the club level, Balogun has been stellar since making his loan move this summer, and Reims have needed him to be. Factoring in his two assists, he’s been directly involved in eight of the club’s 12 goals this season, as Reims sit one point above the relegation zone.
That shows rapid advancement after a half-season loan to Middlesbrough last season. There, Balogun produced three goals and three assists in 18 appareances in the Championship.
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Remember when Josh Sargent was the USMNT’s top striker? Those days may be returning.
The U.S. men’s national team is set to play a pair of friendlies in Europe later this month as part of their final preparations for the 2022 World Cup.
First, the USMNT will face Japan in Germany on Sept. 23, then it will take on Saudi Arabia in Spain on Sept. 27. With just two matches remaining for the U.S. until the World Cup begins, there’s not a lot of time left for experimenting or introducing new players.
With that being the case, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has hinted that strikers who already have experience in the national team might have an advantage over guys who are still trying to break into the squad.
“What we’re trying to do [is] look at the profile who fits what we’re trying to do the best,” Berhalter said at a Nike event in New York last week, via Steven Goff of The Washington Post. “It may not be the best forward … it’s just what we think fits our team.”
So, who fits the team best?
The latest installment of our USMNT striker stock watch series is dropping now ahead of the release of the September friendlies roster, with players ranked 1-4 considered the most likely candidates for call-ups this month.
Which strikers will the USMNT take to the World Cup? Jordan Pefok and Brandon Vazquez are making strong cases
As the 2022 World Cup continues to draw closer, fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team seem to have a pretty good guesstimate of a first-choice roster with one position in particular standing out as a question mark: striker.
Who will start at the No. 9 spot for the USMNT in Qatar this summer, and who will back him up? The position appears to be totally up for grabs, so we’ve been monitoring the stock of the notable U.S.-eligible striker candidates.
Stateside, the MLS playoff race is heating up, and in Europe, the 2022-23 season has kicked off, providing a good opportunity for a stock watch update.
Let’s get to the list!
Who will start at No. 9 for the USMNT at the World Cup? Right now, Jesús Ferreira leads the striker stock watch power rankings.
If everyone’s healthy, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter probably has a pretty good idea of his preferred starters for the World Cup this fall – at most positions, anyway.
Most spots in the XI have obvious first-choice options, but striker remains a big question mark for the USMNT, at least in the eyes of fans and pundits.
The top candidates for the No. 9 role can make Berhalter’s job easier by performing for their club teams and creating some separation in the competition leading up to November.
We’re going to be periodically checking in on the top striker candidates leading up to the World Cup with our new striker stock watch series. With MLS teams hitting midseason and European clubs beginning preseason, now’s a good time to start.
Let’s get to the list!
