With the 2022 World Cup a month away and the national break coming to end, it’s time to reflect on what happened. Team USA had two games this break, against Japan and Saudi Arabia, and had underwhelming results in both matches. They played Japan on Friday the 23rd and lost 2-0. For a team with World Cup hopes this defeat is rather embarrassing. In both matches, Coach Gregg Berhalter was using as close to their strongest lineup as possible. On Tuesday the 27th they played Saudi Arabia and drew 0-0. Star players like McKennie, Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Yedlin, Dest, and Jesus Ferreira all played, and still, they couldn’t score a goal.

Gregg Berhalter has some questions to answer before he announces the official World Cup roster. For starters, who should get the start in goal? Berhalter has three solid options to choose from: Ethan Horvath who subbed in for the injured Zach Steffen to close out the Gold Cup, Matt Turner who currently plays backup for Arsenal, and, finally, Sean Johnson, the starting keeper for NYCFC. To me, there’s only one true answer to this question: without a doubt, it has to be Sean Johnson. Out of the three keepers on rotation, he is the only keeper to get reliable game time. While the league might be a lower quality than England’s top flight keeper Sean Johnson is playing every single game. Who should be there to go to the guy upfront? When it comes to a national competition you need to have a reliable striker who can constantly put the ball in the back of the net. Berhalter has a couple of options, including Jesus Ferriera who is having a fantastic season for Fc Dallas. Ferriera has been very productive in front of goal, scoring 18 goals in 27 games. His FC Dallas teammate Paul Arriola is similarly having a productive season with 9 goals and 5 assists. Berhalter could also use either Pulisic or Reyna as false nine — not to forget Timothy Weah who’s quietly having a great season for Losc Lille in the French League one. If the United States intends to make it out of the group stage, they’ll need a strong midfield to move the ball forward. In just a few games at Leeds, Tyler Adams has shown what he can do. Whether it’s winning contested balls, moving the play forward, or finding a teammate in a scoring position, Adams can do it all.

So, should we be worried about our chances? While the results of these last two matches are underwhelming, we have a young squad that’s still growing. The United States is in a tough group with England, Wales, and Iran. The first match is on Monday, November 21st against Wales.