The U.S. coach will face some tough calls at the World Cup that will determine the difference between success and failure.
World Cup campaigns often come down to moments and decisions.
Talent can win out a lot of the time, sure, but it's not necessarily the most talented team that wins the trophy; it's usually the one that handles tournament football the best.
Over the next few weeks, the U.S. men's national team will face several big moments and several big decisions.
Gregg Berhalter has obviously already dealt with some tough choices, having narrowed the player pool down to the 26-man squad currently in Qatar.
That selection process included some controversy and the coach's picks will only come under greater scrutiny once the games begin.
From uncertainty at some positions to a wealth of options at others, Berhalter has some more difficult decisions to make as the USMNT prepare to kick off their campaign against Wales on Monday…
GettyWhat's going on with the goalkeepers?
This is a decision that's seemingly already been made.
For months, it was Zack Steffen vs. Matt Turner for the USMNT's No. 1 spot. The two were seemingly neck-and-neck as club situations changed for both in the leadup to the World Cup.
Then, suddenly, it was over. Turner's name was on the 26-man list for Qatar. Steffen's was not. And, just like that, the No. 1 race was over.
Turner is almost certainly the guy heading into Qatar, with Sean Johnson and Ethan Horvath his backups. We still don't know exactly why Steffen didn't beat out Johnson and Horvath for a spot in the squad, but Berhalter has said it was a heartbreaking decision to leave the on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper out.
Turner's form and fitness does come with slight question marks, but not enough to really have any concerns. But it's clear that, should something happen, Berhalter does have trust in Johnson or Horvath to step up.
Will the USMNT rue the decision to leave Steffen home? Probably not, but it's still a bit of a shock that he isn't here at all, given he was battling for a starting spot just a few months ago.
AdvertisementGettyWho starts at striker?
When the roster finally dropped, it included Jesus Ferreira, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright as the team's No. 9s. But which of those three starts at the World Cup? If any of them!
As things stand, Ferreira is the favorite given what we've seen so far. He's probably the best fit and, despite his inexperience, has been earmarked as the guy for most of the year. He scored plenty of goals, is creative in the attack and provided energy when pressing. He checks Berhalter's boxes, as the coach himself has said.
Sargent, meanwhile, is in good form, as is Wright, who has scored plenty of goals in Turkey.
But could the USMNT toss in a curveball that, at least thus far, Berhalter has been hesitant to turn to?
The U.S. has a wealth of wingers, including a few that could play at striker. Tim Weah has played the position plenty at club level, and starting him centrally would open up a spot for Brenden Aaronson or Gio Reyna on the wing.
Or, if the U.S. wants to get really fancy, someone like Reyna could start as a false 9, doing many of the same things that Ferreira could do without, perhaps, the natural goalscoring touch. Reyna is a better creator, though, and could help open up space for wingers like Weah or Christian Pulisic to go vertical.
There may be three strikers, but Berhalter has more than three options to start up top.
GettyHow do you pick between the wingers?
Following up on the above, the USMNT's problem isn't wing talent; it's what to do with it all.
You could argue that four of the USMNT's five or six players will need to be narrowed down to the two wing positions. The other two will be benched or moved into somewhere that, until this point, Berhalter has been unwilling to use them.
Getting Pulisic, Weah, Reyna and Aaronson onto the field will be very, very difficult. That means that at least one, maybe two, of those players will need to be used as a supersub. It's a good problem to have and every coach would like to have an ace in the hole at the caliber of those above, but picking which to make that ace is a difficult choice.
Pulisic is basically a lock to start, so let's pencil him in. On the other side, do you go with Weah's verticality, Reyna's creativity or Aaronson's energy? Do you move Weah to striker or do you break up the MMA midfield to slot in Aaronson or Reyna? Can you even trust Reyna to go 90 minutes given the fitness issues he's dealt with over the last year?
Those are questions that Berhalter will need to answer for each game the USMNT play in Qatar.
Getty ImagesWho starts next to Zimmerman?
Walker Zimmerman's spot is certain, but there are still questions about who will start next to him.
Aaron Long has seemingly been the guy since Miles Robinson's catastrophic Achilles injury, and he probably will be the guy in Qatar, but it's definitely not set in stone.
Tim Ream's inclusion in the squad is an interesting one given both his form and his experience. He's been fantastic for Fulham this season and will be familiar with many of Wales and England's players, in particular, thanks to his time in England. That may give him the leg up, with Berhalter saying that his inclusion was partly down to that comfort and familiarity with the British style.
But can Berhalter turn to Ream after not including him for over a year? Is his experience enough to overcome the fact that he hasn't been with the squad in so long?
