The United States are hosting the World Cup and their squad announcement has arrived with equal parts excitement and genuine concern. Mauricio Pochettino has made his picks — and the midfield, supposedly the deepest position in the USMNT pool, looks alarmingly bare.
Christian Pulisic leads the 26-man group as expected, joined by Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, and a returning Gio Reyna. On paper, this is the most talented roster the U.S. has ever sent to a World Cup. Whether that translates into results is a different question — it hasn't so far.
The midfield problem nobody wanted to talk about
The omissions of Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris were the real shock here. Tessmann reportedly suffered a muscle injury two weeks before the announcement, and while it was thought to be minor at the time, it may have factored into his exclusion. Morris's absence is harder to explain. Pochettino took a calculated gamble on a position that was supposed to be the USMNT's strongest — and it's now arguably their most exposed.
Johnny Cardoso is out entirely after ankle surgery following a training-ground tackle at Atletico Madrid. Patrick Agyemang ruptured his Achilles in April. Cameron Carter-Vickers tore his in November. Three significant absences, and the Cardoso one stings the most given how much he'd grown into a reliable engine in that midfield.
Tyler Adams becomes even more critical as a result. When he's on the pitch, the team's defensive structure holds its shape. If he picks up a knock in Group D, the problems compound quickly.
Balogun's form makes him the most dangerous American on the pitch
The most compelling individual storyline entering this tournament isn't Pulisic — it's Folarin Balogun. The Monaco striker scored in nine of his last 11 Ligue 1 matches, including eight consecutive from February to April. He arrives in the best form of any player in the squad, and his price as a scorer throughout the group stage deserves a serious look.
Reyna's inclusion adds unpredictability to the attack, the kind that's genuinely hard to plan against. On his best days he's unplayable for this level. The question has always been consistency, and at a World Cup on home soil, the stage is set for him to finally deliver it.
The United States land in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey — a draw that offers a realistic path to the Round of 16. Their all-time best at a modern World Cup is a quarterfinal in 2002, achieved by beating Mexico. They've never beaten a non-CONCACAF side in the knockout rounds. That is the ceiling this squad is being asked to break through, on home soil, with a midfield held together by optimism as much as personnel.
Pochettino, hired after the USMNT's Copa America group-stage embarrassment, is widely expected to walk away after the tournament regardless of outcome. This is his one shot with this group. The roster he's named tells you he's betting on attack. Whether the midfield can hold long enough for that to matter is the defining question of the USA's summer.
