The USMNT CB pool has a large number of intensity, however there was some turnover on the best. The problem is that there aren’t many avid gamers that totally are compatible what Gregg desires to do. As a urgent group, you wish to have CBs that may quilt floor and are relaxed in area if the clicking will get overwhelmed. As a group that desires to play out of the again you wish to have avid gamers which can be ok with the ball at their ft and will wreck traces with their passing. Chris Richards almost definitely suits this profile the most productive, however he no longer proven a constant skill to be a John Brooks stage distributor. Miles and Walker are nice defenders in area, however their distribution may also be inconsistent. John Brooks is a superb distributor, however he struggles in area.
Going into qualifying, maximum lovers and pundits considered Brooks as a lock and lots of noticed Walker Zimmerman as a participant at the fringes. The ones situations have swapped. Walker has been our maximum constant CB in qualifying and John is suffering to get again within the image. Gregg will in all probability raise 4 CBs at the International Cup roster and I feel there are a pair spots nonetheless up for grabs and lots of applicants that might make a push.
Glance Like Locks
Walker Zimmerman (Nashville)
See above. Walker has been most commonly improbable in WCQ. After seeing 0 mins within the first window and being a past due addition in the second one window, he hasn’t regarded again. He brings a robust veteran presence and depth that the group wishes. He’s been improbable within the air and in cleansing up messes within the field. I consider he’s been our maximum constant distributor from the again as neatly, however the bar has been low and it’s some of the largest spaces for the group to support upon. If the International Cup began the next day, it positive looks as if Walker can be your beginning RCB.
WCQ Stats:
870 mins performed
1 purpose
7 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 48.5% accuracy
15.5 floor duels consistent with 90, 66% luck price
7.7 aerial duels consistent with 90, 67.6% luck price
Miles Robinson (Atlanta United)
It looks like Miles Robinson has been within the USMNT venture for years, however in fact, he made his debut closing summer time on the Gold Cup. He’s been a constant fixture at the backline since that match. Miles is among the absolute best CBs within the MLS, almost definitely 2nd to simply Walker Zimmerman. The general public anticipated Miles to visit Europe this season, however that hasn’t came about and it now turns out much more likely he’ll keep at Atlanta via this season, with in all probability an eye fixed in opposition to the January switch window as a conceivable timeline for a transfer. Miles has been a little bit inconsistent all the way through qualifying. He was once deficient in Canada and has been susceptible to a couple lapses in focus. General I feel Miles is the present favourite to start out at LCB, however he must be extra constant this summer time and do away with a few of his psychological lapses.
WCQ Stats:
1022 Mins performed
0.55 Anticipated objectives
5.6 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 61.9% accuracy
15.4 floor duels consistent with 90, 66.9% luck price
5.9 aerial duels consistent with 90, 68.7% luck price
In The Combine
Chris Richards (Hoffenheim)
Going into WCQ I believed Chris was once going to cement his position within the beginning XI. He was once on course ahead of his damage towards Canada after which any other damage ended his season at Hoffenheim. The purpose now could be for Chris to get are compatible forward of the June set of fits so he can proceed to push for a beginning place and a spot at the squad.
Chris is the youngest of the entire CBs which can be within the combine and he performs on the easiest stage of festival. I feel he additionally has the easiest ceiling and suits Gregg’s gadget the most productive. I’m going to be protecting a detailed eye on what membership he finally ends up beginning the season at. Will he get a possibility to play with Bayern? Will he return to Hoffenheim the place he has a ton of admire? Will he check out a brand new problem? That call goes to play a large position in how viable of an possibility he’s for Gregg.
WCQ Stats:
387 Mins performed
0.15 Anticipated objectives
1.86 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 0% accuracy
18.6 floor duels consistent with 90, 58.8% luck price
6.05 aerial duels consistent with 90, 50% luck price
Aaron Lengthy (New York Pink Bulls)
Aaron Lengthy ruptured his achilles in 2020 and ahead of that there was once not more constant participant in Gregg Berhalter lineups. Aaron attended a couple of camps past due closing 12 months / early this 12 months and made his WCQ debut within the closing window. Aaron is enjoying really well for NYRB and appears to be in higher bodily form than he was once ahead of the damage. Aaron my no longer be some of the best 4 proficient CBs within the pool, however he’s skilled, constant and one in all Gregg’s guys, so he’s were given an excellent likelihood of creating the WC squad.
WCQ Stats:
44 Mins performed
14.32 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 28.6% accuracy
6.14 floor duels consistent with 90, 66.7% luck price
2.05 aerial duels consistent with 90, 100% luck price
Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes)
Erik Palmer-Brown (EPB) has had some of the extra certain seasons of any USMNT participant all the way through the 2021/2022 Eu season. Up till this 12 months, EPB has spent the closing 4 seasons on mortgage from Manchester Town and this 12 months he has in the end discovered an everlasting house. After a rocky get started, he has rattled off 15 begins in a row and has been awarded an everlasting switch to Troyes who nonetheless have a great opportunity to stick up in French’s first department, Ligue 1. As a praise for a robust run of shape, EPB was once referred to as into the closing WCQ camp. Obviously Gregg favored what he have been seeing in France. Erik is more or less like a Chris Richards lite and he suits the gadget neatly. He’s cellular, robust, two-footed and he’s relaxed sufficient with the ball at his ft. For him, it’s about proceeding to thread just right performances in combination for Troyes, this 12 months and subsequent, and getting some possibilities to provoke Gregg this summer time.
WCQ Stats:
15 Mins performed
6 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 0% accuracy
24 floor duels consistent with 90, 75% luck price
Mark McKenzie (Genk)
Mark was once referred to as into each and every qualifying window excluding the closing one. He didn’t play a ton, however it’s transparent that Gregg trusts him and likes what he brings to the crowd. He’s nonetheless very younger for a CB as neatly, handiest 23. In a similar fashion to Chris Richards and Erik Palmer-Brown, Mark is cellular and is ok with each ft which enable him to play as a LCB and a RCB. Mark is indisputably nonetheless within the combine, however with avid gamers like EPB and CCV having robust membership seasons, he must get constant mins at Genk. The indicators there are certain, Mark has began the closing 3 fits and all had been wins. Mark must have a robust summer time if referred to as if and when he is known as into camps and he must snatch a beginning process with Genk early subsequent season if he’s going to have a possibility.
WCQ Stats:
196 Mins performed
3.67 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 50% accuracy
15.15 floor duels consistent with 90, 57.6% luck price
5.51 aerial duels consistent with 90, 25% luck price
John Brooks (Wolfsburg)
I’m no longer going to get into the saga between Gregg and JB. No matter it’s, I feel John can have a possibility to get again within the combine this summer time. Like Yedlin, John is the closing of the 2014 International Cup group that’s nonetheless within the pool. In spite of some differing studies, John has had a just right season for Wolfsburg, although this might be his closing. John might be converting golf equipment this summer time and that transfer can have an affect on John’s USMNT long run. If John and Gregg can paintings it out, I feel John is indisputably a best 4 CB within the USMNT pool and provides skill with the ball at his ft that no different CBs in our pool be offering. John’s alternative with USMNT might be a best information tale to stay observe of this summer time.
WCQ Stats:
196 Mins performed
3.67 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 50% accuracy
15.15 floor duels consistent with 90, 57.6% luck price
5.51 aerial duels consistent with 90, 25% luck price
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Is he in reality nonetheless within the combine? I more or less don’t assume so. He has no longer been with USMNT because the first window and I feel Gregg has moved on, which I feel is the correct name, however it doesn’t really feel proper to not write a couple of phrases about Tim. He’s were given a wealth of revel in, he’s left-footed and he can distribute, however I feel the following wave of CBs have surpassed him. If we’ve got observed the closing of Tim, it’s been a super run for him.
WCQ Stats:
196 Mins performed
3.67 Lengthy passes consistent with 90, 50% accuracy
15.15 floor duels consistent with 90, 57.6% luck price
5.51 aerial duels consistent with 90, 25% luck price
Stay an Eye On
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic)
CCV most likely had the most productive Eu season of any American CB, however it wasn’t sufficient to get the eye of Gregg Berhalter. CCV is a bruising CB with some skill at the ball, however he lacks superlative characteristics and I feel for this reason he hasn’t been on the best of Gregg’s checklist. There are a large number of CBs within the combine, so I feel it’s going to take some accidents for him to get a glance this summer time. It’ll even be fascinating to look the place he finally ends up subsequent 12 months. Will Cetlic be capable of signal him completely or will CCV get a possibility with a Premier League aspect no longer named Tottenham?
Auston Trusty (Colorado Rapids / Arsenal)
The largest factor Auston has going for him is that he’s a left-footed center-back, and we don’t have a large number of the ones. He’s heading to Arsenal this summer time in what is going to most likely be a an identical trail as Erik Palmer-Brown and Matt Miazga, or in different phrases, a mortgage service provider. If Auston can protected a robust mortgage and provoke, he will have an outdoor likelihood to get a glance.
Justin Che (Hoffenheim)
Justin is the primary of 2 very far-fetched situations within the spirit of getting a little bit amusing. Justin is a 2003 participant who just lately moved to Hoffenheim and made his Bundesliga debut in March. He has performed RB and CB and looks as if he’s going to be enjoying RCB in a 3 again gadget at Hoffenheim. I feel Justin’s probabilities of making the International Cup roster could be very low, however he’s were given an elite ability set that matches the gadget completely and he’s at a best membership. If he develops and will get a possibility to start out subsequent 12 months for Hoffenheim, why no longer Justin? His positional flexibility may well be intriguing on the fringes of a possible 26 individual roster.
Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich Town)
Tomkinson is a fair larger longshot as he’s nonetheless on Norwich’s U23 Reserve aspect. This is why I added him: he’s very proficient, Norwich is getting relegated, and he may have a possibility to earn a beginning spot in The Championship subsequent 12 months, a degree that Gregg is relaxed calling avid gamers from. You by no means know what may just occur between now and November, so let’s simply regulate JT.
