I first attempted this in May of last year. What was the attempt? Well, I tried to get inside Gregg Berhalter’s head and describe the type of player he was looking for at each position on the field for the USMNT.
Here’s a link to that article if you’re curious about version 1.0
If you’ve paid close attention to Berhalter during the time he’s been in charge he has used the term “profile” regularly. He has in mind certain styles of player at each position on the field and his vision for those positions has changed over the course of his tenure.
For example, when he first took over, the right back position was designed as a hybrid fullback/center midfield spot. I believe this is because back in 2018 the US had a glut of midfielders and approximately zero good outside back options. Fast forward to 2021 – we have a right back starting at Barcelona and a couple reasonable left back choices…changing what you want from that position seems like a pretty good idea.
In short, Berhalter’s evolution of the USMNT has involved going from a possession heavy attack paired with a “bend but don’t break” style 4-4-2 defense, to a still possession heavy, but aggressive press/counterpress style 4-3-3 defense. Here’s my current hypotheses on what style of player Berhalter is looking for at each position;
Goalkeeper
I’d say this profile is unchanged since Berhalter’s reign commenced. Comfort on the ball and being able to distribute accurately (especially that medium clipped ball to the fullback) are the desired traits here, perhaps even above overall shot stopping ability. I used to be convinced that Sean johnson was the backup for this reason, but the rise of Matt Turner (this sounds a lot like Nat Turner, doesn’t it history buffs?) has probably changed that. We shall see.
Right Back
This is almost an attacking winger now. Dest is still going to have to get back and defend, but in possession this player is going to be way up the field. Gone are the days of the RB/CM hybrid. If the USMNT is going to possess and attack according to plan, then this player is going to be across midfield a lot. The fullback needs to be up high and wide to stretch the opposing backline towards the sideline. This hopefully opens space in the channel between the cb and the lb for attackers to exploit.
Left Back
This is another position that has morphed over time. The most common left back in the past two years has been Tim Ream. Either because this was what Gregg desired from the position or because of the players available, the left back was almost a third center back. He would slide over to form a back three in possession and back into more traditional left back position when the team didn’t have the ball.
The “new” left back profile looks like it’s going to much more closely mirror the right back. Antonee Robinson and Sam Vines certainly don’t possess the offensive gifts of Sergino Dest, but they are both competent. Their ability to get forward and stretch the right back wide on their side of the field will make room for Christian Pulisic (or whatever right footed left winger) on that side of the field.
Left Center Back
Unchanged. This position is still manned by John Brooks and backed up by Tim Ream or Mark McKenzie. In any case, this spot has been ideally filled by a defender that can start attacks out of the back with accurate long balls or line breaking passes. Status quo.
Right Center Back
Another change is afoot. If you’ve read some of my roster analysis before you might remember that I’ve called this position the “Sweeper CB” spot. That’s more or less because the USMNT hasn’t had a viable ball playing center back to try out here. As a result, the position has been mostly manned by excellent athlete/defender types like Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman.
Say hello to Chris Richards. I’ve thought he was the best RCB in the USMNT pool since the 2019 U20 World Cup, but there has been no high level playing time to back that up. Thanks to Hoffenheim this is no longer the case. Richards is an excellent defender and appears to have quite a bit of talent on the ball. Let’s see it with USMNT now and hope we have our first center back/unicorn.
Chris Richards is going to be a really good center back in the world game. He’s strong in the air. Can read the field well and can break lines with his passing. pic.twitter.com/8wJ7bL7a5z
— Bobby Rampage (@RampageBobby) February 19, 2021
Defensive Midfield
New profile #4. Say goodbye to the cerebral controlling midfielder that didn’t play great defense. Don’t get me wrong – Gregg still wants this guy to pass and initiate offense, but that’s not the first skill he’s looking for anymore. This player needs to be able to counterpress and cover space first and (perhaps) foremost. Tyler Adams is #1 with a bullet here and I honestly don’t have a good idea about who is #2. Sands and Perea I think offer the best defense at the position, but Jackson Yuiell is still hanging around. This is the most interesting backup spot on the team imo.
Pressing 8s
I really like this change. In the past there was a mild differentiation between the left and right 8. One of the two was more offensive minded and one was more defensive minded. This two players are essentially interchangeable now. They both need to cover a ton of ground and be a pain in the rear to play against. Offensive skill is a plus, but we’re no longer looking for a “10” in one of these spots. McKennie and Musah are the presumed starters here, but we’ll see what happens with Yunus. Even if he goes back to England there’s quite a few guys that could partner McKennie competently.
Left Wing
More of the same. This is Pulisic’s spot and if he’s not there we have approximately 78 other right footed players that would love to get a shot. None of them are Pulisic, but we can get by.
Right Wing
This is interesting. In the past, this has been a run in behind style winger. I think we can all imagine the diagonal ball from the defensive midfielder to this player, who then heads it back across for a goal. I think those balls are gonna get aimed at a right back more often now. This player is becoming a drift inside, playmaking winger. It would be nice if somebody was left footed (*cough* Efra *cough*), but there are several players in the pool that could fill this role. We’ve seen Reyna and Ledezma try it. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see Aaronson/Weah there or Mihailovic do it with Olympic team.
This may also be an opposition dependent lineup choice. Weah is especially appealing because I think he has the ability to play the position in both styles. Can we just play games already?
Forward
What a mess. This profile has drifted to become a little more “False Nine-y,” but the number and style of players in contention is kinda ridiculous. Here’s who I’ve got:
- Josh Sargent
- Gyasi Zardes
- Jesus Ferreira
- Daryl Dike
- Jozy Altidore
- Nicholas Gioachinni
- Sebastian Soto
- Jordan Siebatcheu (declared for the US today)
- Matthew Hoppe
Did I miss anybody? I think Sargent is the best bet out of those players for someone that can drop in and help connect the attack while also getting into the box to finish chances, but we have barely seen him with the national team. If any of the players listed above breaks out in a big way this profile may change to accomodate.
Let’s Go
In conclusion, please remember that I’m an idiot with a laptop. This is all my opinion based on spending way too much time watching the USMNT play. Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to two games against decent opponents in the March window and then a ton of competitive games in the summer. Let’s hope Berhalter can get this all figured out before September rolls around. See y’all on Twitter. Be nice.
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