The US men’s national team’s plane had barely even touched down in El Salvador when the complications began to pile up ahead of their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier at Estadio Cuscatlan on Thursday night (10:05 pm ET | CBS Sports Network, Universo, Paramount+).
Christian Pulisic was left back in Nashville to train on his own as he builds back his fitness following a case of COVID-19; that development was expected. Less so was the news that Zack Steffen had suffered a flare-up of back spasms, keeping him in Tennessee, too, and leaving Gregg Berhalter and his coaching staff with a weighty decision to make at goalkeeper.
Matt Turner has gotten the nod ahead of Nottingham Forest newcomer Ethan Horvath.
“It was a difficult choice, and it wasn't easy for us,” Berhalter said in Wednesday’s matchday-1 press conference. “Ethan performed really well in [Concacaf] Nations League and the friendly game after that, in the game against Switzerland. So he's had strong performances for us.
"And we just felt at this given moment, Matt is the goalie in better form, and we went with him. I have complete confidence in him and what he can do and his ability, and the next step is going to be for him to translate it into these ultra-competitive matches and see how he can manage that."
It marks yet another impressive milestone in Turner’s late-blooming Cinderella story. And while Thursday will be the New England Revolution standout’s first career World Cup qualifier, the same could be said for Steffen, Horvath and most of the current roster as well.
“It's tough to sum up just in one sentence or one paragraph, even,” said Turner, who’s helped the Revs charge atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings and led the USMNT to the Gold Cup title during his first extended run at international level this summer. “It's been quite the journey, especially 2021’s been an amazing ride for me. And so I'm just taking things as they come, try not to get too high, get too low, when things are coming and going. And just trying to continue to challenge myself to become a better goalkeeper, a better person, every single day in, day out.”
Berhalter also acknowledged that he harbors concerns about his curtailed options in wide areas, with Pulisic left at home and Tim Weah the most recent in a string of injury absences. They both come from high-profile club situations, with Pulisic at reigning UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea and Weah at reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille.
“One of my concerns is verticality,” admitted the coach, then referencing injured Seattle Sounders and D.C. United standouts. “When you think about Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola, Christian to a certain extent, Timmy Weah, they give you that verticality that you need that really threatens opponents.
“And when you think about a guy like Gio [Reyna] and Konrad [de la Fuente] and Brenden [Aaronson], potentially, it's more difficult for them. So that's something that we're really talking about with our winger group, is stretching the opponent, being vertical, using our pace, using our speed to get behind the opponent. We know that's an important part of our game.”
Another intriguing and potentially decisive development: Concacaf will not deploy video assistant referees in the Octagonal phase, despite having rolled out the technology in their other showcase events earlier this year, injecting yet another source of uncertainty in the inherently tumultuous process of deciding the region’s World Cup representatives. It was particularly key in the CNL final, where a Mexico goal was waved off after video review and the USMNT’s eventual game-winning penalty kick was earned via a VAR decision.
Berhalter did not hesitate to register his disapproval.
“That's an error. I think it's an error by Concacaf, I’ll just freely say that because that's part of the game,” said the coach. “VAR, I think it was great that they implemented it in Nations League and Gold Cup, and it's disappointing that it's not part of qualifying. That's where the modern game is going.
“We want to be right up there with the rest of the world, our region, in terms of the quality and technology. And we need to find a way to get that done. So I'll say that's disappointing. But it's also going to be no VAR for all the teams involved. So we'll deal with it, and we'll get on with it.”
Another unknown to navigate: How will players’ bodies and minds handle the extra wear and tear of three qualifying matches in this and other Octagonal windows rather than the previous norm of two? If you take the usually meticulous Berhalter at his word, even he hasn’t tried to reckon that too far into the future as Sunday’s home meeting with Canada and next week’s trip to Honduras loom.
“I don't think there's any one answer to it,” he said when asked about his plans for squad rotation amid the heavy schedule. “We have a clear plan for these first two games. And I'd say we have a plan in pencil for the third game, but we're going to have to reassess after the second game, see where guys are at and prepare for the third game.”
