USMNT has just a matter of weeks before the World Cup kicks off, and there is excitement aplenty, with this World Cup being a home one, albeit it's jointly-hosted with Mexico and Canada.
US Soccer has gone big in employing Mauricio Pochettino for this tournament, giving UMSNT the best chance of succeeding on the World Cup stage after a relatively disappointing World Cup in Qatar.
With the end of the club season in sight, the race for places in the roster, and indeed the starting XI, is hotting up. And as the roster announcement draws closer, we have put together what we believe is the most likely starting XI for the first World Cup game, against Paraguay on June 12, providing everyone stays fit.
GK - Matt Freese
Freese has been a regular starter under Pochettino, edging out Matt Turner, who will also be an option this summer. The NYCFC keeper is the logical option given his recent inclusion, given he has been working with this back-line regularly and he is already in rhythm. He lacks big game experience, but there is only one way to get it.
RWB - Timothy Weah
Weah is a luxury to have, given he can play virtually anywhere, making him a perfect tournament player. But he has been playing at full-back for Marseille, and he is not going to be a starter in midfield for USMNT, given the talent there. A wing-back role is likely, allowing him to express his attacking side and his defensive capabilities. Alex Freeman of Villarreal is also going to be pushing for a start in this position.
CB - Chris Richards
One of the first names on the team sheet, Richards is coming off a very solid season with Crystal Place and will be one of the most important center-backs in this roster.
CB - Tim Ream
Ream brings experience aplenty, already earning 80 caps for his nation. The Charlotte FC star is 38 years of age, so starting every game is going to be out of the question, but he may well start the tournament as Pochettino looks to add an experienced head to keep some of his young and excited players level-headed. As the tournament progresses, Mark McKenzie could play here, and you wonder whether Freeman may play on the right side of a three.
CB - Aston Trusty
The center-back positions are admittedly hard to pick beyond Richards, but Trusty could get the nod despite having been overlooked a fair bit by Pochettino. Trusty has featured pretty regularly for Celtic, making 21 league appearances, and he may edge out McKenzie, who is also likely to be on the plane.
LWB - Antonee Robinson
One of the first names on the team sheet, Robinson will almost certainly start every game. He has been a fine player at Premier League level with Fulham, and his attacking abilities from wing-back, along with his ability to keep up with fast and dangerous players defensively is going to be vital for USMNT.
CM - Tyler Adams
Adams is another player who is effectively a guaranteed starter. He has played regularly for a superb AFC Bournemouth side this season, and he is going to be very important in that midfield.
CM - Weston McKennie
McKennie is another who will bring the top-level experience the USMNT needs, especially if they progress to the knockout rounds. The Juventus midfielder has been a regular this season, and he is going to be a regular for Pochettino this summer. Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann and Sebastian Berhalter will likely play supplementary roles in this midfield.
CAM - Diego Luna
This is one of the position selections that could go a few ways, and Pochettino could go with one CAM in some formation variations. Gio Reyna will be talked about, but he hasn't played a lot this season, and he certainly hasn't been productive. That could lead Pochettino to play the more productive Diego Luna here, and Luna can add that something different that may be required to open up games.
CAM - Christian Pulisic
Pulisic is coming off the back of a superb season with AC Milan, scoring 10 and providing three assists. While often thought of as a winger, Pulisic has played further forward for Milan, usually in that support striker or CAM role, and occasionally even up top. Pochettino will want to play Pulisic in the position he is thriving in, and USMNT is going to need him to continue his superb form this summer.
ST - Folarin Balogun
Balogun is almost certain to be the starting striker this summer, having scored 18 times and provided five assists for AS Monaco this season. He is in superb form, and he has earned the chance to start for his nation at the World Cup. Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi are likely to be the alternatives, and they will likely get minutes in support roles, but Balogun has that high-level experience the USMNT needs on the big stage.
Add us as a preferred source on Google