Johnny Cardoso’s right ankle is going under the knife so his name won’t be called on May 26th, when the USMNT officially announces the World Cup roster. This is too bad for the Brazilian-American because it looked like he was going to make the squad based on his run of form for Atletico Madrid. Another injury concern is Lyon’s Tanner Tessman, whose muscle strain kept him from action last weekend and this Sunday against Lens.
What was once a relatively stable part of the team, now has question marks. Another question affecting the midfield is what formation Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will use, which may be answered in the two friendlies before the World Cup against Senegal on May 31st and Germany on June 6th. What we do know is that he prefers a two-man defensive tandem screening the defense, and that he will shift forwards and wingers into midfield roles.
How the USMNT midfield will look without Johnny Cardoso
To get an idea of what may happen at the World Cup, Pochettino named nine midfielders to the June 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup’s 26 man roster and in the final against Mexico, he had the aforementioned two defensive midfielders and three attacking midfielders in the USMNT’s 4-2-3-1. Taking this as the template, below are the best midfielders for the tournament.
Caveat: Below are midfielders and do not include forwards such as Christian Pulisic and Brendan Aaronson.
Position | Player | Club | USMNT Appearances | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Defensive Midfield | Tyler Adams | Bournemouth (Premier League) | 52 | |
Defensive Midfield | Tanner Tessmann | Lyon (Ligue 1) | 14 | His physicality will be vital |
Attacking Midfield | Weston McKennie | Juventus (Serie A) | 64 | Has it all: versatility, work rate, and high-level club experience |
Attacking Midfield | Malik Tillman | Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga) | 28 | Creative and offensive-minded |
Attacking Midfield | Gio Reyna | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 36 | Has unique playmaking abilities lacking elsewhere |
There were question marks surrounding Gio Reyna, but his recent goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach suggests he was down, but never out. Johnny Cardoso requiring surgery may give Reyna that World Cup ticket that looked like evading him, even if it means tweaking the midfield slightly to accommodate the inclusion.
USMNT fans will hope that he takes this golden opportunity and returns the truth graciously. He has done in the past, after all.
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