sport news US national team believe they have a real chance at winning the World Cup, but ... trends now
With a crop of outstanding youngsters dotted around Europe's biggest clubs, Team USA believe they have a genuine shot of winning the World Cup when they co-host in 2026.
The big dilemma surrounds next month in Qatar. Should they rely exclusively on Generation Z to give them fast-track experience or bring in short-term fixes to boost their chances of qualifying from England's group.
So far manager Gregg Berhalter is favouring the former despite outside pressure.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has put together a squad full of promising young talents ahead of the upcoming World Cup
The squad that starts their World Cup campaign against Wales will be based around a trio of teenagers Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Yunus Musah (Valencia) and Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach) plus 21-year-olds Sergino Dest (AC Milan) and Brenden Aaronson (Leeds). Malik Tillman, on loan from Bayern Munich to Glasgow Rangers, is 20 and the "elders", captain Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) and Weston McKennie (Juventus), are themselves just 24.
Berhalter did include 29-year-old MLS defender Walker Zimmerman as the oldest member of his squad for the final warm-up games Japan and Saudi Arabia but resisted pressure to pick Fulham's in-form and experienced defender Tim Ream and 26-year-old striker Jordan Pefok who is top of the Bundesliga with Union Berlin and scoring goals.
At 6ft3ins, he'd certainly have given the Americans another option.
Their absences were noted in a lacklustre 2-0 defeat against the Japanese in Düsseldorf and another flat show on Tuesday against the Saudis will increase calls for the coach to do a U-turn.
Aged 29, former Newcastle full-back DeAndre Yedlin is one of the elder statesmen of the team
Young players with speed and energy can create momentum but when things are going wrong on the pitch, there is a lack of leadership to pull them through.
Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner had the best vantage point against Japan and candidly acknowledged it should act as a wake-up call for the rookie squad, only one of whom, DeAndre Yedlin, has played in a World Cup finals before.
'Japan thought quicker than us and we took too long to adapt,' summarised Turner.
'There are times we will suffer in matches and have to make adjustments on the fly.
'We wish we had shown our personality but better now than in Qatar.
