The United States Men’s National Team returns to action today for the first time since punching its ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Gregg Berhalter’s side begins a busy summer of preparation and evaluation with a friendly against Morocco in the familiar confines of Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium.
Uncharacteristically, Berhalter has seemingly already named his starting lineup a full 24 hours ahead of kickoff.
Aside from a few noticeable absences due to injury, it’s quite a strong lineup to start out the summer with.
One intriguing tactic shift is that of Brenden Aaronson, who will lineup up in a central midfield spot instead of the usual winger position he usually occupies.
While friendlies are usually for getting repetition and increasing familiarity with the system and between the players, this international window brings an advanced level of scrutiny.
This will be one of the last times Berhalter is able to assemble a full group before this winter’s World Cup and his evaluation process has to be nearing it’s climax.
There are only so many minutes to go around so if a player gets a chance, their performance will be under quite the microscope.