The U.S. could build a strong starting XI from Gold Cup absentees – how would they fare against the active squad?
It's official now: the U.S. men's national team is a bit shorthanded this summer. After Thursday's roster announcement for the upcoming Gold Cup, several of the team's biggest stars are absent – some due to injury, some due to Club World Cup commitments, some due to coaching decisions.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson – all key players, but all are missing out. And that's just the top of the list.
That's not to say that the squad Mauricio Pochettino has assembled isn't strong or – perhaps more important in the context of this World Cup cycle – promising, from both evaluation and development perspectives. In fact, quite the opposite. The fact that there is such talent both in the rosters of players present those missing actually speaks to the depth of this overall player pool.
While several Sharpie'd-in stars are missing this final summer before this next World Cup, there are multiple players in this squad looking to capitalize on the opportunity and write their own name on next year's roster by standing out over the next few weeks.
Just for fun, though, It's worth a comparison. What will the actual U.S. XI look like for the Gold Cup? How could you construct an XI from those players not included? And who would win, head-to-head?
GOAL takes a hypothetical look.
Getty ImagesGK: Matt Turner (in) vs Zack Steffen (out)
This was supposed to be one of the big position battles this summer, but injury issues forced both zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte out of the squad. As a result, the two MLS standouts won't get to make their case for the No. 1 shirt in this summer's Gold Cup.
The good news for the USMNT is that the reigning No. 1, Turner, is in camp, giving the Gold Cup group a reliable, experienced World Cup veteran in net, one that also has a point to prove himself.
Head-to-head winner: Turner.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLB: John Tolkin (in) vs Antonee Robinson (out)
Not a particularly fair fight here, as Robinson is far and away the best left-back in the pool and, realistically, one of the best at any level today. The Fulham star recently underwent surgery to fix nagging injury problems that slowed down what, at one point, looked like it would be a record-breaking Premier League season.
Tolkin, meanwhile, was a late call-up, but a deserved one, for sure. He thrived with Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga despite club's relegation, which makes him look destined for bigger and better going forward for club and country.
Head-to-head winner: Robinson.
Getty Images SportCB: Mark McKenzie (in) vs Auston Trusty (out)
Compared to other positions, the center-back position was largely unimpacted by injuries, leaving Pochettino with plenty of choices to fill out his roster. Ultimately, Trusty wasn't one of the lucky few called while McKenzie was.
At the moment, there's seemingly little to split the center-backs, which means World Cup spots will almost certainly come down to form. A strong showing from McKenzie at the Gold Cup, though, would do wonders.
Head-to-head winner: McKenzie.
GettyCB: Chris Richards (in) vs Cameron Carter-Vickers (out)
Another Celtic defender left off the squad, Carter-Vickers is also in the mix at a crowded center-back position. At the moment, though, there's no one higher up on the depth chart than Richards, who took a big step forward for Crystal Palace this season.
Fresh off an FA Cup win, Richards will be the anchor of the USMNT defense at the Gold Cup this summer.
Head-to-head winner: Richards.
