By Paul Tenorio, Jeff Rueter and Greg O’Keefe
The U.S. men’s national team kicks off the 2024 Copa America on Sunday. The tournament provides the team with its final competitive challenge before hosting the 2026 World Cup, which comes with automatic qualification for the three joint hosts.
Since Greg Berhalter first took over as head coach of the USMNT in 2018, he has ushered in a new era for the program, giving promising young players their starts and a youth movement with some veteran holdovers. Have built our team around. Although the team has become CONCACAF’s dominant force for the past six years, that success has rarely translated when facing opposition from beyond the confederation.
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The Copa America is here – can it take the game forward in the Americas?
Before facing CONCACAF rivals Panama and Uruguay, one of the favorites to win this summer, the US will face Bolivia in a game where three points are crucial for the home team.
Tune-up friendlies had mixed results for the United States: a 5–1 loss to Colombia that left no hope alive and a 1–1 draw against Brazil showed that the team could hang with the world’s best players.
Here, athletic’s USMNT writers answer important questions and predict Sunday’s starting line-up.
When will Tyler Adams start playing competitively?
Jeff Rueter: I have as much faith in midfielder Johnny Cardoso as anyone and he quickly secured a starting role with Real Betis without any prior experience in Europe. That said, I don’t think you can possibly build the “best USMNT XI” without Adams at the base of the midfield. The only question is how many minutes his legs will be able to play in this tournament after such a long time off due to hamstring and back injuries and how quickly he can start and play at least 60 high-intensity minutes.
Ultimately, the United States looked better with Musah in the midfield than with Cardoso. It’s important to win this game to set the stage for a strong tournament run, so I suspect Berhalter will go with the more reliable option.
Paul Tenorio: Before the Brazil friendly, Berhalter said that Adams could play up to 30 minutes. Given that he may have had a week or two of training, you’d think the limit would have been increased. Still, I’m not sure it’s worth the risk to give Adams the start and play him for 60 minutes if it’s not necessary to do so.
The value of giving another start to Jonny, who was a bit lackluster against Colombia, or Younes Musah, who played well against Brazil, seems like a better play. I think the purpose of this is to prepare Adams to play without limitations until the Uruguay match. Thirty minutes into this game, maybe an hour against Panama and then they had to lose against Uruguay and enter the knockouts.
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Younes Musa allowed another option to fill the spot left by Tyler Adams (John Dorton, Getty Images for USSF)
Greg O’Keefe: The question for Berhalter is whether Adams needs what he needs to get significant tournament game time from the first whistle and begin building momentum ahead of tough prospects like final group opponent Uruguay. The USMNT will undoubtedly need their core midfield contingent to take on Marcelo Bielsa’s side in Kansas City next month – and they’ll need them as 100% fit as possible. On balance, it might make sense to retain his role as an opening batsman option against Bolivia and consider starting him against Panama.
Ruyter’s launch: Yunus Musah came on for Adams between the 60th and 65th minutes.
O’Keeffe’s projection: Johnny Cardoso.
Tenorio’s launch: Yunus Musa.
Who will start for Berhalter Striker?
Tenorio: Berhalter said after the Brazil game that it was important for Ricardo Pepi to start after a difficult season with PSV Eindhoven. He came off the bench mostly at club level and was very useful coming off the bench for the United States as well. Things haven’t worked out yet with Folarin Balogun and America, but I think it’s worthwhile to try to build more chemistry there while Josh Sargent works his way back to fitness.
However, it is tempting to play Pepi at home in front of your friends and family in Dallas. Ultimately, I think Berhalter goes with Balogun’s ability to run behind the lines to start and bring Pepi off the bench to close out the game.
Despite fewer caps than Pepi, Balogun played more for his club team last season (Rich Story, Getty Images)
Rueter: In an ideal world, the fact that Sargent made this roster would be proof enough that he can start this game. His interplay with Christian Pulisic is the most seamless of any striker in the pool and he does a lot of the hard-yard stuff that helps wingers and advanced midfielders flourish as assists. Unfortunately, he has not played in recent weeks due to a long-term foot injury. If we see him all Sunday, it will definitely be some late match minutes.
O’Keefe: In terms of selection and availability for the team’s recent games, this is the hardest position to predict. In form, if prepared, is what matters most to the Sergeant. If Berhalter wanted to be adventurous, he could have rewarded Pepi for his performances in a morale-boosting Brazil draw. (‘El Train’ was good on the ball and his size always made him a good target man.)
However, Balogun still feels that Berhalter would ideally like to start, despite his poor club form at Monaco last season. The 22-year-old was active when replacing Pepi against Brazil and despite having fewer caps than his teammate, he certainly played more minutes with Dutch champions PSV than Pepi in France, where he was excellent, but Played second fiddle to club legend Luke Dee. Jong.
Ruyter’s launch: Folarin Balogun.
O’Keeffe’s projection: Folarin Balogun.
Tenorio’s launch: Folarin Balogun.
Estimated starting line-up
Berhalter didn’t make much of a change between the first friendly against Colombia and the second against Brazil, so there is less suspense over the other nine positions on the pitch.
Here’s what we think Berhalter will do to open the USMNT’s Copa America against Bolivia on Sunday:
Ruyter’s projected line-up: Matt Turner; Antoine Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Joe Scally; Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna; Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah
O’Keeffe’s projected line-up: Matt Turner; Antoine Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Joe Scally; Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKechnie, Gio Reyna; Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah
Tenorio’s projected line-up: Matt Turner; Antoine Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Joe Scally; Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna; Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah
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Who needs extra minutes off the bench?
O’Keefe: Definitely Adams. This should be a priority for Berhalter and whichever center back he sees as second choice behind Tim Ream should probably get more playing time. The 36-year-old Fulham defender could have tired in the late stages of the second half. For that reason, Cameron Carter-Vickers is an option and may get some competitive minutes, especially if the USMNT is comfortably on top.
Carter-Vickers needs time to start building chemistry in the back row (John Dorton, Getty Images for USSF)
Rueter: Carter-Vickers didn’t look great against Colombia, but in fairness, he was entering a game that had already fallen apart. Ream started both tune-up friendly matches but in the 75th minute against Brazil he looked tired and flopped on his back like a tired turtle. Ultimately, I think there is a fruitful partnership to be built between Carter-Vickers and Richards and this should be done as soon as possible before 2026. It will not start until the rim is at starting capacity.
Whoever doesn’t start, either Adams or Cardoso, will need a good half an hour to acclimatise to the midfield and any minutes Sargent can log before the tournament starts will be invaluable. This might also be a good game to try gambling “Way at Right Back” for at least part of the time. I would love to see Hadji Wright get a good stretch on the left wing while Pulisic operates on the right as he does so well with AC Milan.
Tenorio: There’s no doubt that Berhalter is going to produce for Adams. Whether he can go 30 or 60 minutes in the opener, the idea is that Adams is ready to go in time for the group final and, pending the result, to move on to the knockout stage. It will probably be a bit of a slow process with Sargent, but you have to try to hold him down for a few minutes as he was the USMNT’s best striker in Qatar and was in very good form in the English Championship with Norwich City this season.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
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