Fresh off hosting two U.S. Women’s National Team friendlies earlier this month, Exploria Stadium gears up to host the U.S. Men’s National Team, with the Americans set to play host to CONCACAF rivals Trinidad & Tobago this Sunday (7 p.m. ET, FS1/Únimas/TUDN).
What are we looking forward to in this one?
Young Lions with a point to prove
Orlando City leads the USMNT roster with four players selected: wingers Chris Mueller and Benji Michel, striker Daryl Dike and midfielder Andrés Perea.
Mueller, 24, is the only one of the four with a senior cap, achieved last month against El Salvador. “Cash” received Man of the Match honors after scoring twice and assisting another goal in the 6-0 USMNT rout, and he should be in line to play significant minutes against Trinidad & Tobago. The big question for the Orlando City winger – how high can he push himself up the USMNT depth chart? His competition includes Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, the pool’s top player, as well as new Swansea City man Jordan Morris, among others. Sunday offers him a major chance to prove himself.
Dike, 20, should get a shot as well after a minor injury knocked him out of contention last month. The massive forward is coming off a breakout rookie season in MLS and offers head coach Gregg Berhalter a combination of size and skill that no other forward in the pool possesses, save perhaps veteran Jozy Altidore. More on him later.
Perea, 20, and Michel, 23, could put themselves in position for the Olympic qualifying team with good performances on Sunday, should they see the field. Perea completed his one-time switch from Colombia earlier this month, meaning he will be a USMNT player going forward and some see him as the potential next in line behind RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams at the base of the midfield three. Orlando’s own Michel is in his first camp, offering speed and goal threats.
Turner’s chance
There has been a ton of national buzz around New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner, with some calling him the best goalkeeper in MLS. While there are those who would dispute that claim, Turner has done enough to put himself in the national team conversation, leading the Revs to the Eastern Conference Final last season while posting six clean sheets in 22 regular season games.
The backup keeper job behind Manchester City’s Zack Steffen is wide open. Legend Tim Howard has retired and Atlanta’s Brad Guzan isn’t getting any younger. Seattle’s Stefan Frei doesn’t seem to be in the picture. NYCFC’s Sean Johnson and DC United’s Bill Hamid both have tons of talent, but their penchant for poorly-timed mistakes has kept them from ascending the depth chart. Club Brugge’s Ethan Horvath can’t get past Simon Mignolet for the No. 1 job.
Point being, there is a real chance for Turner to get himself in position to make the 2022 World Cup roster. His first crack at it will be Sunday night.
Does Jozy still have it?
One of the most fascinating subplots coming out of the USMNT’s failure in 2017 to qualify for the World Cup is the status of Jozy Altidore, the uber-talented and gigantic center forward who has struggled with form and fitness in recent seasons.
Now 31, Altidore has failed to appear in 75% of Toronto FC’s games since 2017, and he’s never played more than 27 games in an MLS season. The former Villarreal and Sunderland man scored just twice in 13 appearances in 2020, finding himself surpassed by youngster Ayo Akinola, a dual national who is currently with the Canadian national team after a cameo for the United States last month. And in this camp, Daryl Dike, the man who appears to be his most natural successor, is breathing down his neck.
Beyond whether or not Altidore or Dike will start the game, is there any way for Jozy to hold off the next generation for one more cycle? Besides the prodigious Dike, the American striker pool sports Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent, Norwich City’s Sebastian Soto, and SM Caen’s Nicolas Gioacchini, all age 20, not to mention reliable veteran Gyasi Zardes, who just won MLS Cup with Columbus Crew SC.
Father Time is undefeated, but Altidore will have a chance to hold him off a little while longer starting on Sunday.
