After Tuesday’s friendly, all that remains in U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter’s four-year buildup is finalizing his roster before the Nov. 9 announcement.
in Düsseldorf, Germany, wasn’t as close as the score suggested, triggering alarms about the team’s preparedness for the sport’s biggest competition.
On Friday, the collective was fractured, and, aside from goalkeeper Matt Turner, none of the 16 players who got into the game distinguished themselves. Was that performance an anomaly during an otherwise encouraging two years or a sign of brewing trouble? A part-time starter at Chelsea, Pulisic has not had many opportunities to shine in the Premier League or Champions League this season. Berhalter said he will “just let Christian be Christian.”
“Christian is a guy that’s always motivated — he always wants to play,” Yedlin said. “It will be very good to have him back, and obviously when he does well, it’s better for us.”Berhalter also said he will start Ricardo Pepi at striker, replacing Jesús Ferreira, who on Friday missed a golden chance in the opening moments.