Predicting the USMNT roster for the 2022 World Cup

There are still transfers to be completed, a pair of September friendlies, and plenty of club form to persuade Gregg Berhalter, but a quartet of summer matches for the United States men’s national team means predicting the USMNT roster for the 2022 World Cup comes with precious few conditionals.

Of course there will be a few more injuries to consider and there’s always at least one surprise — Julian Green, anyone? — but Berhalter’s men have played a wealth of games in a variety of conditions ahead of raising the caliber of competition in November.

[ MORE: Three things we learned from El Salvador 1-1 USMNT ]

That, perhaps, is this coach’s biggest remaining hurdle, knowing which men who’ve navigated the mess and fury of CONCACAF can successfully make their way through England, Wales, and Iran and then, of course, whoever’s next in the knockout rounds.

Some of this can be done via the same personnel and a good tactical plan, for sure, but which center backs are best suited to deal with what comes next, should the team arrive past the group stage? Which of the club’s nascent center forwards will make the most of precious chances in Qatar.

Again, there will be injuries to consider and more nebulous questions like whether Premier League backups Zack Steffen and Matt Turner can quickly find their No. 1 shirt form in a short pre-tournament preparation window, but we’re in a period where discussing the path forward is as easy as it’s going to be at almost any point before the tournament proper: the 2022 World Cup.

Last night's #USMNT match v. El Salvador was a… messy affair.