Pulisic. Donovan. No Dempsey Or Howard? Making USA's World Cup All-Time Lineup

If you were to create an ideal World Cup starting lineup for the U.S. men's national team, who would you pick? Which players would get the nod and which ones would be left? 

Here's how FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas made his list on the latest episode of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union" podcast, explaining why he made some tough choices – including leaving notable players such as Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and DaMarcus Beasley off the starters. 

Let's break it all down by each position: 

Goalkeeper: Tony Meola
World Cup appearances: 1990, 1994

Mandatory Credit: Al Bello  /Allsport

Alexi's Take: "People are going to disagree with me, but I am going to have Tony Meola because, especially in the modern game, a goalkeeper that can play with his feet. Tony was a man out of time in that he was incredible with his feet and gave us a sense of security back there. That was, again, ahead of its time, because we didn't often play, but when Tony would spray the ball, it was amazing about his accuracy and his confidence with his feet. By just a nose over Tim Howard, I'm going with Meola."

Right back: Tony Sanneh
World Cup appearances: 2002

 (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Alexi's Take: "For those that don't remember right back in the 2002 World Cup and that wonderful summer, Tony Sanneh  was everything and anything that you would want from a right back. Getting up and down and just eating up grass and attacking and causing all sorts of problems going forward, but also with the defensive responsibilities."

Center backs: Eddie Pope, Carlos Bocanegra  
World Cup appearances: Pope - 1998, 2002; Bocanegra - 2006, 2010

Alexi's Take: "Eddie Pope was a legend and wonderful player in the air, on the ground. He was smart, just