Reyna In the Middle? Three In The Back? Projecting USA's World Cup Starters

"Why not us?" 

That's the question U.S. men's team manager Mauricio Pochettino is asking about the USA's chances of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And with the 26 players selected for this summer's tournament, we can go a step further and see who may be the starters in the June 12 opener against Paraguay. 

FOX Sports soccer analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden, alongside reporters Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman, give their starting XI projections. 

In goal, Lalas has Matt Freese over 2022 starter Matt Turner, a choice he acknowledges might not be the most popular, but one he would make nonetheless.

While some modern coaches prefer to label the shape a "back three," Lalas explained on Tuesday's episode of "Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union" following the roster reveal that USA should embrace the defensive stability of a true back five.

"A lot of times people say, 'Oh, we're playing a back three.' When in reality, they're really playing a back five. They just don't want to say it, because it sounds defeatist," Lalas said. "But this is a back five."

In theory, this structure would allow Antonee "Jedi" Robinson and Sergiño Dest to move forward as wing-backs while anchoring the central defense with the trio of Tim Ream, Chris Richards, and Alex Freeman.

In front of them, Lalas deploys the proven, gritty pairing of midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.

By locking down the center of the pitch, that would free Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun to spearhead the attack alongside Tim Weah, whom Lalas insists must stay in his traditional, right-wing position rather than being asked to track back and defend.

Holden agreed on the defensive personnel but threw a curveball into the midfield room.

Rather than playing it safe with a