USMNT: Prediting World Cup qualification XI
Central Midfield
Moving into the more offensive positions, we encounter huge uncertainty. In the front six positions, there are four names that are guaranteed starters, in one form or another: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic and Jordan Morris. But where they play is more difficult to determine.
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Berhalter seemingly binned the right-back experiment with Adams, so it is safe to predict that he will earn the starting role as the shield in front of the back four. McKennie will join him in central midfield, but he has the capability to push further up the pitch or play in a deeper role alongside Adams.
However, throughout his tenure, Berhalter has prioritised distribution in his deep-lying midfielders, entrusting key roles to Michael Bradley and Jackson Yueill and Wil Trapp. For that reason, allied with the fact that Pulisic seems much more comfortable out wide than moved centrally, expect to see a playmaking midfielder join Adams and McKennie.
I have plumped for Cristian Roldan, who has started the MLS season excellently in Seattle. In reality, it could be Bradley, Yueill, even Sebastian Lletget. There is a myriad of options, but make no mistakes about it, they will have to fit around the key men.