USMNT: Top 3 strikers for 2022 World Cup qualifying

1. Jozy Altidore

While Gregg Berhalter is unquestionably leaning into a young core and building a team that is capable of challenging at World Cups and Gold Cups over the next decade, at present, the best striker in the USMNT talent pool is Jozy Altidore. And it is still not particularly close.

Altidore is 30. He will have just turned 33 when the 2022 World Cup rolls around. This will be his last World Cup cycle, and perhaps by the time the Finals roll around, should the U.S. be there, he might well have been relegated to the bench. But at present, he is the best centre-forward available.

He is excellent in open play, using his frame and close control to hold off defenders and protect the ball. His goalscoring rate is solid with 19 goals across his last 2,757 MLS minutes including the playoffs and 42 goals for the national team. Injuries have always been an issue, admittedly, and whether Altidore can stay fit for the entire qualifying period remains to be seen.

But when fit and available, he is the best the USMNT have. And for now, that is enough to keep him at the top of the list, though Sargent is pushing hard.