USMNT World Cup roster reveal: Ricardo Pepi, Zack Steffen out; Haji Wright, Josh Sargent in for Qatar 2022

Gregg Berhalter has finalized his 26-player roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

The United States men's national team roster for this month's FIFA World Cup in Qatar was unveiled Wednesday in Brooklyn by Gregg Berhalter and it came with some shocking omissions. 

As reported the night before, longtime No. 1 goalkeeper Zack Steffen was kept out of the 26-player squad in favor of Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson. The move paves the way for Turner to battle for the starting job in goal. Joining Steffen is Ricardo Pepi, who was viewed as the future star striker for the national team thanks to some clutch performances in World Cup qualifying. Barring injury, the 19-year-old, now playing for Groningen in the Netherlands, will watch the United States from home.

Berhalter also had quite the shocking and surprising selection at striker, bringing Haji Wright along with expected forwards Josh Sargent and Jesus Ferreira. The roster is a young one, as expected, with DeAndre Yedlin being the only player on the list to have participated in a previous World Cup. 

This is the United States' first trip to the tournament since 2014 after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition. The Americans were drawn in Group B alongside Wales, England and Iran. The top two teams will advance to the round of 16.

Due to the tournament taking place in the midst of the club season in Europe, squads will now consist of 26 players as opposed to 23. Each team privately submitted a pre-list consisting of 35 to 55 players in October and they will have until 24 hours before the first match to make any injury changes to the full 26-man squad.

USMNT World Cup squad

• GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG; 8/0; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 10/0; Lilburn, Ga.), Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 20/0; Park Ridge, N.J.)
• DEFENDERS (9): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 11/0; Southend-on-Sea, England), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan/ITA; 19/2; Almere, Netherlands), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 29/3; Oak Hills, Calif.), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 15/1; Powder Springs, Ga.), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 46/1; St. Louis, Mo.), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 29/2; Liverpool, England), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 3/0; Lake Grove, N.Y.), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; 75/0; Seattle, Wash.), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 33/3; Lawrenceville, Ga.)
• MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 24/6; Medford, N.J.), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 53/2; Plano, Texas), Tyler Adams (Leeds United/ENG; 32/1; Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 12/0; San Diego, Calif.), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 37/9; Little Elm, Texas), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 19/0; London, England), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 32/0; Pico Rivera, Calif.)
• FORWARDS (7): Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 15/7; McKinney, Texas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 49/11; Mercer Island, Wash.), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 52/21; Hershey, Pa.), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 14/4; Bedford, N.Y.), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 20/5; O'Fallon, Mo.), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 25/3; Rosedale, N.Y.), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/TUR; 3/1; Los Angeles, Calif.)

Listen below and follow In Soccer We Trust: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast where your three favorite former USMNT players cover everything you could possibly want to know about the United States men's national team during the World Cup in Qatar.

Here are a few takeaways from the squad

New members of the goalkeeper union 

It felt like a given that Steffen would be taking the number one shirt against Wales but a last second curveball has seen things change. Replaced in the squad by Sean Johnson, Steffen could have missed out on his best chance to start at a World Cup for the USMNT given that Gabriel Slonina is waiting in the wings. After a loan to Middlesbrough that was geared toward getting Steffen regular playing time before the World Cup, he lost the starting role, got injured, earned the starting role back, and then had manager Chris Wilder replaced by Michael Carrick. While that's quite an experience and one that can see a keeper's form plummet especially as Boro are in 18th place in the Championship, Berhalter has stuck with Steffen's struggles in the past. 

During the roster reveal, Berhalter said that he feels good about the keepers that he's taking and in some cases when it comes to players being left off the roster: "It's about what we have and what we don't have." Berhalter is now leaning towards Matt Turner as the starter but as his last start for Arsenal was Oct. 20 against PSV, the lack of playing time could give Ethan Horvath or Johnson a chance to get unexpected starts in Qatar.

Forward surprises

With Ricardo Pepi missing the squad despite scoring six goals in all competitions for FC Groningen and assisting two more, Haji Wright has returned to the team. He's already familiar with members of the team due to being a mainstay of youth sides alongside many of these players. Wright is the most in form forward in the pool with his nine goals in 12 matches for Antalyaspor in Turkey, he can bring a change of pace that Pepi doesn't as a raw goal-scoring option with the ability to create for himself. 

It's a difficult decision leaving Pepi as he's beginning to find confidence again, but with the team only playing three central forwards, the three going in Ferreira, Sargent, and Wright have all been in better form. The decision to bring Jordan Morris is one that has a bigger impact on the wingers as Berhalter uses his work rate to close out games. As the team is expected to keep the 4-3-3 that they've rolled with under Berhalter and continue to press as well, replacements for tired legs will be key. 

The return of Tim Ream

Last capped by the national team in September of 2021, Ream has been in and out of the squad for years but this will be his first chance at going to the World Cup despite debuting in 2010. Ream has captained Fulham during their rise to the top half of the Premier League while also playing next to Antonee Robinson. An experienced defender, Ream has had some nervy moments for the USMNT but those were mainly when being used out of position as a left back. Berhalter has said that Ream's style didn't suit the high press in the past, but looking at how Fulham has evolved under Marco Silva, there's a good chance that Ream will end up starting over Aaron Long to help steady the defense. As most of the positions in front of them are not only settled but also manned by younger players, Ream's experience could be key.

USMNT World Cup schedule

Monday, Nov. 21: vs. Wales, 2 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 25: vs. England, 2 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 29: vs. Iran, 2 p.m. ET

[Nov 9, 2022 at 6:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

All eyes will be on facing Wales

"I think the first game is crucial for my experience in the World Cup in 2002. We set up the group by beating Portugal, and in 2006, we lost the first game to put us in a hole," Berhalter said. "So the first game is crucial of having said that there are examples and I went through the World Cup until 2018, our examples of teams not winning their first game and advancing on. So for us, we want to get the win of course we want to get at least a point from the game but we'll be ready to adapt"

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:49 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

It's not the time to change the plan

"I think it's important that we go over to Qatar and we represent our identity as a team," Berhalter said. "It's not time to change who we are. We're an aggressive team, a high pressing team. We want to use the ball and we're gonna find out if we can be successful doing it."

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:34 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Injuries shouldn't be an issue

Berhalter has confirmed that Weston McKennie, Matt Turner, and Luca De La Torre should be recovered from their injuries in time for the World Cup but the only players he mentioned who missed the squad due to injuries are Miles Robinson and Chris Richards.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:21 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

The full roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG; 8/0; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 10/0; Lilburn, Ga.), Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 20/0; Park Ridge, N.J.)

DEFENDERS (9): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 11/0; Southend-on-Sea, England), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan/ITA; 19/2; Almere, Netherlands), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 29/3; Oak Hills, Calif.), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 15/1; Powder Springs, Ga.), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 46/1; St. Louis, Mo.), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 29/2; Liverpool, England), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 3/0; Lake Grove, N.Y.), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; 75/0; Seattle, Wash.), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 33/3; Lawrenceville, Ga.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 24/6; Medford, N.J.), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 53/2; Plano, Texas), Tyler Adams (Leeds United/ENG; 32/1; Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 12/0; San Diego, Calif.), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 37/9; Little Elm, Texas), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 19/0; London, England), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 32/0; Pico Rivera, Calif.)

FORWARDS (7): Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 15/7; McKinney, Texas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 49/11; Mercer Island, Wash.), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 52/21; Hershey, Pa.), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 14/4; Bedford, N.Y.), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 20/5; O'Fallon, Mo.), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 25/3; Rosedale, N.Y.), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/TUR; 3/1; Los Angeles, Calif.)

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:19 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

And last but not least the forwards

Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, and Haji Wright make up the attack. No Ricardo Pepi despite his good form in the Netherlands. 

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:17 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

The midfield is the engine of the team 

Brenden Aaronson, Kellyn Acosta, Tyler Adams, Luca De La Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan. Roldan returns to the side and Aaronson who has usually been a winger is now listed as a midfielder.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:14 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Moore is the biggest surprise from the defensive corps

While he has performed well since moving to Nashville SC, the roster is overloaded with right backs as Moore, Scally, and Dest are all naturals on the right. Also, Moore's main experience is in the Gold Cup so Qatar will be quite a stage.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:09 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Defenders are up next

Cameron Carter-Vickers, Sergino Dest, Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, and Walker Zimmerman are the defensive core. No James Sands in the squad or Reggie Cannon. Also no natural left back behind Robinson.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:06 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

We've got keepers

Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, and Matt Turner are joining as expected. That confirms that despite his loan for playing time, Zack Steffen is our first name left out.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:04 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Rolling it back with Jermaine Jones as an MC

We're underway and it should be quite a time to see who will make it or who will join as a potential snub from the World Cup.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 5:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Let's get this party started

We're only minutes from finding out who will head to Qatar.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 4:45 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Luca De La Torre is likely going to Qatar but should he? 

This is where the lack of depth in the midfield shows as a glaring issue. De La Torre has only played 50 La Liga minutes this season before picking up an injury near the end of October. While it isn't serious enough to keep him away from the World Cup, it's a season where his lack of form doesn't show that he deserves to go to Qatar. But as the most like-for-like replacement for Musah, there isn't someone else that Berhalter can call instead of De La Torre.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 4:30 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Looking at the forward situation

Everything moves in a cycle and that has certainly been the case atop the line for the United States. Norwich City's Josh Sargent was the starter for the United States heading into World Cup Qualifying in September of 2021 before being pulled at halftime during the team's 4-1 victory over Honduras three matches into qualifying. That match saw Ricardo Pepi score a goal and assist two more before he followed it up with a brace against Jamaica. At that point, it felt like Berhalter's woes were solved, but Pepi would then go almost a year without scoring before falling out of the national team picture during the summer and losing a starting role at FC Augsburg. Pepi's former teammate Jesus Ferreira was then given a shot at the starting role but outside of a four goal showing in Nations League against Granada, Ferreira has struggled to put the ball in the back of the net as well. despite bringing a lot with his creativity and hold up play.

During the summer, Jordan Pefok and Haji Wright got cups of coffee with the national team but they also haven't stuck. While they likely should've gotten longer looks, or been brought in earlier as Berhalter has said that the system is complicated to pick up, the most recent international window has seen the crop of strikers who started qualifying return to the team but the picture is no clearer on who will actually lead the line. Sargent is in the running for the Golden Boot in the Championship with eight goals and two assists for Norwich City. After moving on loan to FC Groningen, Pepi has hit the ground running with six goals and one assist in seven matches in all competitions. Ferreira even won the young player of the year award in Major League Soccer with 18 goals and six assists for FC Dallas.

It's ironic that elsewhere on the field, USMNT players are suffering with lack of form from players struggling with their club teams, the nine is one position where players are scoring for their clubs but not for the national team which has been one of the biggest red flags around Berhalter's tactics. Most likely, when the team opens play against Wales, it will be Ferreira who is leading the line, but I'd suspect that it's Sargent who is starting by the time the World Cup ends for the USMNT. His confidence when things are going well is infectious and he's able to make something out of nothing which the national team needs as they can get stale in attack. But if Berhalter doesn't put together an attack that gets his forwards on the ball, a situation which plagued the team in recent losses to Japan and a draw against Saudi Arabia, it wouldn't matter if Erling Haaland was leading the line for the USMNT, they'll still have issues hitting the back of the net.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 4:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Taking a look at what the team will see versus Wales

Roger Gonzalez also looked at the rest of the group stage teams that the USMNT will face.

How they qualified: The Welsh qualified for their first World Cup since 1958 through the playoff route in UEFA, defeating Austria in the semifinals and Ukraine in the final.
FIFA ranking: No. 19
Manager: Rob Page
Strength: Experience. While we have seen Page incorporate younger players lately, this team also has important experience to serve as leaders for a team that hopes to make noise. Having the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey is huge, and while there are also young players who can make an impact like Daniel James and Brennan Johnson, this team will only go as far as the veterans take them. 
Weakness: Depth. If, say, Bale would to go down, they are cooked. While backup Kieffer Moore can carry his own in attack, Johnson is still young and a tad raw. Tyler Roberts, meanwhile, has yet to score in 20 national team appearances. So they are a team that will need to be ultra healthy to truly compete in this group. 
Best player: Bale. The LAFC man who spent the majority of his career at Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid is a Wales legend whose star power got them to the last couple of Euros and this World Cup.
Player to watch: James. The 24-year-old winger has the talent but has yet to be able to put it together consistently. A move to Manchester United in 2019 did him no favors before ending up at Leeds United. Now on loan at Fulham, he has the quality to change a game. But will he be in form enough to get the chance?
Tournament outlook: This is a team that not many are probably expecting to advance, especially on this side of the Atlantic. But, in truth, they are pretty even with the United States and will likely be competing with each other to advance behind England, making this arguably the USA's most important group game.
Prediction vs. USMNT: 1-1.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 3:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

With Steffen's likely omission from the squad, Roger Gonzalez took a look at some other fringe players

In terms of other players, sources tell CBS Sports that Berhalter was still deciding on the squad earlier this week. We've seen a couple of players already pull out due to injury in Sam Vines (broken tibia) and Chris Richards, who took to Instagram to show support for the group that will be on the plane to Qatar after suffering a leg injury. 

We know the big names -- Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna -- will be there, while things appear to be trending in the right direction for Josh Sargent to make the team as a striker due to his solid form for Norwich City. Cristian Roldan is another name expected to make the roster, while his Seattle Sounders teammate Jordan Morris could join the fray. 

[Nov 9, 2022 at 2:30 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Will Haji Wright make the roster? 

While Pefok's inclusion has been a constant question for Berhalter, Wright not getting a serious look during the summer may be one of the biggest question marks for Berhalter. The 24-year-old has a home now after a permanent move to Antalyaspor and has scored nine goals so far this season as he lights up the Turkish Super Lig for fun. But similarly to Pefok, due to not fitting Berhalter's system, he likely won't be included. A change of pace forward would be nice but if the USMNT doesn't score goals in Qatar, questions will certainly be asked about leaving Wright at home.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 2:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Could Tyler Adams be more than a defensive shield?

His performance has been important in protecting the backline but in Jesse Marsch's Leeds United attack, Adams has played the role of creator too. Adams has created 15 chances for Leeds United this season which is third most on the team behind Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison which is quite a feat for a defensive midfielder. This could be critical to allowing the USMNT to tick under Berhalter as wingers cutting inside is a key trait to the attack. Adams being able to pick them out could be the difference in a tight game.

Below is a graphic of those shots that Adams has created. While he'll be deployed deeper for the USMNT, long range passes have been a consistent trait for him at Leeds which will still make him a threat to defenses.

A look at shots created by Tyler Adams at Leeds United. Blue represents shots on target. twenty3

[Nov 9, 2022 at 1:00 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

The performance of the defense will be critical

You never know the impact of a specific player until they aren't available, and that's what the USMNT is facing in the absence of center back Miles Robinson. In May, the Atlanta United defender tore his Achillies breaking up a USMNT central partnership with Walker Zimmerman. Berhalter has been trying different defenders from his band of center backs but no one is stepping up. Mark McKenzie, Erik Palmer-Brown, James Sands, and Aaron Long have gotten the majority of the minutes available with Long expected to start at the World Cup. Notably, Berhalter has excluded Tim Ream and John Brooks from contention stating that neither fits his system. Cameron Carter-Vickers who captains Celtic plays on the same side as Zimmerman and Chris Richards has been too injured to contribute to the national team or Crystal Palace.

But this is a position where Berhalter may need to take a risk. It's fine to give Long the start against Wales but having a fast hook if things don't look comfortable early will be important. When it comes to ceilings, Richards has the highest one of the current core of center backs and, despite his lack of playing time, should go to Qatar and play if things aren't going well next to Zimmerman. Quick changes like that can make the difference in getting out of the group stage for the USMNT so Berhalter and the staff will need to keep an eye out and push the right buttons.

Center back isn't the only issue as presumed starting right back Sergino Dest's lack of playing time is also a concern. After being frozen out at Barcelona, Dest went on loan to AC Milan but has struggled to break into the first team consistently. An above average attacker but a below average defender, Dest is a luxury player if the team isn't defending well from the other three spots which could see his back-up DeAndre Yedlin start more than expected in Qatar. Yedlin is limited going forward but he can do a job defensively if the midfield is balanced enough to keep things simple. When it comes to areas of concern, the defense is the biggest one for me.

[Nov 9, 2022 at 12:50 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Be sure to tune in as In Soccer We Trust has a live reaction along with the roster reveal

[Nov 9, 2022 at 12:25 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Hello and welcome!

Today is the day when we'll find out the final roster that will look to get out of Group B which also includes England, Iran, and Wales. What defenders will Berhalter decide to roll with as injuries have ruled Miles Robinson and Chris Richards out of the World Cup? Who is the number one keeper without Steffen? While Matt Turner is expected to start, he hasn't started for Arsenal since Oct. 20 so he'll have rust to shake off as well.