United States

World Cup qualifying: Christian Pulisic returns to USMNT roster for next round

Updated Nov. 4, 2021 7:45 p.m. ET

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Looking back on the lineup Gregg Berhalter picked before last month’s World Cup qualifying loss in Panama, something the U.S coach said stood out.

"There were some guys who weren’t in the best form that played in the game," Berhalter said in October on U.S. Soccer’s podcast. "We had other options that could’ve potentially performed better."

Heading into next week’s high-stakes home qualifier against rival Mexico and another in Jamaica on Nov. 16, Berhalter is clearly prioritizing recent club play wherever he can.

It’s not always possible. Christian Pulisic, for example, headlines the 25-man roster Berhalter named Thursday, despite his having played just 16 minutes since September, all of them coming off the bench for Chelsea on Tuesday in a Champions League win over Swedish squad Malmo. Yunus Musah, who started all three October qualifiers for the U.S., figures to remain a key midfield cog, despite featuring sparingly lately for Valencia in Spain.

But several others played themselves into consideration this month. And for some, most notably veteran center back John Brooks, it was the opposite.

"The decision to leave me out of this camp isn’t surprising, given some of my recent performances for the USMNT," Brooks said Thursday in a statement to FOX Sports.

Against Mexico, the U.S. will be without the Wolfsburg mainstay, its most experienced defender and one of the few members of the young American player pool who has participated in a World Cup. The four CBs Berhalter named — Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman — all return from the October camp, which Brooks missed because of a minor injury.

On the flip side, fullbacks Reggie Cannon, Sam Vines and the uncapped Joe Scally and forward Jesus Ferreira all upped their stock considerably by showing out with their club teams over the past number of weeks. Now they will all get a chance to make their Octagonal debuts.

"It's always a combination of what they've done in the past for us and what they're doing with their teams," Berhalter said. "You try to get that balance right."

It’s a balancing act when it comes to picking rosters. Berhalter was hoping to have Barcelona’s Sergiño Dest, the star of last month’s win over Costa Rica, for this two-match window, but Dest suffered a back injury that forced him out of Barca’s midweek Champions League win over Dynamo Kyiv. The coach didn’t find out until Thursday morning that Dest wasn’t fit to travel.

Giovanni Reyna, another key player, hasn’t played for the U.S. or German power Borussia Dortmund since the Octagonal opener in early September. Berhalter said Reyna’s injured hamstring is progressing, but that won’t help him in these games.

It remains to be seen how much Pulisic will be able to contribute following his long spell on the sideline.

"We're going to see what type of minutes he gets this weekend," Berhalter said. "He just started training with [Chelsea] on the beginning of the week. It was unexpected that he played against Malmo.

"So for us, it's about progressing him in a safe way. We know he's valuable to the team. We know we want him on the field, but we're also not willing to risk anything. How he feels will dictate what role he plays in these two games."

One player who is expected to see extensive playing time is 18-year-old forward Ricardo Pepi. The FC Dallas striker has three goals in three qualifiers so far, including game-winning goals in victories over Honduras and Jamaica.

"We see Ricardo playing a large portion of these two games," Berhalter said. "Some of the other guys who are in great form, we expect them to be able to play as much as 180 minutes in two games. We feel we have good cover in all positions."

Of course, the position that matters most is where the Americans sit in the eight-team standings. They’re currently second, behind first-place Mexico, in the eight-team table. A win over El Tri next Friday in Cincinnati — the halfway point of CONCACAF’s qualifying round robin — would pull the Americans even on points, with 14 through the first seven games.

The U.S. has already beaten Mexico twice in 2021, in the finals of the Nations League and Gold Cup. But those victories won’t mean much if the team can’t do it again next week.

"We're not thinking at all of what just happened in the summer. Our focus is thinking about what's going to happen on Nov. 12 and how can we win," Berhalter said.

Having the sharpest possible players on the field this time around can’t hurt.

One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.