It has been no secret that we’ve struggled to develop our striker pool. The issue there has been long and the well dry for the USMNT. The US has struggled to score goals period under Gregg Berhalter and it was never a strength of any of the clubs he has coached. There have been short lived blips of excitement and loads of potential littered throughout the youth ranks, but the payout has not arrived.
The USMNT have struggled to score goals from anywhere, but not having a striker has been a crucial pain point. Josh Sargent had looked like the winner and found his way to the English Premier League, but has continued to struggle to find the back of the net for both club and country. Jordan Pefok has had tremendous club success, but not been able to translate it to the national team level. Gyasi Zardes and Daryl Dike have seen wonderful domestic club success, scored a few goals for the national team, but been unable to show enough health and consistency to own the position.
Currently, we look at Ricardo Pepi as the difference maker, but the transfer window looms merely days away and his short and long-term fate could go in a variety of directions. With Pepi’s time off from his club and impending transfer in mind, let’s look at the striker pool for the upcoming final six games of the 2022 World Cup Qualifying cycle. Gregg could also look to put a Christian Pulisic, Nico Gioacchini or Timo Weah up top to provide a more attacking threat with our strong winger group.
Final Games of Their Competitive Season
November 2021 Final Competitive Games
Gyasi Zardes (10/21-1/27: 98 days)
Ricardo Pepi, Jesus Ferreira (11/7-1/27 : 81 days) * – played in December friendly 12/18: 40 days
Daryl Dike (11/23-1/27: 65 days)
December 2021
Jordan Pefok (12/19-1/27: 39 days)* – Young Boyz have a competitive match on 1/27
January 2022
Nico Gioacchini may play through January with Montpellier (1/9, 1/16, 1/23 fixtures)
Matthew Hoppe may play through January with Mallorca (1/8, 1/19, 1/23 fixtures)* needs to return from injury – expected back in January
Josh Sargent may play through January with Norwich (1/9, 1/15, 1/21 fixtures)
Tim Weah may play through January with Lille (1/8, 1/16, 1/22 fixtures)* needs to return from injury – no return date set
Who Will Be Ready?
Will Gregg Berhalter lean into the guys that got him this far and have the USMNT in second place in the table for World Cup Qualifying? The likes of Ricardo Pepi who’s been a key contributor to his success. Does he trust his pool and the December and January camps to provide enough training along with the friendlies to provide value when the time comes?
Gregg could instead dive into his winger pool to provide the answer. There are other European based options like Johan Gómez who has scored 4 goals for Zwickau in 3 Bundesliga, Charlie Kellman who’s bagged one in League One for Basildon. Andrija Novakovich has scored and assisted in Series B’s side Frosinone. Christian Ramirez (Aberdeen, Scotland) , Sebastian Soto (Porto B) and Andrew Wooten (Osnabrück, 3 Bundesliga) will all be playing for their lower tier clubs, Ramirez has 8 goals in 20 games. Would Gregg go after a goal scoring player in a lower tier that he’s never leveraged before? It’s highly unlikely as he’s never shown that prowess before.
However the US will face real challenges in the next 90 days. Many of the smaller CONCACAF nations will park the bus. There may be several opportunities to finish, but the inability to finish is a real problem, breaking down the low block has also been a real problem for Gregg’s squad. Rust from 40-100 days off will take a tole, we already saw in December that Pepi lacked the killer instincts we had seen only a few weeks before.
Hoppe and Weah will be returning from injury and more injuries may happen in a busy European winter. Not all the players are starting or getting lengthy minutes in Europe’s top leagues outside of Pefok, who will be headed into a winter break himself.
Many of CONCACAF’s clubs will face the same challenges of having their seasons finished as they rely mostly on North American leagues for their player pools. However, most of them will be satisfied, especially the smaller ones with a 0-0 or 1-1 draw. Gregg has big decisions to make over the winter on who he will bring in and lean on for his shallow competitive game-ready striker pool.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
Not long ago, winning your confederation’s tournament earned a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup, a prestigious competition held in the World Cup host nation the summer before the world’s biggest tournament.
The tournament featured the champions of all six confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA), along with the reigning FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, rounding out the field to eight teams. The tournament was last played in 2017.
The Concacaf Gold Cup is a semi-cycle tournament played in the first and third years of the cycle. The CAF Africa Cup of Nations is the only other confederation that plays two tournaments a cycle, and in many circles, the frequency of the Concacaf Gold Cup and the addition of the Concacaf Nations League has made the Gold Cup a throwaway tournament for the USMNT, as it’s been six years since the so called A list player pool has played in the event.
It raises the question for FIFA and Concacaf: should the Gold Cup be played once a cycle, and should FIFA consider bringing back the Confederations Cup?
The USMNT won the inaugural Gold Cup in 1991 and has claimed seven of the 17 editions since. Only two other CONCACAF nations Mexico (9) and Canada (1)—have lifted the trophy, and both are contenders in this edition.
The USMNT has a strong track record at the Gold Cup, finishing first in their group every year except 2011. They’ve reached 12 finals, with a record of 69 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses, scoring 189 goals and conceding just 60
Gold Cup Player Stats
Across 17 editions of the Gold Cup, the USMNT has netted 189 goals, conceded just 60, and recorded 50 clean sheets. Here’s a look at the players who made it happen, those who found the back of the net, and those who kept it out.
17-Kasey Keller 11-Tim Howard 8-Tony Meola 7-Matt Turner
Shutouts
14-Kasey Keller 8-Tim Howard 6-Tony Meola 6-Matt Turner
Captain
10-Michael Bradley 10-Kasey Keller 9-Carlos Bocanegra 8-Tony Meola 7-Claudio Reyna
Gold Cup Manager Stats
Over the past 34 years, the USMNT has reached 12 of the 17 Gold Cup finals under the leadership of seven different managers. Here’s a look at how each of them performed.
In the future, U.S. Soccer and the USMNT should clearly communicate roster expectations for the Gold Cup, especially if a full A-list squad is not planned. Transparency on this front is essential, as it directly affects fan interest and attendance.
The current state of the USMNT has been at an all-time low since Couva in 2017. One of the positions in dire situation is Center Back. Tim Ream will be 38 by the time of the 2026 World Cup. Chris Richards has too many highs and lows and has not shown his club form with the US. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty have yet to perform for the national team. Miles Robinson, despite what many MLS fans want to believe, is not good enough and makes too many errors, like the second Turkish goal on June 7th, 2025. Walker Zimmerman has one World Cup left in him and he has a history of making critical errors as well, like the penalty against Gareth Bale in the 2022 World Cup. Lastly, Mark McKenzie has improved his game since his move to Toulouse, but he is lacking the deserved opportunities and a good partnership.
Our U20 CBs will need to be called up sooner rather than later, either before or immediately after the 2026 World Cup. The top 3 prospects by fans and analysts are Noahkai Banks, Matai Akinmboni, and Joshua Wynder. Of the three, Joshua Wynder is the oldest at 20 years old and is part of a club that is world-renowned for their development, S.L. Benfica.
How did Wynder manage to accomplish such a move from Louisville City in the USL Championship to Benfica? To summarize, Wynder had a breakout season for Lou City at 17 years old in 2022, so much so that he was included in the US U20 World Cup team in 2023.
LOUvOKC.Photographer: EM Dash Photography
Wynder secured a spot to go on trial at Benfica and passed. On June 8th, 2023, Benfica officially acquired Joshua Wynder from Lou City for a record-breaking $1.2 million transfer fee, which still stands today.
Louisville City FC, LOUvPIT.Photographer: EM Dash Photography
Benfica registered Wynder with the second team for the 2023/2024 season, who participate in Liga Portugal 2. Due to Portuguese rules (players play in the youth system until they are 19 years old), he spent the season with Benfica’s UEFA Youth League team and U23 team and only received 21 minutes with the B team until a season-ending injury. What began as a promising start, with the support of the fans, was cut short after just six matches. The following season went according to plan for Wynder. Wynder became a consistent starter for the B team where he started in 29 matches and appeared in a total of 31 matches. He also scored four goals, all headers from corners.
His success with the B team made him a fan-favorite and several calls to be called up to the first team by fans on social media. That day came on April 9th, 2025, when he made the team sheet for Benfica’s Taça de Portugal Semi-Final match against FC Tirsense. Wynder made his first team debut when he was subbed in at the 76th minute mark of that match. He made a following appearance on the bench for the first team in their second leg match against FC Tirsense.
As early as November 27, 2024, it was reported by Glorioso 1904 that Joshua Wynder had gained the attention of the Benfica manager, Bruno Lage. The report further said that Wynder was becoming an option for the next season’s first team. A similar report surfaced on March 25, 2025, by Record, in Portugal, that Wynder is on track to be with the first team for the 2025/2026 season. That day may be coming sooner rather than later. Joshua Wynder will be joining Benfica on their 2025 Club World Cup campaign. This will be a true test for him to prove to Bruno Lage that he is ready to be part of the first team for the upcoming 2025/2026 Liga Portugal and UEFA Champions League season. If he is given serious minutes with the first team and performs, Joshua Wynder needs to be considered for the 2026 World Cup or immediately following the World Cup.
Benfica is in Group C of the Club World Cup with Auckland City, Bayern München, and Boca Juniors. Their first match is against Boca Juniors, 33-time Argentine champions, on June 16th. Game two is on June 20th against 10-time New Zealander champions, Auckland City FC. Lastly, their 3rd group stage match is against the 6-time UEFA Champions League winners, Bayern München, on June 24th.
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
The release of new kits is always an exciting moment for U.S. Soccer fans. Traditionally, U.S. Soccer unveils new designs during the spring or summer international windows. The USMNT did have their 2022 World Cup kits released in September, three months before the World Cup.
The USWNT recently debuted their new home kit during their last two friendlies, while the USMNT is expected to showcase their new away kit in the lead-up to the 2025 Gold Cup.
U.S. Soccer has unveiled two stunning new kits for the USWNT. The home jersey, dubbed The Brilliant Kit, will make its debut when the USWNT faces China. The away jersey, known as The Heartbeat Kit, will be worn by both the USWNT and USMNT. Both designs have been met with widespread praise from fans, with many calling them among the best in recent memory. I believe these are the sharpest U.S. kits we’ve seen in nearly fifteen years.
History of the USWNT Kit
For those who follow me on social media, you might remember a project I completed back in 2022, where I tracked the history of the USMNT from the evolution of the U.S. Soccer crest to the iconic team kits. Now, I’m channeling that same passion into a new labor of love: researching and recreating the kits of the USWNT to help preserve and celebrate their rich history.
USWNT Kits – 1985 – 1993
Forty years ago, the U.S. Women’s National Team played it’s first-ever match, wearing a white Adidas home kit with red diagonal pinstripes. But like many things in those early days, the kit wasn’t made with the women’s player in mind. The kits were designed for the men’s players in size and fit. For years, USWNT players were forced to pin back and alter oversized uniforms just to keep them from getting in the way on the field. It wasn’t until 1994 that they finally received a kit specifically tailored for women.
USWNT Kits 1994 – 2011
In 1994, the final year Adidas outfitted U.S. Soccer, the USWNT finally received its first uniquely designed kit made specifically for women. This marked the beginning of a new era, with the team continuing to wear custom kits through the 2011 World Cup.
USWNT Kits – 2012 – Current
Starting in 2012, Nike decided to unify the look of the USWNT and USMNT by having both teams wear the same kits. However, there have been a few exceptions over the years where one team debuted a unique design. A recent example is the newly released USWNT home kit, while the USMNT continues to wear the 2024 home kit.
USWNT and USMNT Kits Going Forward
Nike hit the most recent kit release out of the pitch, and it raises the question of what will be next for the USWNT and USMNT kit creations. The 2026 World Cup will see at least two new kits for the USMNT, with the USWNT likely wearing one or both of them.
For decades, both the USWNT and USMNT have struggled to establish a strong, unified identity through their kits. While some designs are instantly recognizable, there’s still a sense that both teams lack a distinct visual representation that truly reflects who they are. I hope that Nike continues to create kits that bring both teams together, while also allowing for occasional unique designs, once or twice per cycle, that capture the essence of American identity, something both teams have long needed
The true identity of the USWNT and USMNT is embodied in the Stars and Stripes, woven together in red, white, and blue, perhaps with the addition of a bold sash to complete the look.