Two and A Half Men (Christian Pulisic x Fem!Reader x Weston McKennie)

WC: 1.1K

Warnings: none

A/N: ok i'm not sure how to put it properly in the title without looking like a threesome group LMAO but in this fic Christian is reader's partner and Weston is both reader and Chris' best friend. and i'm aware Christian is holding a ball in the cover pic but imagine it’s a baby instead! this one is probably meh but i've been thinking about this idea all day and just had to write it down. hope you guys enjoy and i’d love to hear your thoughts thru ask/reply/reblog 💗 apologies for any errors! feedbacks are highly appreciated 🤍

—

“Knock knock… Can I come in?”

You see Weston’s head peeking through the slightly-opened door, respectfully waiting for you and Christian to let him in.

You wave your hand from the hospital bed to invite him to come inside. Wes carefully opens then closes the door, and quietly walks toward you. You see him bringing two bags of something in one of his hands but you can’t figure out whatever those may be.

“Hey, Y/N!” He gives you a big hug. “How are you feeling, my friend?”

“Hi Wes! Very exhausted, of course, but all good. Thanks for checking in.” You respond weakly.

“Oh I figured!” He laughs. “Christian told me you were in labor for almost 24 hours??? That’s wild! I don’t think I could be as strong as you were!”

You chuckle with a faint smile written on your face. You weren’t lying when you said you are very exhausted – it was a very long and painful process you had to go through to bring your child into the world. But no matter how insanely tiring the labor was, you loved every second of it and would do it all over again.

“Yeah… Wild indeed. Totally worth it, though.”

“By the way,” Weston hands you one of the bags he brought earlier, “I got you sushi. I know you love them and you couldn’t have even one during your pregnancy, so I believe you deserve some.”

“No way! Thank you Wes!” You excitedly unpack the bag and open one of the three boxes of sushi Weston gave you. You haven’t eaten one in nine months, and right now it’s like those delicious sushi are begging you to eat them right away – and obviously you can’t resist it.

“Ugh, sushi is overrated.” Christian scoffs.

—

Christian just came back from changing your baby’s diaper in the other room. He is holding your little bundle of joy in his arms – since he was just born, Christian has already become so protective of him he didn’t want the baby to ever leave his arms.

“Hush, C, no one needs to hear your trashy opinion.” You playfully clap back at his statement.

Your banter cracks Weston up. He cackles and you both do a high five.

“Ha-ha! Burn bro!”

Christian squints and shakes his head. He is more than happy to know that his best pal and his life partner are best friends, but sometimes when you two “gang up” on him – which happens really often, because you both love to make fun of Christian together – he would feel so outnumbered and get quite annoyed by it.

“Hmm, I’m not loving this dynamic, you know.” Christian says sarcastically.

“Oh boohoo, don’t be so bitter, white man.” Weston mocks him in response.

“Anyway, what’s up, new dad!?” Weston greets Christian then does the usual handshake with him – but since Christian is currently holding your baby, they do the one-hand version of the handshake.

“Happier than ever bro! I’m living the dream!” Christian gushes. 

“Aww, congratulations my brother!” Weston excitedly pats Christian’s back.

Christian gently supports the baby's head and back with his hands then slightly lifts the baby closer to his face.

“Here, we want you to meet our son, Finley Mark Pulisic. You can call him Finn for short.” Christian officially introducing your little man to his best buddy.

Weston is immediately in awe of Finn. His eyes were instantly locked on the face of the cutest little human he has ever seen.

“Wow, dude, he is so precious…” Weston murmurs. “You’re so lucky. man”

“Yeah, I know.” Christian replies.

His eyes are also very much set on Finn, admiring how adorable his little one truly is. For him, “lucky” is an understatement. He feels like he has hit the jackpot with the family life he’s now living, and would not want to change even the littlest thing.

Weston feels the urge to caress Finn’s little chubby cheeks with his finger, but he doesn't want to cross any boundaries so he asks for Christian’s permission before doing anything.

“May I feel his cheeks?”

“Yeah, of course.” Christian allows him to do so.

Weston gently caresses Finn’s cheeks and his heart suddenly feels like it is exploding.

“Oh my God, why is he this soft!? These fluffy cheeks are to die for! He is so cute!” Weston just blurts his thoughts out.

You – who is currently busy eating sushi that Weston brought for you on the bed – laugh when you hear what Weston said. It is clear to you that he has become Finn’s number one fan.

“What can I say, I did make one hell of a cute baby.” You chime in.

“We. We made a cute baby.” Christian jokingly corrects you.

You roll your eyes, blow a raspberry at him, then continue eating.

“Yeah, no, Finn’s cuteness is definitely all Y/N. Like, one hundred percent Y/N.”

Of course Weston is taking your side, he just wants to get into Christian’s nerve.

“Yea, yea, yea, whatever.” Christian mutters.

—

Christian’s arms get tired from carrying the baby for quite some time, so he puts Finn down on his crib next to your bed. At the same time, Weston feels like he is forgetting something, so he looks around and realizes he brought another takeout food for Christian. He quickly grabs the bag to hand it to Christian.

“Oh, Chris, I brought you some burritos,” Weston hands the other bag to Christian, “they are not from Chipotle, but you gotta eat, bro.”

Christian chortles.

“You don’t need to do that, but thanks a lot bro.”

“Anything for my favorite new parents.” Weston winks and funnily does the finger guns at us.

“You know what Chris? I just thought about this: now that you have a son, we’re like two and a half men. Like, you and I are the two and Finn is the half. How awesome is that?” Weston randomly tells Christian about this thought that crosses his mind.

You were listening to Weston’s random thoughts and already feeling left out – obviously you are not being serious – you voice your protest to him.

“Hey! What about me? Where am I fitting in on this scenario?”

“You will be the one who gave birth to the half man!” Weston laughs.

You’re confused as you don’t find that funny, but you think you should just play along.

“Eh,” you shrug, “whatever.”

“You two can raise Finn together then.” You acted upset.

“Y/N, please, don’t be mad…” Weston pretends to beg for your mercy.

“You and I both know anyone is better at parenting than Christian, right?”

“Come on guys,” Christian groans, “stop bullying me!”

—

taglist: @pulisicsgirl @neverinadream @swimmingismywholelife @chilwellspulisic @bracedes @lovelynikol16 @thoseboysinblue @lizzypotter14 @masonsrem @landoslover

Going on a little getaway after World Cup with Weston pls

You decided that the two of you needed a little getaway after USA come out of the World Cup, he needed to charge his batteries before he regroups with his team and finish off the season. Everyone’s attention has been on making it to Qatar and playing for their nation. Now it was over everyone will be relaxed. You book a flight and surprise him with the destination, you both spending all day at the beach and being the loved up couple that you were, and just enjoying yourselves and making memories that you won’t be forgetting in a long time.

For @millythegoat but I'm tagging our usual crew too

@moomin279 @liverpool-enjoyer @bobbybecker-21 @alissonbecksfan234 @calm-smol

Can you do a christian pulisic one where he won the concacaf nations league with team USA and after he celebrates with the boys he’s a drunk mess and the reader has to take care of him? <3

Christian Pulisic x Reader

One Tipsy Celebration

A/N: Thanks for requesting! This is your Christmas gift ;) I hope it was up to your expectations!

Includes: a flirty drunk guy

“CHRISTIAN! CHRISTIAN! CHRISTIAN!!!”

The entire team was celebrating the win, and final game of the CONCACAF. It was a nerve-wrecking game with Mexico scoring in the first minute. Then later on the score was 2-2, but then Christian scored the winning goal from a penalty kick to make it 3-2! You were really proud of him.

And whilst the celebration was in the locker room and technically you were not allowed to be in there, being the girlfriend of the one and only Christian Pulisic has its advantages. Well.. sometimes.

“(Y/NNNN)!” Christian clumsily walked over to you. You could just smell the bittersweet alcohol that left his figure. He then slung his arm around you, “whatssup babes?” He slurred.

Oh goodness gracious.

Your boyfriend was being a drunk, flirtatious mess. You knew you had to help him out before things start to get inappropriate. Not only that, but for his well-being in the morning. “Christian!” You turned to face him, “how much did you drink?” You prayed it wasn’t a lot to the point of blackout puking.

“Hmm I don’t know, like 5 shots? Why does it matter anyways? Let loose (Y/N)!” He urged.

“Not today Chris, I know it’s a celebration but there has to be a responsible one” You said, replying to him.

You already took a shot or 2 a while ago, but not to the point of drunkness; You could still function, being more calm even. You could hear Christian mutter “no fun” with his arms crossed.

“Hey the shuttle is here!” You heard someone point out. Thank goodness. All you wanted was to get Christian to your guys’ hotel room. Everyone grabbed their belongings and walked out of the messy locker room, and into the shuttle. Sorry janitors. You sat in the back as Christian followed you over there.

“Hey beautiful ladyyy, mind if I sit here?” He may have flattered you, but you tried your best not to give in.

“Of course Chris” you patted down the seat next to you. He slouched down onto the chair, “Oh yeahhh, I needed this for my ass” He exhaled in relief. “Hey love, did you see me take off my shirt after I scored?” He placed his head on your shoulder. “Cause that was all for youuu.” You could feel how warm and flushed he was.

“Christian, you’re even shirtless as of this moment, but yes, yes I did.” Replying to his sloppy demeanor. “Hey Weston? (McKennie) could you grab me a water bottle please?” You asked him. He heard you and complied, grabbing a water bottle and bringing it over to you. You and West became good friends, sharing interests with each other. He hands you the water bottle, “thanks West, Chris is a hot mess right now” you pat Christian’s head as he groaned in drowsiness.

“I think I can tell, I’ll de-drunkify him for you” West pretends to use a spell on him with his imaginary wand, “NODRUNKIFORUS!” He shouts. You laughed at his corny antics, but you loved his childish imagination.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” moaned Christian,

“Are you flirting with my girl, West?” Uh oh, a jealous Christian is not good right now.

“No man, we’re just joking around!”

“Well you can go joke around somewhere else.”

You had to stop him, “Calm down Chris! Come on, drink this water.” You opened the water bottle with a small crack being heard, and handed it to Christian.

“Fine, whatever you say my love..” he still had a death glare at the poor Harry Potter fan as he drank out the bottle. However he was hit with tiredness again.

“Sorry West..” you apologized,

“It’s alright, he’s just in the deep right now.”

You felt the shuttle come to a stop. You looked out the window to see the hotel, and you were very relieved. You asked Weston to help you bring your non-functioning man to your room, and he agreed. You and Weston were on both sides of Christian, maneuvering him into the hotel, and into the elevator. After some time, the elevator dinged and the three of you reached your room. Weston held Christian as you searched for the keycard,

“God he reeks of alcohol!” West was not fond of the smell, and playfully made a gag noise out of his mouth.

You smiled, “Haha, oh yeah, I’ll have to drag him into the shower tomorrow morning. It’s too late for one right now”. You then found the keycard and hovered it against the lock for it to *click* and unlock. You then opened the door for West to carry him to the bed.

“Thanks so much West, I would have broke my bones trying to carry him myself.”

“It’s no problem (Y/N).” He insisted. You two then said your goodbyes and closed the door. You walked back over to Christian. You took off his shoes, shorts, and socks leaving him in his boxers, then grabbing a black t-shirt from the dresser, putting it on him.

He mindlessly climbed into the sheets with a groan. You smiled at his cuteness, then tucking him in, you pecked his forehead with a kiss.

Next you went ahead and changed into your own pajamas, shut off the lights, and sunk into the sheets yourself.

“(Y/N)..” he turned around to face you, “are you proud of my goal?” You softened at this,

“Of course I am, you were wonderful”

“Mmm, I love you (Y/N)” He latched his arms around you as if you were his teddy bear.

“I love you too Christian, sweet dreams my love.”

||

A/N: I think I fell in love with him after I wrote this ngl

imagine not thinking weston mckennie is fine as hell - could not be me 🤩

USMNT Copa America 2024 Roster: Projecting the players 23

The 2024 Copa América will provide the U.S. men’s national team with a huge opportunity to show it can compete with the world’s best ahead of a home World Cup in 2026.

It will also be the last chance the USMNT has to face strong opposition in meaningful competition ahead of the next World Cup, which will put plenty of pressure on Gregg Berhalter and his team.

The USMNT has been handed an ideal draw in Group C, with winnable games versus Bolivia and Panama alongside a true test against Uruguay, which should serve the team well ahead of any potential knockout round matches.

Berhalter will have plenty to think about before his side kicks off the tournament on June 23, not least of which will be the 23 players he’ll name to the roster.

Here are our picks for the players Berhalter will name to his roster for the 2024 Copa América.

Goalkeepers: Matt Turner, Drake Callender, Gabriel Slonina Despite an up-and-down debut season with Nottingham Forest, it’s hard to imagine anybody other than Turner in goal when the Copa América kicks off.

Part of that is down to Turner’s performances with the USMNT and part is simply because no viable alternative has emerged recently.

Two of those possible alternatives, Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath, haven’t played at all in months. Steffen has secured a move to the Colorado Rapids, while Horvath needs to leave Nottingham Forest, where he’s currently third string.

With Steffen needing to re-prove himself in MLS and Horvath’s future uncertain, we’re giving Callender and Slonina the nod here. The USMNT goalkeeper situation behind Turner, though, is highly fluid and subject to change.

Defenders: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Kristoffer Lund Robinson is an absolute lock to start at left back and Dest’s comeback season at PSV means he’s close to a lock at right back, despite his complete meltdown in the USMNT’s last match.

Center back is a real trouble spot for this team. Ream has impressed over the past two years but time could be catching up with him. Robinson had a down year in 2023 and is staying in MLS instead of testing himself abroad. Carter-Vickers has been a standout with Celtic but could use to test himself at a higher level. Richards can’t get minutes at defense with Crystal Palace but has been converted to an every-game starter in midfield of late.

And those are the players on the roster.

World Cup starter Walker Zimmerman has recently been a healthy scratch from national team rosters. Auston Trusty could be next in line for a call-up, as he’s getting valuable Premier League minutes on an admittedly limited Sheffield United squad. Mark McKenzie is in the mix as well.

Scally is a solid bet to make the squad as a utility fullback, and can even play center back in a pinch. The backup left back position is up for grabs, as it has been for a while. Dest may be the actual backup, but Lund gets the nod for now to boost the team’s depth.

Midfielders: Johnny Cardoso, Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman The health of Adams is the biggest question mark in the USMNT midfield at this point. If he returns in February or March as Bournemouth’s owner expects him to, then the USMNT captain will have plenty of time to recapture his starting spot ahead of the Copa América.

That could see the MMA midfield reconstituted, with Musah and (especially) McKennie enjoying strong campaigns in Serie A.

We could also see Reyna continue to start at the No. 10 in a more attacking setup. The 21-year-old continues to struggle for minutes at Dortmund, but he’s a lock to play a prominent role at the Copa América if healthy.

Tillman is almost redundant with Reyna on the squad as well, but the PSV midfielder is starting to put it all together and is simply too talented to keep off this roster — though he’s yet to make a real impact with the USMNT.

Cardoso’s spot as a backup No. 6 looks secure regardless of Adams’ health, but the new Real Betis signing would obviously have a much bigger role in the event of another setback. So too would fellow La Liga midfielder De la Torre, whose ball progression and ability in possession make him too valuable to leave off this squad.

Forwards: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright Pulisic and Weah are locks to start at the two wide forward positions, while the No. 9 role is becoming an intriguing competition between Pepi and Balogun.

Balogun looks to be the favorite but is in the midst of a scoring slump at Monaco, while Pepi has done nothing but score for PSV and the USMNT over the past year — but almost always as a substitute. He clearly deserves more minutes, but he’s proving rather valuable off the bench as well.

The final spot is a difficult choice, but Wright just gets the nod over Brenden Aaronson. At some point, Aaronson’s collapse in club form is going to cost him on the national team level, and there are no shortage of alternatives who could take his spot this summer.

Wright is the choice for now. The Coventry City attacker is having a strong campaign and has recently been at his most effective while playing as a winger. That ability to play wide or as a No. 9 gives him the edge.

That only leaves one backup winger in this forward group, but Reyna and Tillman have played the position for the USMNT in the recent past. Though both are more comfortable inside, that ability could allow Berhalter to only take five players in the forward group. Dest could also move up to play a more defensive winger role if needed.

Aside from Aaronson, there are a whole host of talented players who could miss out, including Josh Sargent. The Norwich striker could make himself impossible to leave out, however, with a strong run of scoring form — which could also be said for Daryl Dike or Brandon Vazquez.

Kevin Paredes is young and super talented but still doesn’t quite seem ready for extended minutes for club or country. He looks like a strong candidate for the 2026 World Cup squad, though, if he continues his upward trajectory.

Projected 2024 USMNT Copa America roster Goalkeepers (3): Matt Turner, Drake Callender, Gabriel Slonina

Defenders (8): Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, Miles Robinson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Kristoffer Lund

Midfielders (7): Johnny Cardoso, Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman

Forwards (5): Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright

Arsenal transfer news: Weston McKennie contact made

Arsenal are reportedly tracking Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie as a potential transfer target. The Gunners are yet to make a concrete approach for the USA international, but are said to have made initial contact with his representatives, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. It remains to be seen if Arsenal will pursue McKennie as a priority target, but one imagines there must be some potential…

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Chocolate Wars-Christian Pulisic

hey all! Welcome back to this Christian pulisic imagine! Literally love him sm and I tried to make this vv cute and fluffy!

Context: It's both yours and your boyfriend's day off, and you two have decided to compare American and British treats. More specifically Hershey's and Cadbury. Fighting ensues especially because he's from Hershey Pennsylvania

Your name: Camila Lopez

First person POV

I took a bite of the chocolate bar and let the minuscule broken pieces touch my tongue. Two seconds was more than enough time for that wretched chocolate to be in my mouth. I immediately spit it out.

"Babe! What are you doing?" Christian groaned.

I shook my head, "That thing is absolutely disgusting. How you guys call that chocolate is pathetic."

I examined the wrapper and looked at it disapprovingly.

"You're out of your mind Camila. Hershey's is a staple. The best chocolate in the world!" Christian defended.

"Clearly you have low standards then." I mused.

I rolled my eyes at his shocked look and picked up a package next to me.

"Here try this." I commanded, giving him a package of the original dairy milk chocolate bar.

Christian pushed away the package and shot it a dirty look.

"I could never put that into my mouth."

"Christian! You've been in London for like two years and you still refuse to eat Cadbury!" I exclaimed.

"I can't! It'd be like cheating on Hershey. I refuse to be unfaithful." He reasoned.

"I'm dating a god damn five year old." I mumbled to myself, astounded but not really surprised at his actions.

Christian just shrugged his shoulders and tried to escape to go play fortnite.

"No! Sit back down! We're doing this! We've been dating for almost a year, we need to get past this!" I commanded.

I was an English girl, he was American. I was a die hard Fulham supporter, he was a Chelsea player. I made him kind of like Fulham, he made me wear a Chelsea jersey that happened to be his.

"Yeah sure. We'll be able to get past it once you realise Hershey's is superior to any Cadbury product." He replied nonchalantly.

"You've clearly lost your mind." I groaned.

"Okay Christian. I had the Hershey's now you have to try the Cadbury. Otherwise I will throw out every Hershey product in this house. It's as simple as that."

When Christian heard his beloved Hershey's being threatened, he gulped with nervousness.

"Fine." He gave in.

"Yay!" I jumped up and down cheering.

I opened the package for him and broke off a small piece for him so he wouldn't over react like I did.

He rolled his eyes and cautiously plopped the piece into his mouth.

I patiently waited to get his feedback on the dearly beloved chocolate.

"Y'know, it actually doesn't suck." He concluded.

A huge smile worked it's way into my face as I jumped up to hug him. He smiled softly, hugging me back, his hands clinched around my waist, my arms around his neck. Christian placed a small kiss on my forehead to which I smiled at.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, "What do you wanna do Mila?"

"Anything but fortnite." I murmured.

"I'll never understand why you don't like that game babe. Especially when I'm goated at it." Christian answered.

"You're probably good at it because you're playing a bunch of twelve year olds." I snickered.

"Way harsh Camila." He feigned hurt.

"The truth hurts Christian." I smirked.

"You wanna go to bed?" He suggested.

I raised my eyebrows, "It's 6pm."

"And..." Christian started.

"Good point." I agreed.

Just as I was about to start walking to the room, I felt Christian hoist me over his shoulder and carry me there himself. I was so startled that I was squealing the whole way there. Finally, I felt relief when he put me down.

"That was terrifying. And you're not even that tall." I breathed.

Christian smirked at my terrified appearance, "Karma's a bitch."

"What'd I even do to get karma in the first place?" I sighed.

Christian just shrugged his shoulders before getting in bed with me. We ended that night by cuddling and just staying in each other's arms the whole night.

***

@camila_lopezz

Liked by @cmpulisic10, @gioareyna, @reecejames24 and 3,648 others

@camila_lopezz: He's just sad bc he's realised Cadbury>Hershey

Tagged: @cmpulisic10

Comments:

@cmpulisc10: jokes on you because Finley agrees with me🥰

↳@camila_lopezz: dogs can't eat chocolate you twat. still ily though💞

@gioareyna: ayo favourite couple check😍😍

↳@camila_lopezz: ayo favourite usmnt player checkkkk😘

↳@masonmountt: I better be your favourite England player then @camila_lopezz

↳@tammyabraham: if it's not me, then we gonna have some problems😬 @camila_lopezz

↳@sanchooo10: wait Mila it's me innit? 🥲@camila_lopezz

@camila_lopezz: I hate to break it to y'all but reece is my fave💗💗

↳@reecejames24: YES MA'AM😁

@west.mckennie: wow 😍😍 @cmpulisic10

↳@cmpulisic10: thanks Wes. Love you bro😘😜

↳@camila_lopezz: even through a phone screen I'm third wheeling✋

Christian Pulisic needs a lot more strain put on other U.S. players

Christian Pulisic needs much far more power positioned on other U.S. gamers perform Christian Pulisic wants much a lot more drive set on his United States teammates as the countrywide team appears to get started out a new era under mentor Gregg Berhalter. Closing week, the twenty-yr-aged midfielder signed with Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for €64 million (£57.6m, $seventy a few.1m), in what was a doc offer for an American participant. But Pulisic does not imagine the lofty value tag -- and increased highlight -- will boost the strain to have out for the countrywide group. "I do not feel so, I never consider so," Pulisic educated ESPN FC on Sunday. " Kléber Leite feel we can put some far more of the pressure on some of these other guys now. I comprehend my part now in the countrywide crew, I have to screen these males the way, I have been near to for a even though. "Mad to feel I'm one particular of the a good deal a lot more competent guys in the nationwide staff, when I was in the quite last quantity of camps, but yeah, that is what I have to be now." Pulisic was 1 of 28 players called up for new-mentor Berhalter's first coaching camp forward of friendlies in opposition to Panama and Costa Rica on Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, respectively. "I consider the team is looking a entire whole lot considerably greater. Evidently now we have a fantastic head mentor in spot and I'm enthusiastic to see what he delivers to the table, and evidently I contemplate we have a lot of experience coming up," mentioned Pulisic, when questioned his sights on the U.S. crew. "I indicate we see it during the Bundesliga, you know, throughout different leagues in the world, and I contemplate Us citizens should be excited and I am undoubtedly thrilled just to see what our subsequent motion is." Despite the fact that he will not know Berhalter properly, he is encouraged by the merchandise the previous Columbus Crew supervisor has historically place on the willpower. "I was capable to fulfill him after. I never know him way way too properly. I adopted his personnel a minor bit in MLS, but other than that I do not know him tremendous effectively. But I have observed his technique and I have witnessed that he likes to perform, so I'm thrilled," Pulisic described. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are two gamers envisioned to support guidebook the U.S. in the subsequent World Cup cycle. Every single have adopted Pulisic's route from the states to Germany, and Pulisic acknowledged that his accomplishment at Dortmund has assisted pave the way for other men and women. "I do not know, I guess you could say that, you know, probably I was 1 of the very very first types, but I'm pleased these fellas are carrying out similar issues and they can see I was able to look right below and I was able to make it, and for them to arise and do the specific exact same element," he explained. "I am truly happy to see them and we have a great romantic relationship, so that we can assist every single one other out." And he encouraged other folks to just take the extremely identical steps in the long term. "Yeah, surely. I recommend it just designed me so a lot much better, not only as a player, but as a particular person way also," he stated about transferring to interact in in Europe. "I understood so significantly, you know. Practically nothing was easy, to happen far more than in Europe and to make this section. I am truly happy that I did it." Aged Trafford's atmosphere, like Male United's closing benefits, offers cause for optimism engage in 1st fifty % goals from Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku ensured that Manchester United transfer ahead to the subsequent spherical of the FA Cup. (one:fifty 9) There finished up numerous increased information from Manchester United's FA Cup third spherical acquire vs. Finding out at Outdated Trafford, in which a a good deal-altered line-up gave caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his fifth straight earn. There was yet another objective for Romelu Lukaku, even although Sergio Romero held a cleanse sheet in opposition to spirited Championship opponents and other fringe gamers got a probability to impress. None of them allow their manager down, such as 19-calendar year-aged winger Tahith Chong, who made his extremely very first-workers debut. But the day's true spotlight arrived off the pitch, with an further efficient vocal part presently becoming trialled in "L Stand" with 1,800 noisy followers. Much a lot more than 5 a extended time soon right after a equivalent experiment in the extremely same portion of the ground, the wedge-formed spot usually occupied by absent followers was fairly house to a loud, vivid team of United followers. Organised by the Pink Navy Group, who would like a similar arrangement for subsequent month's Champions League match in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain, it signifies a action in the proper direction quickly right after two a long time of noisy supporters being considered nearly as a hindrance, rather than a support, by the club. Witnessed through a sceptical eye, they want to be: The mood inside of of Previous Trafford has been way too flat for way too prolonged. The lessen goes again to the nineteen eighties when, prior to the mandate for all-seater stadia in England's very best flight pursuing the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool followers missing their life after getting crushed while standing on terraces, United's residence boasted one certain of the best atmospheres in the planet. Nonetheless, as effectively a lot of more mature club officers associated sounds with the hooliganism they essential rid of and a phase of govt seating was built in the middle of the Stretford Complete, the common stand that United generally assault in the next half of match titles. Martin Edwards, the chairman who created that determination, later on admitted to me that it experienced been a miscalculation. Yet another mistake was produced in 1995 when, for a recreation towards Sunderland, a band of non-soccer fans -- trumpets and all -- had been compensated out to enjoy within of the flooring. It was not popular and they did not return! Manchester United fanatics have observed their team obtain five straight sport titles beneath Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Getty No issue has occupied much a lot more room in the webpages of United fanzines in excess of the ultimate thirty a long time than that of the declining ambiance, with fans' aggravation reflecting a perception felt by supporters of other huge English golf equipment, as successfully as some on the continent. Barcelona and True Madrid confronted associated difficulties and the two golfing tools liaised with fanatics to organise vocal sections. The two,000-robust segment at Camp Nou really functions, even however the Bernabeu edition is a tiny also choreographed, with every single individual donning white shirts. Other European clubs have no this sort of issue generating ambiance -- at Marseille vs. PSG very final 12 months, the noise, coloration and business was magnificent -- but, even then, views can fluctuate. Even even though I was taken aback, ex-United remaining-back again Patrice Evra, with whom I considered the game, said that Previous Trafford was far much better given that the roars listened to have been natural and organic and spontaneous. Players, he extra, favor that accompanying, encouraging seem to be to anything created by very-design supporter groups. But although actions on the pitch can frequently spur them into existence and United's absent pursuing is typically praised, the late arrival of numerous enthusiasts at property on the web games can make it incredibly difficult to effectively build the ambiance. The pubs could properly be bouncing about Previous Trafford, but inside of all is silent. In the meantime, tunes are needlessly speeded up, which minimizes enthusiasm and sensation the tune of the quick, a model of "Waterfall" by The Stones Roses, is a state of affairs in amount. EDITORS' PICKS Look at on ESPN networks in the U.S. ESPN+ is America's property for a host of professional soccer leagues from about the entire globe, highlighted by Italy's Serie A, Major League Soccer, UEFA Nations League and English FA Cup. | ESPN+ regimen Welcome to the 2018 FC 100 ESPN FC's professionals ranked the greatest men's gamers and supervisors in world soccer. Check out out the checklist. How Mourinho unravelled at Male United Worry, paranoia, tough carry out and continuous battling with club officers and avid gamers led to the unavoidable, writes Rob Dawson. The finest recreation never ever carried out When Boca Juniors and River Plate experienced been recognized to meet up with in Argentina's most vital match, Buenos Aires missing its head, writes Wright Thompson. - Fantasy: Proven lineups, validate scores! All of which is why the there is a enjoyment about vocal sections. I stood in 1 -- standing is tolerated -- for October's home sport vs. Valencia and determined that, in addition to the decibel degree at present becoming increased, stewards finished up sensible about the area they had been in. The supporters organise and law enforcement themselves and want like-minded gentlemen and ladies about them, who go to games often and pick singing to putting up selfies on social media. The club are happy with this arrangement and, against a wall of cynicism even from some United followers, it is carrying out operate. Pockets of the group are making the most seem, even if the soccer performed beneath Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, who was right to complain about the absence of sounds at home game titles, did not typically inspire great electrical power from men and women seeing. Up coming time, a much more area of the Stretford End will be presented to the Pink Army Team and there is exhilaration amongst people who want to be component of the vocal renaissance. It can perform, as the singing area confirmed in the direction of Learning, when lots of sound was generated in spite of an unattractive match that skilled an unattractive kickoff time.

Qatar World Cup: USMNT roster projection for September's Football World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022

All eyes are on U.S. men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter as he prepares to announce the squad for the U.S.' first Football World Cup qualifier since being eliminated in Trinidad nearly four years ago. The first three games of the 14-game qualifying campaign won't be easy. There are two away games, in El Salvador and Honduras, and a home game against a surging Canadian team that has matched the U.S. in recent games: in El Salvador (Sept. 2), against Canada (Sept. 5), and in Honduras (Sept. 8).

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                        Three games in seven days are tough enough, especially for many European players who have just started the season. Add to that the travel hassles, and the challenge of getting off to a good start will be enormous. Berhalter's squad selection will therefore have to allow for a degree of rotation. Apart from the goalkeeper position, it is difficult to say how many of the players who were in the starting eleven on September 2 will be available again for the intense game against Canada on September 5.

National teams are only allowed to field a 23-man squad on game days, but each country can field a larger squad in training camp and change the 23-man roster for each game. Here are the predictions for the most meaningful 26-man squad for the USMNT qualifiers in September.

Goalkeepers (3)

Zach Steffen (Manchester City/England)

Matt Turner (New England Revolution)

Ethan Horvat (Nottingham Forest/England)

This combination of three goalkeepers should be a staple throughout qualifying and at the Football World Cup 2022, assuming the U.S. makes it to Qatar. It's hard to imagine any other American goalkeepers making it into this group. The only problem with this list is that two of the names, Zach Steffen and Ethan Horvat, are substitutes for their clubs and don't see regular action. Assuming Steffen is in the starting eleven, Matt Turner (see above) could at least get a qualifying start.

New York City Football Club Shawn Johnson is the next candidate if one of the top three players is out. Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa was called up by the U.S. for the Nations League final in May and has since announced he will play for Mexico.

Defenders (8)

Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

John Brooks (Wolfsburg/Germany)

Shaq Moore (Tenerife/Spain)

Sergiño Dest (Barcelona/Spain)

Anthony Robinson (Fulham FC/England)

Miles Robinson (Atlanta United)

Mark McKenzie (Genk/Belgium)

Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp / Belgium)

With the four center backs mentioned above, the two center back positions are well-staffed. Should Berhalter play with a five-man backline against Canada, James Sands may be called up from NYCFC. The outside back position will be filled by four other players, Sergiño Dest (right or left), Antonee Robinson (left back), Sam Vines (left back), and Shaq Moore (right back, see picture below).

The most hotly contested position is right back, for which Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin are also being considered. The problem is that Cannon's club situation has yet to be resolved and he has yet to make an appearance for Boavista in Portugal this season. Veteran Yedlin could be an option, but he is spending his final days in training camp with Bejart. Considering Moore has fit in well with the U.S. national team system, his inclusion in the squad seems to make the most sense. For more details about Football World Cup Tickets.

Matt Miazga is still adjusting to his new team after his recent move to the Spanish La Liga side La Coruna Alaves, while veterans Tim Ream and Chris Richards (Bayern Munich) have been sidelined in central defense. Right-back Brian Reynolds (AS Roma) has just joined the Italian national team and hasn't played much of a role this month except for a few minutes on the bench.

Midfielders (7)

Kylian Acosta (Colorado Rapids)

Sebastien Lecheit (LA Galaxy)

Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)

Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/Germany)

Erik Williamson (Portland Timbers)

Weston McKennie (Juventus/Italy)

Jackson Yuehl (San Jose Earthquakes)

Midfielders pick themselves. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sebastian Lechett, and Kellyn Acosta (pictured below) are already signed. Christian Roldan and Erik Williamson proved to be solid and reliable substitutes during the Gold Cup. Jackson Yuehl has slipped down the rankings in recent months, but he is still a player Bejarte would use without hesitation.

Valencia's Yunus Musa would normally be in the lineup, but an ankle ligament injury has kept him out of action since July. Given that he is still on the mend, it would be surprising to send him out for the qualifying round. Owen Otasowe was recently transferred to Belgian club Brugge and has yet to make a competitive appearance this preseason.

Strikers (8)

Nicolas Gioacchini (Caen/France)

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/England)

Gio Reina (Borussia Dortmund/Germany)

Josh Sargent (Norwich City/England)

Tim Weah (Lille/France)

Jordan Pefok Siebatcheu (Young Boys/Switzerland)

Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg / Austria)

Matthäus Hoppe (Schalke / Germany)

Eight is a group, but given Berhalter's preference for a three-man forward line and regular substitutes in those positions, all eight could be used in the September qualifiers. Matthew Hope has been getting back into shape with his German club team after taking time off following the Gold Cup. But given his performances in this tournament, he would be a valuable option for Berhalter. The same goes for Nicolas Gioacchini, who has returned to his French second division club.

Washington DC's Paul Arriola and Columbus forward Garci Zardes have both suffered hamstring injuries recently. Colorado's Jonathan Lewis is a possible option if another player can't play. Darryl Dyke, who has yet to play a competitive game after appearing in the Gold Cup in August, remains the subject of transfer rumors as the European window closes on August 31.

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being besties w weston because ur dating christian and being the two extroverts trying to get him to socialize more 🤭

i love bestie westie… thank you for sending this in! 🫶🏻 hope you like this one 🤭

—

Since you started dating Christian, you became close to his best friends, including Weston – who has become your best friend as well. There are so many reasons why you two get along really well, but one of the most prominent is the fact that you and Wes are extroverts.

Just because you’re an extrovert doesn’t mean you’re loud and super outgoing — but somehow with Wes you became those things. You gain your energy by talking and being around people, meanwhile your boyfriend is the complete opposite – he prefers interacting with very few people and stay home doing whatever.

One day, you asked for an advice from Wes because Christian didn’t want to an event held at your place of work – and the reason was because didn’t wanna meet many new people. Wes then came up with a plan.

On the day of the event, you left by yourself while Christian was getting ready to go somewhere with Wes – little did he know, Wes was taking him to where you were. When they arrived, Christian was visibly upset and Wes tried to explain why they were there.

“Bro, I know you don’t like this but she’s your girlfriend. Go meet her coworkers, socialize a little bit. She would appreciate you so much for your effort.”

“Also,” he added while tapping Christian’s back, “I’ll be with you the entire time.”

Not long after, you spotted the boys. You saw your boyfriend’s trying to hide his annoyance, and you immediately apologized for making Wes dragging him to this event.

“That’s okay, Wes was right anyway. I’ll do anything for you, Y/N.”

You smiled and gave him a hug. You then pulled both Christian and Wes to introduce them to some people.

Throughout the entire event, Christian was being reserved. You and Wes were kind of pushing him to engage more, and even though it wasn’t as you both expected, Christian did make some new friends.

“Mission accomplished, bestie!” You both excitedly yelled to one another before going home.

Christian just shook his head.

“I’m not loving this friendship.” He said flatly.

“Yeah? Well sorry bro, but you made us happen!” Weston jokingly replied while high-fiving you.

“Ugh, why do you both have to be extroverts???”

—

imagines games here

Bringing Weston with you to a family event

‘They are going to love you’ you smile as you fix his tie as he stays at the elevator as you ride up the floors. He looks at you and let’s out a deep sigh, to try and shake off his nerves. You give him a quick kiss before the doors open, you take his hand and take the lead as you walk into the family celebration. Everyone was so happy to finally meet ‘the guy who is making YN happy’. He fitted in perfectly with them, making jokes and laughter that filled the room. Your Nana, Aunts and Mum all beaming at how happy they are for you to have found him.

Key Stars Have Left, but USMNT's Core Still Rooted in Bundesliga

Key Stars Have Left, but USMNT’s Core Still Rooted in Bundesliga

At the time, Weston McKennie couldn’t have imagined the ultimate destination. It was the fall of 2017, and he was 19 years old. At that point, the young midfielder had been at Schalke 04 for a little more than a year and was fewer than a dozen Bundesliga games into his senior pro career. Juventus wasn’t in the picture. Moving to a club like that was inconceivable.

But moving forward wasn’t.…

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Building a better USMNT together: A 7-goal thriller against Mexico

Things get stressful this week.

Welcome back to “Building a better USMNT together,” a series where I play Football Manager 20 to build the USMNT of our dreams with your help. If you’re new, start from the beginning here.

Last week, we qualified for the Olympics and won the CONCACAF Nations League. This week, we try our best to win an Olympic medal and play our first 2022 World Cup qualifying matches. It gets dramatic.

Tokyo did not treat us with hospitality

For the Olympics, we were drawn into a group with Nigeria, Jordan, and Germany. I knew we couldn’t count on getting anything in the last game, and that our subs could coast against Jordan, so the first game was the most important.

We got off to a slow start, but Weston McKennie put us on top with an absolute stunner.

And then we threw away the points in the 93rd minute when Nigeria were granted a penalty for... well, I don’t know. Even the game commentary thought it was bogus.

The match finished all knotted up, 1-1, and we were put into a position where we needed to put in a big performance against Germany to make it to the knockout rounds.

Things went as expected against Jordan, though we were thoroughly unimpressive. The ratio of shots to shots on target was not inspiring.

But incredibly, we got the result we needed against Germany to finish second in the group ahead of Nigeria. Suat Serdar helped us out with an early red card, and we returned the favor in the second half. The reds were the only two real highlights all game. It was a terrible match where nothing happened, which suited our needs perfectly.

The quarterfinal draw was not kind to us, and once again, we failed to put together any promising attacks. It looks like Argentina did us dirty with an 87th-minute goal in a game where shots were even, but they were the better team throughout, and our Olympics ended without us having put in a single impressive performance.

Given that I was able to bring pretty much our A-team to an Under-23 tournament, I was really disappointed by the performance. I’ve won a medal at the 2020 Olympics with the USMNT on FM before, and I almost always put in a better effort than this. The team just never clicked.

Here’s the Olympic dream team, in case you’re interested in how things are going in the rest of the world. Chucky Lozano making it while no Americans managed to sneak into the subs stings a bit.

I yelled several times in both joy and anger against Mexico

The draw for the Hex gave us a pair of extremely tricky games to start off — at home against Mexico and away to Costa Rica. While that’s a bit annoying, I went in knowing that if I got four points or more out of those two matches, we’d be strong favorites to qualify for the World Cup.

Before I had to finalize the squad, I finally got Folarin Balogun — who we have at Dallas on loan from Arsenal — to commit to the United States.

He’s going to be a star for us and gives us a different type of player to rotate with Josh Sargent. I really like Sargent’s combination play as a deep-lying forward, but Balogun is much faster and can play when we want a striker who runs in behind the opposing defense.

At home against Mexico, I wanted to play Sargent and Efrain Alvarez together. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie were unavailable for the match through injury and suspension, respectively, so I thought a 4-2-3-1 formation suited our best available personnel. We lined up like this:

And we got off to an absolutely unbelievable start. First, Christian Pulisic obliterated the Mexico defense to set up Sargent for what turned into a tap-in, despite Guillermo Ochoa’s best efforts.

And we doubled our lead a few minutes later with a stunner from our left back, of all people. Look at this switch by Russell Canouse, playing in McKennie’s place, and a perfect hit by Dallas’ own Chris Gloster.

But we started to fall apart. El Tri pulled one back off a corner, then looked completely full of confidence for the rest of the first half. Hector Herrera scored the equalizer with this deflected effort, and in a flash, our lead was gone. We headed into the locker room tied up at 2-2.

At halftime, I felt the need to make a couple of changes. Canouse picked up a yellow card playing a ball-winning midfielder role, which makes players tackle harder by default. I wanted to have someone in that role who was able to play aggressively, so I took him out for Michael Bradley, who earned his first call-up in over a year due to McKennie and Adams’ absence. Antonee Robinson also replaced Gloster, who picked up a yellow and a minor knock. Otherwise, I didn’t change the tactics.

And seven minutes into the second half, Bradley and Robinson set up a go-ahead goal for Mexican-American teenager Efrain Alvarez, who was playing in his first competitive match for the senior national team.

I was in the middle of contemplating sticking with the tactics vs. going more conservative when this happened:

I didn’t even have the chance to finish my thought. Robinson did it again, setting up Sargent for the goal that should have sealed our victory.

Should.

We had to endure a dramatic finish, thanks to an absolute brain fart by John Brooks. WAKE UP, JOHN.

We ultimately did manage to hang onto the victory, though I imagine the stress I felt during the match did some lasting damage to my body.

The results from the first round of Hex games are largely what you’d expect in terms of points, though the actual scores are a bit wacky. Honduras got obliterated by Jamaica, who might actually be the third-best team in CONCACAF at this point.

And we got a big away result too

For the Costa Rica match I decided to switch things up, putting in Balogun and his Dallas teammate James Sands. Initially, I had Balogun playing as an advanced forward, Parks as a deep lying playmaker, and Canouse as a ball-winning midfielder. But Costa Rica was well on top in the first 15 minutes, and I decided to change the roles of those three players so they’d get closer together.

It worked. From the point I changed the roles, possession went 50-50, and Costa Rica stopped generating shots. We eventually got our winner by earning a phantom penalty that should have never been given, which I think we’ve earned given the Olympics and last episode’s George Bello incident.

Tim Weah scored from the spot, and we got our smash-and-grab victory away to Los Ticos. It wasn’t an impressive performance, but as anyone who’s followed the real-life USMNT will tell you, there’s no such thing as a bad win in Costa Rica.

Here’s the results from round two. With Honduras and Panama failing to win against each other, there’s a pretty clearly defined top four and bottom two in the six-team tournament. Us and Mexico are big favorites, while Jamaica and Costa Rica are battling it out for the last automatic qualifying spot and Honduras and Panama will need to improve significantly to have a chance at the fourth-place playoff.

An update on Dallas

Hey, we won the Supporters’ Shield!

I don’t consider this much of an accomplishment because, as I noted in a previous episode, the MLS AI is really bad. Other teams have released star players because they don’t know how to manage the cap, so we’ve basically been handed this trophy by default for managing our squad adequately.

We also experienced another fun MLS bug this week: An all-star squad with no goalkeepers.

I’m not going to lie to you, I just simmed the game and let them lose.

On the next episode, we’ll play the MLS Cup Playoffs, say goodbye to FC Dallas, and reveal where we’ll be playing club ball in the future. I’m really looking forward to bringing a ton of young Americans to Europe.

Previous: Episode 5 / Episode 4 / Episode 3 / Episode 2 / Episode 1

USMNT depth chart: where they’re strong and where they should worry ahead of World Cup 2022

It has been eight months and 13 matches since Gregg Berhalter took over as head coach of the United States men’s national team. He arrived with a mandate to remake a floundering program in his image, a project that’s very much still a work in progress. The manager spent his time handing starts to new players, evaluating the veterans and attempting to find a lineup that gets the most out of the available talent.

As World Cup qualifying approaches next year and the Nations Cup begins in October, it’s time to take a look at where the players stand.

(Note: Each player appears once, even if he could fit into multiple spots.)

Goalkeeper

1. Zack Steffen, Fortuna Dusseldorf (loan) 2. Brad Guzan, Atlanta United FC 3. Sean Johnson, NYCFC

It’s Steffen and then everyone else in the player pool. The Manchester City goalkeeper, on loan at Fortuna Düsseldorf, continues to improve his shot-stopping ability and positioning and is off to a strong start in the Bundesliga. He struggles with distribution, however, and needs to get better in this regard if Berhalter’s build from the back system is going to work.

– U.S. show they’re way behind Mexico – O’Hanlon: Is Dest the USMNT’s next big thing? – Dyer: How a Nobel Prize winner helped Reggie Cannon break through for USMNT

Guzan, Johnson, Ethan Horvath, Jesse Gonzalez and others are capable, if not spectacular, backups.

Left-back

1. Daniel Lovitz, Montreal Impact 2. Tim Ream, Fulham 3. Sergino Dest, Ajax

This position is a perpetual weak spot for the Americans. Lovitz is fine, Ream is better but accident prone, and Dest is just 18. The latter, who was solid and also a teenager against Mexico in his first start, could rocket up this list with a good couple of months for the Dutch giants in the Eredivisie and the Champions League.

Other potential options include Antonee Robinson, oft-injured Greg Garza, U-20 star Chris Gloster and even Fabian Johnson. (Remember when FabJo was the U.S.’s best player at four or five positions?)

The good news: Berhalter has a lot of options. The bad: None of those fully solves his problem.

Left-side center-back

1. John Brooks, VfL Wolfsburg 2. Matt Miazga, Reading FC (loan) 3. Chris Richards, FC Bayern Munich II

Right-side center-back

1. Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls 2. Walker Zimmerman, LAFC 3. Miles Robinson, Atlanta United FC

Can John Brooks stay healthy? If he does, one of the two center-back jobs is his for the next half-decade at least. But the Wolfsburg center-back can’t maintain fitness. For that matter, Miazga is on the shelf with a serious injury. In the immediate moment, Long and Zimmerman are the starters.

Richards, a standout in the U-20 World Cup, is raw but has line-breaking potential. Omar Gonzalez, Tim Parker, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Erik Palmer-Brown, Justen Glad, Miles Robinson, Austin Trusty and a handful of others could figure into the mix as well.

Right-back

1. DeAndre Yedlin, Newcastle United 2. Reggie Cannon, FC Dallas 3. Nick Lima, San Jose Earthquakes

Yedlin gets the nod due to his experience, though Cannon has had the strongest 12 months of pretty much any player in the U.S. national team picture. In another six months or a year, we might see Cannon lock down the right-back role with Yedlin pushing further up the field, but we’re not there quite yet.

Lima presents a serviceable option in a panic, though it’s not likely to come to that, and Shaq Moore’s a wild card who could push for more chances.

Defensive midfielder

1. Tyler Adams, RB Leipzig 2. Michael Bradley, Toronto FC 3. Wil Trapp, Columbus Crew SC

Has any player in the history of U.S. Soccer moved up the ranks for club and country as quickly as Adams? In two years, he has gone from “who is this kid?” to a Champions League starter. Still just 20, the RB Leipzig midfielder could be the American engine for a decade.

Bradley is still Bradley, the smartest player on the field even if he has slowed down a half-step. Trapp’s the best leader on the team, a guy who could make a roster for that ability alone. Alfredo Morales and Russell Canouse could play roles here too.

Attacking midfielder

1. Weston McKennie, Schalke 04 2. Duane Holmes, Derby County 3. Paxton Pomykal, FC Dallas

Attacking midfielder

1. Sebastian Lletget, LA Galaxy 2. Darlington Nagbe, Atlanta United FC 3. Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders FC

Berhalter could go a lot of ways with this group, including installing Pulisic back in midfield, but the McKennie/Lletget combination is the most potent if — and this is a big if — they can stay healthy and learn to play together. Holmes showed excellent promise in limited time, and Pomykal could start pressing sooner rather than later.

Nagbe remains an enigma, notably turning down a recent call-up, and Roldan is fine. Jackson Yueill and Djordje Mihailovic are two younger players who should continue to get shots if they continue to grow as players.

Pulisic is the undisputed leader of this new-look U.S. men’s team, but the depth around him looks worryingly thin at key positions.

Left wing

1. Christian Pulisic, Chelsea 2. Paul Arriola, D.C. United 3. Tim Weah, Lille

While Pulisic can be considered the best American player at multiple positions, he’s best served out on the wing, where he can get the ball in space and attack defenders. (At least that’s the idea.) Arriola is a much more limited player who nonetheless finds ways to produce in the U.S. coach’s system. (Odds are Berhalter starts him on the right wing.)

Weah, 19, has enough imagination for the entire group but needs to improve his decision-making and impactfulness across an entire match (and get healthy).

Right wing

1. Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders FC 2. Tyler Boyd, Besiktas 3. Jonathan Lewis, Colorado Rapids

Boyd burst onto the scene at the Gold Cup, demonstrating flair and a cannon for a shot. Yet he hasn’t quite grasped Berhalter’s system, holding the ball for too long. Former wonderboy Morris transformed his game from pacey forward to robust winger, bringing a nuanced understanding to his physical gifts. Lewis might never be more than a spark plug for club or country, but he’s a fun prospect.

Striker

1. Josh Sargent, Werder Bremen 2. Jozy Altidore, Toronto FC 3. Gyasi Zardes, Columbus Crew SC

If Berhalter faced a must-win game, he might choose to start Altidore, who’s very much a known quantity at this point. But Sargent should be the call in upcoming games, as a player with a much higher ceiling whose continued improvement could help transform the U.S. squad. As for Zardes, sure for now, but his days are numbered.

One question for the near future: Can red-hot Minnesota United forward Mason Toye force his way into the conversation, or will he come crashing back down to earth?

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25 million: Hertha courting McKennie

25 million: Hertha courting McKennie

Schalke 04 has to deal with a possible sale of Weston McKennie. As ‘Sport1’ reports, Hertha BSC has entered the race for the 21-year-old American. Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia had McKennie on his wish list at VfL Wolfsburg during his time and would now like to make up for what was missed.

The defensive midfielder can imagine a change of scenery and recently raved openly about the English…

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