What America's World Cup Team Should Expect from its European-Based Players
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The European soccer season starts this week, and American fans will be on the lookout for the top names from the national team more than ever with the World Cup just a few months away. We’ve put together the list of the top European-based U.S. players to watch before things get going in November and what to expect from them in the new season.
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
It could be a very tough season for Robinson. He was important for Fulham in the Championship title win of last season, but with it back in the Premier League, Fulham is expected to concede a boatload of goals.
This means Robinson will likely come into this World Cup in poor form, and it doesn’t look good ahead of the November showdown.
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
McKennie's future remains uncertain right now, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur seeking his services for the new season. However, if he is to stay at Juventus, he could well be very important for it now that Paulo Dybala has left the club.
We expect McKennie to turn up this season. He’s going to either move to a new club and get more games under his belt than usual, or he will stay at Juventus and potentially be a key figure. Either way, USMNT fans should be hopeful of a great season for McKennie.
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic)
After winning the Scottish Premiership title with Celtic on loan from Spurs, Carter-Vickers has joined Celtic on a permanent deal and will likely enter the World Cup in better form than any other USMNT player.
Celtic is expected to win the league and do so by keeping up its stunning record in defense. Last season, the Hoops conceded just 22 goals on the way to winning the title, and this is only going to continue for them and Carter-Vickers.
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
After registering 13 goals from 66 games for RB Salzburg, Aaronson has earned a move to Leeds United to play under American coach Jesse Marsch.
However, Leeds is expected to fight relegation in the Premier League, which means an attacking player like Aaronson will struggle a lot. In fact, there’s a chance he may not even score a single goal before the World Cup and this is a bit of a worry for the USMNT.
Tyler Adams (Leeds United)
Adams is another American at Leeds this season. He is expected to be one of its best players for it with his defensive brilliance and intelligence in the center of midfield.
Adams will fill the gap left behind by the legendary figure of Kalvin Phillips this campaign, which means there is an incredible amount of expectation on his shoulders in this new season.
We expect Adams to have a good first few months in England before the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Things have not been going well for Pulisic at Chelsea in the past year. He barely started a game for the Blues last season and with their desire to sell players and bring in new faces, Pulisic could have a new club before September.
If he stays at Chelsea, it’s unlikely he will play much, which never bodes well heading into a major tournament. Should Pulisic get a new club, the sky's the limit for him and the forward could recapture the excellent form shown a few years back.
We know the ability is there. He just needs to play more.
Matt Turner (Arsenal)
Despite being an integral part of the USMNT these days, things don’t look good for Turner heading into the new season, with him not expected to play much at his new club.
Turner has joined Arsenal this season, and with the incredible form of its main goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, the former New England Revolution man will likely only play in the Europa League and League Cup before the World Cup.
To put that in perspective, Turner might not play more than five games before November.
Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough)
On the other hand to Turner’s expected exclusion from Arsenal's starting lineups, Steffen is expected to play more games than ever this season, with him leaving Manchester City for Middlesbrough in pursuit of first-team action.
Down in the Championship, under the guidance of elite-winning Championship coach Chris Wilder, Steffan should start each game for Boro and come into the World Cup in fine form.
Sergiño Dest (Barcelona)
Dest played 21 La Liga games last season with Dani Alves slotting in at right-back, but with many outgoings at Barcelona, Dest is now set to be one of the main men in defense for the Spanish team.
Barcelona is also looking better than it did last season, as it had arguably the best transfer window of any side in Europe. Now, with Robert Lewandowski to supply and Franck Kessie helping on the defensive front, Dest could be one of America’s standout talents heading into the World Cup.
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Ahead of turning 35 before the World Cup starts, Ream will be back in the Premier League for his fourth season in England's top division. Ream was integral in helping Fulham win the Championship last season as he played in all 46 games.
However, Fulham is not expected to do that well in the Premier League as it normally fights relegation each time, so Ream could struggle a lot in the next few months.
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)
After playing just 10 Bundesliga games last season due to injury, Reyna will need to stay injury-free to rack up some form before the November tournament. What's more, with Erling Haaland departing Borussia Dortmund, Reyna will be more important than ever for his club.
If he can stay fit, we expect Reyna to have a fantastic season in Germany and head into the World Cup with some goals under his belt.
Timothy Weah (Lille)
Weah has to compete with Jonathan David of Canada at Lille, and this is turning out to be a bit of a problem for him. In his past two seasons, Weah has scored just three league goals in each campaign and he is not expected to go on and do much more from now until the World Cup in November.
Lille is also a tough team to predict, with it finishing first and 10th in the past two seasons. In truth, we expect Weah to struggle before the World Cup begins.
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