USMNT’s 3 biggest snubs for the World Cup

Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

There were three notable names left off Gregg Berhalter’s roster.

Every World Cup roster release comes with a certain amount of scrutiny and backlash. It’s an inevitable part of the process when one coach or federation is deciding on a set limit of spots to determine the best players to represent their country at the biggest sporting event on Earth.

So, when Gregg Berhalter announced his final 26-player roster for the upcoming tournament in Qatar there was always going to some seemingly deserving players left on the outside looking in. For those who dedicated the last four years — some even longer than that — to making the final cut, missing out can be especially brutal.

While the list of players who aren’t going to the World Cup is vast, there are certain players who have a right to feel more forsaken than others. Here are the five Americans who should feel most salty about missing out on a chance of a lifetime.

1. Zack Steffen (Goalkeeper — Middlesbrough)

Flashback to about 18 months ago and Zack Steffen appeared to have his ticket to Qatar laminated and hole-punched. The 27-year-old had been in the U.S. Soccer program for his whole professional life and even experienced international success at the 2015 U-20 World Cup as one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament. Couple that impressive pedigree with the fact that he was Gregg Berhalter’s starter with the Columbus Crew for several successful seasons and his spot seemed almost guaranteed.

It all seemed to start unraveling once Steffen made $7 million transfer to English giants Manchester City. Leaving the comfort of Columbus and certain playing time to be a backup for one of the world’s most respected goalkeepers, Brazil national teamer Ederson. Early on his lack of playing time did not affect his standing in Berhalter’s eyes as Steffen kept receiving call-ups and starts like always.

Unfortunately, a biproduct of being a backup with no hope of moving up the depth chart eventually started to take its toll on Steffen and when he did see the field his form dropped off. High profile and noticeable mistakes began plaguing him, most notably costing City a goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinals in April.

Desperate to start playing regularly and regain his form, he pushed for a loan move away from Manchester and found a new club with English Championship club Middlesbrough. However, his plan did not work as intended as his form never really reached previous levels and injuries crept into the equation as well.

He went from being the locked-on starter with the USMNT less than two years ago and having a history with the head coach to being left off the World Cup roster entirely. Admittedly, there is virtually no talent drop-off from projected starter Matt Turner to Steffen. But with all the expectations and variables seemingly in his favor, for Steffen to miss out is absolutely excruciating.

2. Ricardo Pepi (Striker — FC Groningen)

It was only a year ago that the Ricardo Pepi hype train phenomenon swept the through U.S. Soccer. At the time, the Mexican-American striker was emerging as a future star with FC Dallas in MLS. The then 18-year-old’s combination of size, speed and technique at such a young age had experts salivating at the potential of him leading the line for the USA relatively soon. Those dreams became a reality quite soon as Berhalter introduced him into the squad and he took off like a rocket. Several impactful appearances later and he eventually helped the U.S. qualify for the World Cup, contributing the second-most goals (3) on the team in the qualifying cycle.

Once again, it was a big money move to Europe that threw a wrench into everyone’s plans. Pepi garnered a massive $20 million transfer to Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. The problem was, Augsburg are a lower-table German side who have to fight for every point just to stay alive in the top flight. Pepi struggled to break into the squad and adapt to their style of play. Ultimately, he appeared only 15 times for them without notching a single goal. With his form at a low, his stock with the USMNT had dipped. Like Steffen, he secured a loan move away from his club in hopes to regain form and earn his spot in Qatar. This time the plan worked about as well as could be hoped. FC Groningen, a mid-table team from the Dutch Eredivisie, came calling and Pepi began producing as soon as he stepped on the field. With just nine appearances under his belt he has scored six times and assisted twice.

Despite that surge back to great form, Berhalter has decided to leave him off the roster in favor of other options. What makes his omission even more brutal is that his departure from FC Dallas paved the way for Jesus Ferreira to step into the starting striker spot and produce the form of his life. Ferreira will be heading to Qatar as a potential starter while Pepi won’t even have a spot. Ouch.

3. Jordan Pefok (Striker — Union Berlin)

The USMNT’s striker situation is one that befuddled a lot of people throughout this cycle. There was never a player at the position who was certain to make the roster due to no one fitting Berhalter’s system or producing great goal-scoring numbers for the national team. So, when evaluating the candidates, most of the evidence to review had to be collected from their individual club situations.

Union Berlin have gotten off to an unexpected Cinderella start to the Bundesliga season with Pefok playing a pivotal role in their attack. With three goals and three assists to his name to start the season, he has helped his side to a second-place standing behind powerhouse Bayern Munich. Most believed that level of production and such a high level of competition warranted him being granted a place on the final roster.

But a dip in form — Berhalter said Pefok would have been a near lock if he picked the team a couple months ago — and a lack of production on the national team ultimately led Berhalter to pick Haji Wright instead. Pefok never lit the world on fire when playing for the national team but did have moments of brilliance, like scoring the winning goal late in the Nations League semifinal ahead of the storied stoppage-time win in the final against Mexico. However, at the end of the day, this just seems like a coach’s decision that while harsh, we have to live with.

Devastating Injuries

While some absences are via coach’s decision, there are a few players who will miss out on the tournament due to unfortunate injuries picked up on the road to Qatar. Both notable injuries affecting the USMNT have hampered their defense in a big way. Atlanta United’s Miles Robinson had firmly secured a starting center back spot for Berhalter’s side and was a crucial cog in their defensive efforts. A torn Achilles tendon midway through the MLS season has sidelined him for this tournament and beyond. His contributions to the team were immense both in steadying the backline and even offering a threat in the box on attacking set pieces. It was his late header in Extra Time against Mexico that secured the Americans the Gold Cup title in 2021.

The squad’s center back corps took even more of a hit when Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards was ruled out with a leg injury picked up in late August. Richards left Bayern Munich in hopes of playing time to earn a spot on this roster and appeared to have done just that before picking up the knock. These two injuries have left undeniable holes and much uncertainty in the USA’s backline heading into the World Cup.