“In these United States of America?” No, Leeds United States of America.
Just minutes ago, the United States Men’s National Team released their official roster for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and it included a pair of players from Leeds United in midfielders Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams.
Leeds, a club currently managed by an American in Jesse Marsch, is the only club from any of Europe’s big five leagues to boast two USMNT World Cup squad members.
There are two more squads that contain a duo of players on the USA side that will compete in Qatar, Major League Soccer clubs Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC. The 26-player squad is the USMNT’s second-youngest World Cup roster with an average age of 25 years, 175 days when the USA takes the field on Nov. 21 against Wales.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the odds are against the Stars and Stripes going all the way in Qatar. According to PointsBet, the Yanks are +15000 long shots. Yes, those are very long odds to say the least.
USMNT 2022 World Cup Squad
Attack:
Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 15/7; McKinney, Texas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 49/11; Mercer Island, Wash.), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 52/21; Hershey, Pa.), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 14/4; Bedford, N.Y.),
Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 20/5; O’Fallon, Mo.), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 25/3; Rosedale, N.Y.), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/TUR; 3/1; Los Angeles, Calif.)
Midfield:
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United /ENG; 24/6; Medford, N.J.), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 53/2; Plano, Texas), Tyler Adams (Leeds United /ENG; 32/1; Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 12/0; San Diego, Calif.), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 37/9; Little Elm, Texas),
Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 19/0; London, England), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 32/0; Pico Rivera, Calif.)
Defense:
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 11/0; Southend-on-Sea, England), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan/ITA; 19/2; Almere, Netherlands), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 29/3; Oak Hills, Calif.), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 15/1; Powder Springs, Ga.), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 46/1; St. Louis, Mo.),
Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 29/2; Liverpool, England), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 3/0; Lake Grove, N.Y.), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; 75/0; Seattle, Wash.),
Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 33/3; Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Goalkeeping:
Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG; 8/0; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 10/0; Lilburn, Ga.), Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 20/0; Park Ridge, N.J.)
“There’s not a lot of words to use,” said Aaronson.
“I mean, I’m just so excited and I’m so grateful to be a part of the National Team. It’s always an honor to represent the country, especially on the World Cup level. It’s unreal.”
Added Adams:
“For me, representing your country is the biggest honor you can receive. When I received the news I would be heading to Qatar, I was immediately proud to have the chance to represent our country and my family on the world’s biggest stage for a footballer.”
Leeds United States of America, currently 12th in the Premier League table, will take on 4th place Tottenham on Saturday, in their final match before the World Cup break.
The USMNT Will Face Wales, England and IR Iran in Group B Play from Nov. 21-29. For our Group B preview go here.
“We are excited to take this group to compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Berhalter said.
“Final roster decisions are always difficult, and we appreciate everyone’s contributions who helped us get to this point.
“We believe we have a talented group, a strong team spirit, and one that is ready to compete. We are extremely proud and honored to represent the United States and appreciate all the amazing support from our fans as we head to Qatar.”
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.