Washington Post · Oct 4, 2021
John Brooks withdraws from USMNT roster, will miss three World Cup qualifiers
With 2022 World Cup qualifiers resuming this week, the U.S. men’s national soccer team on Monday lost another veteran defender when German-based John Brooks withdrew from the roster with what the U.S. Soccer Federation said were back issues.
On Friday, English-based Tim Ream pulled out for family reasons. Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) replaced Ream but the USSF said Coach Gregg Berhalter would not fill Brooks’s slot before Thursday’s sold-out match against Jamaica in Austin.
Berhalter apparently has not ruled out adjusting the roster ahead of Sunday’s qualifier at Panama and the Oct. 13 match against Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.