Why 2021 will be a big year for soccer in the U.S.

Christian Pulisic is among several European-based U.S. national team players looking forward to several competitions this year, including 2022 World Cup qualifying. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)In years without a World Cup, American soccer is typically a predictable operation. Leagues hum along, player development initiatives persevere and secondary tournaments await, but the work is more often about careful curation than critical competition.

The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, however, has elevated the 2021 agenda. It has forced the men’s and women’s national teams to alter plans, MLS and its players to confront economic hardships that could imperil the season and the NWSL to…