The U.S. men’s national team is a World Cup–caliber team once again, having polished off its qualification for this year’s competition in Qatar. To get there, manager Gregg Berhalter turned to an expanded player pool, and for good reason. This qualification slog was unlike any other in modern USMNT history.
Playing over the course of a compressed seven-month span due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. squeezed in 14 matches across five windows, four of which featured three matches in seven days. Couple that travel and match demand with the workload these players are already taking on at their clubs and the COVID-19 curveballs that have complicated roster and logistical planning, and it’s no wonder that Berhalter had to use 38 players over the course of qualifying.