Weston McKennie made the wrong choice four weeks ago, and he paid for it. The 23-year-old midfielder, who’s a vital cog and commanding presence on a young and talented U.S. men’s national team, was benched and then sent home following a significant breach of team rules and coronavirus protocol. As a result, McKennie missed two crucial World Cup qualifiers and became the subject of the sort of conversation and scrutiny that every athlete wants to avoid.
Since then, however, it appears that he’s done everything right, at least according to U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. McKennie owned up to his error publicly and privately, accepted his responsibility and punishment, and cheered on his U.