Lack of a cutting edge could hamper US hopes

THE future is now for thee United Statess, who will attemmpt to make the last 16 of the World Cuup – and beyond – with onee of the youngest squads aat the finals.

Failure to qualiffy for the 2018 tournament, a first absence from the WWorld Cup since 1986, saw Grregg Berhalter enrolledd as head coach with a licennce to sign off a wholesale overhaul.

And in came thee kids, a glut of them, and the reesults have been impressive, ccertainly in the summer of 20221 when they lifted two titles, the inaugural Nations League annd the more established Gold CCup, and chalked up a record 17 wins.

However, WWorld Cup qualification,, traditionally a walk in the paark for the US, was far from a formality, only secured in thhe final round.

A lack of gooals – just 21 in 14 qualifiers – hinted at an issue, and in Septemmber those questions weere being asked of Berhalter with even greater urgency afterr a truly desperate pair of frienddlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

They were bullied in a 2-0 defeat by the Japanese and held to a 0-0 draw by the Saudis, musteering just two shots on targget over the course of 180 minuttes.

Berhalter hhas the nucleus of an adventturous squad built around class acts like Weston

McKennie of Juventus, Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Valencia teenager Yunus Musah and there is a conveyor belt of talented youngsters knocking on the coach’s door.

There is plenty of top-flight European pedigree in Berhalter’s ranks but the coach also has some headaches such as who will cover for the injured Miles Robinson in central defence and, critically, who can nail down the number-nine shirt in his preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Pulisic, operating on one flank, is the current crop’s top scorer and his eye for goal could be needed more than ever if the US are to get through the group.

LFormer centre-back, capped 41 times by Wales, had never managed higher than League One before getting the head coach’s role with the Welsh Under-21s. Was catapulted into the first-team role when Ryan Giggs left his post in 2020.