A tactical preview for USA playing in Copa America 2024
The USA will host Copa America 2024 and be eager to impress on home soil. The Stars and Stripes are one of the strongest nations competing in the tournament and will expect to make history with a performance that will live long in the memory. Gregg Berhalter has a strong squad at his disposal, a decent blend of youth and experience which bodes well.
If Gregg Berhalter can guide his men to the final it will be a history-making campaign as their best finish in the competition’s history are two fourth-placed finishes. They’ll kickstart their campaign in Group C alongside Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay. They have won the last two CONCACAF Nations Leagues which is good momentum on their path to potential Copa America glory.
Predicted lineup of USA National Football Team playing in Copa America 2024
Gregg Berhalter often adopts a 4-3-3 formation and can be expected to do at Copa America 2024, especially in the group stages where they are perhaps the strongest nation of Group C.
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner will likely be the USMNT’s No.1 despite a questionable debut season at the City Ground since arriving from Arsenal. He made several glaring mistakes but has been more dependable on international duty with 41 caps to his name.
Berhalter has a consistent group of defenders to choose from and many come from the Premier League. Fulham duo Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream will expect to be starters. Chris Richards had a fine campaign for Crystal Palace and he can be expected to slot in at the heart of defense with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Joe Scally seemingly USA‘s starting right-back.
The Stars and Stripe’s strengths lie in midfield and Weston McKennie had a superb season with Juventus. He’s been linked with Aston Villa and will be out to impress alongside Tyler Adams who has recovered from injury issues with Bournemouth.
The host nation have a pacey bunch of attackers and Timothy Weah and Christian Pulisic are two of Copa America’s wide men who could strike fear in their opponents. The latter enjoyed a consistent run in AC Milan’s starting lineup and got back to his best.
Giovanni Reyna will have a point to prove after a forgetful loan spell at Forest. He’ll likely sit behind AS Monaco’s Florian Balogun who has shone since switching nationality. He’s bagged three goals in 12 caps and could be one to watch on home soil.
USA Predicted Lineup: (GK) Matt Turner; Joe Scally, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie; Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Christian Pulisic; Florian Balogun
Team Strengths
- Homeland advantage – The USA players will be buoyed by the opportunity to represent their country in front of their own fans at Copa America 2024. It’s a warm-up for their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, which they’ll also be hosting. The Stars and Stripes will want to shine bright.
- Squad Depth – Gregg Berhalter has a strong squad that is perhaps the most impressive in the nation’s history. He has the likes of PSV midfielder Malik Tillman, Celta Vigo midfielder Luca de la Torre, and Coventry City striker Haji Wright also to call upon.
- Flexible forwards – Several of USA’s selected forwards can also play out wide which will be beneficial. The likes of Wright, Josh Sargent and Ricardo Pepi can all move to the wings if required.
Team Weaknesses
- Lack of trophy-winning experience—The USA’s lack of proven glory on the international stage could be detrimental, as they don’t know how to get the job done. They could struggle against nations with more winning experience, such as Argentina or Brazil.
- Massive pressure on Gregg Berhalter – The USMNT manager’s future is under intense speculation heading into Copa America 2024. His men were beaten 5-1 by Colombia in a friendly, which made matters worse for the American coach. He has two years left on his contract, but he’ll be expected to oversee a good showing from the host nation.
- Defensive vulnerabilities – Gregg Berhalter has already voiced his concerns with his defense particularly when dealing with counterattacks. They struggled in action months ago against the Netherlands and Germany with their backline to open.
USA Copa America 2024 Key Players to Watch
Christian Pulisic – The AC Milan forward is USA football’s poster boy and has been since breaking onto the scene at Borussia Dortmund during his teenage years. He’ll captain the Stars and Stripes this summer and has a sensational record with 29 goals and 17 assists in 68 caps. He’s put his Chelsea woes behind him and got back to being the American superstar that many anticipated.
Weston McKennie – The Juventus midfielder looks to be on the move ahead of Copa America as the Serie A giants are reportedly set to use him in a swap deal with Aston Villa for Douglas Luiz. The versatile central midfielder was in fine form for the Old Lady and will be the heartbeat of his nation on home soil with his energy in the middle of the park.
Gio Reyna – The young attacker was deemed one of the best young players in the world before heading to Forest on loan from Dortmund last season. His attacking IQ mixed with his positioning and dribbling abilities wowed fans at Signal Iduna Park. He was a massive letdown in the Premier League and this might just spur him on to impress at Copa America 2024.
Conclusion
USA could shine at Copa America this summer but are unlikely to be able to prevail against the likes of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. A semi-final exit would be an excellent achievement but the quarterfinals is the likelier departure zone for the hosts.