The old adage that "it's not how you start, it's how you finish" is quite appropriate as it relates to the U.S. men's national team. Coach Gregg Berhalter has talked often about how his rosters refer to a "slice in time" for the U.S., that not everything is set in stone and that things could change.
Surely, along the way through 11 games and five months of World Cup qualifying, some roles are more of a given than others, but the U.S. player pool on the whole is rather fluid, even if the upper echelons of it have been whittled down. Berhalter has shown his willingness to throw players into the mix without any prior introduction (Ricardo Pepi), while also keeping out players who at one point seemed like locks, not just for the duration of qualifying but for a potential trip to Qatar in November (John Brooks). In all, 27 players have made their qualifying debuts thus far, an indication of just how much roster churn there has been to get through a grueling competition.
The finish line to that qualifying competition is in sight, and so is a berth at the 2022 World Cup. The scenarios in play heavily favor the U.S., as long as it takes care of business at home against Panama in the second of three qualifiers late next month. What's less clear is who might be the ones attempting to nudge the U.S. over that finish line. A number of players who were factors at the start of qualifying but fell out of the picture—or perhaps were not even a factor at all—could be in frame to enjoy the spoils of a potential celebration that the U.S. men haven't been able to take part in since September 2013.
But again, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Here are five who could come in from the cold—not the Minnesota in February kind, but the more metaphorical elements—and be in frame to join the U.S. for what it hopes is those final steps to Qatar:
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Gio Reyna
Reyna has returned for Borussia Dortmund at last, more than five months after injuring his hamstring in the U.S.'s first World Cup qualifier. His absence has given way for others to step up, with Tim Weah and Brenden Aaronson taking on larger and more prominent roles in the U.S. attack, but the 19-year-old Reyna is a special talent, and he has the precise disposition needed to go into hostile grounds like Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica, to aid the U.S. as it seeks points in two places where it has never won a qualifier. In terms of guys who are locks for the team if healthy, Reyna is one of them, and as long as he suffers no setbacks in the coming weeks with Dortmund, he should be expected to rejoin in time for the last qualifiers.
Jordan Pefok
Pefok's play in the first two qualifiers—off the bench in El Salvador and starting at home vs. Canada—did not leave a good enough impression to secure his return for any of the subsequent windows. But given his form for his club, and given the U.S.'s dearth of goals at forward, he's making about as compelling a case for a recall as he can. His 13 goals lead all current Swiss League players (Basel's Arthur Cabral had 14 goals prior to his transfer to Fiorentina), and his 18 goals in all competitions are tops for all U.S. players in Europe this season. Given his ability to get on the end of a set piece and just generally make things happen in the box, his inclusion would make a lot of sense. He doesn't need to be a starter to make an impact, as evidenced by his late game-winning goal vs. Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
Aaron Long
The center back picture for the U.S. has evolved in fascinating ways. Brooks had seemed to be an ironclad lock for this team until he was the defender at fault for the two goals conceded in September. Couple that with Wolfsburg's struggles in the Bundesliga, and he hasn't been called back in since. Berhalter credits his form and for that and is keeping the door open, but it sure doesn't seem like his return is imminent. The same can't be said for Long, who tore his Achilles in May, has taken part in recent U.S. camps dating back to November and proclaimed his readiness for last month's qualifiers (U.S. staff thought otherwise). But the March window is where he could more reasonably make his return. The Red Bulls will have been in season for a few weeks, allowing Long to get his legs under him in game situations after participating in U.S. training sessions. With Chris Richards on the mend following his foot injury suffered vs. Canada and Miles Robinson carrying a yellow card into the final window, Long, who was a lineup mainstay before his injury, could find himself in a prominent position rather quickly.
Josh Sargent
Like Pefok, Sargent took part in the opening window of qualifying but struggled to leave an impact. Unlike Pefok, Sargent is not lighting it up with a prolific club season. But maybe, just maybe, he could round into form in time. Sargent's last showing for Norwich City yielded his first two Premier League goals—including one on an audacious and instinctive scorpion kick—that were scored at the exact time that U.S. Soccer was revealing the roster for the winter qualifiers for which he was not included. He has been sidelined by illness ever since, though, putting a halt to that short momentum burst. He is expected to return vs. Manchester City this weekend, and with a series of more promising showings, he, too, could wind up joining the U.S. at the finish line.
Gianluca Busio
Busio, who missed out at the start of qualifying but joined for the October and November windows, was supposed to be part of the U.S.'s winter camp but missed out due to COVID-19. He has since returned for Venezia and could find himself again in the midfield mix, especially as Tyler Adams recovers from the hamstring injury he suffered in Canada. Berhalter indicated that Adams's injury was not serious, and he should be ready to return for RB Leipzig after missing its match vs. Bayern Munich last weekend. Nevertheless, depth is always a necessity. Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah have emerged as the preferred trio, while Kellyn Acosta has proven his value and Luca de la Torre made a strong impression in the last window. That still leaves room for a player of Busio's caliber, though it would likely have to come at the expense of Berhalter's valued MLS-based staples Sebastian Lletget and Cristian Roldan.
