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The United States of America failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but they will be in Qatar in 10 days for the 2022 edition. Gregg Berhalter has selected a young team for the tournament and a slightly controversial one. The exclusion of Ricardo Pepi from the squad has left many confused. Regardless, it is a largely unrecognizable roster from the 2014 World Cup.
While there are many players aged 25 or younger that have been selected for the tournament, mentioned below are three that are likely to make an impact. More and more Americans have begun to play in Europe in recent years, but the MLS has also given birth to plenty of talent. Let's look at the ones you should keep an eye on in Group B games.
#1 Brenden Aaronson - Leeds United - Midfielder - America
Brenden Aaronson is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who began his career at Philadelphia Union. He was signed by RB Salzburg in 2021, and after a season in Austria, he signed for Leeds United earlier this year. Jesse Marsch also brought in Tyler Adams, another young American in midfield, and together with Aaronson, the two have formed an energetic engine in midfield.
Aaronson is the more advanced midfielder and can often be seen pressing from the front and crashing into the box to score goals. He has made 24 appearances for the national team and has scored six goals. Aaronson has a long career ahead of him, but this will be a good experience for him. He is likely to start most games in what is a tough group.
#2 Jesús Ferreira - FC Dallas - Forward
Jesús Ferreira was born in Colombia but moved to America when he was 10. He made his debut for FC Dallas in 2017. Only 21 years old, Ferreira made his debut for the national team in 2020 and has seven goals in 15 appearances. Ferreira will likely be competing with Josh Sargent, who has also been selected and is having a good season at Norwich City.
Ferreira is an agile forward and is lethal within the box. He can take set pieces as well, and at 21, he has plenty of room to develop. A good performance at the World Cup could attract interest from teams in Europe. Ferreira is also the captain of FC Dallas, which makes him a leader at a young age. In this tough group, many will need to step up, and Ferreira is likely to be called upon to do just that.
#3 Christian Pulisic - Chelsea - Winger
Christian Pulisic is 24 years old and will be heading to his first World Cup as the captain of his country. Pulisic was the first of this new generation of Americans to move to Europe when he signed for Borussia Dortmund in 2016. He made his debut when he was 18, and his performances earned him a move to Chelsea in 2019.
Pulisic made a blistering start to his time in London under Frank Lampard and was key to the team getting to the top four in the Premier League standings in the 2019-20 season. Since then, injuries and inconsistency have seen him fall short of the early promise at the club level, but for his country, he continues to perform. Many fans have dubbed Pulisic "Captain America", and it will be a great honor for him to lead his country in Qatar.
