The USMNT World Cup qualifiers are back next week, and it just so happens that I’m starting a regular Friday Newsletter that will usually include a written column by me and my answers to questions from you. So feel free below to ask any probing, thoughtful and/or amusing questions about any soccer topic—the USMNT and USWNT, AFCON, Europe, MLS and the NWSL, or anything else—and I’ll answer the best ones as part of the Friday Newsletter. Thanks again for being part of this community!
What are your thoughts on possible move of GK Matt Turner to Arsenal? Yes - the Premier League is many many steps above MLS in terms of quality but he will not play much (cups mostly) being behind Ramsdale. Is the quality of training enough to justify such a move? I'm concerned that our top two keepers don't get regular game time in a World Cup year. There should be opportunities for a keeper of Matt's quality to start somewhere - maybe not in PL but sure in one of the other European leagues where he would face better competition than MLS offers.
Should Pulisic seek a transfer this summer to increase chances of regular 90 min appearances or is his current setup in Chelsea better for his WC health and form since he is so injury prone?
Does the USMNT really need to go all frigid for our home World Cup qualifiers? I understand selecting venues to ensure that it's a home game, but are we not confident enough that we are the better team in even temperate conditions?
Which teams and players have been the biggest surprises (good or bad) from the AFCON? Who’s the next unknown star from Africa?
Who are the up-and-coming players in the US academy system? Has player development in the US improved or regressed since the USSF got out of the academy system?
What are some key elements that will allow the USMNT & USWNT to move ahead and negotiate their respective and equitable CBAs? What strategies have other countries adopted to be successful in this area? And do you know the current status after the last round of talks? And lastly how will this issue affect the voting for the next US Soccer President? Thank you!
What’s your feeling on whether the Canada game will be played in front of fans? I have my flight, room & game tickets all set it seems but haven’t received my tix yet because I understand the Canadian soccer fed and Canadian gvt are at odds. Do you have any info?
Hey Grant big fan of your work. Why is the debate a World Cup every 2 years (or keep current at every 4)? I’ve thought forever it should be every 3 - rotating Mens WC, regional tourney (Euros, Gold Cup, etc.) and Womens WC as the focal point each summer.
Every 4 feels way to infrequent - something made before modern travel and misses some players at the top of their games, but every 2 seems too much. FWIW I feel the Olympics should also be every 3.
Why is Carlos Cordeiro back in our lives, and does he have a shot at the US Soccer presidency? Seems like a big step backwards for US Soccer to have him even in the running again.
Hi Grant, I think the whole community has been enjoying the wild and wacky but always impressive AFCON. It seems like there are numerous players who, for one reason or another, have buckets of talent but not made it big. I feel like some savvy MLS teams could capitalize. They feel like perfect GAM or TAM signings to ignite a roster. I’d love to hear maybe 3-5 names who have impressed you. Thanks for your excellent work.
Who do you think will be our most effective player in the upcoming qualifiers? Weston McKennie has been on fire for Juventus, do you think he will continue his form for the USMNT in the qualifiers?
A friend is super excited that Equatorial Guinea upset Algeria and Sierra Leone to advance out of their group in the Africa Cup of Nations. I looked up that Equatorial Guinea has population 1.4M. That's only two D.C.'s. Sierra Leone has pop. 7.8M. Algeria 43.9M. Those seem like big upsets. What's the best Cinderella story you know of from the ACON?
Besides Jonathan David, who has to step up for CanMNT in WC Qualifiers in the absence of Alphonso Davies these next three matches to see them maintain an automatic qualifying spot (or dare I say remain first) in CONCACAF?
What can the Premier League do better, and what can MLS/NWSL learn from what is happening in England in terms of covid-related postponements? Do the leagues in the U.S. have a more centralized solution for deciding when games are called off, or are they just banking on covid being "over"/figuring it out as it comes along?
What has to happen for MLS to consistently sell young players for 8-figure sums? Ricardo Pepi is the obvious exception of late, but it seems like many of our top young players are available for $3M - $7M when moving to Europe and then can very quickly garner higher transfer fees when moving within Europe. Brendan Aaronson seems like a good example of this with the recently rejected $20M bid from Leeds after he moved for an initial $6M (what was guaranteed to the Union) to RB Salzburg. How does MLS capture higher initial transfer fees for its top players like South American clubs (primarily Brazilian and Argentinian ones) seem better able to do?
How does Gregg get Folarin Balogun to commit to the USMNT? Would it need to be an auto-roster spot like Green in 2014 or could they just convince him through the ample opportunity present due to the lack of depth at center forward?
What happened to our German pipeline for the USMNT? Do we not need it anymore? Are there just no/not good enough players for the caliber of the current squad? Are American servicemen not marrying Germans anymore?
What are your current predictions about "generational" change for the USWNT as they head towards the next World Cup? Should we expect a bunch of strategically-timed retirement celebrations... or cutthroat competition between the longest-serving and newer players... or both?
With the 2022 Men's World Cup occurring in November/December instead of the traditional window, how are national teams planning to stay sharp in the long window between qualification and the actual tournament? Generally this consists of a few friendlies in late May or early June right before the tournament, but now teams may have up to a year between qualification and when the tournament starts.
Looking long-term, who you think could and should win hosting rights for men's World Cups from 2030 on? With 48 teams, not many counties can do it themselves anymore. I asked Alexi this and he suggested India. I want to see a cross-continental bid between Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Why are we seeing such crazy results in AFCON? I can't think of a major international tournament with such unexpected outcomes involving favorites. Algeria and Ghana with 1 point, Senegal drawing with Guinea and Malawi, Cameroon drawing with Cape Verde, etc.
Jan 20, 2022·edited Jan 20, 2022Liked by Grant Wahl
As someone who lives in Minnesota, I’m curious to why USMNT thought it was a good idea to host two of their next qualifiers in MN and OH? I’m not sure it would give us a competitive advantage to play in such cold environments given our talent pool is not use to this weather
Jan 20, 2022·edited Jan 20, 2022Liked by Grant Wahl
This might be something that isn't easily answerable, but I'd be curious about more background in terms of why Columbus and Minneapolis were picked for this window. Basically along the lines of, 1) what other sites were considered, 2) how involved is Berhalter in the selection process, 3) are the players consulted at all in the selection process, 4) what are the contingencies if a match has to be canceled or moved in case of weather and is there any sort of backup plan, and 5) what were the factors that led to Columbus and Minneapolis getting picked despite the obvious weather related drawbacks.
Hey, is USMNT or USWNT ever going to play in Atlanta again? USMNT hasn't been there since the Gold Cup disaster against Jamaica, and I believe it has been since 2016 for the USWNT. The Benz is an excellent venue, and it's certainly clear that the city can support and will embrace the sport. But Atlanta is never one of the selected venues. Will they rethink this? Is there any chance at a World Cup selection?
It seems the stock of US homegrowns is rising I fear there will be a point where our top prospects may price out of clubs that don't have as much to spend but do give youth players a real chance. Do you see this happening?
How do the pots for the world cup draw work? i.e. does winning concacaf matter, is it FIFA ranking? How can the USA move into pot 1? Wondering if USA can capitalize on this 3 match cycle and all but guarantee a top 3 spot, but is there more to play for since getting into the top pot seems to be an advantage.
With Don Garber & MLS emphasizing that they wanted local/regional TV rights to expire after 2022 along with national rights, how do they plan to make local team matches available on local/regional TV starting in 2023 when most major national companies alleged to be among the current favorites for the English-language contract don't have a suitable way (i.e., ownership of an RSN, etc.) to air them for those audiences? Resell those rights to local broadcasters? Strictly rely on streaming alone? Something else?
Tyler Adams is arguably the most important player on the USMNT currently, but there doesn't seem to be great depth behind him. Who do you think in our pool is the best backup to him during qualifying and potentially the World Cup this year?
What are your thoughts on possible move of GK Matt Turner to Arsenal? Yes - the Premier League is many many steps above MLS in terms of quality but he will not play much (cups mostly) being behind Ramsdale. Is the quality of training enough to justify such a move? I'm concerned that our top two keepers don't get regular game time in a World Cup year. There should be opportunities for a keeper of Matt's quality to start somewhere - maybe not in PL but sure in one of the other European leagues where he would face better competition than MLS offers.
Should Pulisic seek a transfer this summer to increase chances of regular 90 min appearances or is his current setup in Chelsea better for his WC health and form since he is so injury prone?
Does the USMNT really need to go all frigid for our home World Cup qualifiers? I understand selecting venues to ensure that it's a home game, but are we not confident enough that we are the better team in even temperate conditions?
Hello Grant,
Two questions specific to WCQ and the upcoming Qatar World Cup:
- Do you see any major changes in the CONCACAF standings as the final 6 matches begin?
- Will we see VAR in the Qatar World Cup?
Did you get a good winter coat yet?
Which teams and players have been the biggest surprises (good or bad) from the AFCON? Who’s the next unknown star from Africa?
Who are the up-and-coming players in the US academy system? Has player development in the US improved or regressed since the USSF got out of the academy system?
What are some key elements that will allow the USMNT & USWNT to move ahead and negotiate their respective and equitable CBAs? What strategies have other countries adopted to be successful in this area? And do you know the current status after the last round of talks? And lastly how will this issue affect the voting for the next US Soccer President? Thank you!
What’s your feeling on whether the Canada game will be played in front of fans? I have my flight, room & game tickets all set it seems but haven’t received my tix yet because I understand the Canadian soccer fed and Canadian gvt are at odds. Do you have any info?
Hey Grant big fan of your work. Why is the debate a World Cup every 2 years (or keep current at every 4)? I’ve thought forever it should be every 3 - rotating Mens WC, regional tourney (Euros, Gold Cup, etc.) and Womens WC as the focal point each summer.
Every 4 feels way to infrequent - something made before modern travel and misses some players at the top of their games, but every 2 seems too much. FWIW I feel the Olympics should also be every 3.
Best
Dennis
Why is Carlos Cordeiro back in our lives, and does he have a shot at the US Soccer presidency? Seems like a big step backwards for US Soccer to have him even in the running again.
Hi Grant, I think the whole community has been enjoying the wild and wacky but always impressive AFCON. It seems like there are numerous players who, for one reason or another, have buckets of talent but not made it big. I feel like some savvy MLS teams could capitalize. They feel like perfect GAM or TAM signings to ignite a roster. I’d love to hear maybe 3-5 names who have impressed you. Thanks for your excellent work.
What's your take on the FIFA Team of the Year and who were your picks? Keep up the great work, Grant.
Who do you think will be our most effective player in the upcoming qualifiers? Weston McKennie has been on fire for Juventus, do you think he will continue his form for the USMNT in the qualifiers?
A friend is super excited that Equatorial Guinea upset Algeria and Sierra Leone to advance out of their group in the Africa Cup of Nations. I looked up that Equatorial Guinea has population 1.4M. That's only two D.C.'s. Sierra Leone has pop. 7.8M. Algeria 43.9M. Those seem like big upsets. What's the best Cinderella story you know of from the ACON?
Besides Jonathan David, who has to step up for CanMNT in WC Qualifiers in the absence of Alphonso Davies these next three matches to see them maintain an automatic qualifying spot (or dare I say remain first) in CONCACAF?
What are your thoughts on the USMNT striker situation? Based on what you see and hear, who should we feature in the upcoming matches?
What can the Premier League do better, and what can MLS/NWSL learn from what is happening in England in terms of covid-related postponements? Do the leagues in the U.S. have a more centralized solution for deciding when games are called off, or are they just banking on covid being "over"/figuring it out as it comes along?
What has to happen for MLS to consistently sell young players for 8-figure sums? Ricardo Pepi is the obvious exception of late, but it seems like many of our top young players are available for $3M - $7M when moving to Europe and then can very quickly garner higher transfer fees when moving within Europe. Brendan Aaronson seems like a good example of this with the recently rejected $20M bid from Leeds after he moved for an initial $6M (what was guaranteed to the Union) to RB Salzburg. How does MLS capture higher initial transfer fees for its top players like South American clubs (primarily Brazilian and Argentinian ones) seem better able to do?
How does Gregg get Folarin Balogun to commit to the USMNT? Would it need to be an auto-roster spot like Green in 2014 or could they just convince him through the ample opportunity present due to the lack of depth at center forward?
Are there any discussions or considerations among the USMNT players or officials how to address Quatar's abysmal human rights record?
What happened to our German pipeline for the USMNT? Do we not need it anymore? Are there just no/not good enough players for the caliber of the current squad? Are American servicemen not marrying Germans anymore?
Any chance Julian Green or Timmy Chandler crack the USMNT roster this WC cycle?
Who are some surprise players to look out for to make the WC roster? Young players or vets
Are you hearing anything related to the final 2026 WC venue selections? Do you have a guess as to what the final venues will be?
What are your current predictions about "generational" change for the USWNT as they head towards the next World Cup? Should we expect a bunch of strategically-timed retirement celebrations... or cutthroat competition between the longest-serving and newer players... or both?
For those in town for the qualifier in Minneapolis, where's the one place a good futbol fan should visit outside of the game?
How many points should be expected in this upcoming international window? With Canada below full strength, could we get all 9?
With the 2022 Men's World Cup occurring in November/December instead of the traditional window, how are national teams planning to stay sharp in the long window between qualification and the actual tournament? Generally this consists of a few friendlies in late May or early June right before the tournament, but now teams may have up to a year between qualification and when the tournament starts.
What happened with Gio Reyna? I feel like we haven't seen or heard from him in months?
Looking long-term, who you think could and should win hosting rights for men's World Cups from 2030 on? With 48 teams, not many counties can do it themselves anymore. I asked Alexi this and he suggested India. I want to see a cross-continental bid between Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Why are we seeing such crazy results in AFCON? I can't think of a major international tournament with such unexpected outcomes involving favorites. Algeria and Ghana with 1 point, Senegal drawing with Guinea and Malawi, Cameroon drawing with Cape Verde, etc.
As someone who lives in Minnesota, I’m curious to why USMNT thought it was a good idea to host two of their next qualifiers in MN and OH? I’m not sure it would give us a competitive advantage to play in such cold environments given our talent pool is not use to this weather
This might be something that isn't easily answerable, but I'd be curious about more background in terms of why Columbus and Minneapolis were picked for this window. Basically along the lines of, 1) what other sites were considered, 2) how involved is Berhalter in the selection process, 3) are the players consulted at all in the selection process, 4) what are the contingencies if a match has to be canceled or moved in case of weather and is there any sort of backup plan, and 5) what were the factors that led to Columbus and Minneapolis getting picked despite the obvious weather related drawbacks.
Hey, is USMNT or USWNT ever going to play in Atlanta again? USMNT hasn't been there since the Gold Cup disaster against Jamaica, and I believe it has been since 2016 for the USWNT. The Benz is an excellent venue, and it's certainly clear that the city can support and will embrace the sport. But Atlanta is never one of the selected venues. Will they rethink this? Is there any chance at a World Cup selection?
Keep up the great work, Grant.
It seems the stock of US homegrowns is rising I fear there will be a point where our top prospects may price out of clubs that don't have as much to spend but do give youth players a real chance. Do you see this happening?
We all look forward to this. I think my inquiries will begin once the team is identified. And then, of course, match by match.
How do the pots for the world cup draw work? i.e. does winning concacaf matter, is it FIFA ranking? How can the USA move into pot 1? Wondering if USA can capitalize on this 3 match cycle and all but guarantee a top 3 spot, but is there more to play for since getting into the top pot seems to be an advantage.
With Don Garber & MLS emphasizing that they wanted local/regional TV rights to expire after 2022 along with national rights, how do they plan to make local team matches available on local/regional TV starting in 2023 when most major national companies alleged to be among the current favorites for the English-language contract don't have a suitable way (i.e., ownership of an RSN, etc.) to air them for those audiences? Resell those rights to local broadcasters? Strictly rely on streaming alone? Something else?
Prediction for USMNT Starting XI against El Salvador?
can this USA Team finally win at Estadio Azteca in Mexico? is an AZTECAZO perhaps in this cards?
Hi Grant, why is there no way to PM you on this site? I tried through FB on some topic ideas. Doesn't look like you ever check there:)
Maybe too late for this mailbag, but maybe for next time: I have plane tickets and hotel reservations for Mexico in March! Where should I go to eat?
Are you hearing about any transfer targets for the Philadelphia Union?
Who is the most likely uncapped player to make the USMNT in Qatar (assuming US qualifies)?
Which USMNT vet is most likely to get brought back in from the cold for late qualifiers or the WC? Jozy? Michael Bradley? Bedoya? Guzan?
Tyler Adams is arguably the most important player on the USMNT currently, but there doesn't seem to be great depth behind him. Who do you think in our pool is the best backup to him during qualifying and potentially the World Cup this year?