KVSP 
The summer ahead is a critical one for the United States men’s national team. As they prepare for the World Cup, Gregg Berhalter will need to get competitive games for the squad to prepare them for England, Iran, and one of Scotland, Wales, or Ukraine in Qatar. With Gio Reyna and Chris Richards currently injured, the summer will be a time for fringe players like Cameron Carter-Vickers, Aaron Long, and Djordje Mihailovic to get a closer look against tougher competition giving these matches more importance than an average summer friendly.
USMNT summer schedule
- June 1, USMNT vs. Morocco (Friendly)
- June 5, USMNT vs. Uruguay (Friendly)
- June 10, USMNT vs. Granada (Nations League)
- June 14, El Salvador vs. USMNT (Nations League)
Berhalter is capped in what he can do with Nations League matches on the horizon but the summer schedule is beginning to pan out for the team. They’ll kick things off with a friendly June 1 in Cincinnati against an improving Morocco team. The Atlas Lions have risen to 24tth in the FIFA rankings after pushing Egypt to the limit in the Africa Cup of Nations before booking their own ticket to the World Cup. The United States will have their hands full trying to defend against Achraf Hakimi and Sofiane Boufal while Romain Saiss anchors one of the stoutest defenses in the world. It’s a match that may not look exciting on the surface, but it will be a good test to harden a young United States side.
They’ll then face Uruguay on June 5 but the location of that match has yet to be determined. As Uruguay are a traditional power in the soccer world, that match is more of a test for what the United States will have on their hands with facing England in the World Cup. To close things out, two Nations League matches will be played as the group stage begins during the summer versus Grenada in Austin on June 10 before traveling to face El Salvador on June 14th.
It’s not optimal to have these Nations League matches during the summer but the US Soccer Federation is doing the best that it can to turn this into a valuable scenario.
