USMNT World Cup qualifying: Five MLS players to watch as U.S.A. prepares for Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica

Gregg Berhalter has named his squad for the final round of World Cup qualifying and Major League Soccer is well represented. Ten players in the squad hail from the domestic league and most of them will play a key role in a crucial qualifying window for the United States men’s national team. With three games remaining against Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica (select USMNT World Cup qualifying matches, including the showdown with Mexico on Paramount+), which players are available and who should everyone be keeping an eye out for from MLS as the USMNT looks to officially book their tickets to Qatar?

1. Aaron Long (Defender, New York Red Bulls)

It’s not long ago that Long was a starter at center-back for the national team under Berhalter. Before rupturing his Achilles tendon in a May 15 match against the Philadelphia Union, Long was destined for a European move but now is getting back to full strength with New York. While Miles Robinson likely starts the qualifying match versus Mexico, Long could easily turn a good performance against Panama into a trip to the World Cup, which would essentially end John Brooks’ national team career. Brooks, who is based in Germany with Wolfsburg did not get the call for this squad, and it’s hard to see how he climbs back into the picture if Long solidifies his spot.

Long is great at anticipating attacks and also an aerial threat from set plays which could help the United States with Weston McKennie missing these qualifiers due to injury. The fact that he’s already being trusted over Mark McKenzie and Chris Richards in such an important window shows how highly Berhalter rates Long.

2. Cristian Roldan (Midfielder, Seattle Sounders)

Few players have gotten off to a hotter start to the season than Roldan has for the Sounders. Doing most of his damage from the wing in the Concacaf Champions League, scoring a goal and assisting five more, Roldan is also one of the most versatile players on the roster. While finding a starting spot for him is easier said than done with Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, and Gio Reyna fighting for spots on the wings, that doesn’t mean Roldan can’t make an impact as he has the ability to make things happen from anywhere.

Need someone to spell Musah or Acosta? Sure, Roldan’s there. Need a left back in a pinch? That’s Roldan too. Having players like him in tournament-style play is invaluable, especially when he has enough experience at high levels with the Sounders that he knows how to stay ready in a pinch. Roldan is a player uniquely suited to the back end of a World Cup squad given just how much cover he can give this team all over the field. Some productive minutes this window could drive home that point to Berhalter.

3. Jordan Morris (Forward, Seattle Sounders)

Morris is another player who is in the process of re-integrating himself into the squad after a long layoff. There was a time, before he injured his ACL on loan with Swansea, when Morris was first coming out of Stanford University, that Morris seemed like he’d be the starting right winger for the national team for years to come. While that hasn’t materialized yet, it doesn’t mean that Morris doesn’t have something to offer. Morris provides one of Berhalter’s favorite traits, verticality, in a team that lacks it. If a team loses sight of Morris, they’ll be susceptible to a killer ball over the top because he’s playing on the back shoulder of the defense, but he’s more than your average speed demon.

Morris has added some back to goal play to his game thanks to spending more time as a traditional striker under Brian Schmeltzer for the Sounders and that has made him a more complete player overall. And given the struggles the side has had finding a reliable player to lead the attacking line, if Jordan Pefok doesn’t take his chance this window, we could be watching Morris get a run out as the point forward before long.

4. Jesus Ferreira (Forward, FC Dallas)

This is a tough one as similar to Ricardo Pepi, who no longer makes this list after moving to Augsburg in Germany, Ferreira is on a lengthy scoreless streak dating back to October of 2021 for club and country. But also, similarly to Pepi, he offers other things when he’s not scoring that can be useful on the pitch. Specifically, Ferreira might be the best creator of all of the forwards on the radar in the international pool. With wingers Pulisic, Reyna, Weah, and Aaronson who are fine cutting inside and scoring the goals themselves, maybe Berhalter’s striker doesn’t have to be a goal scorer if they have the vision to consistently link up play without being a liability on the field.

Ferreira brings that in my opinion, and I think he could get the nod against Mexico in the all-important first match at Estadio Azteca because he’s the forward most likely to split the lines in tight spaces. He showed it during limited minutes, accumulating an expected goal total of 1.22 and an expected assist total of 0.33 across only 106 minutes in World Cup Qualifying. Ferreira also has one actual assist in these qualifiers, and given time with the talented attackers around him, he could build on his bright cameos. 

5. Kellyn Acosta (Midfielder, Los Angeles FC)

Likely the MLS player with the biggest spotlight on them, Kellyn Acosta has been preparing for this since being traded to LAFC. Capable of operating as a six or an eight (or a fullback in a pinch), Acosta has been asked to play a more expansive role under Steve Cherundolo due to Ille Sanchez anchoring the midfield in Los Angeles. He has done well in the role, but will have a bigger test now as he’s the most likely McKennie replacement in a huge match against Mexico. With Tyler Adams also one yellow card from suspension, Acosta could be asked to fill multiple roles during this window.

Acosta already has a solidified spot on the World Cup roster as the primary backup to Adams, but he could find himself moving into essential territory by doing well as an eight on an international stage. This could even extend his window for earning a move to Europe, something that was on the table when he was traded form the Colorado Rapids last offseason, but his old club chose to move him to LA instead.