ANTONEE ROBINSON

After losing to the US, Team Melli returns home to a hostile population and a vengeful regime.

This is the first time in eight years that the USMNT made it through the World Cup's knockout round and will appear in the Round of 16.

With a few key players still not 100%, Gregg Berhalter might have to make tough calls with his starting lineup vs. Wales. Here's who our soccer experts think will be in the first XI.

Antonee Robinson will man the left side for the USMNT at the World Cup, Laken Litman writes.

Tim Ream, Haji Wright, Joe Scally and Sean Johnson made the United States’ World Cup roster, while goalkeeper Zack Steffen, winger Paul Arriola and forwards Jordan Pefok and Ricardo Pepi were among those cut.

Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi will join the U.S. starting lineup for the Americans’ last World Cup warmup against Saudi Arabia after coach Gregg Berhalter admitted “we got our butts kicked” by Japan last week.

Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. roster as the World Cup approaches is as notable for its absences as for those set to play in Friday’s warmup against Japan at Düsseldorf, Germany.

Josh Sargent is back on the U.S. roster for the first time in a year, picked at forward along with Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira for the Americans’ final two World Cup warmup matches.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter did not have forward Christian Pulisic and midfielder Tyler Adams dress for a World Cup warmup against 170th-ranked Grenada in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman is switching affiliation from Germany to the United States and is among 27 players invited to the Americans’ next-to-last training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama on Sunday night. Pulisic converted two penalty kicks during a four-goal burst in the first half that also saw Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira score, then boosted the lead to 5-0 on memorable goal with two brilliant touches that evaded a pair of defenders. With fans still fretting after the Americans' failure to reach the 2018 World Cup, the U.S. assumed a commanding position to qualify for the November tournament in Qatar.

Forward Jesús Ferreira, winger Paul Arriola, midfielder Luca de la Torre and right back Shaq Moore entered the United States’ starting lineup for a World Cup qualifier against Panama as coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes.

Zack Steffen was in goal as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter used an “A” team lineup and changed five starters for a World Cup qualifier against Mexico at Estadio Azteca.

Gio Reyna, Jordan Pefok and Ethan Horvath are back for the United States’ final World Cup qualifiers but Sergiño Dest appears likely to miss the three games.

Christian Pulisic was benched as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed seven starters for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in chilly St. Paul, where the temperature at kickoff was unofficially 2 degrees (minus-16 Celsius) with a minus-14 windchill.

Midfielders and defenders are the players providing the goals the United States needs to reach the World Cup.

Antonee Robinson broke through the freeze in the air and the U.S. offense, scoring in the 52nd minute to lift the United States over El Salvador 1-0 and kept the Americans on track for a return to the World Cup.

Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the U.S. roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers.

The newest player on the U.S. men's national soccer team feels like he fits right in.

The U.S. soccer team has a Jekyll and Hyde personality that makes it difficult to determine which will show for a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

Aníbal Godoy scored in the 54th minute and Panama upended the United States 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier when American coach Gregg Berhalter started a largely second-string lineup in the middle of another hectic stretch of three matches in seven days.

The British government is keeping Panama on its red list, which means the United States may have to play without star Christian Pulisic and several other players for its World Cup qualifier at the Central American nation on Oct. 10.

Panicking American soccer fans were soothed when the U.S. rallied from a halftime deficit to win 4-1 at Honduras in World Cup qualifying.

Antonee Robinson and Ricardo Pepi scored their first international goals after a halftime change in formation, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the United States revived its World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Honduras.

United States' Sebastian Soto reacts at the end of a Concacaf Men's Olympic qualifying championship semi-final soccer match against Honduras in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, March 28, 2021. Lalas maintains the burden to improve the Olympic effort lies with Kreis, senior national team coach Gregg Berhalter and U.S. men’s national team general manager Brian McBride. FIFA regulations say clubs don’t have to release players for Olympic qualifying or the Olympics. FIFA restricts Olympic qualifying to players 23 and under. AdNone of Honduras’ players on the roster for last week’s national team exhibition against Greece were Olympic age eligible.

(Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)CHICAGO – Defender Bryan Reynolds received his first call-up to the U.S. national team after the 19-year-old made his debut for Roma last weekend. Chituru Odunze, an 18-year-old goalkeeper with Leicester, also could debut in exhibitions against Jamaica on March 25 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, or three days later at Northern Ireland. Forward Matthew Hoppe, who has scored five goals for Schalke this season, was not called in for a possible debut. Germany), Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Netherlands), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton, England). Forwards: Daryl Dike (Barnsley, England), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen, France), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, England), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen, Germany), Tim Weah (Lille, France).

In July 2020, CONCACAF unveiled their revised format for 2022 World Cup qualification which includes a 14-match “Octagonal” and an expanded eight team final round. Although the new arrangement has received mixed reviews, it was welcomed by USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, who can now begin planning for a jam-packed 2021. Having featured regularly for Everton Under 23s, he got his first taste of senior football at Bolton Wanderers two seasons ago. He’s already up and running for USMNT and fans will be hoping that the lively forward can play a significant role in helping fire Berhalter’s men to Qatar. It’s been reasonably slim pickings for the USMNT coach in recent qualifications with the same old faces struggling to make an impact on the game.