Does USA Have Enough Depth? Could They Beat Spain? Maurice Edu Answers Fans’ Questions

The USA doesn’t enter the knockout stage coming off a positive result, but I’m unfazed. We didn’t see the Americans’ go-to lineup in that game, and I’m looking at the round-of-32 matchup on Wednesday night positively. Let’s get to your questions ahead of the matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Help us believe the USMNT has what it takes to win a World Cup when they lost to Türkiye. — Sarah Glad (@s.a.r.u.hhhhh) The match against Türkiye was what it was. It was a chance to rest some key players and get others some run. I’m not putting much into this game. There are some lessons to learn; conceding a last-minute goal is never great. The U.S. definitely could have been better defensively as a collective unit. Ultimately, though, that was not our best XI on the field. In terms of how to feel coming out of that game, the confidence of this group is going to grow if we get a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of these players have played in the knockout stage before, but they have not won, so a win would be huge. Also, the belief among the fanbase will also grow with a win. We have a pathway moving forward that is now clearly defined, and the approach has to be to take it one game at a time. With every positive result, though, and every 90 minutes that this team gets together, it’s going to increase their confidence, as well as the fans’ belief that we can keep hitting these new milestones and accomplish something special. Our depth is looking weak. What reserve players can we count on? — Jason Haskins (@jasonhaskins) There are a few guys who I feel confident in. First is striker Ricardo Pepi. I thought he had a good showing against Australia and some positive moments against Türkiye. I was more impressed with him in the group against Australia, though, because that was with the rest of the starting group. Next up is midfield Sebastian Berhalter, who will likely be called upon to play some meaningful minutes in the center of the park. That’s a position where we don’t have that much depth, so I’m expecting him to have to step up at some point. In terms of the attack on the wing, guys like Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson or Alex Zendejas all got minutes against Türkiye. Someone is going to have to play key minutes in the knockout stage. In defense, I look to Auston Trusty. He did well against Türkiye and obviously took his goal well, too. Who has made the biggest difference on the USMNT team and why? — Ramses Gaytan (@ramses_dtxns_30) The first name that comes to mind is someone who was expected to step up: Weston McKennie. He has been a big part of this team’s success, making a positive impact in every game. He’s also the only player to start every game so far. One who has been everything we’d hoped for and maybe more is Alex Freeman. To be 21 years old with the little amount of professional soccer he has under his belt, to step up on this stage and perform in this way has been incredibly encouraging — and long may it continue. The final name is Folarin Balogun. The concern and question mark from the last World Cup was who our No. 9 was. Flo has shown to be consistently dangerous, whether it’s scoring goals or being a nuisance to create them. I think his overall skill set really lifts our ceiling. Do you think this squad in its current form can beat a team like Spain or Portugal? — Douglas Baker (@douglas_baker1) Why not? One of this group’s greatest strengths is how athletic we are. When we are collectively on the same page and working like dogs to apply pressure on teams — both in and out of possession — I think we have a squad that can disrupt opposing teams that build out of the back and are focused on shorter passes. Does that mean it’s a guarantee to happen? No, but by the time we get to that game, it would be a quarterfinal. That means we would have won two knockout-stage games to get there. Favorite US goal so far? Favorite celebration? — @imatt13 The best goal we’ve scored was Balogun’s second against Paraguay, but it was Gio’s finale in that match. That goal was a nice cap on that game, which was an amazing experience. In terms of my favorite celebration, two goals come to mind. Gio’s goal saw the entire team go on the field to celebrate with him, including head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Similarly, Alex Freeman’s goal against Australia was special. The whole team sprinted after him and chased him. This team is very locked in and very much together. Those two celebrations really reflected that. Who’s the GOAT of soccer? — @codices It’s Messi. That’s the easiest of the questions.