USMNT 2014 vs 2023 Combined XI: Settling American soccer's most controversial debate after Jozy Altidore claims

A tough one, considering how good Turner has been, but can you really look past how good Howard was back in 2014? His performance against Belgium is etched in not just USMNT history, but World Cup history as one of the best individual efforts the game has ever seen. There no shame in Turner losing out; Howard is a legitimate legend based off just that alone.

And that's not even getting into the longevity or consistency. Turner could get there someday, but in the here and now, there aren't many goalkeeper's you'd really consider taking over Howard.

Winner: Tim Howard

A pretty close matchup, to be fair. If we're talking about prime Beasley, he's almost certainly the winner. That Beasley, the one that was lightning up and down the wing from 2002 onwards, is one of the best players the USMNT has seen.

But by 2014, he was converted to left-back, and while he was a damn good one, Robinson just has the edge. The Fulham star has been remarkably consistent in a USMNT shirt, giving him the narrow victory when compared to that veteran version of Beasley.

Winner: Antonee Robinson

Besler is definitely underrated, but it's almost impossible to explain how good Ream has been for the USMNT. After spending around a year in the wilderness, Ream was a shock call-up for the 2022 World Cup. He went on to be arguably the USMNT's best performer in Qatar, and his form hasn't dipped in the 12 months since. He's been fantastic for the U.S. and Fulham, which is why he gets the edge here.

That's not to discredit Besler, who was a steady hand for years for both the USMNT and Sporting KC, but Ream is in a special category, having done more than turn back time during this recent USMNT run.

Winner: Tim Ream

If Richards' career pans out to equal Cameron's, he will have done pretty well for himself. Richards is in the early moments of his club career and is looking to break out with Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Cameron, meanwhile, played at the top of the English pyramid for years, playing all over the field for Stoke City during a seven-year Premier League run.

Richards could very well develop into something special; he has that type of potential. However, in the here and now, it's got to be Cameron, who was as consistent as they come among Americans in the Premier League.

Winner: Geoff Cameron

He played a lot of left-back for the USMNT, too, but back in 2014, Johnson was the primary starter on the right. That matches him up with Dest, who, like Johnson, is known for his ability to join the attack.

The two, in truth, are somewhat similar: both willing to bomb forward and both totally comfortable playing on both sides and with either foot. It's close, but we'll give Dest the slightest of edges, although this one really does feel like a toss-up.

Winner: Sergino Dest

Beckerman was fantastic when given the chance to start back in 2014, but Adams is at a different level. That's no disrespect to Beckerman, either, who was exactly the type of steady, veteran presence the USMNT needed nine years ago. He knew his role and played it well. The U.S. was better with him on the field.

But Adams is so, so key to how the U.S. plays and was absolutely fantastic in Qatar. Because of that, we'll go for the current captain.

Winner: Tyler Adams

The world gave Bradley some of his flowers after he recently announced his retirement, but he's a player that deserves a bouquet or two. Bradley is so, so underrated, and it's easy for some to forget just how good he was at this point in time.

He was a legitimate force in Serie A, playing a big role for a good Roma team. He returned to MLS soon after the 2014 World Cup, not because he had to, but because he wanted to, as he still had plenty left to give at a top level.

Based on potential, Musah may very well surpass Bradley. He may even be close now as he continues to grow into his role with AC Milan. But when comparing 27-year-old Bradley to 20-year-old Musah, we'll take Bradley's veteran presence in the heart of midfield.

Winner: Michael Bradley

What a matchup this would be! Another one that feels too close to call, simply because both of these guys are/were so fun to watch on their day.

Who can forget Jones' goal against Portugal? That magnificent long-range strike may have been the highlight of his career, but Jones did so much more. His energy was infectious, and when he was at his peak, he may just have been the best midfielder the USMNT has ever had.

McKennie, meanwhile, is also fantastic and was very good at the 2022 World Cup, particularly against England. He's still developing and back in the picture at Juventus, which is what makes this so close.

We'll give Jones the slightest of edges because he does have that signature Portugal moment, but no one will feel good having to pick against either of these two.

Winner: Jermaine Jones

This is where it gets a bit weird, since the 2014 USMNT played in something of a 4-4-2 diamond at points, while the current U.S. is, generally, a 4-3-3.

It doesn't matter who faces Pulisic, though, since he's in this team no matter what. Unfortunately, for Bedoya, we've matched him up with the AC Milan star in this exercise.

Bedoya was a reliable presence for the U.S. who did plenty of good things, but Pulisic is the guy, so he's in.

Winner: Christian Pulisic

Balogun is the shiny new toy of American soccer, one that has scored at every step so far, but we're going to put some respect on Altidore's name here.

Altidore, like Bradley, is so often scapegoated for 2018. He's also, unfortunately, seen his career derailed by injuries at inopportune times, particularly in 2014. They say the best ability is availability, and unfortunately for him, Altidore wasn't always available.

But, when he was, he was the USMNT's go-to striker. He's third all-time in goals and ninth all-time in appearances, despite those injuries, and at his best, he was a ridiculously important piece of the USMNT puzzle.

Balogun can get there, and he probably will. His ceiling is so, so high. However, the sample size is still a bit too small for him to earn the nod over Altidore.

Winner: Jozy Altidore

Two very, very different players, but you can't pick against Dempsey here, can you? He's arguably the USMNT's best-ever player, a versatile attacker that could damage teams from just about anywhere. It took him just seconds to score against Ghana back in 2014, starting the World Cup with a bang with one of his USMNT-record 57 goals.

Weah, too, started the World Cup with a big goal, netting the opener against Wales, but despite how good he is, he can't quite compete with Dempsey here.

Winner: Clint Dempsey

The 2014 World Cup team has some solid options off the bench. John Brooks got his goal against Ghana, and he could be a starter, you could argue. Graham Zusi, Brad Davis and Chris Wondolowski were all veterans, while DeAndre Yedlin was a talented up-and-comer. And then there's the magic of Julian Green, whose World Cup goal feels even more absurd now than it did when he scored.

But, let's be real, that team's depth doesn't compare to 2023, mostly due to one player: Gio Reyna. The Borussia Dortmund playmaker very well could start in the 2023 midfield, and though he didn't crack the World Cup XI, the U.S. may very well be at their best with him in the midfield going forward.

Elsewhere, Ricardo Pepi is young, but is growing in the Eredivisie alongside Malik Tillman, while Luca de la Torre, Brenden Aaronson and Joe Scally are starters in top leagues.

Both teams have some drop off from the starting XI, but Reyna's presence on the 2023 bench is the big decider.

Winner: 2023

We'll start by saying that both coaches have their faults, namely their high-profile fallouts with key players. However, once we look past that, it should be clear that this will be pretty one-sided.

Klinsmann was a good man-motivator and a very good recruiter. He was a key figure in changing perceptions about the USMNT and helping push the next generation towards the great unknown in a Europe.

As a tactician, though? The edge has to go to Berhalter. His game-planning in the World Cup was, generally good, aside from that Netherlands game, and like it or not, he does have a system that the USMNT knows well. How that system evolves in cycle two is anyone's guess, but tactically, the U.S. is in a better place now.

Winner: Gregg Berhalter

To truly compare, though, you'll have to factor in one big decision that impacts this whole debate: Is Landon Donovan involved?

Donovan was famously left off the 2014 squad in one of the USMNT's most controversial moments. He wasn't quite at the peak of his powers heading into that World Cup, having spent some time away from the game to focus on his mental health, but he's still Landon Donovan, you know?

If he's involved, this could be a very different game. At the very worst, he'd be a ridiculously good substitute to bring in off the bench for a squad that would now have the USMNT's top three goalscorers involved.

His 2014 exclusion will always be a big 'what if', but we can also wonder what that team would look like with him involved in this hypothetical game.

So now we'll put it all together, and what we end up with is one big realization: maybe Altidore isn't crazy after all.

There are a few toss-ups in there, and there are a few strange comparisons based on style of play, but it's safe to say that the 2014 team can hold its own on an individual basis. That will likely change in the coming years as this U.S. group enters their prime, but in the here and now, it feels like it would be a tight game.

That midfield battle would be so, so fun to watch, as would seeing the 2014 forwards go up against a solid 2023 defense. Could Johnson handle Pulisic? Could Dest change the game? Which coach would have the gameplan to win?

In Reyna and, perhaps, Donovan, both teams could have incredible game-changers on the bench that could ultimately shift the balance, if the coaches can get out of their way, of course.

So who wins? We'll never know. That's the fun of it all. We can debate and discuss and dissect and none of it will ever truly matter. With that in mind, though, who do you have winning and why? Let us know in the comments below!