USMNT Bubble Watch: Which players are fighting for World Cup spots?

Matt Freese is in. Matt Turner seemingly is, too, based on his level of experience. That third spot, though, is seemingly up for grabs.

Chris Brady, Roman Celentano and Patrick Schulte are the three duking it out for that spot, and all three remain key figures for their club teams in MLS. Based solely on club performance, Brady would appear to have the edge, as the Chicago Fire are greatly outperforming the two Ohio-based clubs. Brady is also the youngest of the bunch, which gives him a bit of an advantage there, too.

In truth, of all the positions in the squad, third goalkeeper is the one where form matters least. Because of that, the spot will likely be selected more on vibes than on-field statistics.

Just about every center back not named Chris Richards should be looking over their shoulders, although some will obviously feel a bit better than others.

Auston Trusty should feel pretty good after a solid March camp paired with a strong season at Celtic. The 37-year-old defender has really built off the international break, helping lead Celtic to three consecutive wins so far in April. Fellow Philadelphia Union alum Mark McKenzie, meanwhile, has not been so lucky. His Toulouse team has run into PSG and Lille buzzsaws in their two games since the international break, losing by a combined 7-1 scoreline to two of France's elite.

In MLS, all eyes are on Tim Ream, who was forced out of Charlotte FC's clash with NYCFC with an apparent groin injury. According to Charlotte boss Dean Smith, the injury does not appear to be serious, which will allow Mauricio Pochettino to breathe a sigh of relief.

As for Miles Robinson, FC Cincinnati have struggled, particularly on the defensive side, and those struggles are coming at a tough time for a player fighting for one of those center back spots.

One major determining factor in this spot is how Pochettino sees Tim Weah. Is he cover on the left? On the right? In both spots? Neither? That decision alters roster makeup and could also push someone good out of the team.

There's an obvious hierarchy on both sides. Sergino Dest and Alex Freeman are on the right, while Antonee Robinson and Max Arfsten are on the left. The injury to John Tolkin, who was on the bubble, only further clarified things. So, to free up spots elsewhere, does Pochettino opt to leave one of the names above at home and keep Weah in that position?

Dest is injured, so there's no form to really speak of there. Robinson, meanwhile, is Robinson, so if he is healthy, he is in. As for the other two, they're the ones closer to the bubble. Max Arfsten is starting for the Crew and has amassed two goals and two assists in his last four games. Freeman, meanwhile, is still adjusting to life in Europe with Villarreal, where minutes have been few.

The wildcard? Joe Scally. He recently scored for Borussia Monchengladbach, which is always helpful, and has the versatility to play as a right back, left back or center back. Does that versatility help or hurt him? We will see, but he's firmly in the mix, even if he has not had nearly as many chances as those mentioned above.

No matter which way you slice it, someone is getting their heart broken here. So many midfielders have been involved, and they simply cannot all make it onto the final 26-man roster.

Tanner Tessmann seemed to have the inside track toward a starting gig, but his playing time has been sporadic over the last month or so. That has not been the case for Aidan Morris, who has been thriving for Middlesbrough and has seemingly taken a step forward with his USMNT playing time over the last two camps. Johnny Cardoso, meanwhile, is still the unknown in this mix, although his 45-minute run against Belgium should ease some nerves about his inclusion this summer.

As for MLS options, Cristian Roldan is off to an incredible start to the season with the Seattle Sounders, assisting twice in a massive win over Tigres before scoring two more three days later against St. Louis City. Sebastian Berhalter is following up on last year's breakout, too, with three goals and three assists across his first 587 minutes.

That leaves someone like Jack McGlynn with some ground to make up, but a knee injury has limited him over the last month or so after he assisted on two of his first three games. As for late risers, there is Yunus Musah, who has been left out for more than a year despite his incredible talent. He, too, remains on the bubble, even if it seems his is closer to popping than some of the others mentioned, given his lack of involvement.

One other to keep an eye on is Gianluca Busio. He has not been with the USMNT since 2024 but has been a standout in Serie B with Venezia, which is all he can really do at this point.

It remains to be seen how many players Pochettino takes in this spot, but several are locked in: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman. As for everyone else, you are going to sweat it out.

The big name here is, of course, Gio Reyna, who has not done too much in recent weeks to boost his stock. He has played just 23 minutes since camp ended and remains largely uninvolved for Gladbach. On talent, he is a lock. On form, though? Well, that is why he is on the bubble.

Brenden Aaronson and Diego Luna are the other two duking it out for spots here. After missing the start of the season and the March camp due to injury, Luna has scored two and assisted another in his last two games as he gets back into form. Aaronson, too, has contributed in Europe with assists in each of his last two games. That choice may come down to fit. Both bring energy and both can contribute on both sides of the ball, but who does Pochettino prefer? There is a very real scenario where only one of those two makes it, and that scenario becomes even more likely if Pochettino opts to include Reyna.

You can count Alejandro Zendejas as a player on the bubble, too, but he is another one leaning more toward "out" due to his lack of recent involvement.

This picture, unfortunately, is clearer than it was a few weeks ago. Patrick Agyemang's injury really changed the dynamic at the striker position.

With that, the strikers seem relatively locked in: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright. Pepi and Wright were likely fighting Agyemang for two spots, but that is no longer necessary due to the Derby County star's bad luck.

As for late risers, Brian White, Damion Downs and Josh Sargent have been involved. Realistically, though, it is hard to see anyone outside of those top three pushing their way in by the time rosters are selected.