USMNT World Cup roster tiers: Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards in - Gio Reyna faces uphill battle

There are only a select few in this category, and they're the ones that, injury aside, will be the USMNT's big difference-makers.

That includes familiar faces, players like Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie, who will look to continue building after starting at the last World Cup. It also includes Chris Richards, who has emerged as this team's leader in defense. Folarin Balogun, too, is locked in, especially with his recent goal outburst for Monaco. Regardless of who is or isn't available, you can expect those guys to start this summer.

On that basis, Matt Freese, too, is in this category, having established himself as the USMNT's No. 1. Everyone else, realistically, is fighting for a starting gig, which drops them into the next group.

Again, plenty of vets in here. Tim Weah and Haji Wright scored at the last World Cup, and both look set to be part of this one. Matt Turner, too, was a key figure in Qatar, although it looks like he's set to be the primary backup this time around. He's still pretty likely to be in the team, though, even after the USMNT as a whole had a rough night with him in goal against Belgium. And then there's Tim Ream and Sergino Dest, who, if fit enough after recent injuries, are obvious inclusion.

There are new faces, too, that have likely booked their spots. Malik Tillman, Mark McKenzie, and Ricardo Pepi were on the fringes before missing out last cycle, but have played their way in now. McKenzie's fellow Philadelphia Union product, Auston Trusty, can feel pretty confident, too, after strong showings against Uruguay and Portugal in his last two USMNT appearances. Tanner Tessmann is a contender to start in midfield, particularly if McKennie is used in a more attacking role.

As for the newer pieces, both Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten have been mainstays for nearly a year now, with the former seemingly a contender to start at right-back or as a third centerback. All in all, they both appear to be in a good spot.

Realistically, this is where so much of the player pool sits. Pochettino has designed it that way. Just last camp, he said there were between 30 and 35 players in consideration. At least 15 of those players fit into this group.

Starting with goalkeepers, anyone not named Freese or Turner is in this spot fighting for that third spot. In terms of defenders, there is a competition going on for that final spot or two with players like Joe Scally and Miles Robinson seemingly right on that fringe, and it seems that there may only be room for one of those two in the USMNT squad.

The midfield, meanwhile, is much busier. Outside of Adams, McKennie, and Tessmann, everyone else in those deeper roles is in a competition. That means that Pochettino will be choosing between the likes of Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, and Cristian Roldan, while Jack McGlynn could be looped into either this group or the more attacking group.

With the attackers, Pochettino will likely only be able to bring in two of Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Gio Reyna, and Alejandro Zendejas. That choice may or may not be made on form, and if it is, then Reyna is quite clearly the odd man out. However, the fact that he was in camp on March proves that he may be a player worth making an exception for, which is why he remains on this bubble.

If you haven't been involved since the Gold Cup, it's probably safe to put you in this group.

Is it possible? Sure, but without involvement through the fall or spring, the road back looks tough.

That group includes names like Walker Zimmerman, Paxten Aaronson and Brian White. Gianluca Busio, despite standout form with Venezia, also lands here, as does Josh Sargent, largely due to the depth ahead of him at striker. Could injuries open the door? Possibly - but the path back is narrow.

There are three more names to really keep an eye on here. The first is Yunus Musah, who probably sits in this category despite his immense talent. The fact that he hasn't been with the USMNT in over a year speaks volumes. There is a possibility that Musah rejoins the team for this World Cup, but that possibility looks to be dwindling due to his lack of playing time.

The second? Noahkai Banks. After skipping the March camp, his World Cup chances look slim. Mauricio Pochettino has emphasized commitment, and Banks’ indecision over his international future may be enough to keep him out - despite his potential.

One other player to keep an eye on: Zavier Gozo. The hype is building with his breakout in MLS, but in normal circumstances, that likely wouldn't be enough for a late push. The U.S. doesn't have a wealth of out-and-out wingers that can change a game, and Gozo could be that. However, due to his lack of international experience, it's a bit harder to see him make such a big leap.

Generally, Pochettino has avoided putting anyone in this category. Because of that, you really can't write off anyone, aside from the few who have been written off due to bad luck.

Patrick Agyemang is the big one, as his injury ended his hopes of going this summer. Benjamin Cremaschi and James Sands had an outside shot of competing for spots but will miss out due to injury issues. Same for goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, who faces a significant time out after breaking his neck. We don't really know the full extent of John Tolkin's injury, but he was already fighting a battle to make the squad, so the fact that his knee injury has him racing against time makes it hard to see him going, too.

Outside of that injured group, everyone will be holding on to at least some hope as long as they've been involved with the USMNT at some point during the Pochettino era. If you haven't been involved since Pochettino took over, you're almost certainly in this spot, too.

Other than that, most eyes are then on the next generation players that weren't quite ready in time. You'll likely see players like Cavan Sullivan, Adri Mehmeti, and Mathis Albert involved next cycle. Same for someone like Julian Hall, if he doesn't make the switch to Poland. That group is just too young and too inexperienced at the moment, which is why they haven't been involved just yet.