WORLD CUP 2022: USMNT PLAYERS ON BUBBLE BATTLE FOR FINAL ROSTER SPOTS



Members of the World Cup-bound U.S. Men’s National Team often talk about how tight they are off the field, how much they respect one another and how their relationships have blossomed the past few years beyond being mere colleagues or acquaintances or even close friends.To get more news about VeboTV, you can visit vebobd.live official website.

Most of Morris’ teammates also refer to the USMNT as a "brotherhood." So does U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. And although it’s easy to dismiss that designation as a tired cliché — the cutthroat reality of top-level professional sports is that there is hardly room for sentiment or loyalty — this historically young American player pool does appear to have a camaraderie that is unusually strong.

That bond is being put to the test this month. Although the collective goal for the Americans for most of the past year was just to return to the World Cup after missing out in 2018, now the individual focus is to make the team.

And a few final World Cup roster spots remain up for grabs, even if the majority of the 26 players currently in El Salvador for Tuesday’s CONCACAF Nations League contest against the hosts (10 p.m. ET, FS1) will also be on the plane to Qatar come November.

The clock is ticking for the bubble guys. Three of the four June matches have been played. After Tuesday’s encounter, the U.S. will have just two final tune-ups — in September in Europe against opponents to be announced — to prepare for the greatest show in sports.

For some players, the trip to San Salvador represents their last best chance to cement their place and fulfill a lifelong ambition. They all want to go to the World Cup, of course. If that means seeing the dreams of someone they care deeply about crushed, so be it.

"A word that kind of describes it is ‘frenemies,’" said midfielder Kellyn Acosta, who played 90 minutes in Friday’s 5-0 Nations League win over Grenada after sitting out friendlies versus Uruguay and Morocco. "We’re friends off the field. But on the field, we’re competing."

There are jobs to be won at forward and in central defense. But perhaps no position on the U.S team is more hotly contested than right back. With projected World Cup starter Sergi?o Dest out this summer because of the hamstring injury he suffered in May while playing for Barcelona, veterans Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin and teenager Joe Scally have been vying for what might end up being one spot. If the culture in the locker room isn’t good or teammates can’t stand each other as people, things could get awkward.

"We’re competing for a World Cup roster spot, but that doesn’t mean that the relationship has to deteriorate," Cannon said. "I still root for Sergi?o when he’s on the field, and he roots for me.

"As deep as the right back position is, the relationships we all have are so good," he added. "They’re my closest friends on the team, but we’re super competitive when it comes to training."

Out on the wings, the margins are almost as fine. Although Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and Tim Weah are World Cup locks if healthy, there is no guarantee for backups such as Morris, Paul Arriola and Cristian Roldan. For them, making the most of any remaining opportunity is essential. Maintaining a team-first attitude can also bolster their odds.