What to know about state of U.S. men's soccer team after hire of 'new' coach

2. Where's Reyna? 

Notably absent in this lineup is Reyna, the player whose parents Berhalter fell out with during the 2022 World Cup. Berhalter noted in his Vanity Fair interview that he hadn't spoken with Reyna since being reappointed, but that it was a "priority" for him to do so. Is Reyna's exclusion, then, a continuation of the drama that plagued Berhalter during his first stint as coach? 

Not exactly. While Reyna is absent from Berhalter's fall USMNT roster, it's important to remember that he's been absent from the Borussia Dortmund roster this season, too. Reyna is recovering from a calf injury and is not fit to play for anyone right now.

3. Who are the key players?

Teen phenom Benjamin Cremaschi, who plays for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer, and oft-overlooked goalkeeper Drake Callender made Berhalter's cut for the first time. New USMNT recruit Folarin Balogun, who recently completed a move to AS Monaco, is also back.

It's a standard USMNT lineup, one designed to mesh well with Berhalter's favored high press. But it's one that shares the same weaknesses as every other USMNT lineup of the modern era: not enough bite in defensive midfield and not enough speed in the center of defense. A high press is a dangerous strategy when those two elements are missing, as the USMNT found out against the Netherlands in the World Cup. 

4. Who will the USMNT face first?

First up are Uzbekistan and Oman in international friendlies —these games are glorified practices and they should be easily winnable. The Uzbekistan match is Sept. 9 in St. Louis. The Oman game is Sept. 12 in St. Paul, Minn.

5. When will the USMNT be tested for real?

That'll come in October, when the USMNT plays Germany and Ghana as its next friendly opponents. Both have beaten the USMNT in World Cup play, and each should give Berhalter's team its first real challenge before the Americans return to the CONCACAF Nations League in November.