For the U.S. men's national team and coach Gregg Berhalter, the euphoria sparked by last month’s Concacaf Nations League triumph has made way for pragmatism.
The vast majority of the skillful young squad that defeated Honduras and Mexico in dramatic fashion is being rested ahead of the new European club campaign and the September start of World Cup qualifying. As a result, those players won’t get a crack at winning the upcoming Gold Cup, Concacaf’s most prestigious trophy.
Instead, the 16th continental championship tournament will be contested by an MLS-heavy roster (19 of 23) that Berhalter unveiled Thursday morning.