About three hours after the US men's national team play Jamaica tonight, the USMNT's final 23-man roster for the Gold Cup is due.
It's the last chance players on the roster bubble will have to sway the coaching staff to ensure they stick around for Gregg Berhalter's first competitive games as head coach of the team. The friendly will certainly play a role for more than a few.
“A lot of the work has been done beforehand, but we will make a few decisions based on [Wednesday's] game," Berhalter told reporters.
Here are three players who might be playing for their Gold Cup roster place:
Djordje Mihailovic
Left off March's squad for friendlies, the first in which Berhalter could call European-based stars, Mihailovic appeared to have ground to cover before the Gold Cup. Sebastian Lletget's injury looks set to free up a roster spot in his position (though Berhalter said they haven't made a decision on Lletget).
Cristian Roldan is probably ensconced on the squad if Lletget can't go — while Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie definitely are — putting Mihailovic on the bubble. On top of making 13 starts thus far for a deep Chicago Fire side, many of which closer to the role he'd play with the USMNT rather than a No. 10, he has been working on his half-turn, after all.
Definitely doesn't need any more work on his sarcastic delivery, though. Solid stuff.
Walker Zimmerman
Another player left off the March squad, a big surprise to many, was Zimmerman.
LAFC's defensive stalwart was left off in part so the coaching staff could get a better look at players who weren't in the January camp, Berhalter explained, but fellow MLSers Aaron Long, Daniel Lovitz and Nick Lima were called into the team too. But with John Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin missing out with injury, two presumed defensive places are up for grabs.
Furthermore, Zimmerman could find his way straight into the starting lineup with a strong performance against Jamaica. He could just as well play his way out of contention, though unlikely considering his form with LAFC.
Jonathan Lewis
Lewis, unlike Zimmerman and Mihailovic, was called into Berhalter's March camp despite being on the fringes of NYCFC's starting XI. He's since been traded to the Colorado Rapids, immediately becoming not just a regular starter but an integral outlet of the attack, showing the potential many believed he had.
Can he ride that form into the Gold Cup? The national team have a bunch of wingers, though with Pulisic playing through the center, no clear-cut starters. It's wide open and likely will stay that way for a while. He's battling with Jordan Morris, Corey Baird, Paul Arriola and others for a roster spot and a place in the team.
