While Christian Pulisic is often seen as the star of the show for the US team and its most prominent attacker, Weston McKennie may be even more important for this World Cup campaign. McKennie has been around the national team just about as long as Pulisic and he enters this World Cup in the best form of any American. He has had a terrific season for Juventus, scoring nine goals and assisting six across all competitions. McKennie has been a swiss-army knife for Juventus, playing multiple different positions throughout the season.
That versatility is part of what makes him so interesting for the US. Mauricio Pochettino has openly praised McKennie’s ability to fill different roles, and that flexibility could be huge in a tournament setting where injuries, suspensions, or match-specific tweaks can force teams to improvise. Depending on the opponent, McKennie could be used as an end-to-end engine in midfield or he could slot higher up to create around the box and get on the end of scoring chances. At this point, McKennie is one of the vets on this team and will need to provide leadership both on and off the field.
Few American players better capture the edge and personality of this U.S. team than Wes. His skill on the ball and creativity is often underrated, but can influence games as much as his more well regarded ability winning second balls, crashing the box, filling passing lanes, and scrapping on both ends of the field. With the World Cup coming to home soil, that all-action style will make him one of the most important barometers for how far the U.S. can go.