I’m glad today is over. I hope tomorrow is better than today. I just don’t have any energy, and I spent most of the day sleeping. I took two lengthy naps today and feel like I haven’t gotten a wink. I’m heading to bed here soon.
The good news is Elizabeth tested negative, so that’s a relief. We will continue to isolate from each other in hopes that I don’t infect her. My fever returned today for the first time since Saturday. It was a low-grade fever and didn’t quite get to 100. More than anything I’m just tired and sluggish.
I was told Days 4-6 would likely be the worst. I just finished the fifth day since my symptoms showed up. Hopefully, tomorrow is better. If not, maybe there is an end in sight.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said from the beginning: I’m lucky. I haven’t once felt in danger or like I need to seek out a hospital. I’m just sick, and it’s not fun at all. Good night, everyone.
Wednesday, December 09, 2020
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
Day 4 ... not as positive as before
I want to walk the fine line between being honest and being an alarmist, but today was a setback in several ways. The biggest and most important thing is that I believe I have infected Elizabeth with Covid-19. Honestly, I knew it was going to happen, no matter how careful we have tried to be during this isolation/quarantine period. Not only did we sleep in the same bed the night before I tested positive, but she has been delivering meals to me and putting up my dishes. We have tried to avoid contact with each other, but everything we have learned is that this virus just doesn’t really care about how careful you try to be. We will hopefully find out for sure in the morning if she has the virus, and no matter the verdict, we will move forward.
Before Elizabeth’s symptoms began to show, though, things just didn’t start well. I had a miserable night of sleep. Let me be clear: I don’t feel terrible. I’m not trying to alarm anyone. But I am being honest. Last night sucked. I tossed and turned all night. I couldn’t get comfortable. Eventually, around 5 a.m., I flipped the mattress around and found a little bit of relief. I was able to get a few hours of sleep.
I woke up and attended my PLC meeting virtually this morning, and it was good to see those faces and interact with some people. I’ve enjoyed texting folks and chatting on Facebook, and I’ve been able to Facetime with Elizabeth, but hopping in a Google Meet with my co-workers was fun.
I spent a lot of time today editing students’ work. We plan to print the second edition of our newspaper on Monday for delivery next Wednesday and Thursday, so there’s a lot of work to be done between now and then. I saw some really good stuff today, so that’s exciting, and I’m expecting some more good stories to be turned in either tonight or tomorrow. My kids keep improving, and as a teacher, that’s enjoyable.
My symptoms got a little bit worse today. My chest congestion is stronger than it’s been. I’m coughing more than I have before. I feel sluggish and a little achy. But my fever still has not returned. It was 97.9 just a few minutes ago. So that’s a positive sign. But in the early afternoon Elizabeth began to complain about feeling poorly. She started running a fever, which by 5 was over 100, and she said she has that achy flu-like feeling (which is exactly what I felt on Saturday morning before I tested positive). She went to urgent care, but they were out of rapid tests and told her to come back in the morning. She’s planning to be there first thing to find out the verdict.
To be honest, today was a pretty depressing day on the whole. I feel OK still. I know I’m sick. I can feel it. But I’m not incredibly ill. I’m hoping it stays that way. But I’m way more concerned with the fact that Elizabeth is sick. She doesn’t run a fever. We can count on one hand the number of times she’s had a fever in the 15 years we’ve been married. She’s tough. She handles sickness way better than I do. But this isn’t a normal sickness. There’s plenty of evidence everywhere that Covid is unpredictable. Just because I seem to be having a mild case doesn’t mean she’s going to have a mild case.
I’ll be sure to share updates tomorrow when we have news. Hopefully, it’s good and I’m totally overreacting right now.
Before Elizabeth’s symptoms began to show, though, things just didn’t start well. I had a miserable night of sleep. Let me be clear: I don’t feel terrible. I’m not trying to alarm anyone. But I am being honest. Last night sucked. I tossed and turned all night. I couldn’t get comfortable. Eventually, around 5 a.m., I flipped the mattress around and found a little bit of relief. I was able to get a few hours of sleep.
I woke up and attended my PLC meeting virtually this morning, and it was good to see those faces and interact with some people. I’ve enjoyed texting folks and chatting on Facebook, and I’ve been able to Facetime with Elizabeth, but hopping in a Google Meet with my co-workers was fun.
I spent a lot of time today editing students’ work. We plan to print the second edition of our newspaper on Monday for delivery next Wednesday and Thursday, so there’s a lot of work to be done between now and then. I saw some really good stuff today, so that’s exciting, and I’m expecting some more good stories to be turned in either tonight or tomorrow. My kids keep improving, and as a teacher, that’s enjoyable.
My symptoms got a little bit worse today. My chest congestion is stronger than it’s been. I’m coughing more than I have before. I feel sluggish and a little achy. But my fever still has not returned. It was 97.9 just a few minutes ago. So that’s a positive sign. But in the early afternoon Elizabeth began to complain about feeling poorly. She started running a fever, which by 5 was over 100, and she said she has that achy flu-like feeling (which is exactly what I felt on Saturday morning before I tested positive). She went to urgent care, but they were out of rapid tests and told her to come back in the morning. She’s planning to be there first thing to find out the verdict.
To be honest, today was a pretty depressing day on the whole. I feel OK still. I know I’m sick. I can feel it. But I’m not incredibly ill. I’m hoping it stays that way. But I’m way more concerned with the fact that Elizabeth is sick. She doesn’t run a fever. We can count on one hand the number of times she’s had a fever in the 15 years we’ve been married. She’s tough. She handles sickness way better than I do. But this isn’t a normal sickness. There’s plenty of evidence everywhere that Covid is unpredictable. Just because I seem to be having a mild case doesn’t mean she’s going to have a mild case.
I’ll be sure to share updates tomorrow when we have news. Hopefully, it’s good and I’m totally overreacting right now.
Monday, December 07, 2020
Day 3: It's back to work ... well, sort of
Today was Day 3 in isolation, but the first work day. I spent most of the day on my laptop, making myself available to students who had questions about their various assignments. A couple of students reached out about my Covid diagnosis with well wishes and/or questions about what that meant for them. I worked on some social media posts for Facebook and Instagram. I caught up on some yearbook work that I fell behind on. Because today was the deadline for my Publications students to turn in their stories for the next edition of the newspaper, a good chunk of the rest of my week will focus on editing those stories and getting the paper ready for print. The show must go on, even if I’m not there physically.
As far as how I’m doing because many people have reached out to ask, and I can’t express how appreciative I am, I’m still relatively symptom-free. The fever still hasn’t returned. I checked it a few minutes ago, and it’s 97.7. I haven’t been at or above 98.6 since Saturday. I did feel a little more sluggish today. I don’t know if that’s because I actually did some work, spending hours in front of my laptop screen, or if it’s just because it’s Day 3 of being cooped up in a confined space. I don’t feel sick. I just don’t feel great. I imagine it’s going to be a blah kind of experience the rest of the week.
I did take a nearly two-hour nap at the end of the school day. I was exhausted, but that’s really not anything new. Once I slow down on a typical day, I crash. I haven’t been a big napper until the last year or so. I guess getting to my late 30s has made me slow down a little. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t get an adequate amount of sleep on a regular basis.
My nurse delivered me a Pop-Tart (upon request) for breakfast and made me two turkey, ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch, loaded with meat and just a hint of mustard, exactly like I like it. And for supper, my mother-in-law dropped off some sausage-and-potato soup that was so delicious, as well as some banana pudding. So far, I’m eating well but also cutting down on my snacks and drinking a whole lot more water than normal. So far, through three days I have gone through 14 bottles of water. And my nurse refuses to deliver me any carbonated beverages. She says I need to hydrate with water, water, water. Even though I’m not able to move around much, I’m still hopeful to actually lose some weight during this quarantine because my eating habits will be so improved and my water intake will be so much greater.
I’m going to sign off for the night. It’s only 8:35 p.m. right now, but it feels so much later, despite that nap I had earlier. I’m sure I will be closing my eyes much earlier tonight and hopefully getting a full night’s rest.
As far as how I’m doing because many people have reached out to ask, and I can’t express how appreciative I am, I’m still relatively symptom-free. The fever still hasn’t returned. I checked it a few minutes ago, and it’s 97.7. I haven’t been at or above 98.6 since Saturday. I did feel a little more sluggish today. I don’t know if that’s because I actually did some work, spending hours in front of my laptop screen, or if it’s just because it’s Day 3 of being cooped up in a confined space. I don’t feel sick. I just don’t feel great. I imagine it’s going to be a blah kind of experience the rest of the week.
I did take a nearly two-hour nap at the end of the school day. I was exhausted, but that’s really not anything new. Once I slow down on a typical day, I crash. I haven’t been a big napper until the last year or so. I guess getting to my late 30s has made me slow down a little. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t get an adequate amount of sleep on a regular basis.
My nurse delivered me a Pop-Tart (upon request) for breakfast and made me two turkey, ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch, loaded with meat and just a hint of mustard, exactly like I like it. And for supper, my mother-in-law dropped off some sausage-and-potato soup that was so delicious, as well as some banana pudding. So far, I’m eating well but also cutting down on my snacks and drinking a whole lot more water than normal. So far, through three days I have gone through 14 bottles of water. And my nurse refuses to deliver me any carbonated beverages. She says I need to hydrate with water, water, water. Even though I’m not able to move around much, I’m still hopeful to actually lose some weight during this quarantine because my eating habits will be so improved and my water intake will be so much greater.
I’m going to sign off for the night. It’s only 8:35 p.m. right now, but it feels so much later, despite that nap I had earlier. I’m sure I will be closing my eyes much earlier tonight and hopefully getting a full night’s rest.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
Day 2 of Isolation ... or a pretty typical Sunday
Today wasn’t exactly what I expected, and I mean that in a good way. I’ve heard many people describe their Covid situations as asymptomatic or having very mild symptoms. I would say I fall in the second category. I can’t describe myself as asymptomatic, obviously, because running a fever during the middle of the night that caused me to go get tested was obviously a symptom. But that fever is gone. It’s been gone for more than 24 hours. I sneezed once today, and I’m coughing up some stuff occasionally. Other than that, I feel fine. I don’t feel sick.
I’ve talked to several friends who have previously dealt with Covid and another who is going through it right now, and they have told me that typically days four through six are the worst. My friend who is battling Covid right now said that days three and four were bad for him. He called me today, and he sounded like he has been going through the ringer. So I know I’m not out of the woods. Covid is no joke, and it can beat me down any day now. Right now, I’m just trying to take my three medicines that have been prescribed to me, keep a steady dose of ibuprofen to try to keep any fever away, drink my Emergen-C nightly, and relax as much as possible.
My personal chef delivered me two bagels with eggs, bacon and hashbrowns this morning for breakfast, and we had an early supper from Chili’s that was delivered by Door Dash thanks to the generosity of an old friend who sent me a coupon. He’s not the type who wants acknowledgement, so I’ll keep his name out of it, but I told him how much I appreciated the gesture. It was unexpected, but knowing his character, it was not surprising at all. I’ve had so many people respond to my previous post on Facebook wishing me and Elizabeth well, and I really appreciate the well-wishes. Truly, I do. So far, things are going about as well as either of us could have expected.
I don’t have a TV in my isolation chamber, but I’m learning more and more about streaming online. I don’t have Netflix or Hulu or many of the other streaming services, mostly because we invested in a Tivo years ago and that continues to serve us well. I have streamed some shows online through the years when something happened such as a power outage that caused me to miss a show, but I really don’t watch much online programming. That changed today. I was able to stream the Saints-Falcons game as well as the Tech-LSU basketball game. The good guys won the football game, but the bad guys got the blowout win in basketball. Still, it was nice to be able to watch the games on my laptop. That gives me more options moving forward as I remain in a TV-less isolation. Who knows, maybe I’ll subscribe to Netflix before this thing is all said and done!
Tomorrow will be a weird day for me as school goes on without me. It’s not unusual for me to miss a day here or there. I’ve never been one of those “perfect-attendance” students or teachers. When you officiate as much basketball as I do, including games out of state, there are times when it’s just impossible not to miss. But I don’t typically miss often and extremely rarely multiple days in a row. But the show must go on, right? I’m planning to hold regular office hours throughout the day so I can be available to my students via email or Google Classroom, and hopefully I can use this down time to catch up on some of the grading that I’ve fallen behind on. Plus, we are putting out a newspaper this week, and that’s a big deal for me and my Publications students. It won’t be our traditional setup, but we will get it done!
I’ve talked to several friends who have previously dealt with Covid and another who is going through it right now, and they have told me that typically days four through six are the worst. My friend who is battling Covid right now said that days three and four were bad for him. He called me today, and he sounded like he has been going through the ringer. So I know I’m not out of the woods. Covid is no joke, and it can beat me down any day now. Right now, I’m just trying to take my three medicines that have been prescribed to me, keep a steady dose of ibuprofen to try to keep any fever away, drink my Emergen-C nightly, and relax as much as possible.
My personal chef delivered me two bagels with eggs, bacon and hashbrowns this morning for breakfast, and we had an early supper from Chili’s that was delivered by Door Dash thanks to the generosity of an old friend who sent me a coupon. He’s not the type who wants acknowledgement, so I’ll keep his name out of it, but I told him how much I appreciated the gesture. It was unexpected, but knowing his character, it was not surprising at all. I’ve had so many people respond to my previous post on Facebook wishing me and Elizabeth well, and I really appreciate the well-wishes. Truly, I do. So far, things are going about as well as either of us could have expected.
I don’t have a TV in my isolation chamber, but I’m learning more and more about streaming online. I don’t have Netflix or Hulu or many of the other streaming services, mostly because we invested in a Tivo years ago and that continues to serve us well. I have streamed some shows online through the years when something happened such as a power outage that caused me to miss a show, but I really don’t watch much online programming. That changed today. I was able to stream the Saints-Falcons game as well as the Tech-LSU basketball game. The good guys won the football game, but the bad guys got the blowout win in basketball. Still, it was nice to be able to watch the games on my laptop. That gives me more options moving forward as I remain in a TV-less isolation. Who knows, maybe I’ll subscribe to Netflix before this thing is all said and done!
Tomorrow will be a weird day for me as school goes on without me. It’s not unusual for me to miss a day here or there. I’ve never been one of those “perfect-attendance” students or teachers. When you officiate as much basketball as I do, including games out of state, there are times when it’s just impossible not to miss. But I don’t typically miss often and extremely rarely multiple days in a row. But the show must go on, right? I’m planning to hold regular office hours throughout the day so I can be available to my students via email or Google Classroom, and hopefully I can use this down time to catch up on some of the grading that I’ve fallen behind on. Plus, we are putting out a newspaper this week, and that’s a big deal for me and my Publications students. It won’t be our traditional setup, but we will get it done!
Saturday, December 05, 2020
So I have an announcement ...
Editor's Note: Obviously, this post deviates from "strictly sports," but I think it's important to be open and transparent, so I will chronicle my upcoming journey through this blog.
I tested positive for Covid-19 today, something that I had hoped to avoid ever since the pandemic began in March. Writing is therapeutic for me, and it's something I honestly don't do enough of these days, so I'm going to blog my way through my experience here. I don't know how frequent my posts will be, but hoping I'll have something to say quite often.
Friday, Dec. 4
Today is the day where symptoms first started showing up. I developed a very minor cough, but I didn’t think anything of it because it corresponded with a freak incident. I left school for two hours to go to LSUA to take pictures of our Robotics teams competing. On my way back to school, I stopped by Sonic to get some drinks for lunch and a snack to share with Elizabeth. I took a bite of a cheese stick, and some of the grease squirted into my throat, making me gag and cough. After that moment, I had a minor cough occasionally, and I just chalked it up to that moment.
Flash forward to the evening. My plans are to go take pictures of the Tioga-North DeSoto football playoff game. I checked my temperature before I left, which is something I typically do. Checking temps is just standard-operating procedure these days. The thermometer read 98.0, so I figured I was good to go. I went to the game, stood on the North DeSoto sideline all evening. I wore my gaiter and tried to socially distance, all things that I normally do when I go take pictures.
When I got home, I didn’t feel great. I chalked it up to standing outside for nearly four hours in sub-40-degree weather. Just to be sure, I checked my temperature again, and it was 98.6, which I thought reaffirmed my original thought that I was still just cold from being outside in early December and my body was readjusting.
I don’t know exactly when I woke up. It could have been 2 or 3 or 4. (Update: The wife says it was "3:30ish.") I didn't check the clock. It was the middle of the night, or my night at least. I woke up in a cold sweat. My body was aching. I had chills. I knew I had a fever. I went to check it, and I was right: My temperature had risen to 100.6 degrees, which is high enough that I would have been immediately sent home from school had I reported to work. Elizabeth and I had a quick discussion about me going to get tested for Covid-19 the next morning, I took some ibuprofen for the fever and I went back to sleep.
Saturday, Dec. 5
I woke up around 7. The sheets were soaked in sweat, and my temperature had dropped to 99.0. I was still thinking at this time that my illness was related to being out in the cold rather than Covid, but because I’m a teacher, I thought it was best to be safer than sorry. I went to a local urgent care to get a rapid test, and the results came back positive. It was not the news I wanted to hear. I tried to be vigilant and diligent to keep Covid at bay. I wear a mask or a gaiter whenever I’m out of the house, and I try to socially distance as much as possible.
But truth be told, I put myself at risk a number of times. With basketball season starting, I have spent a number of evenings in gyms where I can’t control what other people do. I don’t wear a mask during live play when I officiate, but I do have a gaiter that I use whenever I come in close contact with fellow officials, coaches, players, etc. Still, that’s just one of several ways I could have contacted Covid-19. I’m sure I’ll never know the true cause.
The hardest part so far was what came next. I had to contact my principal to let him know that I’m in isolation for 10 days and my wife is in quarantine for 14. I had to talk to the school nurse to discuss what students and fellow teachers I might have had close contact with over the past several days who might have been exposed by me. I had to let two friends who I spoke with at a football game Friday night that I may have unintentionally exposed them. Even though I wore a gaiter at all times, we had several conversations throughout the night that were within six feet. I feel terrible about that, and I will feel even worse if either of them contracts Covid-19.
The urgent care nurse practitioner prescribed me a cocktail of three medicines to take daily along with a suggestion to take Vitamin C and zinc, which I will do through a daily dose of Emergen-C. Truthfully, the symptoms have been extremely mild so far. I didn’t feel well when I woke up in the middle of the night last night, but that didn’t last long as I went right back to sleep and the fever had mostly dissipated by the time I woke up. (I was still 99.5 when I went to urgent care, but by the time I got home, I was down to 97.7.) So far, I just have some minor chest congestion, which may be more caused by the medication I’m taking than Covid itself. I don’t have any chills, body aches, headaches, loss of smell or taste, or any of the other telltale signs of Covid. It’s early. I know they may be coming. The virus hits each person differently, and I have spoken with several friends who assure me from personal experience that it is no joke.
So far, I can’t complain about my surroundings or service. Elizabeth has the master bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living room. I have shut the door between the dining room and the hallway where I’m at, which includes the spare bedroom, my bathroom and the cats’ room. It appears for the next two weeks, I will be the cats’ keeper while Elizabeth takes care of the dogs. I know I’m going to get some huge hugs and kissies from Huckabay once I’m out of isolation! (Ryley's response is still TBD.) I know Elizabeth is going to get frustrated at some point, as she is quick to tell me how horrible of a patient I am when I get sick, but she was a great nurse today. I’ve been visited by housekeeping a couple of times, as well as by Waitr, Uber Eats and Door Dash (which apparently have set up shop in our kitchen for the time being).
I know this isn’t going to be easy on me, being cooped up for 10 days. I love to go out to eat. We aren’t the most social people, but I don’t lock myself away either. I don’t have a TV in my current setup, so I may be streaming a lot of things on my laptop. I do have several books to read, a case of water, plenty of assignments to grade, and students who I’m sure will be emailing me lots of questions about their assignments over the next two weeks. It will be a challenge, but we can make it!
Monday, July 27, 2020
Looking ahead to the next World Cup
Now that sports are starting to come back, I want to try something that I did nine years ago -- try to predict the next U.S. World Cup roster. I watched the end of the 2020 Premier League season this morning, and now I'm watching the knockout round of the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando. Despite this awful pandemic, I feel safe that sports are coming back and that we will push forward with the next World Cup cycle (though the thought of all that worldwide travel is still insane to me).
Back in July 2011, I tried to predict the U.S. roster for the 2014 World Cup. I saw only a little bit of success. Of the 23 players that I picked, only eight actually made the roster. (I updated that post in June 2013 and got 14 of the 23 correct.) Truth be told, I'm a lot more knowledgeable about U.S. soccer than I was back then, so I think I could do a better job in 2020 than I did back in 2011/2013.
Back in 2013, I had a pretty good grasp on the goalkeeper situation, but that's because it's always been pretty clear who the top couple of keepers in the country are. I had a decent handle on the midfield depth chart, but struggled in defense and at forward. Those were our two big areas of weakness back then, and I still say those are our areas of weakness now.
Before I jump in with my predictions, let me just say that I'm assuming we qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, though that's no longer a given after the 2018 debacle. For the first time since 1990, the U.S. is trying to qualify for a World Cup after not qualifying for the previous one. However, the talent pool and depth chart is in a much better position than it was four years ago, though it's still to be determined if Gregg Berhalter will be a better steward of the program than Jurgen Klinnsman was.
I'm going to do things a bit differently this time. I will pick two rosters. The first is the one I would pick today on July 26, 2020. The second is the one I think will ultimately be selected for the World Cup in 28 months. Obviously, I can't predict injuries and it will be curious to see which players emerge and which ones fall off over the next two years. Without further ado, let's jump into my predictions.
Prediction: Steffen, Hamid, Sean Johnson.
Zach Steffen has emerged as the clear No. 1 for the U.S. National Team following a lengthy run by Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Guzan is 35 and will be 38 at the World Cup. I definitely think he will be a part of the qualifying process, and while 38 does not disqualify him from being selected to the roster, it does make it a long shot. One thing that would help Guzan is there isn't a bevy of talented goalkeepers waiting in the wings. Steffen is the only one playing at a high level internationally, though he needs to solidify his club standing and become a full-time starter. After a standout career with the Columbus Crew, Steffen signed with Manchester City in the Premier League and spent this past season as a part-time starter for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German Bundesliga. Guzan, Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson are all solid goalkeepers in MLS. Matt Turner and Jesse Gonzalez are two young MLS keepers who could get involved in the mix, as is Ethan Horvath, who plays for Club Brugge in the Belgian First Division.
Prediction: Robinson, Brooks, Aaron Long, Tyler Adams, Kobe Hernandez-Foster, Miazga, Miles Robinson, Dest.
Antonee Robinson has emerged as the top left back in America, and it won't be long before he is playing for one of the top clubs in the world. He was linked to AC Milan, but a medical issue killed the transfer. I expect he'll be playing in the Premier League, Bundesliga, or Italian Serie A next season. With Robinson, who is just 22, and Sergino Dest, the 19-year-old right back who is a major target of Bayern Munich, the U.S. finally has a young fullback combination that can play anywhere in the world. The U.S. also has veterans in DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson, who at 32 is a free agent and could find his way to MLS this offseason after a standout career in the Bundesliga. John Brooks, when healthy, is clearly the top central defender in the player pool. Tim Ream has been a fixture in England for nearly a decade, but he'll be 35 during the World Cup and probably won't make the final roster. Geoff Cameron is another player whose versatility would be a great asset today, but at 37 will be too old for Qatar. Matt Miazga made a splash by signing with Chelsea in 2016, but he's spent the past four seasons out on loan and has yet to suit up for the big club. At 25 years old, you'd like to see him be able to emerge as a player in the Premier League.
There are a few differences between my roster and my prediction, beyond just the old guys aging out of the player pool. Gregg Berhalter seems to fancy Tyler Adams as a right back who pushes up into the attack, while many others (including me) view the 21-year-old Bundesliga star as a central defender. There's no doubt he deserves to be in the Starting XI, but where remains to be seen. I have Aaron Long and Miles Robinson, two of the top defenders in MLS, replacing Ream and Cameron. I took a flyer on left back Kobe Hernandez-Foster, an 18-year-old who plays in the youth system of Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. He's considered the second-best Under-20 defender in the pool behind Dest and would be 20 at the next World Cup.
Prediction: Pulisic, McKinnie, Morales, Paul Arriola, Boyd, Nagbe, Reyna, Pomykal, Duane Holmes.
At 21 years old, Christian Pulisic is already the greatest player in U.S. men's soccer history. Before Pulisic, I would argue Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Claudio Reyna belonged on the Mt. Rushmore of U.S. men's soccer players. Pulisic has already passed all of them. He emerged as a starter in the Bundesliga as a 17-year-old with Borussia Dortmund and moved to the Premier League with Chelsea this season, where he scored nine goals (tied for the third most in a season in the Premier League by an American; Clint Dempsey scored 17 and 12 for Fulham). Pulisic is three goals away from moving into the top 10 all-time for the U.S. men's national team. Again, he's 21 years old. He plays mostly on the left wing for Chelsea (and before that Dortmund), but in the U.S. system, the team is at its best when he is the attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
My squad would have Pulisic leading the attack with Weston McKinnie and Tyler Adams, two dynamic two-way players in the Bundesliga, playing behind him and Jordan Morris and Tyler Boyd playing on the wings. Morris has emerged into one of the top wingers in MLS with the Seattle Sounders, while Boyd established himself as a key figure on the right wing after switching from New Zealand to America. Alfredo Morales and Darlington Nagbe give my midfield a veteran presence as well as versatility, while Gio Reyna and Paxton Pomykal are youngsters who will be fixtures on the national team for years to come. Morales has spent the past decade in Germany, including four of the past five seasons in the Bundesliga with Ingolstadt and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Nagbe has in the past refused call-ups to the national team after being a major cog on the squad that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but he's playing at such a high level with the Columbus Crew in MLS that Berhalter likely will continue working on him to get him to recommit to the national team. Pomykal is a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who emerged as a starter for FC Dallas last season, and while he's supremely talented, it remains to be seen if he can crack into the starting lineup in a deep, talented central midfield. Reyna, meanwhile, is headed to the starting lineup sooner than later to pair with Pulisic as the future of American soccer. The son of the aforementioned Mt. Rushmore member Claudio Reyna, Gio is a 17-year-old who just completed his first full season in the Bundesliga with Dortmund. He'll turn 20 a week before the start of the 2022 World Cup, but it's not absurd to think he'll be a starter on this team by then. He is a natural fit at one of the two central defensive midfield spots, and he is going to be one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world sooner than later.
There are only two changes between my squad today and what I think Berhalter will do in two years. That's mainly because so much of the talent in this pool is so young and already establishing itself as being more talented and productive than any previous generation. I dropped Tyler Adams because I ultimately think Berhalter will lock him in as a right back instead of a central midfielder, and I moved Jordan Morris from the wing to a forward position for the World Cup. In their places, I went with Paul Arriola, who provides some sorely needed depth on the wing and Duane Holmes, who's quietly having a great career in the English Championship (second division) and will be in his prime at 28 years old for the World Cup.
I do want to take a second to acknowledge the all-time great career of Michael Bradley. He's been easily one of the top 10 players in U.S. history. His leadership and work rate as a box-to-box defensive midfielder have been elite for the past 12-15 years. He certainly can still play a valuable role during the qualifying process. He's still good enough to play at an elite level, but he will be 35 at the World Cup and I just believe there are going to be better options than him in 2022.
Prediction: Jordan Morris, Sargent, Tim Weah.
Jozy Altidore is still the best striker in the country. He's third all time in goals scored in a U.S. uniform. We can all acknowledge he has shortcomings. We can say he didn't live up to the expectations we set for him. His international club career was not nearly as good as his domestic club career. But if I'm fielding a roster today for a friendly or a World Cup qualifier, he's my choice as the first-team forward. It's just not a deep position. Josh Sargent and Tim Weah, who most view as the clear-cut No. 2 and No. 3 at forward, are still trying to get their international club careers kicked off. Sargent is 20 and got regular playing time for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, scoring four goals in 34 total appearances, but Bremen had to win a playoff game to avoid relegation. Jonathan Lewis is more of a winger than a true center forward, but I really like the game of the 23-year-old Colorado Rapids attacker. I'm not sure he can actually get on the field, but the depth at this position is really, really thin.
Ultimately, I went with Morris as my prediction as the No. 1 striker for the World Cup over Altidore. Jozy will turn 33 prior at the start of the World Cup, and while he should still have something left in the tank, I'm not sure he'll still be able to carry the load as the first-choice striker. Maybe Sargent and/or Tim Weah are ready for that burden at age 22 and Jozy can be a super sub off the bench. But in case they aren't, Morris likely is the selection. Weah needs some luck to get his once-promising career back on track. He has gone from Paris Saint-Germain to Celtic to Lille in the past three seasons. He also suffered two hamstring injuries that have limited his playing time. Getting healthy and a consistent club playing time is going to be key if he hopes to land a spot on the World Cup roster.
LB: Antonee Robinson
CB: John Brooks
CB: Aaron Long
RB: Sergino Dest
CDM: Tyler Adams
CDM: Gio Reyna
ACM: Weston McKinnie
LW: Christian Pulisic
RW: Jordan Morris
CF: Jozy Altidore
Back in July 2011, I tried to predict the U.S. roster for the 2014 World Cup. I saw only a little bit of success. Of the 23 players that I picked, only eight actually made the roster. (I updated that post in June 2013 and got 14 of the 23 correct.) Truth be told, I'm a lot more knowledgeable about U.S. soccer than I was back then, so I think I could do a better job in 2020 than I did back in 2011/2013.
Back in 2013, I had a pretty good grasp on the goalkeeper situation, but that's because it's always been pretty clear who the top couple of keepers in the country are. I had a decent handle on the midfield depth chart, but struggled in defense and at forward. Those were our two big areas of weakness back then, and I still say those are our areas of weakness now.
Before I jump in with my predictions, let me just say that I'm assuming we qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, though that's no longer a given after the 2018 debacle. For the first time since 1990, the U.S. is trying to qualify for a World Cup after not qualifying for the previous one. However, the talent pool and depth chart is in a much better position than it was four years ago, though it's still to be determined if Gregg Berhalter will be a better steward of the program than Jurgen Klinnsman was.
I'm going to do things a bit differently this time. I will pick two rosters. The first is the one I would pick today on July 26, 2020. The second is the one I think will ultimately be selected for the World Cup in 28 months. Obviously, I can't predict injuries and it will be curious to see which players emerge and which ones fall off over the next two years. Without further ado, let's jump into my predictions.
Goalkeepers (3)
My team: Zach Steffen, Brad Guzan, Bill Hamid.Prediction: Steffen, Hamid, Sean Johnson.
Zach Steffen has emerged as the clear No. 1 for the U.S. National Team following a lengthy run by Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Guzan is 35 and will be 38 at the World Cup. I definitely think he will be a part of the qualifying process, and while 38 does not disqualify him from being selected to the roster, it does make it a long shot. One thing that would help Guzan is there isn't a bevy of talented goalkeepers waiting in the wings. Steffen is the only one playing at a high level internationally, though he needs to solidify his club standing and become a full-time starter. After a standout career with the Columbus Crew, Steffen signed with Manchester City in the Premier League and spent this past season as a part-time starter for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German Bundesliga. Guzan, Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson are all solid goalkeepers in MLS. Matt Turner and Jesse Gonzalez are two young MLS keepers who could get involved in the mix, as is Ethan Horvath, who plays for Club Brugge in the Belgian First Division.
Defenders (8)
My team: Antonee Robinson, John Brooks, Tim Ream, Sergino Dest, Fabian Johnson, Matt Miazga, Geoff Cameron, DeAndre Yedlin.Prediction: Robinson, Brooks, Aaron Long, Tyler Adams, Kobe Hernandez-Foster, Miazga, Miles Robinson, Dest.
Antonee Robinson has emerged as the top left back in America, and it won't be long before he is playing for one of the top clubs in the world. He was linked to AC Milan, but a medical issue killed the transfer. I expect he'll be playing in the Premier League, Bundesliga, or Italian Serie A next season. With Robinson, who is just 22, and Sergino Dest, the 19-year-old right back who is a major target of Bayern Munich, the U.S. finally has a young fullback combination that can play anywhere in the world. The U.S. also has veterans in DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson, who at 32 is a free agent and could find his way to MLS this offseason after a standout career in the Bundesliga. John Brooks, when healthy, is clearly the top central defender in the player pool. Tim Ream has been a fixture in England for nearly a decade, but he'll be 35 during the World Cup and probably won't make the final roster. Geoff Cameron is another player whose versatility would be a great asset today, but at 37 will be too old for Qatar. Matt Miazga made a splash by signing with Chelsea in 2016, but he's spent the past four seasons out on loan and has yet to suit up for the big club. At 25 years old, you'd like to see him be able to emerge as a player in the Premier League.
There are a few differences between my roster and my prediction, beyond just the old guys aging out of the player pool. Gregg Berhalter seems to fancy Tyler Adams as a right back who pushes up into the attack, while many others (including me) view the 21-year-old Bundesliga star as a central defender. There's no doubt he deserves to be in the Starting XI, but where remains to be seen. I have Aaron Long and Miles Robinson, two of the top defenders in MLS, replacing Ream and Cameron. I took a flyer on left back Kobe Hernandez-Foster, an 18-year-old who plays in the youth system of Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. He's considered the second-best Under-20 defender in the pool behind Dest and would be 20 at the next World Cup.
Midfielders (9)
My team: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKinnie, Tyler Adams, Jordan Morris, Tyler Boyd, Alfredo Morales, Gio Reyna, Paxton Pomykal, Darlington Nagbe,Prediction: Pulisic, McKinnie, Morales, Paul Arriola, Boyd, Nagbe, Reyna, Pomykal, Duane Holmes.
At 21 years old, Christian Pulisic is already the greatest player in U.S. men's soccer history. Before Pulisic, I would argue Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Claudio Reyna belonged on the Mt. Rushmore of U.S. men's soccer players. Pulisic has already passed all of them. He emerged as a starter in the Bundesliga as a 17-year-old with Borussia Dortmund and moved to the Premier League with Chelsea this season, where he scored nine goals (tied for the third most in a season in the Premier League by an American; Clint Dempsey scored 17 and 12 for Fulham). Pulisic is three goals away from moving into the top 10 all-time for the U.S. men's national team. Again, he's 21 years old. He plays mostly on the left wing for Chelsea (and before that Dortmund), but in the U.S. system, the team is at its best when he is the attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
My squad would have Pulisic leading the attack with Weston McKinnie and Tyler Adams, two dynamic two-way players in the Bundesliga, playing behind him and Jordan Morris and Tyler Boyd playing on the wings. Morris has emerged into one of the top wingers in MLS with the Seattle Sounders, while Boyd established himself as a key figure on the right wing after switching from New Zealand to America. Alfredo Morales and Darlington Nagbe give my midfield a veteran presence as well as versatility, while Gio Reyna and Paxton Pomykal are youngsters who will be fixtures on the national team for years to come. Morales has spent the past decade in Germany, including four of the past five seasons in the Bundesliga with Ingolstadt and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Nagbe has in the past refused call-ups to the national team after being a major cog on the squad that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but he's playing at such a high level with the Columbus Crew in MLS that Berhalter likely will continue working on him to get him to recommit to the national team. Pomykal is a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who emerged as a starter for FC Dallas last season, and while he's supremely talented, it remains to be seen if he can crack into the starting lineup in a deep, talented central midfield. Reyna, meanwhile, is headed to the starting lineup sooner than later to pair with Pulisic as the future of American soccer. The son of the aforementioned Mt. Rushmore member Claudio Reyna, Gio is a 17-year-old who just completed his first full season in the Bundesliga with Dortmund. He'll turn 20 a week before the start of the 2022 World Cup, but it's not absurd to think he'll be a starter on this team by then. He is a natural fit at one of the two central defensive midfield spots, and he is going to be one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world sooner than later.
There are only two changes between my squad today and what I think Berhalter will do in two years. That's mainly because so much of the talent in this pool is so young and already establishing itself as being more talented and productive than any previous generation. I dropped Tyler Adams because I ultimately think Berhalter will lock him in as a right back instead of a central midfielder, and I moved Jordan Morris from the wing to a forward position for the World Cup. In their places, I went with Paul Arriola, who provides some sorely needed depth on the wing and Duane Holmes, who's quietly having a great career in the English Championship (second division) and will be in his prime at 28 years old for the World Cup.
I do want to take a second to acknowledge the all-time great career of Michael Bradley. He's been easily one of the top 10 players in U.S. history. His leadership and work rate as a box-to-box defensive midfielder have been elite for the past 12-15 years. He certainly can still play a valuable role during the qualifying process. He's still good enough to play at an elite level, but he will be 35 at the World Cup and I just believe there are going to be better options than him in 2022.
Forwards (3)
My team: Jozy Altidore, Josh Sargent, Jonathan Lewis.Prediction: Jordan Morris, Sargent, Tim Weah.
Jozy Altidore is still the best striker in the country. He's third all time in goals scored in a U.S. uniform. We can all acknowledge he has shortcomings. We can say he didn't live up to the expectations we set for him. His international club career was not nearly as good as his domestic club career. But if I'm fielding a roster today for a friendly or a World Cup qualifier, he's my choice as the first-team forward. It's just not a deep position. Josh Sargent and Tim Weah, who most view as the clear-cut No. 2 and No. 3 at forward, are still trying to get their international club careers kicked off. Sargent is 20 and got regular playing time for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, scoring four goals in 34 total appearances, but Bremen had to win a playoff game to avoid relegation. Jonathan Lewis is more of a winger than a true center forward, but I really like the game of the 23-year-old Colorado Rapids attacker. I'm not sure he can actually get on the field, but the depth at this position is really, really thin.
Ultimately, I went with Morris as my prediction as the No. 1 striker for the World Cup over Altidore. Jozy will turn 33 prior at the start of the World Cup, and while he should still have something left in the tank, I'm not sure he'll still be able to carry the load as the first-choice striker. Maybe Sargent and/or Tim Weah are ready for that burden at age 22 and Jozy can be a super sub off the bench. But in case they aren't, Morris likely is the selection. Weah needs some luck to get his once-promising career back on track. He has gone from Paris Saint-Germain to Celtic to Lille in the past three seasons. He also suffered two hamstring injuries that have limited his playing time. Getting healthy and a consistent club playing time is going to be key if he hopes to land a spot on the World Cup roster.
Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
GK: Zach SteffenLB: Antonee Robinson
CB: John Brooks
CB: Aaron Long
RB: Sergino Dest
CDM: Tyler Adams
CDM: Gio Reyna
ACM: Weston McKinnie
LW: Christian Pulisic
RW: Jordan Morris
CF: Jozy Altidore
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