Repeating what has become a nearly constant refrain over the last six months, Cristian Roldan has been called up for a U.S. Men’s National Team camp by head coach Mauricio Pochettino. After receiving call-ups for each camp since September following the Leagues Cup victory and appearing in each USMNT game during that time, Roldan will face potentially the toughest competition both within the squad and in the scheduled friendly matches that he’s faced so far.
The USMNT will be based in Atlanta beginning on March 22, and have friendlies set for March 28 against Belgium and the 31 against Portugal. For what little their worth, Portugal and Belgium currently sit 6th and 9th in the FIFA world rankings, while the highest ranked team that Roldan and the US (currently ranked 15th) had faced is Uruguay in 17th.
The Sounders midfielder can at least take some confidence from the fact that in Portugal’s midfield he’s already tested himself against a pair of their key players. João Neves and Vitinha are not only teammates with Portugal, but also man the midfield together for Paris Saint-Germain and both were on the field when the Sounders and PSG played at Lumen Field during the Club World Cup last summer.
Roldan will face internal competition for his place on the field from a young, hungry and largely Europe-based group of players. Sebastian Berhalter is the only other midfielder called up for this camp who isn’t currently on the books for a club on the other side of the Atlantic. In addition to Berhalter, the other players realistically contending for the same spots and minutes as Roldan are Johnny Cardoso (Obed Vargas’s new club teammate and competition at Atlético Madrid), Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, and Tanner Tessman. Exactly who is fighting for the same spots will depend on how Pochettino utilizes particular individuals, as McKennie hasn’t been used centrally during this 6-month stretch when he’s been available, either being deployed in a more advanced position or out wide.
The Sounders will likely play two games before Roldan joins the national team - the Minnesota United match is the same day as the opening of camp, and it seems likely that he would join camp following that game - providing an opportunity for the Sounders captain round into form and strengthen his position. Although Pochettino has indicated that players not called into this camp are not guaranteed to be out of the running for the World Cup, Roldan’s inclusion for the fourth consecutive window suggests that he’s got as good a shot as anyone to be on the roster come this Summer. Another strong set of performances against a pair of European powers would only help his case.
This is Cristian Roldan’s path to the World Cup, but the steps to get there start with Seattle and their Concacaf Champions Cup match against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Spokane on Wednesday night.
