Tim Howard Reveals Major Weakness That Could Derail USMNT's 2026 World Cup Dreams
The United States men's national soccer team finds itself nursing disappointment following their second consecutive defeat to Mexico under manager Mauricio Pochettino, this time in the Concacaf Gold Cup championship match during the holiday period. What began as a summer of varied outcomes concluded with frustration as attention now turns to 2026 and the upcoming World Cup hosted on American territory.
With several key players missing from this summer's roster - including Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and others - supporters were particularly eager to see which players would rise to the occasion, deliver strong performances, and establish themselves for potential inclusion in the 2026 squad. While players like Tyler Adams and Chris Richards are anticipated starters when healthy, uncertainties persisted regarding defensive positions, goalkeeping, and especially the striker role. This forward position debate is nothing new.
Even with a fully healthy USMNT roster, doubts would still exist about who will spearhead the attack next summer.
Former goalkeeper Tim Howard shared his thoughts with Sports Illustrated before the Gold Cup elimination rounds, addressing which position might be problematic heading into the World Cup.
"Do I have concerns at this moment? Absolutely," Howard states. "My understanding of the game tells me both wing-back positions will be adequate and reliable. I believe the goalkeeper position will be solid too. It's still the striker role because what remains unclear - unlike those other positions where we have certainty - is whether we possess a player during intense, consecutive matches like a Brian McBride, a Clint Dempsey, or a Jozy Altidore?
"You simply need them to dominate matches. I've experienced these situations where we're pleading 'Just assist us in any way possible. We'll handle the grunt work, but somehow secure us a goal in crucial moments,' and they delivered. I'm uncertain if we have that quality among all the strikers we favor, or those returning from injury or displaying promise. We simply don't know when facing pressure in significant moments whether we have a striker capable of creating those decisive instances, so that remains worrisome."
Patrick Agyemang received the most minutes this summer, while supporters witnessed their first glimpse of Damion Downs as he converted the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over Costa Rica. Among the absent names are Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Josh Sargent. Additionally, there are players like Haji Wright and Jesus Ferreira to consider.
Many believed Balogun, a former Arsenal youth system graduate, would provide the solution after displaying promising signs last summer. However, no player has secured the position, an issue that has persisted since their 2022 FIFA World Cup appearance.