USA's road to redemption starts here

10 October 2017 is a day every US soccer fan wants wiped from their memory. In the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, and in need of only a draw, USA crashed out in dramatic circumstances, losing to Trinidad and Tobago and seeing Panama get the result they needed against Costa Rica 2,000 kilometres away.
The two-and-a-half years since has been a period of real self-examination for the men’s national team. After a patient and thorough full-time head coaching search process, Gregg Berhalter was chosen as the leader to get the program back on track. The goal could not be clearer for Berhalter and Co: get back to the big dance.
With the Concacaf Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ set to take place on 19 August at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, FIFA.com looks at the USA’s prospects of redemption.

The coach
After an extensive club coaching career in both Sweden with Hammarby and the US with the Columbus Crew, Berhalter decided to take up the responsibility of leading the USMNT. He gained a great amount of respect in Major League Soccer (MLS) and US Soccer circles during his five years with the Crew. Known for his astute tactics and adaptability and an almost-obsessive eye for detail for the nuances of the game, Berhalter has already shown during his stint as USMNT boss that he is prepared to take necessary risks in-game and adapt to the opponent.
Young talent
Most football fans will be fully aware of Christian Pulisic at this stage. The Chelsea star looked a world-beater after the Premier League’s restart, before his season ended with an unfortunate hamstring injury in the FA Cup final. While Pulisic has long been thought of as American soccer’s savior, with good reason, the biggest reason for optimism for USA fans should be placed on the crop of talented youngsters playing in Europe and in MLS.
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