Yunus Musah knows he could be the odd man out of the USMNT’s loaded midfield

BETHESDA, Md. — There’s little doubt that the U.S. men’s soccer team’s midfield is its greatest strength. But right now, the unit has so much strength that there might actually be a problem.

For the last few years, the starting trio has been Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams. It excelled at the 2022 World Cup, earning the “MMA Trio” nickname that even non-soccer fans might find catchy.

There’s little need to break them up, between their talents and their ages. Musah is 21, and McKennie and Adams are 25. But little is not zero, and that gap is big enough to fire a havoc-wreaking pass through.

That pass would naturally come from Gio Reyna, the most talented American men’s player on the planet not named Christian Pulisic. Reyna is a natural attacking midfielder, and while he has played on the right wing over time, he has shone brightest at the marquee center spot that has long seemed his destiny.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie make the USMNT’s pre-Copa América camp roster

After Reyna sends the pass, Johnny Cardoso might try to intercept it. The 22-year-old North Jersey native had perhaps the best season in Europe of any American man beyond Pulisic, helping Spain’s Real Betis finish seventh in La Liga. Though he only arrived at Betis in January, he led the club in tackles and interceptions per game, and pitched in a goal and two assists.

The clamor to start Reyna is understandable. So is the clamor to see more of Cardoso. That brings an inevitable question, though: At whose expense?

Drop Musah, one of the best ball possessors and carriers on the team? Drop McKennie, with his textbook clutch gene and proficiency at getting to crucial corner and free kicks? Drop Adams, the defensive linchpin and ideal captain?

Drop someone else, perhaps with a formation change, even though the U.S. team’s usual 4-3-3 benefits not just the midfield but wingers Pulisic and Tim Weah?

Good luck making decisions that big, whether from your couch or manager Gregg Berhalter’s seat on the bench.

» READ MORE: Gregg Berhalter hopes more of the U.S. will get to see the USMNT before the World Cup

Whatever Berhalter decides, we’ll know soon. The Copa América, the biggest games the U.S. men will play before cohosting the 2026 World Cup, will start in just under three weeks.

Before then, the Americans will play two warmup games, against Colombia in Landover, Md., on Saturday (5:30 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, Max, Peacock), then against Brazil on June 12 in Orlando.

A major tournament should see everyone get a chance to play at some point, especially in the group stage. That will probably answer the Cardoso question: He’ll spell Adams when the time is right.

But the Musah-Reyna question will be trickier — and could end up as one of the biggest of the summer.

Right now, Reyna is the more likely candidate to start, even though he barely played for England’s Nottingham Forest after joining the Premier League club on loan at the end of January. That’s how much talent he has, and he showed it starring for the U.S. in the Nations League title win in March.

» READ MORE: The U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team could have four players with Philly ties

Musah seems to know he’s got work to do to keep his starting spot.

“I think I have to be myself and bring the best game I have, because that’s what Gregg loves about me,” he said Monday in a news conference after practice. “Breaking lines with my driving and passing, being really aggressive defensively, those things.”

Musah just wrapped up his first season at AC Milan, the Italian giant that’s not as successful as it used to be, but still commands a spotlight. That was especially true in the U.S. this past season.

He and Pulisic were teammates, a rare sight for Americans at European clubs, on a squad that finished second in Serie A. The Rossoneri also reached the Europa League quarterfinals, after starting the season in the Champions League and finishing third in their group.

Musah played 2,239 minutes over 40 games, with no goals and two assists. He also dealt with a minor muscle injury in December that cost him three games, and left him down the depth chart until he fought his way back up it in April.

» READ MORE: Union goalkeeper Andre Blake could miss the Copa América after surgery to clean up his knee injury

“Played a lot of games in the Champions League, and important games in the league and everything, so it was really great — and that’s when, obviously, you start expecting that it’s going to go like that for the whole season,” Musah said. “And then things happen during the season and you have to adjust. … It’s been a good season, knowing that I was always there pushing and always staying around the team.”

Will it be good enough for the national team? We’ll start to find out in a few days. But don’t be surprised if it turns out to be unconventional.

Musah spent some time down the stretch with Milan playing right back. One such game was against Juventus, when Weah played right wingback often this season in a 3-5-2.

With U.S. starting right back Sergiño Dest injured, could Musah or Weah move back there, opening a spot to get both of them and Reyna on the field together? Musah signaled he’s open to it.

“It’s a position where if I was asked to play there, I’d be more than happy to play there and try my best to do it,” he said.

» READ MORE: Why this year's U.S. women's soccer team Olympic roster could be the hardest to make of all time