Pulisic. Donovan. No Dempsey or Howard? Making the USA’s World Cup All-Time Lineup

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If you were to create an ideal World Cup starting lineup for the US men’s national team, who would you pick? Which players would get the nod and which would stay?

Here’s how FOX Sports football analyst Alexi Lalas made his list on the latest episode of the “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union” podcast, explaining why he made some tough choices — including leaving notable players like Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and DaMarcus Beasley out of the starting lineup.

Let’s break it all down by position:

Goalkeeper: Tony Meola
WC appearances: 1990, 1994

Mandatory credit: Al Bello /Allsport

Alexis’ attitude: “People are going to disagree with me but I want Tony Meola because, especially in the modern game, a goalkeeper who can play with his feet. Tony was a man out of his time because he was incredible with his feet and gave us a sense of security out there. It was ahead of its time again because we didn’t play often, but when Tony was about his confidence and his confidence. Just a nose above Tim Howard, I’ll go with Meola.”

Right back: Tony Sanneh
WC appearances: 2002

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Alexis’ attitude: “For those who don’t remember right back in the 2002 World Cup and that wonderful summer, Tony Sanneh was everything and anything you could want in a right-back. Getting up and down and just eating grass and attacking and causing all sorts of problems going forward but also with the defensive responsibility.”

Central defense: Eddie Pope, Carlos Bocanegra
WC appearances: Pope – 1998, 2002; Bocanegra – 2006, 2010

Alexis’ attitude: “Eddie Pope was a playful and wonderful player in the air, on the ground. He was smart, just fantastic on the left. And Carlos Bocanegra, as a longtime captain of the American team, I think it’s a good balance there with Pope.”

Left back: Antonee “Jedi” Robinson
WC appearances: 2022, 2026 (expected)

Alexis’ attitude: “I think he’ll go down as arguably the best left back in U.S. men’s national team history, and I already have him there on the left side.”

Defensive midfielders: Michael Bradley, Weston McKennie
WC appearances: Bradley – 2010, 2014; McKennie – 2022, 2026 (expected)

Alexis’ attitude: “I have two defensive midfielders in front of the back four, but certainly with options and responsibilities in attack as well, and that will be Michael Bradley and Weston McKennie there.

“Bradley, a living legend when it comes to the American team, just gives us a solid foundation, a predictability in the most positive sense there. And then McKennie – we’ve talked so much about and how important he is to this national team and how his personality, both on and off the field, is important to a team. And then I want him next to Bradley.”

Extenders: Tab Ramos, Landon Donovan, Christian Pulisic
WC appearances: Ramos – 1990, 1994, 1998; Donovan – 2002, 2006, 2010; Pulisic – 2022, 2026 (expected)

Alexis’ attitude: “These three are completely interchangeable. And in fact, all three of these players played multiple positions in the attack and appeared in all sorts of different places: Tab Ramos, Landon, Donovan and Christian Pulisic.”

“People ask me: Who was the best player you ever played with on the American team? It was Tab Ramos. Talk about a man out of time. That. He was slumming it, playing with us. And I felt bad at times because he was so far, technically and mentally ahead of us in terms of the way he thought about the game. It must have been incredibly frustrating to play with us.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

“Landon Donovan, you know, a little bit underneath, but able to get out wide where he does a lot of damage, and yes, at times he goes in the middle, but again, carte blanche for all three. Christian Pulisic, who we know, pops up wide on the left, but can definitely get in. We’ve seen him in different places, so that triangle in the middle can go where they want to go there.”

Striker: Brian McBride
WC appearances: 2002, 2006