Johnny Cardoso ruled out for World Cup due to severe injury

U.S. Men’s National Team Faces Midfield Challenge Ahead of World Cup

The U.S. men’s national soccer team is on the lookout for a midfielder as it prepares for the upcoming World Cup.

Johnny Cardoso, a midfielder with Atletico Madrid, was expected to be part of the squad. However, he will now miss the tournament after having surgery on his right ankle.

Atletico Madrid issued a statement saying, “Johnny Cardoso will undergo surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. The American player suffered a traumatic injury during training last Thursday, experiencing a severe sprain.” They wished him strength and a speedy recovery.

Cardoso has earned 23 caps for the U.S. While he wasn’t seen as essential to making the final squad—given some difficulties in representing the national team—his recent form with Atletico, where he secured a starting position as the club advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, may have made it tough for manager Mauricio Pochettino to overlook him.

Meanwhile, midfielder Tanner Tessman, who was also in consideration for starting, will miss the rest of the season with Olympique Lyonnais in France due to a muscle strain. This raises questions about the team’s midfield depth. Although Tessman’s absence may not critically impact the World Cup, it is certainly a concern.

Cardoso managed only 45 minutes of playing time against Belgium. After coming off the bench in the U.S.’s final camp, he wasn’t expected to start, but his potential could have positively influenced the team’s World Cup ambitions if he had performed well.

With Cardoso sidelined, players like Cristian Roldan and Sebastian Berhalter are likely to find themselves in a tighter competition for spots on the roster. However, Tessman’s situation might create a more significant domino effect if he misses training camp.

In Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup, Tessman alongside Tyler Adams could have formed a strong defensive midfield pairing, a role that Cardoso could have filled as well. If Tessman isn’t ready, it might be necessary to slide Weston McKennie, who usually plays in the attack, back into a defensive midfield role.