The Case For Jordan Pefok & How This Final Friendly Lineup Will Affect The USA World Cup Roster

The morning of a USA Men’s National Team (USMNT) roster drop is always a little anxious, the fanbase digs itself into the trenches of Twitter and, while there are usually a few obvious snubs, it’s usually way too much toxicity for the subject matter at hand.

Today’s roster drop was no different, a lineup that will take the field for the final time before we see them again in Qatar.

The obvious snub of John Anthony Brooks for floundering MLS defender Aaron Long is puzzling but if we think of this final series of friendlies as a “final tryout” for the World Cup roster then things start to crystalize. While fans want to see Brooks back in the USMNT fold, we already know what kind of player he is for the national team and his integration into a newly joined Benfica side is far more important than a set of friendlies.

Then there is Jordan Pefok.

Pefok is currently in the first choice XI for current Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin, accruing 3 goals and 2 assists through his first 6 games in Germany. An extraordinary start that resembles the type of player he was in the Swiss League every week. Pefok is a goal scorer, he’s accomplished this in every single league he has played in including the Champion’s League, a…