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U.S. Men's National Team legend Brad Friedel has given his thoughts on Johnny Cardoso's injury-enforced World Cup absence -Credit:Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino is set to reveal his official U.S. Men's National Team roster for the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday - but one significant name will be absent.
The USMNT boasts a formidable midfield featuring the likes of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, but Pochettino will be without Johnny Cardoso for the forthcoming World Cup. Cardoso cemented himself as a vital squad member for Atletico Madrid this season, recording 26 appearances and netting once across all competitions.
Diego Simeone's side, which bid farewell to Antoine Griezmann, advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals while also clinching a top-four spot in La Liga, though they trail considerably behind champions Barcelona. Cardoso excelled and will be looking forward to his second season in the Spanish capital, but will do so after sitting out the World Cup.
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Atletico Madrid's Cardoso would likely have featured heavily in midfield this summer -Credit:Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Atletico had to pay approximately $34.8 million for the American's services when they brought him in from Real Betis last summer. Cardoso's transfer to Madrid came after he had also caught the eye of Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur - one of USMNT legend Brad Friedel's previous teams.
Unfortunately, earlier this month, Cardoso sustained an ankle injury during training that required surgery. As such, he will be unavailable for the World Cup, representing a major setback to the USMNT; Cardoso was competing for one of the final 26 roster positions, and possibly a spot in the starting eleven alongside Bournemouth's Adams.
Friedel represented the United States at three World Cups, starting at the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan. He knows firsthand what it means to compete on the World Cup stage and offered a valuable perspective on Cardoso's situation after missing out on the opportunity to play for a host nation.
"I think he'll be really low, really sad, and really dejected," Friedel exclusively told The Mirror U.S. Sport, courtesy of casino.org. "Missing out on a tournament because of selection is one thing, but missing out when you know you're going to get selected, due to an injury, that's another. So, I don't think his spirits are going to be very high.
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"Johnny is a really good player and he's playing at Atletico Madrid. You don't get signed by Atletico Madrid if you're a bad player. But in the national team, the supporters don't rate him highly, because he's not had back-to-back really solid performances for the U.S.
"I think in his last game, he played the first 45 minutes, and he looked pretty good. I like him as a player. I think when you get players that are playing at big clubs, you need those players in your World Cup squad. So I think he'll be quite a substantial miss, and especially as an option as a very good alternative to bring off the bench."
Cardoso's absence is undoubtedly a blow, but Friedel would be significantly concerned had Adams not recovered from his torn MCL and minor quad issue last month. He added: "I also think that if we didn't have Tyler Adams, [Cardoso] would be a huge miss. Tyler has injury problems on and off, so it's really important for the U.S. team that Tyler's fit for this tournament."
The USMNT roster will be announced on Tuesday, and the squad begins its World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday, June 12.
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