DOHA, Qatar—A World Cup jammed into the middle of the European season isn’t ideal, especially for the United States.
Injuries and idleness run throughout the roster ahead of Monday’s match against Wales.
Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest and Luca de la Torre missed time, and Christian Pulisic and Matt Turner are among those struggling for playing time with their clubs. Defenders Walker Zimmerman and Aaron Long enter the Americans’ first World Cup match in eight years on layoffs of more than a month after the ends of their Major League Soccer seasons.
A friendly was held Thursday against Al-Gharafa, the Qatari club hosting the American training base at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, but the level of intensity figures to be exponentially higher against Wales….