Litman Lake
Football and college football analyst
Player: Aaron Long
Age: 30
Place of birth: Oak Hills, California
Club: New York Red Bulls
Position: center back
USMNT Caps: 23
Long, 30, is the presumptive starter alongside Walker Zimmerman at center. Ever since Miles Robinson tore his Achilles tendon earlier this year, Berhalter has been searching for a worthy replacement, and right now Long appears to be the No. 1 choice.
The New York Red Bulls defender, who is a former MLS Defender of the Year and a member of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI, has experience with the USMNT which is certainly an advantage. In 29 games, he has three goals and two assists.
But could he be a bit rusty when reporting to Qatar? The Red Bulls were eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs earlier, and the last game he played was on October 15.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in the spring of 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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