Less than a year out from the World Cup, the U.S. Men's national team still has so many questions to answer. Can Mauricio Pochettino shape the culture to his liking? Can they actually compete at the World Cup?
The fullback position, however, isn't a question; it's one of the few that should be set in stone. There are two obvious starters here, two players that the U.S. can lean on in games at the highest level. The only issue has been availability and that, admittedly, has been a significant concern for the USMNT over the last year.
Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest haven't always been there. Robinson dealt with injury issues over the second half of Fulham's season. Dest, on the other hand, had a long recovery from an ACL tear, one that kept him out of the Copa America, the Nations League and, despite nearly being fully fit, the Gold Cup.
Theoretically, both are in a good place heading into their European seasons. They'll need to stay that way for the U.S. to be anywhere near full strength next summer.
That said, there are some interesting players in the player pool around them, those that can either plug gaps right now or down the line. These contenders almost certainly won't catch the two starters, but big picture, there are some good fullbacks in the pipeline.
Post-Gold Cup, GOAL is looking at the state of the USMNT, analyzing the positional battles that will ultimately define next summer's team. Next up: fullbacks.
Previous State of the USMNT: Goalkeepers