In assessing the inherent, overall quality of a golf course — not in comparison to another but on its own, in a vacuum — it’s helpful to start at the bottom: What’s the worst hole out there? Out of 18, how many objectively bad or fair-to-middling holes are there really?
My digital media company serves golf clients primarily, and I’ve served on GOLF Magazine’s world top 100 course-rating panel since 1997. And yet, we can leverage this tactic to assess the quality of the current USMNT, of any national team really, especially as we reckon who can or should make the final World Cup roster of 26, for ‘26. In reading Brian Sciaretta’s fine depth-chart piece for Soccer America, I was reminded of this course-appraisal technique. When we apply it to this year’s USMNT, and to past national teams, it’s clear why so many consider this a Golden Generation of talent.
We’ll circle back to that familiar-but-thorny phrase. Meantime, look at the current crop of national-team wing backs. Sergiño Dest and Tim Weah may start, but strong arguments could be made for Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman, whose fine two-goal, two-way performance vs. Uruguay may have won himself a starting, more-central spot beside Tim Ream and Chris Richards in a back three. Joe Scally and John Tolkin, two fine players earning starter’s minutes in Germany, may well be on the outside looking in.
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