As the United States men's national team prepares to host Ghana in a key friendly on Tuesday, it's hard not to think of past moments in these teams' shared history. It's an unlikely rivalry, one forged not by geography, but by competition on the biggest stage possible.
It's hard not to think of the 2006 World Cup, when a U.S. team that included now-USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter first fell to the Black Stars. It's hard not to think of what happened four years later, when Asamoah Gyan led Ghana to another victory and the World Cup quarter-finals with a goal in extra-time. And it's hard not to think of a young John Brooks soaring for a header in 2014, looking at his hands in disbelief after scoring the biggest goal he'd ever score.
All of that feels like ancient history these days... except for the Brooks part. The USMNT has largely moved on from that 2014 squad, which makes sense given the fact that it's been nearly a decade since Brooks' magic moment. The center-back, though, is still playing at a top level, still contributing in the Bundesliga even after all these years.
Yet, for much of Berhalter's tenure, Brooks has been excluded from the USMNT. It's been years since we've seen him in a USMNT shirt, and, despite the freshness of a new cycle, it doesn't seem likely we'll ever see Brooks again. But why?
