Within the past decade or so, an increasingly long list of sports writers, fans and professional athletes have started to use an immaculate phrase that perfectly defines a certain intangible trait.
He's got that dog in him.
Often used to describe a figure with relentless tenacity and grit, these "dogs" are regularly the most scrappy and hungry players on the field. They can be chaotic as the unsung heroes who do plenty of the dirty work, but that work -- especially in soccer -- is invaluable in the buildup to goals and assists.
Every team needs at least one in their roster. When this summer's FIFA World Cup kicks off in June, millions of Americans will be asking themselves the same question: Which United States player truly has that dog in them?
Inspired by the internet's usage of "xDAWG," a tongue-in-cheek riff on the xG (expected goals) metric, ESPN has created a formula that highlights these possible game changers for the USMNT.
Put together by in-house analytics guru Bill Connelly, the formula analyzes the following in a general priority list: xG + xPVA (expected value added for a given possession), overall defensive interventions, blocked shots, yellow cards, ground duel win percentage, fouls committed, blocked passes, tackle attempts, ball recoveries, fouls suffered, tackle success, aerial success and fouls won in the attacking third.
Appearances in the past two years for club and country are taken into account, and in order to note the best performers in each area of the field, we've highlighted the standouts on defense, midfield and attack. Historical comparisons will also be made from the previous decade with a similar two-year analysis ahead of World Cups (which the U.S. didn't qualify for in 2018).
And remember, this isn't a collection of the best American players, that would take an entirely different approach.
So, without further ado, let's meet the USMNT's top dogs.
Defense: Sergiño Dest, PSV Eindhoven
It helps to be a high-pressing fullback in a team like PSV Eindhoven that dominates the Eredivisie, but Dest remains as one of the more dynamic figures in the Dutch league. Among Eredivisie defenders in the 2025-26 season, he's a top-15 name when it comes to fouls won in the attacking third, recoveries, fouls suffered and xG + xPVA.
Injury issues (something he's currently dealing with in a race to be fit for the World Cup) have limited his national team appearances to just four in the past two years, but he still impressed in those games with his tackle success rate and recoveries. What's also striking isn't just what he excels at, but how he hasn't rated poorly across numerous stats measured. To quote Connelly, there's "no real xDAWG weaknesses" for Dest.
If healthy, count on the energetic fullback to win fouls during the World Cup as a crucial starter in the XI that also helps regain possession.
As for other American defenders who stood out in our xDAWG formula, the likes of Antonee Robinson (good tackler, plenty of ball recoveries), Alex Freeman (great ball progression and tackler), Chris Richards (great in the air, another great tackler) and Miles Robinson (elite shot blocker and good in the air) also ranked high.
How does Dest compare to previous top USMNT defensive dogs? Looking at the past decade (there's too much player overlap with the 2022 cycle, so we're analyzing the 2010s), Geoff Cameron (2012-14) and Matt Besler (2016-18) were proficient in the backline.
Differences in exact positioning and profiles can make this an apples-to-oranges comparison, but while Dest has thrived with his ball recoveries and a high xG + xPVA this season with PSV, both Cameron and Besler stood out with their overall defensive interventions at club level. Besler was constantly engaging with battles in the air, while Cameron provided plenty of interceptions.
Midfield: Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders
According to U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, Roldan is the mold of a "perfect" player.
"We need a player with confidence, with self-belief, with a little bit arrogance, with a little bit ... being naughty, being competitive," said Pochettino last year. "Maybe Cristian Roldan is an example of how, if you want to build your perfect player, he has a little bit of everything."
Among midfielders in MLS, the Seattle Sounders star is a top-15 name across 2025 and 2026 (as of May 12) when it comes to defensive interventions, blocked passes, tackle attempts, fouls suffered, progressive carries, and ball recoveries. Across eight appearances for the USMNT since 2024, the diligent 30-year-old has also stepped up with his interceptions and overall defensive interventions.
Once an aging veteran who appeared to no longer have a future with the USMNT, a recent career renaissance has taken the midfielder from a surprise call-up in the Pochettino era to arguably a starter as a well-rounded and persistent force in the heart of the XI.
Other high-ranking xDAWG American midfielders include Tyler Adams (plenty of ball recoveries, interventions, and fouls), Johnny Cardoso (lots of fouls won, plenty of yellows), Sebastian Berhalter (good ball progression, no real xDAWG weaknesses) and Yunus Musah (draws lots of contact). Cardoso was a candidate to be the top dog in the midfield thanks to his club exploits at Atlético Madrid, but was replaced by runner-up Roldan after suffering an ankle injury that will likely leave him out of the World Cup.
Looking at historical comparisons, it's no surprise to see Michael Bradley (2016-18) and Jermaine Jones (2012-14) shine in their respective cycles. At a level higher than Roldan, Bradley was absolutely elite when it came to ball recoveries, while Jones was consistently combative as a magnet for fouls suffered and committed.
Attack: Malik Tillman, Bayer Leverkusen
This is the surprise entry of the list, especially when considering that he may not have a World Cup spot secured after losing his starting role with the Bundesliga's Bayer Leverkusen.
Nonetheless, when he has played across his 28 appearances this season, he's been undoubtedly aggressive. Among non-defenders in the Bundesliga's 2025-26 campaign, Tillman is a top-20 player when it comes to the percentage of aerial duels won, the percentage of tackles won, fouls won in the attacking third, and blocked passes.
With the USMNT, the attacker had the benefit of plenty of minutes through the 2025 Gold Cup -- where he faced a handful of weaker regional opponents -- and since November 2024, he's led the U.S. in fouls suffered, tackle attempts and blocked passes. He's also second in defensive interventions, ball recoveries, and xG + xPVA.
"What a player," said Pochettino about Tillman at the Gold Cup. "The capacity without ball, the work ethic in the way that he really is aggressive, he recovered a lot of balls. He's always trying to help the deep press, chasing back."
Also ranking high in our xDAWG formula for attackers is Brenden Aaronson (lots of fouls won, lots of ball recoveries), Patrick Agyemang (lots of fouls won, decent number of fouls committed) Timothy Weah (all-around quality, good tackler, lots of ball recoveries), and Diego Luna (great scoring threat, plenty of yellow cards).
For historical comparisons, one name stood out ahead of both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups: Alejandro Bedoya. Classic USMNT stars like Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey were also in the running, but what made Bedoya more of a nuisance than those names -- as well as Tillman in comparison to the modern era -- was his commitment to a very lengthy collection of fouls and interceptions at club level.
But back to the current generation. Will Dest, Roldan, Tillman or other Americans have that dog in them this summer? If so, history could be made at the World Cup.
