As with any Concacaf tournament on the men's side, the United States enters the Nations League competition this October as one of the two presumptive favorites, alongside rivals Mexico. With Gregg Berhalter at the helm, the U.S. nearly retained their Gold Cup crown this summer only to fall to Gerardo Martino's charges in the final.

Canada and Cuba could present the Red, White, and Blue with some challenges in Group A of League A in this year's Nations League. But with the relative wealth of experience and depth, the U.S. should have their sights on winning their group and making it to the semifinals of the tournament, set for next March. 

While Cuba and Canada face off twice during the September window, the U.S. has friendlies against Mexico and Uruguay. Those two games should give us another glimpse into what Berhalter has planned for his side when they enter the competition in October. 

Most Important Player

There might be a couple of answers here, but we will go with the simplest. Christian Pulisic is still the best player on the team, and when he plays well, the U.S. usually mimics his performances. Pulisic has gotten his Chelsea career off to a good start so far, coming into Frank Lampard's side and starting almost immediately. It will be important for Pulisic to continue to get solid minutes in England but to also make those minutes productive for a side that has their eyes on returning to the Champions League.

When he returns to the U.S., Pulisic will continue to be looked up as the team's creative force. Pulisic was the focal point of the attack for the U.S. during the Gold Cup, the first time he was truly asked to play that role in competitive games for the USMNT. He mostly succeeded but will need to continue to grow heading into the next World Cup qualifying cycle. 

Berhalter should continue to build his system and style around the 20-year-old. There are plenty of other spots on the team where players need to step up for the U.S. to be successful, but having Pulisic at his playmaking best can help cover for other deficiencies. 

Biggest Questions

Heading into Nations Leauge play and even the September friendlies, there are a couple of questions about this team that persisted from the Gold Cup. Maybe first and foremost: What is the state of Tyler Adams' health? The RB Leipzig midfielder missed the Concacaf tournament this summer due to a lingering injury.

And Adams has yet to return to practice for the Bundesliga club, though it does appear he is set to get back to training within the next couple of weeks. That would rule him out of the friendlies but might have him on the cusp for the Nations League games in October. \

Does Berhalter take that risk to call in Adams then, if he's back playing? If not, is Michael Bradley still the go-to option to play in midfield alongside Pulisic and Weston McKennie? Adams could also play as a right back, but a midfield of Pulisic, Adams, and McKennie could legitimately carry the U.S. through the next 10 years.

There are also questions at left back, and maybe even who the starting wingers should be in Berhalter's formation (or if Pulisic should play there as opposed to in the midfield). More prominent than those questions though might be who should back up Jozy Altidore? When healthy, the 29-year-old is still the best option up top for the USA right now. He's got the ability to finish, the ability to hold the ball up, and the technique to get other players involved in attacks. 

There's a reason why Altidore has racked up over 100 caps and is currently the third-leading scorer in U.S. history. 

Where Berhalter caused some head-scratching this summer was when he elected to bring Gyasi Zardes to the Gold Cup as Altidore's backup while leaving youngster Josh Sargent at home. Sargent hasn't exactly exploded onto the scene with Werder Bremen in Germany, but is held in high regards by many observers of the national team. Zardes, on the other hand, has been a solid goalscorer in MLS over the past couple of seasons and seems to retain the trust of Berhalter, who coached him with the Columbus Crew.

Sargent seems to be the striker of the future for the U.S., but has he done enough recently for Berhalter to give him that role? Scoring a couple of goals and getting some more minutes in Germany would certainly help his cause, while Zardes scored two goals for the Crew in Sunday's win over FC Cincinnati. There might be room for both on the squad still, but the competition for Altidore's cover should be close.

Predicted Outcome

This competition might not be of the utmost importance to the U.S., but there is really only one acceptable outcome from their play in Group A. Canada is moving in the right direction, and has more talent now than they've had in a while. But there is still a sizeable gap between them and the U.S., which should play out on the field. The U.S. shouldn't have much trouble with Cuba, either, especially since the Cuba home game will now be played in the Cayman Islands due to issues at the Cuban national stadium.

Winning the group should be the goal for the U.S., which will set them up for next June's semifinals. Any other outcome might turn the pressure up on Berhalter, who has otherwise had a solid first year leading the program.