Several World Cup hopefuls have been left out of the final squad for friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. men's national team's final pre-World Cup squad was announced on Wednesday. Two friendlies before the big decisions, two more chances for players to stake their claim for a spot on the plane to Qatar.

But most notable wasn't the names in that 26-player squad, it was the names that were left out with the World Cup edging closer.

Gregg Berhalter omitted several hopefuls from his team who were previously thought to be in contention. He made difficult cuts.

"It's important to keep in mind that this is not the final roster," Berhalter said. "It's not the final roster for the World Cup. A lot can happen between now and November 9, which is when we're announcing the final roster. The actual date for FIFA is November 14, and a lot can happen between the ninth and the 14th."

He continued: "It's not easy when I have to have these conversations with guys but I've spoken to all of them and explained the reasoning. I also let them know the same message I'm giving you guys: it's not decided. There's still some time that they can try to earn their way onto the team."

As Berhalter said, these cuts aren't death sentences for players' World Cup dreams. There is still time to make a case before the roster is decided by performing well at club level. It's just going to be difficult to get his attention without being in the upcoming camp.

Here's a look at some notable snubs from Berhalter's squad…

Getty ImagesThe injury absences

Before anyone gets too stressed, there are some regulars who haven't been named to the squad because of injury issues.

Antonee Robinson is still the go-to left-back, but he's out right now with an ankle injury. Sam Vines has been called in and will now have a chance to push to be Robinson's backup.

Tim Weah is also out, having missed the start of the season with Lille due to a foot injury. Like Robinson, his World Cup spot is not in doubt.

At goalkeeper, Zack Steffen has been nursing an injury at Middlesbrough, giving Berhalter a chance to call in both Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson, two players pushing for that third goalkeeper spot, while Cristian Roldan, a regular for the U.S. off the bench, misses out due to an injury as well.

And finally, there's the long-term absence of Miles Robinson, who remains out after suffering a catastrophic Achilles injury this summer.

AdvertisementGettyBrandon Vazquez

There was perhaps no one who needed to be in this camp more than Vazquez. He'll be sorely disappointed to have missed out.

The FC Cincinnati forward has broken out in a big way this season, scoring 16 goals in 29 MLS games. That's good for sixth best in MLS, with the only American scoring more than him being Jesus Ferreira, who looks set to be a part of the World Cup squad.

With his breakthrough so recent, Vazquez has yet to earn a USMNT call-up, having last played at the international level as a U-20 back in 2016. The thought was that Berhalter could take a look this window, giving the 23-year-old striker one last-gasp chance to prove he should be on the plane to Qatar.

"I feel bad for Brandon," Berhalter said. "I talked to him and I told him it's not the end and to continue to do what he's doing and keep himself in the conversation. That's all I can do."

Getty ImagesGabriel Slonina

It looks like the race to be the third goalkeeper has been narrowed down to two.

Johnson and Horvath were called in to join Matt Turner as the three goalkeepers in the squad, with Steffen, already a World Cup lock, out. Johnson and Horvath have both gotten looks from the staff before, and it has been widely expected that the race to be the third goalkeeper would be down to those two.

Slonina, though, was one that many thought had an outside chance. A young, up-and-coming future star, Slonina sealed a move to Chelsea this summer and is seen by many as the goalkeeper of the future.

Many teams bring their top young goalkeeper to the World Cup in that No. 3 spot, offering them a major life experience in preparation for the day where they take over.

Berhalter, it seems, won't make that move, with Johnson and Horvath set to duke it out as Slonina waits his turn.

GettyJames Sands

There was no room in the squad for Sands despite a strong overall start to his club campaign.

A player who can play in both midfield or as a central defender, Sands would offer the USMNT tactical flexibility. He's a great fit for a back three, should Berhalter ever want or need to change things up.

But Berhalter instead looked across Glasgow to Cameron Carter-Vickers who, to his credit, has also shined with Celtic, to join regulars like Chris Richards, Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman among the central defenders.