By: COLIN REESE
GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO
CENTER BACKS: Geoff CAMERON, Michael OROZCO, Michael PARKHURST, John BROOKS
OUTSIDE BACKS: Fabian JOHNSON, Timothy CHANDLER, DeAndre YEDLIN, Chris KLUTE
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Maurice EDU
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Benny FEILHABER, Mix DISKERUD, Joe CORONA, Julian GREEN
FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO
RATIONALE
-Timothy Chandler and Fabian Johnson are natural two-way outside backs that play in the Bundesliga, and DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute are two back-up outside back options with the skill-sets for international soccer. Cameron is also a back-up option for Chandler or Johnson.
-Michael Parkhurst has a long track record of quality play as a center back and as an outside back in MLS, Europe, and in international soccer. Parkhurst is a legit center back option for the USA, and he also can play as an outside back.
– John Brooks and Michael Orozco have a lot of high quality club experience to point to in support of their inclusion on the USMNT, and Orozco has always performed well for the USA, while Brooks, a starting Bundesliga center back, has shown that he has more to offer the United States than many other American center back options.
-Maurice Edu brings the speed and defensive skills needed to play as a defensive midfielder or as a center back for the United States, and he has quite a bit of quality experience at the club and international level as well. Edu’s technical ability is underrated, and his superior athleticism makes him more valuable that Beckerman for a position where he will be asked to protect the Back Four.
-While Benny Feilhaber has a long track record of good performances for the USA, in addition to a creative skill-set that the USA needs, Feilhaber has also improved his consistency, fitness, two-way play, and his ability to influence games for 90 minutes.
-Other attacking midfielders like Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud are two young American players that bring too much to the USMNT to ignore. Both are creative playmakers that have proven themselves against real competition, and Corona can also play on either wing.
-Julian Green offers something very useful to the USMNT: the two-footed skill, 1v1 ability, and speed to combine well with the likes of Dempsey and Donovan on the wing. Green is a useful and capable winger that showed against Mexico that he plays well with Dempsey. Green is young, but you have to let special talents play when they can help your team.
-Juan Agudelo is a striker that the USA needs whether one considers his guile and skill on the ball or his package of size and athleticism. Agudelo is an aggressive player that opens up games, has a knack for scoring goals or getting off good shots, and creates an environment where more scoring chances are created. Many people forget that Agudelo has shown well for the United States against very good national teams, and people forget that beyond the flash and bravado that Agudelo is a tall, fast, quick, and strong striker that stretches defenses.
A Strong USA XI Option:
HOWARD
CHANDLER EDU CAMERON JOHNSON
JONES BRADLEY
DONOVAN FEILHABER DEMPSEY
ALTIDORE
