By: COLIN REESE
It’s no secret that Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley need to play as a unit where they cover for each other defensively.
Jones is heavily criticized for constantly making attacking runs and never covering for Bradley’s attacking forays, but at the same time, Jones is a skilled midfielder that has something to offer the American attack.
If Bradley and Jones can just agree to cover for one another, then there doesn’t need to be a clear division of labor where one of the two is labeled the defensive midfielder and the other one is labeled a box-to-box midfielder.
Let’s call these two players central midfielders, and they should both be two-way midfielders; they just shouldn’t attack at the same time.
Oddly enough, many members of the American soccer media think of Bradley as some sort of attacking midfielder who is playing the role of a central attacking midfielder, but this makes little sense given the fact that Bradley’s game is built around a combination of defensive and passing prowess combined with tireless running. The ability to cover lots of terrain in the midfield is different than the vision and creativity needed to unlock defenses right behind the striker or strikers.
Brazil uses Paulinho as a box-to-box midfielder with Luiz Gustavo as the defensive midfielder, but Brazil still uses Oscar as the playmaker.
A defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, and a central attacking midfielder is more or less the modern day recipe for a balanced and successful midfield.
There needs to be defensive coverage in the midfield, but there also needs to be creativity in the midfield. The box-to-box role is a role that helps both the defensive midfielder and the playmaker, and this box-to-box role is Bradley’s role.
Any realistic examination of the Front Six of the United States Men’s National Team should cause a knowledgeable observer to come to the conclusion that Jones and Bradley are needed deeper in the midfield while Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have historically thrived as right and left wings with the freedom to move centrally and switch sides.
Jozy Altidore is the spearhead of the American attack, but the missing piece that can keep Jones in particular from playing out of position is a central attacking midfielder such as Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona, if the latter makes the World Cup roster.
Diskerud is the solution to how to best utilize Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan because Diskerud’s qualities as a Number 10 not only discourage Jones from attacking so often but it also gives Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore the player they need to feed them the ball in the final third.
As a central attacking midfielder, Diskerud’s job isn’t to just jog around and play final balls when the ball comes his way, but his job is to constantly be presenting himself as a passing option for Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore so that the USA not only keeps possession but also passes the ball effectively.
Diskerud’s ability to split defenses with passes and create scoring opportunities gives the United States possession with purpose, and this critical mass of technical players in the Front Six is vital to not watching Ghana, Portugal, and Germany play keep away in the World Cup.
The USA can certainly use Bradley’s and Jones’ passing and attacking abilities, but Jones’ bursts into the attack need to be kept in check and a more creative and technical player than Bradley needs to be orchestrating the Americans’ attack.
Since Geoff Cameron is needed as a center back and since Jones and Bradley are the most talented and athletic defensive midfielders, then Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona need to be given the Number 10 role to allow all of the other members of the Front Six to play their natural positions.
Jones and Bradley are defensive or central midfielders, and Donovan and Dempsey are attackers that float around Altidore. But, Diskerud and Corona are the American playmakers that can keep Jones from attacking too much and that can provide Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore the service they need.
Often one small adjustment changes everything, and for the United States, Jürgen Klinsmann needs to start a player like Diskerud in between Donovan and Dempsey, so that the United States has better link-up play and a high collective level of technical skill.
Therefore, the answer to how to improve the partnership between Bradley and Jones is to hand over the real attacking and playmaking responsibilities in the center of the American midfield to Diskerud or Corona.
With Jones and Bradley playing as defensive midfielders or central midfielders, there’s no excuse not to allot at least one spot in the Front Six to a true Number 10 like Diskerud.
Diskerud discourages Jones from playing like an attacking midfielder, and the USA needs Jones protecting the Back Four and helping to start the attack from deep in the midfield.
Consider the Front Six below and how Diskerud’s presence eliminates the need for Jones to constantly try to move into an attacking midfielder role:
JONES-BRADLEY
DONOVAN-DISKERUD-DEMPSEY
ALTIDORE