By: COLIN REESE
John Brooks’ and DeAndre Yedlin’s strong showings against Turkey on Sunday caused more question marks about just what the best USA Back Four is.
While Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson seem to have locked up their starting spots in the United States’ defense, Brooks and Yedlin showed against Turkey that they are as ready as two new defenders for the United States can be before a World Cup.
Other countries have entire squads entirely comprised of players that are more or less experienced and proven from their play in top European or South American leagues, but the United States doesn’t have this.
Matt Besler has done well for the United States, but it’s difficult to come away from the United States’ win over Turkey and not think that perhaps the 21-year-old Brooks offers everything that Besler offers but at a higher level; Brooks also starts in the Bundesliga.
Brooks showed quick reflexes and strong defending with his last second sliding clearance yesterday when the ball was close to being slammed at the USA goal from point blank range, and Brooks showed the ability to block shots and passes, in addition to being able to work the ball out of tight spaces.
Brooks had a strong performance against Turkey, and he certainly showed that he was a more agile and more two-footed player than Besler, who did play fairly well. Besler didn’t really do anything wrong, but Brooks looked like a defender that was a level above Besler.
All defenders make mistakes, but Brooks’ qualities and physical gifts should make him a legitimate contender to take Besler’s spot; Brooks at the very least should be considered.
Geoff Cameron offers the United States too much to not be a lock as a center back starter for the USA, but Besler, who was the player that many considered the absolute lock, now has a very capable Brooks looking to take his spot. Whether Besler or Brooks, at least the United States has three capable center backs, but Cameron has to start.
Fabian Johnson’s technical ability, attacking skill, speed, and club experience have long been known, but he has recently been showing that he also can dispossess attackers and make clean tackles.
Klinsmann has been using Johnson as a right back recently, but the two-footed Johnson, who also starts in the Bundesliga, is needed more as a left back where the USA is weak.
Johnson can just as easily score goals off give-and-goes and overlapping runs with his right foot as he did with his left foot against Turkey.
DeAndre Yedlin has been repeatedly labeled a raw player that lacks the defensive qualities needed for international play at this point in his career, but he keeps disproving this criticism. Yedlin has been proving people wrong, and his two-way play and electric speed are good enough to earn a starting spot in Brazil.
While Timothy Chandler is a skilled two-way right back, starting Yedlin might be a so-called risk that Klinsmann needs to take. Yedlin is also a two-way right back that is technically-skilled with both feet (and also extremely fast), and this is exactly what the United States needs.
There definitely needs to be a showdown between Chandler and Yedlin before the World Cup in the next USA game against Nigeria, but Yedlin is not the defensive liability that he was made out to be by many people.
Both Yedlin and Brooks have validated Klinsmann’s inclusion of them on the World Cup roster, and just maybe a Back Four comprised of Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, and Johnson gives the United States a defensive unit that is not only skilled and athletic but also ready to go, even if they didn’t get the chance to play together on multiple occasions; Klinsmann’s constant roster tinkering eliminated any chance of the United States building up the amount of chemistry that would make USA fans more comfortable.
With the caveat that Chandler or Yedlin for right back is a toss-up, Cameron, Brooks, and Johnson are the best choices at center back and left back, and there also certainly needs to be one final battle in the Nigeria game between Besler and Brooks for the starting left center back spot.
All of these caveats leave the USA with the likelihood that Yedlin/Chandler, Cameron, Brooks/Besler, and Johnson is the best USA Back Four for the World Cup.