By: COLIN REESE
The United States did beat Ghana 2-1, but the USA starting line-up and tactics didn’t work. Clint Dempsey and John Brooks scored massive goals, but the poor team passing of the Americans should be worrying for American fans.
Against Portugual, the Americans will need to address the United States’ lack of possession and poor passing. After Clint Dempsey’s amazing lightning goal that must rank as the best American goal ever in a World Cup from a skill standpoint (with his goal against Ghana in 2006 and Eric Wynalda’s free kick in 1994 being close behind), the USA was being bombarded by wave upon wave of Ghanaian attacks.
In the 82nd minute, Ghana shredded the American midfield and defense with a series of give and go passes that culiminated with a smashed left-footed outside of the foot swerving goal from André Ayew, which American goalkeeper Tim Howard had no chance of saving.
Geoff Cameron and John Brooks did particularly well in the center of the American defense, and Matt Besler held his own in the first half at left center back before he was taken out at halftime due to injury. Looking back at the game, Cameron and Brooks both displayed better defending and superior technical ability and athleticism than Besler displayed.
Luckily for the Americans, Brooks headed in a striker’s goal that he hammered off the ground on a corner kick in the dying minutes of the game, and this goal won the game for the United States in a game where the United States was thoroughly outplayed from a passing and skill standpoint.
Jürgen Klinsmann will have to tweak his Starting XI to look to fix the Americans’ inability to keep possession and display quality and effective passing not only in the back but also in the midfield.
After the game, Clint Dempsey specifically pointed out the need to have better possession in the next game and to be more confident with the ball. The American captain noted that the passing needed to improve not only in the back but also all over the field.
Klinsmann will be looking to correct this problem, and he has a few options. Based on the logic that American defensive midfielder Jermaine Jones was able to play the wide left role that he was asked to play against Ghana, there is nothing to suggest that Jones or Michael Bradley can’t be tasked with playing the defensive midfield role that Kyle Beckerman played against Ghana – after all, Jones and Bradley are both defensive midfielders.
Removing Beckerman from the Starting XI opens up a spot for Mix Diskerud, and this needs to happen for the United States to see better possession and be a more dangerous and technical team against Portugal.
Surely Bradley and Jones can play as the two defensive midfielders against Portugal, and they need to really accept their roles as two-way central midfielders that need to cover for each other when one of the two goes forward with the attack.
With Jozy Altidore out, Klinsmann has no option but to start Aron Jóhannsson who is a fast and technical striker that plays the Number 9 role differently than Altidore.
The Americans will need to look to not just launch lots of long balls for Jóhannsson, but rather the Americans will need to display better one-to-two touch passing to allow players like Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Mix Diskerud, and Clint Dempsey to combine with Aron Jóhannsson and each other.
Klinsmann might keep the same line-up, but DaMarcus Beasley looked outmatched on the left flank as the left back.
The USA selected the young and exciting right back DeAndre Yedlin for the World Cup roster, and it’s time to start him at right back and move Fabian Johnson to left back – one of the positions at which he most excels.
Finally, whether Matt Besler has recovered from his hamstring injury or not, John Brooks is the better left center back to start with Geoff Cameron in the center of the defense.
Brooks provides better defending and particularly better man-marking, and Brooks is a smoother and more technical player with a higher level of athleticism than Besler. Brooks is also a major goal-scoring threat on corner kicks, and he’s an imposing figure in the center of the defense along with Cameron, which discourages opposing teams from being able to beat the United States with goals off headers.
Cameron and Brooks are best suited to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo as both are both laterally-quicker and more athletic than Besler, in addition to being better in the air. Cristiano Ronaldo has tendinosis in his left knee, but if Cristiano Ronaldo plays, then he will be a major threat not only in the air but with the ball at his feet.
Against Portugal, the United States will need to make three line-up changes from the fortunate win against Ghana: 1.) Mix Diskerud for Kyle Beckerman; 2.) John Brooks for Matt Besler; and 3.) DeAndre Yedlin for DaMarcus Beasley, which moves Johnson to left back.
Who does the USA need to start against Portugal with or without Cristiano Ronaldo?
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Geoff CAMERON
CENTER BACK: John BROOKS
LEFT BACK: Fabian JOHNSON
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Jermaine JONES
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT WING: Alejandro BEDOYA
PLAYMAKER: Mix DISKERUD
LEFT WING: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Aron JÓHANNSSON
USA XI (4-2-3-1): HOWARD; YEDLIN, CAMERON, BROOKS, JOHNSON; JONES, BRADLEY; BEDOYA, DISKERUD, DEMPSEY; JÓHANNSSON.
Why should the USA start this XI?
– Yedlin and Johnson as the right back and left back give the Americans fast, two-way outside backs that give the United States the best chance to keep up with Portugal’s attackers in addition to providing a wide attacking threat for the Americans. If Klinsmann is not willing to start Yedlin, then he shouldn’t have put him on the roster. In the pre-World Cup friendlies, Yedlin has shown the will and capacity to track back on defense and tackle, whereas Chandler didn’t do too well in this regard in the heat of Honduras in the USA’s famous loss against Honduras in February of 2013 in World Cup qualifying.
– Cameron and Brooks are the best American center back pairing on this World Cup roster. Brooks’ advantages over Besler were described above, and Besler does have an injured or at least sore hamstring.
– The Front Six is more self-explanatatory. Starting Jones and Bradley as the defensive midfielders or central midfielders (whichever term you wish to use) is the strongest option for the United States, and Dempsey has shown time and time again his ability to thrive when started out left where he’s free to cut inside and float around.
-Let a playmaker like Diskerud provide some additional creativity and technical ability to the center of the line of American attacking midfielders. Bedoya does well out right, and Jóhannsson is the most talented and experienced striker option not named Altidore, who is out with a hamstring injury.
– This USA XI gives the United States the most skill and athleticism as well as the highest likelihood of winning.
– Kyle Beckerman is not needed as the midfield destroyer, and against Ghana, he had the benefit of not having to face off with Kevin-Prince Boateng from the opening whistle, which gave the illusion of a strong performance. In reality, the USA was totally dominated in terms of the passing and quality of play, and Beckerman didn’t do much to help the USA to pass well out of the back to relieve the pressure.
– Starting Diskerud seeks to fix this passing problem, and look for the young central midfielder William Carvalho to possibly start for Portugal in some capacity, which will make the Americans’ battle for midfield possession even harder.
USA Tactical Formation:
