By: COLIN REESE
According to World Soccer Source, here is the Best USMNT 23 as of August 2014:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Cody CROPPER
DEFENDERS: Geoff CAMERON, John BROOKS, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL, DeAndre YEDLIN, Chris KLUTE, Kofi SARKODIE, Kellyn ACOSTA
MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Benny FEILHABER, Maurice EDU, Fabian JOHNSON, Joe CORONA, Benji JOYA, Dillon POWERS
ATTACKERS: Clint DEMPSEY, Jozy ALTIDORE, Julian GREEN, Juan AGUDELO
Roster Notes:
– Center Back is a deep position on this roster. Cameron, Brooks, O’Neill, and Farrell are center backs, as is Edu. Brooks is naturally left-footed, so the United States has a clear left center back starter, not to mention Cameron and O’Neill who are perfectly comfortable and capable playing left center back or right center back. Cameron is the obvious right center back starter.
– Klute and Acosta play as right backs or left backs, and Yedlin and Sarkodie are really just right backs (although Yedlin can play left back). Farrell is also a right back.
– Bradley and Edu are listed as the defensive midfielders, but Cameron and O’Neill also excel in this role. Farrell is also known to do well as a midfield destroyer.
– Joya, Powers, Bradley, and Edu are all box-to-box midfielders in addition to other positions that they play whether those be defensive midfielders in Bradley’s and Edu’s case or playmakers in Joya’s and Powers’s case.
– Dempsey, Corona, F. Johnson, Green, and Joya can all play as wings on either side of the field.
– Dempsey and Green are midfield-forward hybrids that can play as second strikers or as wings.
– Altidore, and Agudelo are the Number 9s or first strikers on this roster, which gives the United States two out-and-out strikers in order to avoid the 2014 World Cup scenario where the roster only included one fully-healthy and quality striker, Altidore, who was injured in the first game. Aron Jóhannsson appears to have been playing injured even before the 2014 World Cup.
– Fabian Johnson listed as a midfielder because his best position is as a right or left winger, but Johnson is obviously a international-caliber right back or left back.
– Clear playmakers are present on this roster. Feilhaber and Corona are naturally central attacking midfielders, but Joya and Powers also excel in this role. Dempsey shines in this role as well where he’s really playing as a withdrawn striker, which is a variation of the central attacking midfielder.
– Each position of the 4-2-3-1 is at least two players deep on this roster, and the flexibility of so many of the players gives the United States plenty of tactical options and formation choices, including the fluid 4-3-3 formation.