By: COLIN REESE
The United States Men’s National Team is now ready for the 4-3-3 formation.
Attacking at pace proved to be an effective strategy when the United States beat the Netherlands and Germany in what were close games, and Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, who were both absent from those games, can attack at pace as well.
With Michael Bradley free to push the ball up the field with pace and supported by Mix Diskerud, American forwards like Altidore and Dempsey can thrive since both forwards like to play fast and with the ball at their feet.
If the United States continues to use a defensive midfielder to free up Bradley and Diskerud to play in more advanced positions, then the United States has a recipe for success in the Gold Cup.
A Midfield Three with a defensive midfielder, a center midfielder, and an attacking midfielder isn’t rocket science. Hopefully, the United States continues to start one of each type of midfielder.
Anchoring this midfield, Kyle Beckerman or Perry Kitchen will fill the defensive midfielder role in the Gold Cup, and Bradley and Diskerud can sit in front of them in the midfield with Altidore, Dempsey, and either Juan Agudelo or Alejandro Bedoya as the Front Three.
Joe Corona is another option at right wing/forward as well, if he in fact makes the 23-man roster.
Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States have been trying to play the modern 4-3-3 formation, and this is a 4-3-3 formation that can be successful.
Although Klinsmann has a Back Four in mind, the defensive unit is still up in the air for most observers.
Based on form and skill, DeAndre Yedlin and Greg Garza should be the right back and left back respectively.
In the center of the defense, Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks look to be the best center back tandem despite their miscommunication in marking a few headers that resulted in goals against the Netherlands.
Brad Guzan is obviously the clear first-choice goalkeeper, but the sixth player in the Front Six is debatable.
Working off the assumption that Beckerman or Kitchen, Bradley, Diskerud, Altidore, and Dempsey should fill five of those six spots, then the question again becomes the Bedoya or Agudelo dilemma discussed above.
If you look at skill, athleticism, size, and international performances, then Agudelo is a better player than Bedoya, and Agudelo can play wide or centrally, which helps when using a fluid attacking trident.
Agudelo is a key player for the National Team, and he brings the ability to create his own goals and free up others, and he is too valuable to put on the bench.
Since Agudelo has been playing frequently as a winger for the New England Revolution, it makes since to give him the right forward spot with Dempsey occupying the left forward spot.
As a bonus, Agudelo also provides non-stop running and spirited defending, which helps the USA to recover possession and pressure the defense.
This American Front Six would then look like this:
Bradley Beckerman/Kitchen Diskerud
Agudelo Altidore Dempsey
In the Front Six, Bradley and Diskerud would play in more advanced positions than Beckerman or Kitchen, and Altidore would occupy the Number 9 or center forward spot in what would be a fluid attacking trident.
This formation takes advantage of most of the information learned from not only the United States’ most recent games, but it also uses the general information known about the players in the American player pool.
Klinsmann and the National Team would be wise to not make wholesale changes in a team with momentum.
Since this strategy has worked against top national teams recently, then Klinsmann should simply reinsert Dempsey and Altidore into the line-up with Agudelo at right forward.
On a final note, one small technical variation on the 4-3-3 would be to have Dempsey sit deeper than Altidore and Agudelo as a trequartista, which is somewhat similar to Beckerman providing structure to the midfield by sitting deeper as a defensive midfielder.
In this 4-3-3, Altidore and Agudelo would be the forwards with Dempsey playing as a Number 10 just behind them, and this puts Altidore and Agudelo in a better position to make runs behind the defense.
In either variation, Bradley, Beckerman/Kitchen, and Diskerud are in the midfield while Agudelo, Dempsey, and Altidore make up the Front Three.
Same difference.
Either way, the United States has a viable formula for success and a formation that makes sense given the personnel and the style of play that the National Team wants.
The players and fans responded to the United States going straight at the opposition, and this style of play was a form of defense that put pressure on the opposition the whole game.
Here is what the USMNT’s starting line-up in the 4-3-3 could look like:
USA XI: Brad Guzan; DeAndre Yedlin, Ventura Alvarado, John Brooks, Greg Garza; Michael Bradley, Perry Kitchen, Mix Diskerud; Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey.