Since the U.S. Men’s National Team has been having a major problem keeping possession and creating scoring chances, there is plenty to improve in 2016.
Here are three things the U.S. National Team can do to improve in 2016:
Play Michael Bradley as a defensive midfielder
Once Bradley has been named the team’s starting defensive midfielder, then two or three other midfielders can be chosen to play with him to improve the midfield’s possession problems.
If a three-man midfield is used, then a center midfielder and attacking midfielder can be penciled in to start. There is also the option of starting two other center midfielders with Bradley.
Looking at the American player pool, both Kellyn Acosta and Dillon Powers can start as the center midfielder with Bradley, and Benny Feilhaber, Darlington Nagbe, or Sebastian Lletget can be started as the attacking midfielder. Once Bradley’s position is settled as a defensive midfielder, then the National Team can find the best supporting class to help the team actually keep possession and look to dictate the game.
Include an attacking midfielder in the lineup
As discussed above, Feilhaber, Nagbe, and Lletget are all Number 10s or playmakers. Any of them can improve the U.S. National Team from going from no playmaking at all to at least some.
Feilhaber has been blackballed by Jürgen Klinsmann, but both Nagbe and Lletget can start at the same time. Whether a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation is used, Nagbe and Lletget can both start. In the 4-2-3-1, Nagbe and Lletget can be used in the line of three with Dempsey, and in the 4-3-3, Nagbe can be given a spot in the three-man midfield with Lletget given a spot in the attacking trident.
No matter what the National Team does, an attacking midfielder needs to start to fix the total lack of possession in the midfield and the lack of link-up play with the attack.
Build a 23-man roster with a Starting 11 in mind and substitutes for every position
Picking a Starting 11 and its substitutes should be an easy albeit controversial exercise for the U.S. National Team coach.
It’s easy to select a decent national team roster, but finding world-class players isn’t easy for anyone. Klinsmann can rightly claim that he doesn’t have world-class players, but he doesn’t have the right to say that he can’t call up a decent, balanced roster.
In 2016, the U.S. National Team needs to use an effective roster where every position has a first and second-choice option. Instead of using the best players he has, Klinsmann thinks he has to play players out of position because he doesn’t have world-class players. For Klinsmann, having a bizarre lineup is better than having a decent lineup.