After the January friendlies and recent club play, there’s a clearer picture of the best United States Men’s National Team lineup.
Tim Howard or Brad Guzan is an automatic starter in goal, and Geoff Cameron and John Brooks have to be considered the two starting center backs.
At the fullback spots, Kellyn Acosta and Jorge Villafaña have separated themselves. Acosta played left back in the recent friendlies, but right back is the position where the national team needs him most.
Villafaña enjoyed an outstanding MLS season at left back for the Portland Timbers, and his play earned him a promotion to a better team in a better league. Villafaña now plays for Santos Laguna in La Liga MX.
One huge benefit of the defense outlined above is that all five players are actually deployed in the correct position and the position where they are enjoying good form.
Midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Lee Nguyen have displayed their technical qualities in recent months (and for years before), and starting these two midfielders with Bradley would be an inspired choice. Three technical midfielders are just what the doctor ordered for the United States. The alternative is to continue to do nothing to attempt to improve the lack of enough technical ability in the midfield.
Bradley anchoring the American midfield as the defensive midfielder or central midfielder or whatever name you want to use is frankly a no-brainer. Using Bradley as an attacking midfielder is a waste of half of his skill-set and his engine. He was born to anchor the American midfield.
If the United States elects to go with the 4-3-3 formation, then all that’s left is the attacking trident made up of two wings and a center forward. For much of his career, Clint Dempsey played on the left side of the attack or midfield, and there’s no reason he can’t play as the left forward in the American attack.
Fabian Johnson’s form is too good in the Bundesliga right now to not start, so Johnson deserves that right wing starting spot.
Leading the line as the center forward should be Jozy Altidore (with Juan Agudelo deserving strong consideration). Altidore has frequently been starved for service at striker, and Altidore has become a more active and complete striker in recent years. During the January friendlies, Altidore displayed a leaner and lighter frame which can only help the extremely muscular Altidore. There’s nothing wrong with being lighter, leaner, and more agile.
Just starting the most deserving players won’t fix the United States’ problems without some continuity and chemistry. There’s nothing wrong with making adjustments to the lineup as the coach sees fit, but continuing to completely shuffle around the lineup will slow down the U.S.’ progress.
Going into World Cup qualifying, here again is that lineup that could improve the United States’ play: Guzan; Acosta, Cameron, Brooks, Villafaña; Nagbe, Bradley, Nguyen; Johnson, Altidore, Dempsey.