The Best United States Men’s National Team XI (April 2016)
With the Copa America Centennario coming up this summer, Jürgen Klinsmann should continue to use more appropriate lineups like the one he used against CONCACAF minnows Guatemala. Using players out of position needs to be a thing of the past for Klinsmann.
Against Guatemala, the United States started a defense composed of DeAndre Yedlin at right back, Geoff Cameron and Steve Birnbaum at the center back spots, and Edgar Castillo at left back. Left back continues to be a position without a clear best option, but certainly Yedlin, Cameron, and Birnbaum are all qualified and capable of manning the other three positions in the defense.
Both Cameron and Birnbaum looked comfortable on the ball and defensively solid, and both center backs bring the level of athleticism needed to perform at the international level, especially against soccer’s giants in South America. Yedlin too looked strong and comfortable, and the young right back finally looks like the clear best option at that position.
Klinsmann started Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, and Graham Zusi in the midfield, and certainly Beckerman and Zusi are a level below Bradley. Beckerman is a trustworthy defensive midfielder, but he’s always been on the slow side. Now in his mid-thirties, it’s time to have a quicker defensive midfielder starting.
Bradley is a born defensive midfielder, and something of a prototypical defensive midfielder. Surely, starting Bradley at the defensive midfielder spot in a midfield three is the best choice for Klinsmann and the United States.
Darlington Nagbe thrived in MLS in a box-to-box role, and he has been a standout in his several appearances with the national team. Using Bradley and Nagbe as two of the three midfielders is really a no-brainer.
The third midfield spot could go to Lee Nguyen as the attacking midfielder or perhaps going with Dillon Powers of the Colorado Rapids as a combo Number 8/attacking midfielder would serve the best interest of the national team. Both Nagbe and Powers are two-way midfielders with the vision and passing ability to set up goals, so starting them with Bradley would make a lot of sense for the United States.
If Klinsmann elects to use the 4-3-3 formation, then the lineup needs three forwards with Clint Dempsey being the one on the left.
The center forward spot could go to Jozy Altidore, Bobby Wood, or Juan Agudelo, but Charlie Davies is a capable and proven center forward too.
On the right wing, Fabian Johnson or Ethan Finlay fit the bill, and Sebastian Lletget is also worth trying for multiple games. The L.A. Galaxy attacking midfielder has proven his ability to play quick, one-to-two touch soccer with the likes of Robbie Keane, so he is more than capable of combining with the likes of Clint Dempsey and whoever the center forward is. Lletget is too talented of an attacking midfielder to leave off the roster and starting lineup.
The type of lineup outlined above is just like Klinsmann’s most recent lineup, but there are several changes. One has to think that after Klinsmann finally came under widespread criticism about his lineups and tactics that he will be less likely to field another bizarre lineup with multiple players out of position.
The German still hasn’t done an excellent job in selecting the right players for his 23-man rosters, but perhaps a more defined lineup concept will guide his future selections. With a starting lineup in mind, Klinsmann merely has to select 11 second-choice options plus an additional goalkeeper.
The smart money would be on betting that Klinsmann won’t continue to utilize questionable tactics that insult the intelligence of American soccer fans and the media. With this change something of a guarantee, the United States should begin to display more team chemistry and more collective skill as things aren’t in so much turmoil.
The big question remaining about Klinsmann is will he continue to recycle the same group of players. Klinsmann has a bad habit of dropping and reintroducing the same players into the pool rather than testing out new ones who have more or less proven their capabilities.
Going forward, Dillon Powers, Kelyn Rowe, Jorge Villafaña, and Sebastian Lletget stand out as names that Klinsmann needs to bring in, but Klinsmann deserves credit for brining in Kellyn Acosta, Fatai Alashe, and Will Trapp. Those seven players are all players that this writer considers worthy of national team spots right now, and Klinsmann has introduced some of them into the team.
As a next step, Klinsmann would be wise to make some four lineup changes: Edgar Castillo, Kyle Beckerman, Graham Zusi, and Gyasi Zardes. As replacements for those four spots, the following players fit the bill: Villafaña at left back, Powers and Nagbe in the midfield, and Johnson or Finlay at right wing.
World Soccer Source sees something like this lineup as the logical next step for the U.S. Men’s National Team: Guzan; Yedlin, Cameron, Birnbaum, Villafaña; Powers, Bradley, Nagbe; Lletget, Agudelo, Dempsey.