Colin Reese

By: COLIN REESE

Barring injury, the United States has several regular players that are absolute locks on the World Cup roster: Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, Fabian Johnson, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Aron Jóhannsson.

In addition to these players, there are other regular USMNT players like Alejandro Bedoya and Michael Parkhurst that should be included based on the available options.

The locks described above need additional players to fill needed positions in the Starting XI or on the bench.

Here are the six players that the USA cannot afford to cut:

Mix DISKERUD –Attacking Midfielder (Rosenborg)

Mix Diskerud is the only central attacking midfielder on the 30-man roster besides Joe Corona, and Corona can also play on either wing. For a team that needs more technical players, better passing, and more scoring opportunities, players like Diskerud and Corona are a must.

Joe CORONA – Attacking Midfielder (Tijuana)

Despite the fact that Diskerud is a needed player for this writer, Corona is also needed for his ability to play as the central attacking midfielder or to start or substitute on either wing. Corona is too talented to exclude from a roster that has a limited number of players with advanced technical ability by international standards. There is only one Clint Dempsey on this roster.

Terrence BOYD –Striker (Rapid Wien)

Terrence Boyd is a more talented, faster, bigger, stronger, and quicker striker than Chris Wondolowski whose main strength is being in the right place at the right time, which is important. Based on the way Boyd has played against better international opponents than Wondolowski has faced, Boyd is a better option for a third striker spot with Jozy Altidore and Aron Jóhannsson being roster locks. Boyd is the only natural substitute for Altidore on the roster, and Boyd is a more aggressive and active player than Altidore, plus Boyd looks to go straight to goal. Boyd might be better than Altidore on pure skill.

Timothy CHANDLER – Right Back/Left Back/Winger (Nürnberg)

Timothy Chandler could be called a soccer mercenary, but he is a U.S. citizen that is a Bundesliga starter as an outside back on either side. He’s also a winger. Compared to someone like Brad Evans, Chandler is a much higher-caliber option, and besides a poor game against Honduras, he had plenty of good games with the United States.

Maurice EDU – Defensive Midfielder/Center Back (Philadelphia Union)

Maurice Edu is more important to the United States than Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman is slow, and that matters a lot. Americans are criticized for valuing athleticism over technical ability, but Beckerman cannot keep track of World Cup midfielders and attackers. Edu has a more impressive club resume, World Cup experience, and he plays as a defensive midfielder or as a center back. The USA needs to give Edu a spot over Beckerman.

John BROOKS – Center Back (Hertha Berlin)

What happens if Matt Besler is injured or suspended and Geoff Cameron is needed as the defensive midfielder because Jermaine Jones is injured or suspended?

John Brooks is inexperienced with the USMNT, but he is a Bundesliga center back that is quicker and more technical than Omar Gonzalez and Clarence Goodson. Cutting Brooks would be a mistake.

Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones both want to be the box-to-box midfielder, so Cameron might be absolutely needed as the defensive midfielder. This leaves Maurice Edu and John Brooks as the best back-up center back options to partner with Besler or back up Besler if Besler is unavailable.

Many people are uncomfortable with what they perceive as a risk, but the United States is already at a major disadvantage against the Group G competition consisting of Ghana, Portugal, and Germany. Brooks is too good to dismiss as some inexperienced young defender that the USA doesn’t need because it has some frankly mediocre second-choice center backs like Gonzalez and Goodson.

Which members of the current 30-man squad ARE directly affected?

Brad EVANS, Brad DAVIS, Kyle BECKERMAN, Omar GONZALEZ, Chris WONDOLOWSKI

Which member of the current 30-man squad AREN’T directly affected by these inclusions?

Alejandro BEDOYA,  Julian GREEN, Michael PARKHURST, DeAndre YEDLIN

By: COLIN REESE

No one really knows what Jürgen Klinsmann’s United States Starting XI is, and he himself might not know yet either.

Could Landon Donovan even be dropped from the 30-man preliminary World Cup roster? It’s possible, but based on the players on the 30-man list, he shouldn’t be dropped.

Nevertheless, here’s my preferred pre-World Cup USA XI:

GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD (Everton)

Against top national teams, Tim Howard continues to make wonder saves that prevent the USA from losing or being blown out. Brad Guzan is probably just as good of a goalkeeper and just as good at delivering miracle saves.

RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

People want players to have experience without ever being comfortable giving them experience: a Catch 22. DeAndre Yedlin has the speed to offer the USA the best chance of keeping pace with the Group G attackers, and Yedlin is very skilled on the ball, which helps the USA to keep possession and work the ball out of the back. Yedlin is an attacking threat, and his tackling and marking keep improving. Yedlin is a risk worth taking, but Timothy Chandler might prove that he’s a better starting option than Yedlin at this point.

CENTER BACK: Maurice EDU (Philadelphia Union)

Maurice Edu is exactly the type of player that the United States needs in the center of the defense. He’s a good marker and tackler, and he has elite athleticism. As a central midfielder or defensive midfielder, Edu’s technical ability is much higher than most of the other American center backs except Geoff Cameron or Michael Orozco who isn’t on the roster. Cameron might be more needed as the stay-at-home defensive midfielder than as a center back.

CENTER BACK: Matt BESLER (Sporting KC)

Matt Besler is a faster and more agile center back than Omar Gonzalez and Clarence Goodson. Besler is left-footed which is somewhat beneficial for a left center back. Besler’s right foot works just fine, but he needs to use it more. Edu and Besler give the USA two faster and more technical center backs than many of the other center backs used by the U.S. in the past.

LEFT BACK: Fabian JOHNSON (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

Fabian Johnson plays as a left back or right back in the Bundesliga, and he seems like a much better option than someone like Michael Parkhurst or DaMarcus Beasley to use in the games preparing for the World Cup. Johnson is one of the most talented players on the team, and his ability to get forward should help the USA to produce more proactive soccer. Johnson is the best left back option on the 30-man roster in terms of technique, athleticism, and two-way skill.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City)

Geoff Cameron demonstrated that he could play the stay-at-home defensive midfielder role better than Jermaine Jones who doesn’t like to stay deeper where he’s needed. Cameron is a key player to protect the Back Four and to help the United States keep possession and win back possession. As a defensive midfielder, Cameron can put more of a stamp on the game than as a center back.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY (Toronto FC)

Michael Bradley has become more of an attacking threat every year, and a two defensive midfielder system with a stay-at-home defensive midfielder like Cameron partnering with Bradley gives the United States the benefit of Bradley’s defending and service deep in the midfield with his lung-bursting runs into the attacking third. With Cameron sitting deeper, the USA has a quality passer and defender in front of the Back Four that gives Bradley the freedom to participate in the build up play and the attack more than when Jones plays with Bradley.

RIGHT WINGER: Joe CORONA (Tijuana)

Joe Corona is one of the most technical and creative players in the American player pool, and he thrives on either wing or as the central attacking midfielder. Since Dempsey thrives on the left, Corona can slot in on the right wing, which leaves space for Mix Diskerud to play as the central attacking midfielder. For a national team that has displayed poor passing and not enough service for Jozy Altidore, Corona is a player that gives the United States the ability to actually have possession and attack the opposition, and Corona is a better passer and more skilled player than both Graham Zusi and Alejandro Bedoya. A motivated Landon Donovan is the only player on this roster that should be above Corona on the pecking order for the right wing spot.

NUMBER 10: Mix DISKERUD (Rosenborg)

Unlike Corona, Mix Diskerud only thrives in the middle, and starting him as the central attacking midfielder gives the USA an orchestrator that can connect Cameron and Bradley to Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore; Corona also helps to do this. Looking at the 30-man preliminary roster, Diskerud has to be the central attacking midfielder because doing so gives the USA a skilled playmaker, while still leaving space for Corona to be one of the attacking midfielders.

LEFT WINGER: Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

Clint Dempsey’s position on paper matters very little. Dempsey likes to float around the first striker and roam all over the final third, but Dempsey has the fire, work rate, and fitness to log a lot of miles in games winning back balls and doing the dirty work. Players like Diskerud and Corona give Dempsey worthy teammates that see the game the same way he does and look to produce the same brand of quick passing and one-to-two touch soccer.

STRIKER: Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland)

Whatever went wrong at Sunderland, Jozy Altidore showed tremendous growth in the two previous years that he spent in Holland, and he’s now a player whose technique has caught up to his athleticism and physique. Altidore’s hat trick against Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly the free kick he scored, confirmed that his progress was real. When given enough service or support in the attack, Altidore is a dynamic, strong, and versatile striker that has all the tools to cause defenses problems in the World Cup.

By: COLIN REESE

OPINION:

With the announcement of the 30-man preliminary 2014 United States World Cup roster, there are plenty of undecided roster battles, but the picture of the 23-man World Cup roster and the Starting XI is becoming clearer amidst almost nothing but question marks.

Jürgen Klinsmann appears to have no clear picture of his Back Four or his Front Six, which is the entire Starting XI minus the goalkeeper spot.

This opinion piece isn’t a prediction of what Klinsmann will do because Klinsmann is hard to predict, and frankly this writer disagrees with much of what Klinsmann does, which shows a lot of bias toward German-Americans and players raised abroad.

Klinsmann excluded both Eddie Johnson and Juan Agudelo from the World Cup roster in place of Chris Wondolowski whose limitations are known, but Klinsmann did wisely include two needed creative midfielders such as Mix Diskerud and Joe Corona. Klinsmann deserves credit for the inspired pick of DeAndre Yedlin.

Since Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States Men’s National Team uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, the best way to select a roster is to have a first and second choice option for each of those spots plus an additional goalkeeper.

Based on skill, the following players stick out as the default starters in the 4-2-3-1 formation: Tim Howard; Timothy Chandler, Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, Fabian Johnson; Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley; Landon Donovan, Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona, Clint Dempsey; Jozy Altidore.

Although Klinsmann has almost exclusively used Dempsey as a central attacking midfielder, perhaps the United States would be bolstered by using a true playmaker in between Donovan and Dempsey.

US Soccer even tweeted a quote from Mix Diskerud where he said that he liked to play in the middle to set up his teammates.

Only Klinsmann knows who, but seven players will have to be cut from the 30-man roster, and World Soccer Source considers Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Chris Wondolowski, Omar Gonzalez, Kyle Beckerman, DaMarcus Beasley, and Clarence Goodson to be the seven players with the least-impressive combination of technical ability and athleticism amongst the 27 American field players selected to the USA’s preliminary World Cup roster.

The Starting XI discussed above is set up to use two modern outside backs flanking two athletic and technical center backs with two defensive midfielders protecting the Back Four. In more advanced roles, a central attacking midfielder is helping to orchestrate the passing and attack of two wings and a striker.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to guess who will start in the defense, and it’s equally difficult to guess who will play on the wings and who will be pulling the strings behind Altidore. Maybe Klinsmann moves Dempsey out left and starts Diskerud as the central attacking midfielder.

Without further ado, below are the 23 American players that World Soccer Source believes deserve World Cup roster spots followed by explanations:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD (Everton), Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa), Nick RIMANDO (Real Salt Lake)

CENTER BACKS: Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City), Matt BESLER (Sporting KC), Michael PARKHURST (Columbus Crew), John BROOKS (Hertha Berlin)

-Maurice Edu, listed as a defensive midfielder, is also possibly one of the best American center backs. Edu is exactly the type of player that would benefit the center of the defense.

OUTSIDE BACKS: Fabian JOHNSON (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Timothy CHANDLER (Nürnberg), DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

-Both Geoff Cameron and Michael Parkhurst (listed as center backs) play right back and left back as well.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY (Toronto FC), Jermaine JONES (Besiktas), Maurice EDU (Philadelphia Union)

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Mix DISKERUD (Rosenborg), Joe CORONA (Tijuana), Alejandro BEDOYA (Nantes), Graham ZUSI (Sporting KC), Julian GREEN (Bayern Münich (II))

FORWARDS: Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders), Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy), Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland), Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien)

Rationale

-The USA Back Four is clearly a huge question mark, and the players proposed by World Soccer Source allow room for adjustments based on how the defense performs. Cameron and Parkhurst can play as center backs or outside backs, and Chandler and Johnson can both play as right backs or left backs. Finally, Edu can play as a center back.

-An important aspect of World Soccer Source’s proposal is that Cameron and Edu can both play as defensive midfielders or center backs, and it’s unclear whether Cameron is needed more as a defensive midfielder or as a center back.  It’s important to note that Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley will be the two defensive midfielders started by Klinsmann, which makes Cameron more likely to start at center back as opposed to as the more withdrawn defensive midfielder, unless Jones shows that he is unwilling to stay deeper when he needs to.

– Cameron and Besler are the default center back pairing, but the argument can be made that the Edu-Cameron center back pairing, although only used once, showed the most promise under Klinsmann. Cameron might even be of more use as the defensive midfielder to protect the Back Four. Cameron and Bradley as starting defensive midfielders might be necessary to compete against Ghana, Portugal, and Germany.

– For all the attention focused on Parkhurst’s ability to hold his own out of position at right back or left back, Parkhurst is naturally a center back who plays there now at the club level.

– John Brooks is a Bundesliga starter for Hertha Berlin. Brooks has been labeled as mistake-prone, but Gonzalez has been tagged with this label as well, in addition to being slower, less agile, and less technical than Brooks. Goodson is another slow center back that is easier to catch off balance than Brooks. Brooks is younger, more technical, and more athletic than Goodson and Gonzalez.

– DeAndre Yedlin is a wise inclusion for the final 23 to give the USMNT another two-way outside back with the skill and speed to keep up with World Cup attackers. Yedlin’s defending and tackling is much better than advertised.

– Maurice Edu deserves the third defensive midfielder spot over Beckerman because of his superior ability to keep pace with World Cup competition compared to Beckerman; Edu also is a capable center back who has World Cup experience and a better club resume than Beckerman who has only played in MLS.

– Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud are creative midfielders that can help the United States improve the overall skill of the group and help to keep possession. They also complement Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore. Both attacking midfielders offer a creative skill-set that Bradley and Jones don’t bring to the table.

-Diskerud and Corona are not mutually exclusive on the USA roster. Corona is more versatile from a positional since as he plays on either wing or as a central attacking midfielder, which is what makes him even more valuable than he already is based on his skill, quick feet, and club experience.

– The inexperienced Julian Green brings a lot of technical ability, 1v1 skill, and speed, and he shouldn’t be thought of as a player that is competing with Diskerud and Corona because those two are needed for their ability to create and facilitate the passing of the United States. If Green makes the final roster, he might prove to be more effective than even Zusi and Bedoya.

If this 23 listed above were the USMNT’s World Cup roster, then World Soccer Source would start this USA XI:

Howard; Yedlin, Edu, Besler, Johnson; Cameron, Bradley; Corona, Diskerud, Dempsey; Altidore.

By: COLIN REESE

It’s no secret that Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley need to play as a unit where they cover for each other defensively.

Jones is heavily criticized for constantly making attacking runs and never covering for Bradley’s attacking forays, but at the same time, Jones is a skilled midfielder that has something to offer the American attack.

If Bradley and Jones can just agree to cover for one another, then there doesn’t need to be a clear division of labor where one of the two is labeled the defensive midfielder and the other one is labeled a box-to-box midfielder.

Let’s call these two players central midfielders, and they should both be two-way midfielders; they just shouldn’t attack at the same time.

Oddly enough, many members of the American soccer media think of Bradley as some sort of attacking midfielder who is playing the role of a central attacking midfielder, but this makes little sense given the fact that Bradley’s game is built around a combination of defensive and passing prowess combined with tireless running. The ability to cover lots of terrain in the midfield is different than the vision and creativity needed to unlock defenses right behind the striker or strikers.

Brazil uses Paulinho as a box-to-box midfielder with Luiz Gustavo as the defensive midfielder, but Brazil still uses Oscar as the playmaker.

A defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, and a central attacking midfielder is more or less the modern day recipe for a balanced and successful midfield.

There needs to be defensive coverage in the midfield, but there also needs to be creativity in the midfield. The box-to-box role is a role that helps both the defensive midfielder and the playmaker, and this box-to-box role is Bradley’s role.

Any realistic examination of the Front Six of the United States Men’s National Team should cause a knowledgeable observer to come to the conclusion that Jones and Bradley are needed deeper in the midfield while Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have historically thrived as right and left wings with the freedom to move centrally and switch sides.

Jozy Altidore is the spearhead of the American attack, but the missing piece that can keep Jones in particular from playing out of position is a central attacking midfielder such as Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona, if the latter makes the World Cup roster.

Diskerud is the solution to how to best utilize Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan because Diskerud’s qualities as a Number 10 not only discourage Jones from attacking so often but it also gives Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore the player they need to feed them the ball in the final third.

As a central attacking midfielder, Diskerud’s job isn’t to just jog around and play final balls when the ball comes his way, but his job is to constantly be presenting himself as a passing option for Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore so that the USA not only keeps possession but also passes the ball effectively.

Diskerud’s ability to split defenses with passes and create scoring opportunities gives the United States possession with purpose, and this critical mass of technical players in the Front Six is vital to not watching Ghana, Portugal, and Germany play keep away in the World Cup.

The USA can certainly use Bradley’s and Jones’ passing and attacking abilities, but Jones’ bursts into the attack need to be kept in check and a more creative and technical player than Bradley needs to be orchestrating the Americans’ attack.

Since Geoff Cameron is needed as a center back and since Jones and Bradley are the most talented and athletic defensive midfielders, then Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona need to be given the Number 10 role to allow all of the other members of the Front Six to play their natural positions.

Jones and Bradley are defensive or central midfielders, and Donovan and Dempsey are attackers that float around Altidore. But, Diskerud and Corona are the American playmakers that can keep Jones from attacking too much and that can provide Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore the service they need.

Often one small adjustment changes everything, and for the United States, Jürgen Klinsmann needs to start a player like Diskerud in between Donovan and Dempsey, so that the United States has better link-up play and a high collective level of technical skill.

Therefore, the answer to how to improve the partnership between Bradley and Jones is to hand over the real attacking and playmaking responsibilities in the center of the American midfield to Diskerud or Corona.

With Jones and Bradley playing as defensive midfielders or central midfielders, there’s no excuse not to allot at least one spot in the Front Six to a true Number 10 like Diskerud.

Diskerud discourages Jones from playing like an attacking midfielder, and the USA needs Jones protecting the Back Four and helping to start the attack from deep in the midfield.

Consider the Front Six below and how Diskerud’s presence eliminates the need for Jones to constantly try to move into an attacking midfielder role:

JONES-BRADLEY

DONOVAN-DISKERUD-DEMPSEY

ALTIDORE

By: COLIN REESE

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO

CENTER BACKS: Geoff CAMERON, Michael OROZCO, Michael PARKHURST, John BROOKS

OUTSIDE BACKS: Fabian JOHNSON, Timothy CHANDLER, DeAndre YEDLIN, Chris KLUTE

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Maurice EDU

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Benny FEILHABER, Mix DISKERUD, Joe CORONA, Julian GREEN

FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO

RATIONALE

-Timothy Chandler and Fabian Johnson are natural two-way outside backs that play in the Bundesliga, and DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute are two back-up outside back options with the skill-sets for international soccer. Cameron is also a back-up option for Chandler or Johnson.

-Michael Parkhurst has a long track record of quality play as a center back and as an outside back in MLS, Europe, and in international soccer. Parkhurst is a legit center back option for the USA, and he also can play as an outside back.

– John Brooks and Michael Orozco have a lot of high quality club experience to point to in support of their inclusion on the USMNT, and Orozco has always performed well for the USA, while Brooks, a starting Bundesliga center back, has shown that he has more to offer the United States than many other American center back options.

-Maurice Edu brings the speed and defensive skills needed to play as a defensive midfielder or as a center back for the United States, and he has quite a bit of quality experience at the club and international level as well. Edu’s technical ability is underrated, and his superior athleticism makes him more valuable that Beckerman for a position where he will be asked to protect the Back Four.

-While Benny Feilhaber has a long track record of good performances for the USA, in addition to a creative skill-set that the USA needs, Feilhaber has also improved his consistency, fitness, two-way play, and his ability to influence games for 90 minutes.

-Other attacking midfielders like Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud are two young American players that bring too much to the USMNT to ignore. Both are creative playmakers that have proven themselves against real competition, and Corona can also play on either wing.

-Julian Green offers something very useful to the USMNT: the two-footed skill, 1v1 ability, and speed to combine well with the likes of Dempsey and Donovan on the wing. Green is a useful and capable winger that showed against Mexico that he plays well with Dempsey. Green is young, but you have to let special talents play when they can help your team.

-Juan Agudelo is a striker that the USA needs whether one considers his guile and skill on the ball or his package of size and athleticism. Agudelo is an aggressive player that opens up games, has a knack for scoring goals or getting off good shots, and creates an environment where more scoring chances are created. Many people forget that Agudelo has shown well for the United States against very good national teams, and people forget that beyond the flash and bravado that Agudelo is a tall, fast, quick, and strong striker that stretches defenses.

A Strong USA XI Option:

HOWARD

CHANDLER EDU CAMERON JOHNSON

JONES BRADLEY

DONOVAN FEILHABER DEMPSEY

ALTIDORE

By: COLIN REESE

Jürgen Klinsmann has stated that the United States Men’s National Team will need more than one tactical formation for the World Cup, which means a defensive formation, an attacking formation, and a combination of the two.

World Soccer Source proposes three formation options, and this writer is including Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona or both on the roster for the purpose of this exercise.

It’s possible that neither will make the roster and that Klinsmann will always start a line of three attacking midfielders consisting of Graham Zusi/Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan.

There’s no way to know who will make the roster, but the underlying principal below is the amount of defensive midfielder and strikers included in the Starting XI.

The amount of defensive midfielders and strikers is the element that changes in the three formations outlined below.

The following formations are a 4-3-2-1, a 4-2-3-1, and a 4-1-3-2:

Read more

By: Colin Reese

Jürgen Klinsmann has realized some tactical problems with the United States Men’s National Team, and he made adjustments to correct those problems in the USMNT’s friendly against Mexico.

By using DeAndre Yedlin at right back for the second stateside game in a row, Klinsmann has somewhat implicitly given some indication that he’s considering not starting Brad Evans in the World Cup.

Furthermore, Klinsmann publicly discussed having the option of using Geoff Cameron or John Brooks at center back, which presumably means that he’s concerned with Omar Gonzalez’s play as opposed to Matt Besler’s play.

Finally, Klinsmann also publicly stated that he felt that Clint Dempsey was stranded up top in the attack and having to drop back too deep into the midfield to collect the ball, which then left him too far back in the midfield. The coach went on to say that he instructed Dempsey to not drop back as much because he was changing the formation to give Michael Bradley more freedom to get forward more.

These are all good signs, and the fact that Klinsmann fired or demoted Martín Vasquez was even better news for USA fans.

Clearly, Klinsmann is working on improving the USMNT.

Nevertheless, some work remains to be done to improve the defense and increasing the USA’s ball possession and overall technical skill.

The incorporation of Julian Green was nothing short of Klinsmann adding a back-up wing option for Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. Regardless of how it was presented to the media and the public, Green was brought into the fold for exactly that purpose, and it’s possible that he could start with Donovan and Dempsey.

Nevertheless, the defense still needs to be improved, which Klinsmann appears to be actively working on, and Klinsmann is looking to add or actually play some more creative playmakers, which is evident in his recent incorporation of Luis Gil and in his scouting and testing of Mix Diskerud and Joe Corona over the last year and half or so.

Below are four things the USMNT needs to improve before the World Cup, and World Soccer Source would argue that Klinsmann is already working on these things:

Read more

By: COLIN REESE

Recently, World Soccer Source has been limiting opinion pieces on the World Cup roster and on the Starting XI to only focusing on players with a high chance of being selected by Jürgen Klinsmann.

Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Juan Agudelo may or may not be likely roster selections, but fair or unfair, it certainly appears as if Benny Feilhaber is on the outside looking in.

Previously, World Soccer Source projected a likely 30-man USA provisional roster for the World Cup, a possible USA Starting XI, and a Best USA XI for the World Cup, but this USA XI will be the boldest USA XI possible with only likely roster call-ups.

While this USA XI is described as bold, it isn’t reckless. No one proposed for this line-up is some unknown or unproven player that observers haven’t seen play. These are all professional footballers that have all been praised by American experts and pundits. This isn’t a group of players that are all hype.

This USA XI differs from the previous one in that Geoff Cameron has been moved up to play as the defensive midfielder, so that he is more involved with the USA’s passing and with the battle for the midfield.

Below is that Bold USA XI (4-2-3-1):

GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD  (Everton)

Tim Howard is the USA Number 1 for now, although Brad Guzan is just as good. Howard keeps the USMNT in big games by saving shots that he has no right to be able to save.

RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN  (Seattle Sounders)

The Future is now. The USA must start DeAndre Yedlin in the World Cup if it wants to have a right back with the speed and skill to keep pace with opposing attackers. Yedlin’s defending is better than advertised, and Yedlin’s attacking ability is a major plus for the USMNT, as it allows the United States to not only have width but also to put the opposition on its heels.

CENTER BACK: Maurice EDU  (Philadelphia Union)

Looking at the attackers in Group G, it makes sense to use a fast and quick center back with strong defensive skills. Edu is more of a defensive midfielder or central midfielder than a center back, but Edu has quality experience at this position. This is a change that the USA needs to make, especially with Geoff Cameron needed to partner with Michael Bradley in the midfield.

CENTER BACK: Michael OROZCO  (Puebla)

Michael Orozco should really be a starting center back for the United States. No other American center back except John Brooks starts as a center back in a league better than MLS, and Orozco has the complete package of defensive skills, speed, quickness, technical ability, and clean tackling. Orozco is a better and more experienced center back than Brooks.

LEFT BACK: Fabian JOHNSON  (Hoffenheim)

With Chris Klute and Greg Garza never incorporated into the national team, Fabian Johnson needs to start at left back for the U.S. to have a fast and skilled two-way left back. Johnson is a better player and defender than DaMarcus Beasley.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON  (Stoke City)

Of all the defensive midfielders available to Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States, Geoff Cameron is the best one in a system where Michael Bradley is deployed as a box-to-box midfielder. Cameron is more technical and better defensively than both Kyle Beckerman and Maurice Edu, and unlike Beckerman, he has the quickness and speed needed.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY  (Toronto FC)

Michael Bradley as the box-to-box midfielder is a no-brainer. Bradley is the key piece to the USMNT along with Clint Dempsey, and as a Number 8, Bradley has more freedom to influence the game in the attack and defensively.

RIGHT WING: Landon DONOVAN  (LA Galaxy)

Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are the best American players ever, and Donovan has earned the right to start at this spot; his speed and quickness are still there. Donovan plays his best with players like Clint Dempsey, and throwing Joe Corona in as the Number 10 should allow Donovan to play the way that he wants to play even more.

NUMBER 10: Joe CORONA  (Tijuana)

Joe Corona could be omitted from the World Cup roster, but he really shouldn’t. Corona is a technical and creative player that can play on either wing or as the Number 10, and like Dempsey and Donovan thrived with Feilhaber in the past, so too should they thrive with a playmaker of Corona’s caliber. Corona has proven himself on the club and international level against very good competition by any standard.

LEFT WING: Clint DEMPSEY  (Seattle Sounders)

Clint Dempsey has played some of his best soccer out left where he has the freedom to roam and go where the game takes him. Dempsey is certainly a gifted attacker and goalscorer, but both he and Donovan could use someone like Corona to give them a real playmaker to combine with to put them in better positions to score goals.

STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO  (Stoke City/Utrecht)

Like Joe Corona, Juan Agudelo might be omitted from the USA World Cup roster, but he really deserves to be on it. Looking at both Jozy Altidore and Aron Jóhannsson, Agudelo is a more dangerous and effective striker at the international level. If Agudelo has proven anything on the international level, it’s that he makes the American attack more dangerous and he threatens the goal more than other American strikers. A creative, fast, quick, and audacious striker in a 6’2” frame in many ways combines the strengths of Altidore with Jóhannsson’s. Starting Agudelo over both Altidore and Jóhannsson is a controversial pick, but it is an inspired and courageous pick.