By: Colin Reese
Benji Joya’s loan to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer makes the prospect of Joya playing for the United States in the World Cup within the realm of possibility, and World Soccer Source thinks that Joya should start for the United States in the World Cup.
Given the need for Geoff Cameron to play as one of the starting United States Men’s National Team center backs and given the poor partnership between Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley, starting Benji Joya as a central midfielder of the box-to-box variety with Michael Bradley playing a slightly more defensive role could really improve the quality of the American central midfield behind the attacking midfielders.
There’s a belief among many American soccer observers that Benji Joya is just a promising and raw player that isn’t ready for the World Cup stage, but the United States Men’s National Team can ill-afford to allow complete central midfielders of Joya’s caliber to watch the U.S. World Cup games on TV, even if they are young and inexperienced.