Colin Reese

The USMNT Should Consider Starting Two Strikers in a 4-1-3-2

Choosing between two defensive midfielders or two strikers is a toss up, unless a 4-4-2 formation is used, but the United States Men’s National Team would be wise to test out how starting two strikers would affect the United States’ attack.

Using two strikers is an attack-minded line-up, but attacking the opposition with more urgency is also a form of defense where one’s weakness becomes one’s strength – if one attacks one’s opponent more then that opponent has to defend more and has less time to attack.

Jozy Altidore and Aron Jóhannsson starting together as strikers with a line of three attacking midfielders including a playmaker behind them is a strategy that Jürgen Klinsmann might consider using to improve the potency and goal-scoring capabilities of the United States.

Klinsmann has started both players together, but Klinsmann has deployed Jóhannsson as an attacking midfielder out wide, at least on paper.

Starting both players together as center forwards would require starting only one defensive midfielder in a 4-1-3-2 or one less attacking midfielder in a Brazilian 4-2-2-2.

Altidore and Jóhannsson have demonstrated that they can combine well together and that they are complementary, and starting two strikers of their caliber would force opposition defenses to focus their attention on both players – assuming both strikers received adequate service from a playmaker and at least one additional attacking midfielder.

The USMNT’s line-ups under Klinsmann have been mostly based on a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is a strong tactical approach, but the coach of the United States for the most part hasn’t really used three attacking midfielders behind the striker because often one of the outside attacking midfielders has been a striker forced to play out wide and out of position.

Using Altidore and Jóhannsson together is a weapon, and the logical midfield adjustment to allow for it is to deploy only one defensive midfielder, which would be Michael Bradley. This change would be best be accounted for by using Geoff Cameron as a center back where he could use his skill on the ball, his athleticism, his size, and his defensive skills in the center of the American defense.

With Altidore and Jóhannsson starting as center forwards, the rest of the line-up should feature Tim Howard in goal, Geoff Cameron at center back, Michael Bradley as a defensive midfielder, and Landon Donovan or Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud or Benny Feilhaber, and Clint Dempsey as the line of three attacking midfielders.

The other open positions in the Back Four are a matter of debate just as the line of three attacking midfielders is, but provided that Altidore and Jóhannsson receive adequate service and Bradley was patrolling the back of the midfield, the tactical set-up of using two strikers can be effective, even if there is only one defensive midfielder.

While this writer would like to see DeAndre Yedlin or Andrew Farrell, Shane O’Neill, and Chris Klute filling the remaining spots in the Back Four, certainly using Eric Lichaj, Steve Cherundolo, or Jonathan Spector at right back over Yedlin or Farrell would also make sense – as would starting John Anthony Brooks instead of Shane O’Neill.

Finally, Klinsmann would be remised to not test out different combinations of Juan Agudelo, Aron Jóhannsson, Jozy Altidore, and Terrence Boyd before the World Cup.

Altidore and Jóhannsson would pose a real threat to opposing defenses, but there is a need to see how well different two-man combinations of those four strikers can perform.  Having all four strikers at the ready and used to playing with one another will be a useful tool at the World Cup.

What would starting two center forwards look like? This writer would support seeing the following Starting XI as one of multiple options:

HOWARD; FARRELL, CAMERON, O’NEILL/BROOKS, KLUTE; BRADLEY; CORONA, DISKERUD/FEILHABER, DEMPSEY; ALTIDORE, JÓHANNSSON.

For many American soccer fans, any criticism of Jürgen Klinsmann’s selections  to the United States Men’s National Team is considered unpatriotic, which is odd because only people with high expectations of their country’s national team advocate for possible ways to improve it.

Many of Jürgen Klinsmann’s selections to the United States Men’s National Team are international-caliber players with the skill and athleticism to perform well at the World Cup, but there is significant room to improve the quality of the USA roster.

Despite a growing list of international-caliber American footballers such as Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, there is a definite gap between the collective skill level displayed in MLS and on the United States Men’s National Team compared to other countries, and any person that tries to contend that MLS and the USMNT is on par with other top European leagues, many Latin American leagues, and top national teams is either being overly biased or is perhaps not fully aware of the gap between American soccer and European, Latin American, and African soccer.

For this writer, some 14 of the 23 roster selections that Klinsmann makes are strong picks, but 9 roster spots might be better spent on players that Klinsmann doesn’t regularly select or that he routinely doesn’t select at all.

For many people, there is a mentality that Klinsmann’s roster selections are infallible because of his success as a player, but no top soccer country in the world subscribes to this mentality that a coach’s player selections and coaching decisions shouldn’t be questioned if the coach was a famous ex-player.

Nevertheless, the prognosis of the United States’ chances in the 2014 World Cup looks fairly good, but improvements need to be made so that the United States can put in a strong showing and perhaps a deep run in the 2014 World Cup.

Here are Jürgen Klinsmann’s international-caliber USMNT selections:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO.

DEFENDERS: Geoff CAMERON, John Anthony BROOKS.

MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Fabian JOHNSON, Mix DISKERUD.

STRIKERS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Terrence BOYD.

Here are Jürgen Klinsmann’s “Not Quite As Good” USMNT selections:

DEFENDERS: Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, Clarence GOODSON, Brad EVANS, DaMarcus BEASLEY.

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle BECKERMAN, Graham ZUSI, Alejandro BEDOYA, Sacha KLJESTAN.

STRIKERS: Eddie JOHNSON (A skilled, fast, and extremely athletic striker who is nevertheless not as good as Juan Agudelo).

To fix these personnel problems, World Soccer Source believes that Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to add the following players to the group of international-caliber players listed above:

DEFENDERS: Eric LICHAJ, Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL.

MIDFIELDERS: Joe CORONA, Benny FEILHABER, Benji JOYA.

STRIKERS: Juan AGUDELO.

The reason that the players above were listed as players that could bolster the United States Men’s National Team is because they are technical and athletic players that fulfill specific needs.

The United States needs quality outside backs, and Eric Lichaj, Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell are all outside backs that not only have shown that their play will translate to the international game but they are also better than any other options Klinsmann has at his disposal with the exception of Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector.

Midfielders like Joe Corona and Benny Feilhaber are much more technical, creative, and athletic players than Graham Zusi who is a very good MLS player and someone who has done fairly well at the international level, but Corona and Feilhaber are much more dynamic and effective players when the speed of play and the quality of competition goes up.

Joya is included because Joya is a two-way central midfielder who has the same skill-set and playing style as Stuart Holden who is a USMNT player that is highly regarded for his ability to bring technical skill, creativity, running, and defense to the center of the American midfield. With Holden so often injured, the 20-year-old and internationally-inexperienced Joya is a similar type of player who brings a creative two-way skill-set that almost no other American central midfielder possesses.

If one combines Klinsmann’s strong selections with the new players listed above, one sees the makings of a United States Men’s National Team roster made up of players with the technical skill and athleticism to field an effective and balanced Starting XI with a solid group of substitutes or alternative Starting XI options.

Below is that roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Third-Choice Goalkeeper.

DEFENDERS: Geoff CAMERON, John Anthony BROOKS, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL, Eric LICHAJ, Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN.

MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Fabian JOHNSON, Mix DISKERUD, Joe CORONA, Benny FEILHABER, Benji JOYA.

STRIKERS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO, Terrence BOYD.

Should the USA Use a Diamond Formation in the 2014 World Cup?

Group G will be a major obstacle for the United States Men’s National Team at the 2014 World Cup, so the United States should roll the dice and use a new formation to face its opponents straight up like soldiers.

Respect has to be earned, and the United States should use the 2014 World Cup to really go all in on its opponents and play without fear.

The United States can do this by doing the following:

1.) Use a totally new Back Four comprised of DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell, Shane O’Neill, and Chris Klute. This is a very internationally-inexperienced Back Four, but it is a talented and athletic Back Four made up of skilled defenders.

2.) Give Jermaine Jones’ defensive midfielder spot to Geoff Cameron, and start both Michael Bradley and Benji Joya as box-to-box midfielders.

Joya is a young player without a single appearance for the main United States Men’s National Team, but he is a fearless and complete midfielder who can give the United States a second two-way central midfielder to partner with Michael Bradley.

When Joya performed well against Paul Pogba, he proved that he was a USMNT prospect to be taken seriously, and that performance should not be downplayed or dismissed as just a one-off demonstration of skill. That was a legitimate proof of skill and athleticism against one of the jewels of world football.

3.) Give Clint Dempsey attack partners like Joe Corona and Juan Agudelo who play with the same desire to beat opponents with technical skill, creativity, flair, and bravado. Both Corona and Agudelo are legit young footballers who have done more than enough to be seriously considered as starters for a United States side that is regarded the world over as a national team without collectively technical ability, guile, or imagination.

The Rationale For the Starting XI Proposed Below:

From an American perspective, why should the United States continue to give world football fans reasons to openly dismiss the United States as a national side that runs a lot but that can’t beat you with pure skill?

The United States should use skill, combination play, and creativity to make Ghana, Portugal, and Germany run like crazy to defend a squad that no longer accepts boring and unimaginative play as an acceptable way to play international soccer. The United States should silence its soccer critics once and for all by giving Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley more-skilled teammates.

The USA 4-1-2-1-2 Starting XI Formation:

GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD or Brad GUZAN

Either American net minder is a complete and fundamentally sound goalkeeper that also excels at making very difficult saves and game-saving stops.

RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN

Fast, two-footed, and a modern outside back. DeAndre Yedlin has become a solid defender over the course of his rookie season in Major League Soccer, and his world-class speed combined with his ability to dribble and pass out of the back with both feet outweighs his youth and his international inexperience.

CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL

Andrew Farrell might be a better right back than Yedlin, but Farrell brings the speed, skill on the ball, and defensive ability to the center of the defense to not be victimized by World Cup attackers, especially the ones who play for Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.

CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL

Shane O’Neill is a defensive midfielder who has been converted to a center back, and he has Tab Ramos’ stamp of approval. All the best center backs in the world are players with the skill, speed, and playing style of skilled defensive midfielders.

LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE

Chris Klute is arguably the only left back in the entire American player pool that has the tools to hold his own against Group G attackers, and if Yedlin and Farrel have electrifying pace, then Klute teleports. Klute’s a tall and smooth athlete, and he’s a clean defender that also sets up goals in the attack. Klute needs to start in the World Cup.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON

Geoff Cameron’s technical ability is as smooth as his athleticism, and unlike Jermaine Jones (an excellent defensive midfielder in his own right), Cameron is better at covering for Michael Bradley when Bradley makes attacking forays. Cameron helps the team more by his smooth passing and his defensive coverage and prowess deep in the American midfield.

BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Benji JOYA

Being a 20-year-old member of a famous Mexican side like Santos Laguna is no small feat. They say that form is fallacy, and Benji Joya’s lack of club playing time as a 20-year-old box-to-box midfielder in La Liga MX has absolutely no bearing on whether or not Joya can be an asset or influential starter for the United States as a box-to-box partner for Michael Bradley. Joya complements Bradley’s running, tackling, and skilled passing because Joya is more technically-skilled, more creative, and more of an attacking threat than Bradley.

BOX-TO-BOX: Michael BRADLEY

The United States has never had a holding midfielder of Michael Bradley’s skill-level, and his skill is amplified by his tireless running and defensive prowess. With Geoff Cameron playing as a midfield destroyer, Bradley can play as the box-to-box variety of defensive midfielder.

CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe CORONA

This is a tactical decision to use a player whose game is based on one-to-two touch creative play and less on attacking players at speed to dribble past them, pass, or shoot. Joe Corona has shown that he is a player that not only brings technical-skill, creativity, possession-style play, and goal-scoring ability, but he’s also a player that puts a lot of defensive pressure on the opposition.

STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO

Given Jozy Altidore’s incredible improvement in his goal-scoring ability, his technical ability, his movement off the ball, and his desire to go straight to goal, it seems off base to exclude the American striker from the starting line-up, but Juan Agudelo brings more skill, more smooth athleticism, and more magic than Altidore. Agudelo is a more dangerous, more creative, and a more technical player than Altidore, and a player of Agudelo’s guile, speed, and athleticism is the sort of striker you want if you get stuck in a difficult group for the group stage of a World Cup.

SECOND STRIKER: Clint DEMPSEY

Clint Dempsey is an obvious starter for the 2014 World Cup, and he has the playing resume, the skill, the bravado, and the undeniable will to win that has made him an American soccer trailblazer that eclipsed every American attacking player that came before him.

The World Soccer Source USA Best XI (January 2014)

This United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) Best XI is this writer’s opinion of the best American players and/or the best combination of American players, but this Best Current USMNT XI is not a selection of the most in-form, the most experienced, or the most popular American players at each position.

World Soccer Source’s USMNT Best XI for January of 2014 is a 4-2-3-1 formation to balance possession, defending, and attacking in the American midfield, in addition to conforming with USA coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s formation of choice.

GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD

Tim Howard is a monster of a goalkeeper whose only flaw is staying rooted to his line too much, but he seems to have eliminated that flaw from his game several months ago. Howard is somewhat vulnerable to shots from distance, but Howard is an essentially complete goalkeeper. Howard delivers lots of game-saving stops, and Howard has prevented the United States from losing or losing by a lot of goals on dozens of occasions

RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN

DeAndre Yedlin is probably the best American right back with the obvious exception of the 34-year-old Steve Cherundolo who has recently returned from injury. Yedlin is part of a new crop of two-way outside backs who represent an improvement in American outside backs. Yedlin has electric pace, great technical skill, and solid defensive fundamentals and instincts. Andrew Farrell is probably as good as Yedlin at right back, but Farrell’s brand of two-way play has different strengths and weaknesses than Yedlin’s.

CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL

It’s time to put a player like Andrew Farrell at center back. Farrell has the size and physicality of Jay DeMerit with much more speed and better technical ability. Farrell is key to improving the defending, speed, and skill of the center of the American defense.

CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL

Shane O’Neill is fully-endorsed by Tab Ramos, and O’Neill is the best kind of center back, which is the type that has been converted from being a defensive midfielder. O’Neill is tall, quick, calm and skilled on the ball with both feet, and his tackling and distribution are excellent. Farrell and O’Neill as a center back partnership would be new, but it would likely be better than the Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler partnership, as effective as that has been against CONCACAF opponents.

LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE

Chris Klute is likely the fastest American soccer player, and his two-footed skill is abundantly apparent whether he’s attacking or defending. Klute is a modern outside back who is a tall and smooth athlete with a high level of technical skill. Klute is an excellent tackler and marker. Like Yedlin, Farrell, and O’Neill, Klute has a full season of starting almost every game and playing every minute for his MLS side.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON

Geoff Cameron’s qualities as a footballer extend way beyond solid marking and tackling as Cameron is a very technical player who excels at passing and covering lots of ground with his tall and athletic physique. Cameron is the perfect type of player to roam the back of the midfield to break up the passing of the opposition in addition to being heavily involved in the passing of the United States. Cameron allows Bradley to go forward without leaving the Back Four without protection.

BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY

Michael Bradley has developed into more of a box-to-box midfielder as his career as progressed and as he has improved. Playing for a Serie A team like Roma that is famous for attractive, attacking soccer is no small achievement for an American. Bradley is an excellent passer and defender with an almost unmatched engine, but Bradley isn’t a playmaker or a high-caliber shooter of the ball by international standards, even if he has scored a fair amount of goals with excellent technical ability. Nevertheless, Bradley isn’t a playmaker by any means, but his ability to keep possession and distribute the ball while also providing defensive coverage is just as important as other players’ ability to set up goals.

RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe CORONA

Out with the old or older and in with the new. Joe Corona is essentially a goal-scoring playmaker who can play on both sides of the field and in the center. Corona is more of a quick-passing player than Landon Donovan, and his youth, creativity, and aggressive play should help to foster more of a one-to-two touch style of attractive, effective, and attack-minded soccer than Donovan brings, as talented, fast, and accomplished as Donovan is.

CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Benny FEILHABER

Benny Feilhaber won over a lot of observers and American soccer fans with his play in the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs for Sporting Kansas City, which won the 2013 MLS Cup. Feilhaber covered more distance than he had done in the past, which is one of the complaints that some people had with his style of play. Nevertheless, the Brazilian-American who was born in Rio de Janeiro reminded many people why his skill-set is an important asset for the United States. There needs to be a real competition between Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Freddy Adu to see who is the best American playmaker. Nevertheless, Feilhaber should be reincorporated into the USMNT and the Starting XI to bring the type of playmaking and orchestration that has been missing from the United States under Jürgen Klinsmann unless Diskerud was playing. Klinsmann seems to have some issues with Feilhaber’s play.

LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY

The best American soccer player of all-time and the most technically-skilled American player is on his way back to play with Fulham FC on a two-month loan deal. Dempsey is a free-roaming attacking midfielder or a second striker, and starting him out left (just on paper) should allow him to go where he sees that he’s needed and play the way that he sees fit to play. Dempsey should flourish with Feilhaber and Corona as attacking midfield partners.

STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO

Juan Agudelo is a tall, fast, and smooth striker who brings a more elegant and more creative style of play than Jozy Altidore, an excellent and complete striker in his own right, and Agudelo should help to spice up the American attack with effective and attractive play that makes defenders work while freeing up Agudelo’s teammates to receive balls. Agudelo has a knack for scoring goals and creating an environment where more goals are scored on the international level. Agudelo more or less brings Altidore’s size, strength, and speed while also displaying more skill and trickery.

SNUBS: Aron JÓHANNSSON, Jozy ALTIDORE, Mix DISKERUD, Landon DONOVAN, Steve CHERUNDOLO, Jermaine JONES, Eric LICHAJ, Benji JOYA

USMNT: 23 For Brazil (January 2014)

Below are two 23-man United States Men’s National Team rosters for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Neither are predictions of which players Jürgen Klinsmann will select because it’s hard to guess how he might change his thinking about some of his players’ strengths and weaknesses given the United States’ World Cup draw into Group G with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.

Klinsmann is a tough coach to read because some of his signature victories have come when certain players were injured or unavailable, and he won’t be able to call his players that are playing their club soccer in Europe or Mexico into the January camp.

Therefore, reading a coach’s mind is a fool’s errand, and below are this writer’s roster preferences along with this writer’s estimation of something closer to a more popular 23-man roster.

Neither group is right or wrong, but they are merely one person’s opinion along with the same person’s approximation of something that perhaps a bigger percentage of American soccer fans and observers are comfortable with.

World Soccer Source’s picks are an attempt to support the players that World Soccer Source believes are the most talented, the most athletic, and the most effective players against World Cup competition such as Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.

Below are the two rosters:

World Soccer Source’s Preferred 23-Man USMNT World Cup Roster

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Luis ROBLES

DEFENDERS: Geoff CAMERON, John Anthony BROOKS, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL, Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN, Eric LICHAJ

MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Benny FEILHABER, Mix DISKERUD, Joe CORONA, Benji JOYA, Amobi OKUGO

FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO, Terrence BOYD

Notes:

-This roster contains new MLS defenders such as Chris Klute, Andrew Farrell, DeAndre Yedlin, and Shane O’Neill, along with the 20-year-old Bundesliga defender, John Anthony Brooks.

-This roster contains playmakers like Benny Feilhaber, Mix Diskerud, and Joe Corona because this writer believes the United States needs them on the roster to field a balanced line-up that can pass the ball well and produce attacking soccer.

-This roster contains the 20-year-old midfielder Benji Joya who is an internationally-inexperienced midfielder that can play as a box-to-box midfielder or as an attacking midfielder out right, out left, or in the center as a central attacking midfielder. Joya’s skill-set and style of play can be a great asset to the United States.

-This roster includes Juan Agudelo and Terrence Boyd as strikers along with Jozy Altidore and Aron Jóhannsson. For this writer, Agudelo and Boyd are too good, too athletic, and too physically-imposing to leave off.

A More Mainstream 23-Man USA World Cup Roster

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO

DEFENDERS: Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, John Anthony BROOKS, Geoff CAMERON, Fabian JOHNSON, Eric LICHAJ, Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN

MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Jermaine JONES, Mix DISKERUD, Graham ZUSI, Benny FEILHABER, Joe CORONA

FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO, Terrence BOYD

Notes:

-This roster contains Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez who have both been widely and rightly praised for their play for the United States in 2013. Both center backs are fairly complete center backs that may or may not be able to play at the same level against better competition. The World Soccer Source selections are younger and more inexperienced center backs that World Soccer Source believes have the tools to perform better at the World Cup.

-This roster includes Graham Zusi who has received almost unanimous praise for his play in MLS, and most observers consider him to be a valuable asset for the United States. World Soccer Source finds Zusi to be a two-footed and fundamentally-sound attacking midfielder whose technical-ability isn’t quite as quick, smooth, creative, and dynamic as players like Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Benji Joya.

-This roster includes Fabian Johnson whose skill is evidenced by the fact that he is a Bundesliga players. Johnson is an excellent winger that can also play fairly well as an outside back. For this writer, Johnson isn’t as strong of a defender as Klute, Farrell, Yedlin, and Lichaj, but the counter argument for this is that Johnson has lots of experience playing as an outside back in the Bundesliga.

The Best American Soccer Players (January 2014)

These rankings aren’t a scientific ranking of players according to skill, club form, international form, or experience, but rather they are a subjective ranking of players using a variety of criteria such as those listed above.

A higher or lower ranking doesn’t indicate a higher or lower amount of skill.

The group of names as a whole is more important the rankings because some players are clearly more skilled than others, and others are experiencing a better run of form than others.

In general, the American soccer media seems to rank American players based on how much they are used by Jürgen Klinsmann, as opposed to how skilled or capable the players are, and the rationale behind this is understandable given Klinsmann’s fame and playing resume.

This writer finds Klinsmann’s player selections and the criteria that many American soccer observers use or value to rank players to be questionable, but everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion in something as subjective as soccer.

These rankings were done by Colin Reese before the announcement of the USMNT’s January camp. All attempts were made to not accidentally overlook or omit any worthy player.

Here are the rankings of the Best American Soccer Players or Footballers For January 2014:

1. Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

2. Giuseppe ROSSI (Fiorentina)

3. Michael BRADLEY (Roma)

4. Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar)

5. Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy)

6. Benny FEILHABER (Sporting KC)

7. Mix DISKERUD (Rosenborg)

8. Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland)

9. Juan AGUDELO (Work Permit for Stoke City denied)

10. Joe CORONA (Tijuana)

11.Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City) 

12. Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien)

13. Jermaine JONES (Schalke)

14. Benji JOYA (Santos Laguna)

15. Steve CHERUNDOLO (Hannover)

16. Fabian JOHNSON (Hoffenheim)

17. Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa)

18. Tim HOWARD (Everton)

19. Freddy ADU (E.C. Bahia; May or May Not be leaving)*

20. Alonso HERNANDEZ (Monterrey)

21. Mario RODRIGUEZ (Borussia Mönchengladbach U-23)

22. Paul ARRIOLA (Tijuana)

23. José VILLARREAL (LA Galaxy)

24. Shane O’NEILL (Colorado Rapids)

25. Eddie JOHNSON (Seattle Sounders)

26. John Anthony BROOKS (Hertha Berlin)

27. Junior FLORES (Borussia Dortmund II)

28. DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

28. Chris KLUTE (Colorado Rapids)

28. Andrew FARRELL (New England Revolution)

31. Eric LICHAJ (Nottingham Forest)

32. Herculez GOMEZ (Tijuana)

33. Gyasi ZARDES (LA Galaxy)

34. Michael OROZCO (Puebla)

35. Jared JEFFREY (DC United)

36. Dax McCARTY (New York Red Bulls)

37. Graham ZUSI (Sporting Kansas City)

38. Jonathan SPECTOR (Birmingham City)

39. Kofi SARKODIE (Houston Dynamo)

 40. Kellyn ACOSTA (FC Dallas)

41. Perry KITCHEN (DC United)

42. Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE (Toronto FC)

43. Chris SCHULER (Real Salt Lake)

44. Matt BESLER (Sporting Kansas City)

45. Omar GONZALEZ (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Beating Germany, Portugal, and Ghana in the 2014 World Cup is possible for the United States Men’s National Team, if the right Front Six or the right type of Front Six were to be used.

While the United States Men’s National Team’s Back Four for the 2014 World Cup is a matter of great concern for American soccer fans, the Front Six should be a fairly straight forward decision for Jürgen Klinsmann.

There might be ways to improve or modify the Front Six for certain tactical reasons, such as a desire to use two strikers, but the United States is capable of fielding a Front Six made up of a mixture of defensive-minded players, attack-minded players, or both that can really compete with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana in the 2014 World Cup.

Jürgen Klinsmann has been using a 4-2-3-1 formation, and that’s a sound tactical set-up to produce effective soccer that is also quality soccer. World Soccer Source has frequently discussed the combination of players discussed below, but the United States continues to use the wrong combination of defensive midfielders, in addition to not using a playmaker and using a striker as an outside attacking midfielder.

Aron Jóhannsson and Eddie Johnson have oddly been stuck out on the right or left in the line of three attacking midfielders, which essentially negates the point of using three players who excel at creativity and passing in front of two defensive midfielders.

When strikers like Jóhannsson and Johnson are used, they need to be used up top as the focal point of the attack, as opposed to sticking them out wide where they aren’t able to utilize their skills and qualities in the right way.

Under Klinsmann, the United States has essentially never started a playmaker between Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey and part of the reason for that has been when one player or the other was unavailable, but playing either player as a playmaker or using a striker as a right or left attacking midfielder is holding the United States back.

Amidst all the decisions about players that need to be made before the 2014 World Cup, Klinsmann has the ability to field a Front Six made up entirely with players that he has used before and that he rates.

The best way for this to occur is for Klinsmann to do the obvious, which is to start Cameron and Bradley behind Donovan, Diskerud, and Dempsey with Altidore up top.

Tactically, this set-up makes sense, and it’s likely better than anything the United States has even used before.

Using Cameron as a midfield destroyer gives Bradley more freedom to make attacking forays, and starting Diskerud in between Donovan and Dempsey allows for better possession and a higher number of goal-scoring chances.

No matter how straight forward using that Front Six appears, it nevertheless is something that the United States has never used, and it allows the United States to showcase a higher level of soccer that should be more effective against the likes of Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.

Klinsmann has shown that Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Diskerud, Dempsey, and Altidore are all players that are in his plans, but he needs to start them together if he wants to make good on his promise of delivering better soccer that can improve the level and reputation of American soccer.

None of the players mentioned above need any change in mentality or special motivation because they are all competitive players who are experienced enough and skilled enough to play with the ability, athleticism, and mental intensity that’s needed in the World Cup.

The benefit of this Front Six is that none of the players are players who can be dismissed as too slow for the international game or not technically-skilled enough for the international game.

While Joe Corona, Aron Jóhannsson, Benny Feilhaber, Jermaine Jones, and Juan Agudelo all have an argument to make as players that should be part of the Front Six, the Front Six proposed in this article is nevertheless qualified to face off against strong international competition and do well.

This is a legitimate Front Six made up of players who are athletic and calm and skilled on the ball and that can play well when the speed of play goes up at the international level in the World Cup.

There are other American players who can also do the same as part of the Front Six, but this is a group of players with which American soccer fans should feel comfortable.

The United States shouldn’t overcomplicate things, but it should change some aspects of the Front Six.

Tim Howard plus the following Front Six is a solid starting point for the improvement of the USMNT in the lead up to the 2014 World Cup:

Defensive Midfielder: Geoff CAMERON

Box-To-Box Midfielder: Michael BRADLEY

Right Attacking Midfielder: Landon DONOVAN

Central Attacking Midfielder: Mix DISKERUD

Left Attacking Midfielder: Clint DEMPSEY

Striker: Jozy ALTIDORE