HIGHLIGHTS: USMNT 6 – 0 GUATEMALA
Colin Reese
USMNT: GOLD CUP XI TAKES SHAPE
As this writer previously wrote in the build up to the USMNT vs. Guatemala game, Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud need to be started slightly deeper in the midfield, as opposed to using Kyle Beckerman as a defensive midfielder.
Additionally, José Torres wasn’t as effective as Holden and Diskerud at facilitating ball movement and possession, which was his job.
Once Joe Corona had Holden and Diskerud to combine with in the second half, Corona was able to have more technical players with whom to pass, despite passing well without Diskerud and Holden in the first half.
Jürgen Klinsmann made two excellent halftime substitutions: Holden and Diskerud.
Both players as mentioned above eclipsed Beckerman’s and Torres’ performances. Additionally, the insertion of Brek Shea gave the U.S.’ attack an additional technically-skilled player who brought speed and the will and ability to get past defenders.
The set-up of Diskerud and Holden playing behind Donovan, Corona, and Shea looks to be the strongest and most effective option.
Going forward in the Gold Cup, Klinsmann will have to continue this strategy of flooding the midfield with players who are comfortable on the ball and who facilitate a style of one-to-two touch passing.
Perhaps, Klinsmann can experiment with Michael Orozco as a defensive midfielder, but the strategy of using midfield possession as a form of defense might be Klinsmann’s best option, given the presence of only one defensive midfielder on the entire Gold Cup roster.
Holden, Diskerud, and Corona all demonstrated that they can tackle and that they are willing to tackle. All three players have the soccer IQ to realize that they will need to provide a lot of tackling and defensive pressure in the midfield to compensate for the lack of a midfield destroyer or just a true box-to-box midfield who defends with authority.
Looking back on the Guatemala game, the best Front Six looks to be: Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud; Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, Brek Shea; Herculez Gomez.
This Front Six is predicated on the strategy of asking non-defensive midfielders to not only pressure the opposition into making mistakes and providing defense and tackling but also to use ball possession and offense as a form of defense.
Beckerman and Torres are both liabilities athletically and technically. Beckerman is way too slow and makes reckless tackles, and Torres is a one-footed soccer player who doesn’t play enough quality passes and final balls, in addition to being too easy to dispossess.
Torres is certainly a player with technical-ability, but it’s held back by relying on just his favored left foot.
Klinsmann made the changes that he needed to make, and he now likely knows that the Front Six mentioned above is his best option for the group stage.
The defense is a different story.
Certainly, Michael Parkhurst and DaMarcus Beasley performed well as outside backs, and Clarence Goodson really outperformed Oguchi Onyewu who looked top-heavy, awkward, and a step too slow.
Nevertheless, Goodson is hardly better than the other options Klinsmann could have picked for the roster, but Goodson showed a level of skill in scoring his goal that Onyewu doesn’t have.
Going forward, the USMNT should field a back line made up of: Michael Parkhurst, Clarence Goodson, Michael Orozco Fiscal, and DaMarcus Beasley. Depending on how well Tony Beltran does, Klinsmann has the option of using Parkhurst and Orozco as the center back tandem.
Klinsmann and the United States’ staff didn’t get their Starting XI right, but Klinsmann seems to have spotted the problem players in the game and corrected them quickly.
This was an example of Klinsmann making excellent player changes that drastically improved the level of play and created five second half goals.
It’s likely that Jürgen Klinsmann will use (or at least should use) the following starting line-up in the first Gold Cup game: Rimando; Parkhurst, Goodson, Orozco, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.
This starting line-up is built around ball possession, and using the best defenders possible, given the questionable roster choices in the defense.
Chris Klute, Best U.S. Left Back
After a player has played 17 MLS games with 15 starts at left back plus five assists, you stop referring to someone as “just a promising player.”
1,436 minutes of playing time is an enormous sample to consider someone as a left back on a United States Men’s National Team that really needs depth in its defense, particularly at left back.
Many people have been closely watching Chris Klute’s play in MLS for several months now.
With Chris Klute, all of the signs were there in the beginning.
He was recommended to MLS by Eric Wynalda, and he was a 6’2,” two-footed left back with a 4.3 40-yard dash time.
Beyond the physical gifts, which should have made Chris Klute stand out to Jürgen Klinsmann, was the comfort on the ball with both feet along with the ability to attack and defend aggressively but with elegance.
Klute’s smooth running and his tendency to go forward make him a very noticeable player in MLS games, and his defense isn’t lacking because of all of his attacking forays. In fact, his defense is as good as his attacking, and his defense shows a strong ability to pass and dribble out of his own final third.
With so many people watching MLS games and looking for players to improve the USMNT, Klute is the perfect example of a talented player being undervalued or dismissed as “inexperienced” or “raw” or “promising,” which are all just clichés that are irrelevant to a national team that needs to close the gap with much more technically-skilled national teams.
Chris Klute is way too good to continue to be overlooked by the national team without evidence of two better left back options, when Klute is likely the very best left back option.
Maybe it took playing against Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls for people to really notice Klute, but with more members of the media watching this particular game on the Fourth of July because Thierry Henry was playing, Klute had a statement game characterized by his dribbling, his tackling, his world-class speed, and the two-way threat he posed attacking and defending.
It’s too bad that it took many people so long to notice Klute, but after tonight’s game, people will be paying more attention.
Klute’s ability and athleticism really challenge the belief that Jürgen Klinsmann has surveyed the American talent pool and that he is limited by it.
Many people will say that one particularly good game against Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls doesn’t warrant a national team spot or the title, “Best American Left Back,” and that’s fair. But, this wasn’t one game; this was 17 games and 1,436 minutes of playing time, in addition to the personal recommendation of Eric Wynalda.
Klute’s skill-set and physical gifts look to not just be MLS-caliber but international-caliber. Klute may not show his full potential in his first international game, but it’s hard to argue that his technical ability, defensive skill-set, size, and speed won’t translate to the international game.
Call it premature if you want, but Chris Klute looks to have the two-way skill and the athleticism to be the best left back option for the USMNT, even including Fabian Johnson who is a right-footed player who prefers playing on the wing.
Check out German Sferra’s coverage of Chris Klute for the Colorado Rapids’ website:
http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2012/09/wynalda-klute-has-eddie-pope-qualities-faster
Freddy Adu Interview with Correio
Freddy Adu recently did an interview with Miro Palma of CORREIO in Salvador where they discussed a variety of topics. Below is the translation of the interview.
Translation of Freddy Adu’s CORREIO interview with Miro Palma (Twitter: @miropalma):
*All translation done by Colin Reese. Any mistakes are my own.
Freddy Adu chegou ao Bahia cercado de expectativas e, mesmo após mais de três meses, o torcedor não pode fazer uma análise apurada do jogador de 24 anos. São só quatro partidas – todas elas entrando no 2º tempo, a poucos minutos do fim. Mesmo assim, o americano acredita que pode ser útil. No treino de ontem, marcou até um gol. Sempre alegre, tido pelos companheiros como o mais querido do elenco, ele projeta um futuro grandioso no Esquadrão. Em um bate-papo descontraído com o CORREIO, onde respondeu todas as perguntas em português, Adu falou sobre tudo. Confira!”
Freddy Adu came to Bahia surrounded by expectations, and even after more than three months, the fans can’t make a reasoned assessment of the 24 year old player. There are only four games, all of them (with him) coming on in the second half, just a few minutes from the end (of the game). Despite this, the American thinks he can be useful. At yesterday’s practice, he even scored a goal. Always happy, considered by his teammates as the most liked (player) on the roster, he sees a bright future ahead of him with the Esquadrão. In a casual chat with CORREIO, where he answered all of the questions in Portuguese, Adu talked about everything. Check it out!
Que achou da Copa das Confederações? E do Brasil?
Gosto muito do futebol brasileiro. Quando a Seleção Brasileira joga, sempre assisto, pois eu gosto de jogo bonito. O Brasil ganhou contra a Espanha e todo mundo fala: ‘pô, o Brasil voltou’. Futebol é a minha vida. Gosto muito de acompanhar todos os jogos e quero ficar aqui no próximo ano, jogando no Bahia.
What did you think of the Confederations Cup? And of Brazil?
I like Brazilian soccer a lot. Whenever the Seleção plays, I always watch, since I like jogo bonito. Brazil beat Spain, and everyone said, “Fu.., Brazil is back.” Soccer is my life. I really like to keep up with all of the games, and I want to stay here next year playing for Bahia.
E Neymar?
Joga muito (Risos). Foi o melhor jogador da Copa das Confederações e acho que vai se sair muito bem no Barcelona. Ele é muito importante para a Seleção Brasileira, faz coisas diferentes.
And Neymar?
He can really play (laughs). He was the best player in the Confederations Cup and I think he’s going to turn out really well at Barcelona. He is really important for the Seleção, he does unique things.
Você espera jogar mais no segundo semestre?
Sim, sim, sim. Só espero a minha chance. Tenho que trabalhar e, quando tiver a chance, mostrar que mereço. Mas se o treinador acha que o outro jogador pode ajudar mais, está tudo bem. Meu trabalho é vir aqui e, quando tiver chance, ajudar o time.
Do you hope to play more in the second half of the season?
-Yes, yes, yes. I’m just waiting for my chance. I have to work and when I have the chance, show that I deserve it. But if the coach thinks that another player can help more, that’s ok. My job is to come here, and when I have the chance, help the team.
Porque acha que ainda não teve uma sequência?
Mudou muito de treinador. Quando o novo (Joel) chegou, não me conhecia muito bem. Por isso tem que mostrar sempre que é bom jogador.
Why do you think you haven’t had a good sequence (of games)?
The coaches changed a lot. When the new one (Joel Santana) came, he didn’t know me very well. Because of that, you have to show that you’re a good player.
O que acha de Salvador?
Gosto muito de ir pra praia. Tenho companheiros que são ótimas pessoas. Ryder, Douglas Pires, Rafael Donato, que moram perto de mim. Sempre vou pra casa deles, fazemos um churrasco, na área de Praia do Flamengo.
What do you think of Salvador?
I really like going to the beach. I have teammates who are really nice people. Ryder, Douglas, Rafael Donato, who live close to me. I always go over to their houses, and we have BBQs in the area around Praia do Flamengo.
Muita gente no clube diz que você é quase um baiano…
(Gargalhadas) A adaptação foi rápida. Eu gosto muito da cultura do Brasil. A vida não é longa e temos que aproveitar. Tenho um bom trabalho e posso ajudar minha família. Por isso estou sempre feliz.
Lots of people at the club say that you’re practically Baiano…
(Laughing) The adjustment was fast. I really like Brazilian culture. Life is short, and we have to take advantage of it. I have a good job, and I can help my family. Because of that, I’m always happy.
Sua família conhece a cidade?
Eles estão nos EUA, mas vou trazer eles aqui. Minha mãe e meu irmão vem em agosto.
Has your family even been to the city (Salvador)?
They’re in the U.S., but I’m going to bring them here. My mom and my brother are coming in August.
E em relação à música daqui. Gosta de escutar?
Gosto de Oito7nove4. É assim: ‘Dá um abraço, dá o outro, faça o movimento…’ (canta). Eu gosto muito dessa! Essa música é fera pra mim. Mas eu gosto mais de hip-hop, porque é a minha cultura nos Estados Unidos.
About the music here, do you like listening to it?
I like Oito7nove4. It goes likes this, “Dá um abraço, dá o outro, faça o movimento…” (singing). I like that one a lot! That song is fire to me, but I like hip-hop more because it’s my culture in the United States.
Qual o seu maior sonho?
Hum… Quero jogar na Copa. Jogar na Liga dos Campeões da Europa. Por isso eu assinei com o Bahia. Quando você joga bem aqui, todos os times do mundo querem você.
What’s your biggest dream?
Um… I want to play in the World Cup. Play in the Champions League. Because of that I signed with Bahia. When you play well here (in Brazil), every team in the world wants you.
Dá pra voltar à seleção?
Claro que sim. Já falei com o treinador e ele disse que eu tinha que jogar na liga mais forte. Se tinha a oportunidade de jogar no Brasil… Porra, tinha que jogar aqui. Tem tudo aqui agora: Copa do Mundo, Jogos Olímpicos. O Brasil está muito forte e os clubes estão com mais dinheiro. Todo mundo quer jogar aqui.
It is possible to return to the national team?
Of course it is. I already talked to the coach, and he told me that I had to play in a better league. If I had the opportunity to play in Brazil…F***/S***, I had to play here. Everything is here right now: The World Cup, the Olympics. Brazil is really strong, and the clubs have more money. Everyone wants to play here.
Quem é Freddy Adu?
Como jogador, Freddy Adu é um cara que joga bonito, joga feliz. Como pessoa, também. Sempre feliz.
Who is Freddy Adu?
As a player, Freddy Adu is a guy that plays with flair, that plays happy. As a person, also. (I’m) always happy.
Seu português está ótimo. Soube que você faz umas gracinhas com os jogadores…
Que nada. Meu português está fraco. Gracinhas é mais fácil. Gosto muito dos meus companheiros de time. Sempre todo mundo brincando. É como uma família, é bom. Meu antigo time não tinha isso. Tinham vários grupos. Aqui todo mundo está junto.
Your Portuguese is great. I knew that you joked around with the players…
Not at all. My Portuguese is weak. Jokes are easier. I really like my teammates. Everyone is always joking around. It’s like a family, and that’s good. My old team wasn’t like that. There were different cliques. Everyone is together here.
Seria o jeito brasileiro?
É isso… Quando eu saio de casa todo mundo brinca. Aê Freddy Adivis! E aí Freddy Adivis? É bom demais.
Could it be that that’s the Brazilian way?
That’s it…when I leave my house everyone is joking around. “Yo, Freddy Adivis! What’s up Freddy Adivis? It’s really great.
*All translation done by Colin Reese. Any mistakes are my own.
USMNT: A Better Gold Cup Roster
Even before his preliminary USMNT Gold Cup roster, Jürgen Klinsmann should have had all of these players in mind.
Below is a stronger and more balanced Gold Cup roster than Jürgen Klinsmann’s preliminary Gold Cup roster or his final roster (for the group stage):
GOALKEEPERS: Luis ROBLES, Clint IRWIN, Dan KENNEDY
Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson are promising prospects, but were Robles, Irwin, and Kennedy even given a chance? Many people regard Robles as a mistake machine, but the same can be said of Hamid and Johnson.
It’s hard to be a goalkeeper with no one behind you to save you from mistakes. People criticize goalkeepers when they stay on their line and when they come off their line, but Robles, Irwin, and Kennedy were equally as worthy as Hamid and Johnson of roster spots.
Robles is more controversial than Irwin and Kennedy, but it’s hard to believe that Hamid and Johnson really outperformed Robles, Irwin, and Kennedy in MLS.
In many ways, Irwin and Kennedy are less prone to mistakes than Hamid and Johnson, while Robles is a keeper who makes phenomenal saves with the occasional overly-criticized mistake.
RIGHT BACKS: Jonathan SPECTOR, Kofi SARKODIE
Jonathan Spector proved himself against Brazil and Spain. Enough said. Not calling up an internationally-proven right back was inexcusable.
Kofi Sarkodie was another Klinsmann snub. Like DeAndre Yedlin who maybe should have been in the running for the preliminary Gold Cup roster despite his involvement in this summer’s U-20 World Cup, Sarkodie brings great speed and attacking play, which is one of the trademarks of modern outside backs, and Sarkodie has a sizeable body of MLS work for Klinsmann to have seen.
This Gold Cup was supposed to take players who had the tools to play international soccer and get them experience in the Gold Cup without calling up overly inexperienced players. Sarkodie certainly has demonstrated that his recovery defense, his attacking, and the threat he poses along the right flank are valuable assets for the USMNT.
LEFT BACKS: Chris KLUTE, Edgar CASTILLO
Chris Klute is personally backed by Eric Wynalda, and observers have been seeing just how effective his two-way ability is. For a country with precious few left backs, Klute has more than enough MLS starts and minutes to now consider him an experienced MLS player with the physical gifts and technical ability to excel at the international level.
Klute is known for his speed, but Klute possesses great touch, passing, overlapping runs, and crossing ability. When so many people just blindly hit crosses, Klute makes his way down the sideline and through traffic to play controlled passes into the box that have a specific target in mind.
Klute’s tackling, heading, speed, and two-way threat are there for all to see. Klute has been praised by Eric Wynalda, Marcelo Balboa, and Alexi Lalas, and it’s hard for Klinsmann and his staff to say that they’ve selected the best MLS players when a player with Klute’s skills and physical gifts wasn’t even mentioned.
Edgar Casillo made Klinsmann’s roster, and with good reason. Casillo had an impressive season with Xolos in La Liga MX as well as the Copa Libertadores. Castillo has improved his game tremendously over the past year, and his inclusion on the roster wasn’t considered surprising or controversial.
CENTER BACKS: George JOHN, Amobi OKUGO, Andrew FARRELL, Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE
Andrew Farrell is a center back who has been playing as a right back for the New England Revolution, but a good way to make a lot of money would be to bet someone that Farrell’s skill, speed, and tackling eclipse Onyewu’s and Goodson’s. Farrell’s speed and ability is immediately noticeable. His time spent living in Peru because of his parents taught him the superiority of advanced technical ability and one-to-two touch passing.
George John’s exclusion makes no sense. John is regarded as one of the best center backs in MLS, and his services have been sought after by EPL teams and the Greek national team. Klinsmann has decided to just pretend that he doesn’t exist.
Gale Agbossoumonde is a well-known name in American soccer circles. For a stretch of some 10 MLS games, Agbossoumonde performed very well when Toronto FC’s more established center backs were unavailable.
Some 10 games worth of video to study (including a game marking Thierry Henry) is more than enough video evidence for Klinsmann to see the comfort on the ball Agbossoumonde brings in addition to his exceptional size, athleticism, defensive timing, and his soccer IQ.
Klinsmann wants Americans to blindly except the exclusion of Agbossoumonde over unqualified center backs like Clarence Goodson and Oguchi Onyewu.
For all of Klinsmann’s talk of change, proactive play, and better technical ability, Klinsmann is totally unwilling to let younger, more athletic, and more skilled players play at almost any position, even in the group stage of a tournament like the Gold Cup, which features truly poor competition.
Amobi Okugo can play as a defensive midfielder or as a center back, and he like George John was widely regarded as a Klinsmann snub. While Agbossoumonde and Farrell are choices for a coach who recognizes the need to use less experienced but better players, John and Okugo were players who the American soccer media widely viewed as roster snubs.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Perry KITCHEN, Jeremy HALL
Kyle Beckerman was chosen to play in the Gold Cup, and Beckerman cannot play international soccer. He’s slow. He’s not quick, and he has never been able to keep up with the pace of the game against basically anyone the United States has faced when Jürgen Klinsmann was the coach or before.
On the other hand, Perry Kitchen and Jeremy Hall are upgrades to Beckerman. They are quicker. Their tackles are less reckless and better timed, and they have a more advanced skill-set. Jeremy Hall scored a goal this season in MLS where he muscled Giles Barnes off a bouncing ball and then somewhat Cruyffed his defender to get free, and then he scored a goal from outside of the box.
This display of skill combined with the athleticism and overall defensive and passing performance that he has displayed this year makes him a far superior international defensive midfielder to Beckerman.
Kitchen is a known commodity. He tackles and shields the ball well, and he knows how to pass well with both feet without conceding possession.
With his superior athleticism and comfort on the ball over Beckerman in addition to his ability to play center back, Kitchen would have been a much wiser choice than Beckerman who has shown that he cannot keep up with the speed of international play without excessive, reckless, and mistimed tackling.
Beckerman is something of a walking yellow yard, and he’s a walking red card against faster players.
ATTACKING AND BOX-BOX MIDFIELDERS: Benny FEILHABER, Joe CORONA, Stuart HOLDEN, Benji JOYA
Everyone in this category has a proven track record of international success. Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden are known commodities that have flourished against some of the best players in the world, and Joe Corona proved himself in the Copa Libertadores and La Liga MX. Klinsmann called him up, but in World Cup qualifying Klinsmann seemed to view Corona’s proven-ability to play creative, proactive soccer against the likes of Paulinho as irrelevant. Graham Zusi, a 26 year old MLS player who just signed a four year contract extension, was chosen to start over a creative attacking midfielder with smooth passing ability and strong scoring potential.
Even Benji Joya should have been on the preliminary roster, as the U-20 U.S. national team was in the group of death at the U-20 World Cup. Anyone who saw Joya play Paul Pogba had further confirmation of the skill that has already been on display for quite some time from the young midfielder. Joya is a complete midfielder who silenced his critics when he played against Pogba.
(Additional Attacking Midfielders) WINGERS: Joe GYAU, Brek SHEA
To give the USMNT the option of speed and skill out wide, both Gyau and Shea bring excellent speed and skill and the willingness to cut into toward the middle of the penalty box and try to score or set up their teammates. With most of the width normally coming from the outside backs, two extremely fast and slippery wingers on the roster gives the U.S. a different dimension with which to attack opponents.
At the very least, players like Gyau and Shea disrupt the defensive shape of opponents, which opens up space for these wingers’ teammates.
STRIKERS: Juan AGUDELO, Terrence BOYD, Lamar NEAGLE, Tony TAYLOR
The American soccer media can continue to insist that the MLS scoring-rate of American strikers is an accurate barometer of international success, but a realistic perspective of world soccer proves this to be questionable.
While a certain type of form and ability in MLS can signal the ability to play international soccer effectively as a striker, history has taught the United States that even small soccer countries often have faster and more skilled defenders than what is normally prevalent in MLS.
The competition in the Gold Cup is poor, but the point is to see how good the talent is outside of the players that Jürgen Klinsmann has been normally calling up.
The exclusion of Juan Agudelo from the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster is nearly impossible to support. Will Bruin has four MLS goals this season, and Chris Wondolowski has five; both are on the roster.
Agudelo has five MLS goals plus 17 caps inside a tall physique with lean and fast-twitch muscles that have translated to the international level.
Agudelo is too creative, too quick, too adventurous, and too dangerous to be excluded from a national team like the United States,’ which needs all the players like this that it can get its hands on.
Tony Taylor has been criticized for not playing too often in Portugal, but how many American strikers actually play at all in Portugal, and how many aren’t dropped by their second division teams when the team moves up into a league with great talent like the Portuguese Primeira Liga?
American soccer writers will try to compare battling for playing time in the Primeira Liga as less impressive than scoring regularly in MLS, but this opinion tries in vain to convince knowledgeable soccer observers that MLS and the Primeira Liga are comparable, even for a Primeira Liga bench player.
Taylor is very fast and skilled, and the fact that he wasn’t dropped by Estoril Praia when they moved up to the Primeira Liga says a lot. Certainly, Estoril could have found strikers everywhere in Brazil and Portugal to take Taylor’s spot or found some loophole in his contract to send him packing.
Taylor did actually play in the Primeira Liga, and if one thinks that is no different that playing in MLS, then one can try to rationalize that mentality.
Finally, Lamar Neagle has demonstrated a much higher capacity to play international soccer than both Jack McInerney and Will Bruin. The caliber of Neagle’s goals this year and his ability to free himself to take shots on goal and score is well-beyond anything Bruin or McInerney have shown.
On paper, both players look like two of the best MLS forwards, but the way that Neagle plays and the more advanced display of individual skill will translate much better to the international game. McInerney is fast but small, but he doesn’t have the 1v1 dribbling ability or trickery needed to outfox international defenders who are fast and used to dealing with more gifted dribblers.
Bruin and McInerney might be fine for the competition in the first round of the Gold Cup, but one of the purposes of this tournament was to initiate people who can break into the senior team. Neagle at least presents the size, speed, and skill to be internationally competitive, certainly more than Wondolowski has shown when given the chance to play international soccer.
NEYMAR IS KING. BRAZIL DESTROYS SPAIN
Neymar’s Triumph. Neymar’s Glory.
In a grudge match between Brazil and Spain with the Confederations Cup trophy on the line, Brazil was out to show the world that Brazil plays the best soccer in the world and that Spain is only a poor imitation of Brazilian soccer.
Brazil destroyed and demoralized Spain in a 3-0 goleada that put the world on notice.
Brazilians like Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, and basically the entire Seleção set the tone from the initial whistle with ferocious tackling, intense pressing, and an outstanding amount of running that totally disoriented and dazed Spain like an Anderson Silva front kick to the face.
Brazil came out to play with so much intensity that Spain was engulfed and devastated from the opening kickoff.
The approach of the Seleção wasn’t purely psychological and physical intimidation, but rather Brazil brought its historic magic, guile, and trickery that had been missing from the Brazilian national team for several years until the beginning of the Confederations Cup.
Whether it was fueled by huge public protest about inadequate public services and infrastructure in Brazil or a growing sense of rage at the glorification of the style of soccer played by Barcelona and the Spanish national team, something motivated the Brazilians to deliver a level of overall intensity and collective group play that has almost never been seen out of Brazil.
Certainly several years ago, the Seleção displayed a degree of artistry and skill that made fans the world over want to watch Brazil play, but recently the Brazilian national team didn’t show the exciting and creative style of play that captivated audiences and made Brazil the pinnacle of world football.
Spain really was metaphorically body slammed and drop kicked out of Maracanã by the feared yellow jerseys of Brazil, and the emotional state of the Seleção totally disrupted the way Spain liked to play. While Brazil was very aggressive in its tackling, very few tackles were dirty or overly rough.
Brazil played like they really resented all of the praise that Spain has received for their smooth and graceful passing, which Brazilians fell like is a style of soccer that was invented in Brazil decades before Barcelona or Spain starting playing that way.
While Neymar was fantastic in his passing, his movement of the ball, and his overall display of talent, his left-footed golaço scored on Iker Casillas was particularly ruthless.
Without any hesitation, Neymar flamethrowered a left-footed shot at Casillas’ face, which went right over Casillas’ head due to the fact that the shot had to have looked like a blurr to Casillas.
Neymar’s left-footed golaço sent a message around the world like his other goals in the tournament have done, and this particular goal said “Even if you cover the near post, I can still crush a left-footed shot right at your head, and you still won’t have a chance.”
It was a sensational goal that should silence critics.
Spain enjoyed more possession, but it didn’t appear that way when one was watching the game as Brazil was constantly winning the ball back, darting toward the Spanish goal, and stringing together one-touch passes.
In a way, Spain and its players were not even a storyline, as their play was totally eclipsed by the attacking and defensive intensity that hit Spain like a tidal wave for the entire 90 minutes, and any chances Spain had were either rejected by diving saves from Brazil’s goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, or on one occasion a seemingly impossible sliding clearance that David Luiz somehow managed to clear over his own goal, despite making his interception on his own goal line.
Brazil almost bullied Spain, and any fouls on Neymar or any other Brazilian player were met with severe warnings from the rest of the Seleção, as they often surrounded and intimidated players from the Spanish national team.
The Brazilian weren’t violent or dirty, but they did seek to psychologically intimidate Spanish players like Sergio Busquets, Álvaro Arbeloa, and Gerard Piqué.
Spain was devasted by the Seleção in a true goleada that seemed to signal the return of Brazilian soccer to the top of world soccer.
While Spain has its passing and possession, every Brazilian national team player is equally or more capable of passing the ball like Spain, but the Brazilians have the additional element of superior individual skill on the ball, which can embarrass opponents in 1v1 situations.
Brazilian soccer is back, and Neymar has announced to the world that just might be the king of world soccer, and the player par excellence.
The Canarinho won as a team, and Brazil under Felipão has displayed that it has elite players at every position who can devastate opponents with inspired collective play and individual brilliance.
Today, Brazil played with a fire that burned on the inside, and Brazil will have to learn how to demonstrate close to or the same level of intensity in future games, as opposed to not being active enough without the ball.
This Brazil-Spain matchup was one of the most exciting soccer games seen in a long time, and Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Germany are all displaying a very high level of play that should make for competitive and exciting games before and during the World Cup.
France has a new crop of young players who may prove to be a force to be reckoned with, but Brazil showed that they have the capacity to thoroughly embarrass Spain. Now, Germany is the next team that Brazil has to prove itself against.
Anyone who doubted Brazil or Neymar should take a good, hard look at the passing, scoring, and overall skill that Neymar showed in this tournament against elite competition, and Brazil’s doubters should look at how skilled, complete, and deep Brazil is at every position.
Futebol arte is back, and Neymar is its king.
FIFA MATCH REPORT:
http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round=255211/match=300222461/summary.html
GLOBO ESPORTE MATCH REPORT:
http://globoesporte.globo.com/jogo/copa-confederacoes-2013/30-06-2013/brasil-espanha.html
MARCA COVERAGE (SPANISH AND ENGLISH VERSIONS):
http://www.marca.com/eventos/marcador/futbol/2013/copa_confederaciones/final/bra_spa/
http://www.marca.com/2013/06/30/en/football/national_teams/1372577474.html
Gold Cup: USMNT XI Options
Jürgen Klinsmann has a variety of United States Men’s National Team Starting XI options, and none of them would instill much confidence, if it weren’t for the low level of competition the USMNT will face in the Gold Cup.
Klinsmann could possibly start: Nick Rimando; Michael Parkhurst, Clarence Goodson, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Edgar Castillo; Kyle Beckerman, José Torres; Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, DaMarcus Beasley; Herculez Gomez.
A wiser Starting XI would be: Nick Rimando; Josh Gatt, Michael Parkhurst, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Edgar Castillo; Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud; Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, DaMarcus Beasley; Herculez Gomez.
The option presented above has no defensive midfielder whatsoever because the strategy behind it is that by having Beckerman starting, the USMNT would have a liability in front of the defensive back four.
Instead, the Starting XI above has two modern outside backs, the best two center back options on the 23-man roster, five midfielders who can maintain possession and attack, and a proven international and Liga MX striker.
Holden, Diskerud, and Corona are all capable of tackling well, if they know they are required to do more tackling than normal. Josh Gatt has played as a right back even though he is considered more of a winger, and Gatt has had the experience of playing a full-strength Russian side in Russia (as a midfielder).
Beckerman’s lack of athleticism, which causes him to badly mistime tackles and injure opponents, alone is a reason not to start him, but his lack of quickness or speed makes him also easily to beat off the dribble or with quick passing combinations.
Klinsmann has the option of flooding the midfield with skilled attacking midfielders and not use a defensive midfielder, and this strategy would basically be based on using offense and ball possession as the United States’ defense.
Whatever starting line-up he selects (and the one proposed above by World Soccer Source is very unlikely to happen), many members of the American soccer media and the fan base will use certain players’ performances against poor competition as justification for their ability to play international soccer against better opponents. Strikers like Jack McInerney and Will Bruin are likely to fall into this category, as well as wingers like Josh Gatt or Alejando Bedoya.
In a way, Klinsmann is not improving the USMNT at all by using the line-up he will likely use. The only thing that Klinsmann can hope to learn with this roster is how well Corona, Diskerud, and Holden play.
Additionally, Klinsmann should be able to gauge how good Josh Gatt’s and Edgar Castillo’s skills are even when they are facing off against a poor opponent like Belize in the first game (if they even start or play).
The United States has other starting line-up options such as using Gatt as a right wing and Tony Beltran as a right back.
So, another Starting XI option would be this: Rimando; Beltran, Goodson, Orozco Fiscal, Castillo; Holden, Diskerud; Gatt, Corona, Donovan; Gomez.
The weakest option available to Klinsmann would be the following Starting XI: Hamid; Parkhurst, Goodson, Onyewu, Ashe; Beckerman, Orozco; Gatt, Torres, Bedoya; Wondolowski.
The 2013 USMNT Gold Cup Roster
Jürgen Klinsmann selected another trademark imbalanced roster for the United States Men’s National Team’ s Gold Cup squad.
The roster has one right back, three left backs, only one defensive midfielder, several mediocre center backs without good agility, and mostly pedestrian strikers.
Klinsmann made one needed change from his previous roster which was putting more than one playmaker on the roster: Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud.
Below is the United States’ B Team Gold Cup roster selected by Klinsmann and his staff, and changes could possibly be made to the roster after the group stage of the tournament, should the United States advance out:
GOALKEEPERS: Bill HAMID (DC United), Sean JOHNSON (Chicago Fire), Nick RIMANDO (Real Salt Lake).
OUTSIDE BACKS: Michael PARKHURST (Augsburg), Edgar CASTILLO (Tijuana), Tony BELTRAN (Real Salt Lake), DaMARCUS BEASLEY (Puebla) , Corey ASHE (Houston Dynamo).
CENTER BACKS: Clarence GOODSON (Bronby), Oguchi ONYEWU (Malaga), Michael OROZCO FISCAL (Puebla).
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Kyle BECKERMAN (Real Salt Lake).
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Alejandro BEDOYA (Helsinborg), Joe CORONA (Tijuana), Mix DISKERUD (Rosenborg), Josh GATT (Molde), Stuart HOLDEN (Bolton), José TORRES (Tigres).
FORWARDS: Will BRUIN (Houston Dynamo), Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy), Herculez GOMEZ (Tijuana), Jack MCINERNEY (Philadelphia Union), Chris WONDOLOWSKI (San Jose Earthquakes).
The Gold Cup roster Jürgen Klinsmann has selected for at least the group stage of the Gold Cup should be very alarming to anyone who remembers that in the 2011 Gold Cup the United States Men’s National Team struggled with the following players on the roster: Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Eric Lichaj, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, and Juan Agudelo.
Looking at the roster by position, even the goalkeepers are just the same goalkeepers that Klinsmann always selects as third string or B Team goalkeepers without even using them or proving that they in fact deserve to always be on the roster.
Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson, and Nick Rimando may prove to be capable as international goalkeepers, but are they better than some of the other MLS goalkeepers like Dan Kennedy, Tally Hall, Luis Robles, and Clint Irwin?
So far, Klinsmann seems to just select Hamid, Johnson, and Rimando without proving that they should just automatically be given the B Team goalkeeper spots.
Klinsmann and his staff selected just one right back for the Gold Cup roster: Tony Beltran.
The other right back in name only was Michael Parkhurst. Parkhurst is a good center back who has done well overseas, where he has recently been used as a right back. But, Parkhurst is a center back who doesn’t have the speed or the style of play to realistically be used as a right back against strong opponents.
Is Tony Beltran was on the roster, then where were the likes of Kofi Sarkodie, Jonathan Spector, and Eric Lichaj? Picking Beltran over the other three requires some evidence, and Klinsmann doesn’t have it.
Spector and Lichaj have a body of international work to support their inclusion over Beltran, and Sarkodie continues to display how he (like DeAndre Yedlin) is a fast and aggressive outside back who poses a two-way threat.
Sarkodie keeps getting better, and proving that Beltran is better than a player like Sarkodie is a tough sell. At the very least, Sarkodie has shown his ability in Olympic qualifying, and his form in MLS continues to improve.
Sarkodie’s attacking ability and his improved tackling has been something that many writers and pundits have noticed.
Exclusions like Sarkodie are a concerning pattern with Klinsmann where he selects certain players without backing up his selections, and at the same time, players who are as good or better aren’t even mentioned, almost to the extent that it would appear that Klinsmann’s scouting is inadequate and subpar.
Even if many of the opponents in the Gold Cup are soccer minnows, the United States still needs to improve as a team and gel, and this roster puts the USMNT in the position to possible lose to teams that it should easily beat.
While there is one right back on the roster, there are three left backs, and they aren’t the kind of left backs who can play as right or left backs. They are three left backs, who can only play on the left, and one of them, DaMarcus Beasley, isn’t even an outside back.
Beasley is a winger who did a good job of filling in at left back in the first half of the Hexagonal round of the World Cup qualifying when the U.S. needed a left-footed player to play left back.
Chris Klute of the Colorado Rapids deserved to be on the Gold Cup roster or at least part of the discussion.
Klute is a lightning-quick left back who can also play as a right back, center back, or as a midfielder, and Klute boasts a 4.3 40 time according to his former coach Eric Wynalda.
Klute is just what the doctor ordered for the USMNT.
He’s a modern outside back who attacks with speed and skill by combining to exchange wall passes with his teammates, and he makes dangerous overlapping runs. Marcelo Balboa also rates Klute highly.
Klute offers the United States an outside back who has the speed and skill to be effective going forward and on the defensive side of things.
Klute has great recovery speed, and he knows how to cover for the center backs when they come over to cover for him if he’s beaten.
He can dribble or pass the ball out of the back, and he uses his excellent vertical leap to head out dangerous balls played into the box or into the attacking third.
Klute can outplay Ashe, Castillo, and Beasley, and while Klute is not immune to being beaten off the dribble or with a pass just like any defender is, he is great at quickly closing in on the player who has passed him.
Chris Klute is an excellent example of one of many quality MLS players who have appeared from somewhat off the radar, and they are totally passed over by Klinsmann and his staff for players who haven’t proven that they are better.
Klinsmann has never even mentioned Klute, and Klute is almost never even discussed by the American soccer media. For all of these pundits and American soccer writers who seem to only pay attention to MLS, how did they miss Chris Klute?
At center back, it’s unclear how Klinsmann rationalized his selections.
For example, how does Klinsmann justify omitting George John from the roster, when John is a center back who is almost universally recognized by MLS coaches and players as one of the best center backs in the league? Even the Greek national team and EPL clubs have openly shown interest in John.
Looking at Klinsmann’s roster selections at center back, Onyewu and Goodson have repeatedly been shown to not have the agility or technical ability to take the United States to the next level, and using players of their age does nothing to incorporate younger and better center backs like George John, Amobi Okugo, Gale Agbossoumonde, and Andrew Farrell (who can play either as a center back, outside back, or midfield destroyer).
Say what you want about Agbossoumonde and Farrell, but their comfort on the ball, their strong defensive skills, and their athleticism are there for all to see.
These are promising players who have enough experience to not be dismissed as raw and unproven players. Farrell and Agbossoumonde are not YouTube players, but rather they are players who games can be viewed and analyzed on MLS Live.
Any American defender who could possibly improve the center of the American defense deserves to be considered.
Whereas Klinsmann often put five or six midfield destroyers on his previous rosters, Klinsmann has only one defensive midfielder on this Gold Cup roster: Kyle Beckerman.
Beckerman is a midfield destroyer, and the roster doesn’t have a back-up destroyer for Beckerman or two players of the second kind of defensive midfielder: the box-to-box midfielder.
How was Perry Kitchen passed over for this Gold Cup roster as an additional midfield destroyer? Everything Beckerman does, Kitchen does better.
Kitchen isn’t fast by international soccer standards, but he isn’t a slow liability. His passing and comfort on the ball is as good or better than Beckerman’s, and he can also play as a center back.
Amobi Okugo is another defensive midfielder or center back who was necessary as a substitute or as a starter. Given Beckerman’s glacial speed and poor quickness, he’s a liability that should have been replaced by Kitchen, Okugo, or Jeremy Hall.
Despite Beckerman’s sound fundamentals and technique, there’s no place for a player who’s that slow in international soccer, especially a country like the United States that wants to improve its quality of play and international competitiveness.
The rest of the midfield is all attacking midfielders of various varieties including two actual playmakers in Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud and one attacking midfielder in Stuart Holden who doesn’t easily fit into any category.
Additionally, José Torres is on the roster, despite never performing well or impacting any game he has played for the United States, and Torres doesn’t combine enough with his teammates or play enough final balls to be considered a playmaker.
Benny Feilhaber deserved a roster spot over José Torres because Feilhaber has outplayed Torres at the international level, and Feilhaber has been enjoying a solid season with Sporting Kansas City in MLS, despite being left off a recent travel roster.
Sporting Kansas City’s passing is better when Feilhaber is playing, and Feilhaber has also displayed quite a bit of tackling and strong defensive work for a playmaker. Feilhaber even had seven or eight tackles in a game against the LA Galaxy when Jürgen Klinsmann was in the stadium to watch the game.
Feilhaber’s qualities are well-known in the United States, and often coaches like Klinsmann expect him to either play more defense that a playmaker normally plays or they have unrealistic expectations for him.
People know Feilhaber is a talented passer, so they raise their expectations for him, while allowing less talented people to play.
Even without Feilhaber, at least the roster has Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud, but the selection of Torres over Feilhaber shows Klinsmann’s tendency to pick his players early and insist on selecting them over and over again without any evidence.
The roster also has wingers amongst the group of attacking midfielders. Alejandro Bedoya and Josh Gatt are wingers, but it’s hard to support that they match the combination of skill and speed that Joe Gyau and Brek Shea provide as wingers.
Shea has performed better than Bedoya for the United States, and Gatt offers less speed and skill than Gyau offers. Gyau also plays in a more competitive environment in Germany.
The omission of both Terrence Boyd and Juan Agudelo from the group of strikers was very indefensible, especially since strikers like Chris Wondolowski were selected over both of them.
Given the problem with goal scoring in the 2011 Gold Cup, how can anyone have any confidence in Klinsmann and his staff who selected strikers like Chris Wondolowski, Will Bruin, and Jack McInerney to do something that Altidore and Agudelo struggled to do?
In 2011, there was a real lack of service for Altidore and Agudelo, despite the presence of attacking midfielders like Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. With Benny Feilhaber injured before and during the tournament in 2011, the then-coach Bob Bradley was forced to insert Freddy Adu into the semifinal game against Panama because the USMNT was not creating any scoring chances.
Bob Bradley should be applauded for putting Adu on the roster to begin with, but given Bob Bradley’s prefence for using two midfield destroyers, it must have taken a lot for someone like Bradley to abandon his coaching philosophy and put Adu into the game.
This Gold Cup roster has the playmakers and attacking midfielders to play final balls and create scoring opportunities, but it doesn’t have the best strikers at Klinsmann disposal to finish those final balls, with the exception of Herculez Gomez.
Klinsmann selected Will Bruin and Chris Wondolowski over Juan Agudelo, and Agudelo has more goals in MLS than Bruin and the same amount as Wondolowski.
Unlike Bruin and Wondolowski, Agudelo has proven ability on the international level and 17 international caps for the USMNT.
Klinsmann can rationalize the inclusion of McInerney because he has a good MLS goal-scoring rate this season, but he can’t justify selecting Bruin and Wondolowski over Agudelo.
Agudelo is only 20 years old, and he has already shown more ability to perform on the international level than Wondolowski. Agudelo is better, taller, faster, more active off the ball, and more aggressive than Wondolowski.
Klinsmann said that Agudelo needed to be more “consistent” and less “up and down,” in order to make the team and yet he still has more goals than Bruin and the same amount as Wondolowski.
There is a definite pattern with Klinsmann’s roster selections, which almost seems to boil down to his selection of players he feels he can get to play a more proactive style rather than selecting the players than already play that way.
Klinsmann is quite frankly using many of the same players who have already shown that they don’t have the capacity to play at or close to the same level as the United States’ best regular players like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley.
The United States and really Klinsmann is squandering an opportunity to take a number of players who have demonstrated that they have the skill-set and natural gifts to play soccer well at the international level and begin to incorporate them into the national team set-up so that the U.S. can improve.
Using these new but talented players isn’t a bigger risk than using many players who fall short of being able to keep up with the speed and skill of international soccer.
WORLD SOCCER SOURCE’S NOTABLE ROSTER OMISSIONS (WHICH ARE LARGELY UNPOPULAR WITH THE AMERICAN SOCCER MEDIA):
Benny FEILHABER
Juan AGUDELO
Chris KLUTE
Kofi SARKODIE
Eric LICHAJ
George JOHN
Andrew FARRELL
Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE
Freddy ADU
Benji JOYA
Terrence BOYD
Perry KITCHEN
Joe GYAU
Brek SHEA
Amobi OKUGO
Tony TAYLOR
OFFICIAL US SOCCER ROSTER RELEASE AND QUOTES:
http://www.ussoccer.com/news/mens-national-team/2013/06/gold-cup-roster-qa.aspx
Benji Joya Has the Clint Dempsey Mentality
Benji Joya has the Clint Dempsey mentality. It’s a winner’s mentality that is a combination of irreverence for opponents with a strong sense of humility off the field.
Joya is a different type of player than Dempsey, but Joya is an excellent talent who is more of a box-to-box midfielder compared to Dempsey, who is a second striker.
Joya plays one-to-two touch soccer. He tackles well. He’s not intimidated by opponents, even Paul Pogba, and he’s cool under pressure.
Big games are Joya’s favorite type of games, and he has the skill to start for the United States Men’s National Team in the 2014 World Cup, should the United States qualify.
For people who were so adverse to using a trequartista, enganche, meia-armador, or central attacking midfielder (all the same thing), Joya provides that sort of vision, creativity, passing ability, and style, while being an aggressive defender who tracks back on defense and times his tackles well.
The USMNT needs a player like Joya who offers Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, and Clint Dempsey a skilled passer and attacker who also helps to win back possession in the midfield and break up the passing of the opposition.
Even without international experience for the United States Men’s National Team, Benji Joya is a game day player who has shown strong signs that he is a complete midfielder unfazed by tough opponents or hostile crowds.
Once Joya played well against Paul Pogba, it’s hard to argue that he needs more experience. Joya even tried to put Pogba in a head lock in a recent U-20 World Cup game against France, and Pogba knew not to react.
Fighting for no reason shouldn’t be applauded in soccer, but Joya doesn’t do that.
But, Joya has shown that he is willing to mix it up with anyone just like Clint Dempsey shows almost every game.
However one chooses to look at Joya’s level of experience, Joya is an intense player who won’t be intimidated and psyched out by famous and talented opponents, and Joya’s skill and athleticism is matched by his mental toughness.
The USMNT needs more players like Benji Joya, and Jürgen Klinsmann will have to begin to incorporate Joya into his rosters, if he hopes to compete against the world’s best national teams, when they are at full-strength.
Benji Joya has the Clint Dempsey mentality.
How good is Klinsmann’s USMNT XI?
For several months, this writer has proposed fielding a United States Men’s National Team XI made up of some of the U-20 players with the best USMNT players, even the ones Klinsmann refuses to use.
What would this look like? It would look like Benji Joya, DeAndre Yedlin, Shane O’Neill, Caleb Stanko, Mario Rodriguez, José Villarreal, Alonso Hernandez, Juan Agudelo, Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, and even Freddy Adu being given a real shot.
The caliber of the passing hasn’t been good enough, and there haven’t been enough shots on goal.
So, just how good are Klinsmann’s starting line-ups?
Skipping quickly past the goalkeeper position, either Tim Howard or Brad Guzan are proven international and EPL keepers who serve the United States well.
Who plays right back? Well, Steve Cherundolo is certainly a seasoned Bundesliga and USMNT veteran who nobody really ever doubted in the past. Now, he’s a little older, and he asked for time off this summer. Additionally, some observers feel as if he’s lost a step.
Jonathan Spector is a capable player with strong technical ability, experience, and respectable athleticism for an international player. He’s by no means slow, and he isn’t very old. Spector performed well against Spain and Brazil in the 2009, and that’s something that he can continue to point to for a long time.
A bolder choice is tossing DeAndre Yedlin into the deep end with the full USMNT at right back where he gives the United States a modern outside back blessed with speed, attacking inclinations, comfort on the ball, and fairly aggressive defensive tendencies.
Yedlin is thought of as primarily an attacking threat, but he has certainly demonstrated an ability to tackle well, force attackers wide, and track down opposing players. The advantage of using Yedlin is that he puts the opposition on its heels when he marauds down the sideline, which breaks the defensive shape of the opposition and sucks opposing players toward the sideline, which frees up Yedlin’s teammates.
Who should be the two American center backs is really up for debate, and until all of the relevant parties are allowed to step into the ring, no one is really going to know which American center backs or defensive midfielders can take the center of the American defense to the next level.
Are Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler better than Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, and Oguchi Onyewu? Definitely yes.
Are Gonzalez and Besler better than Jay DeMerit? Probably not.
DeMerit was baptized by fire and performed well in two major FIFA tournaments against truly elite attackers. DeMerit didn’t just survive when the famous players were coming at him, he showed that he was an American center back that was too good to be victimized by elite forwards.
With that being said, Jürgen Klinsmann owes American fans and himself the opportunity to get to see the list of 10 or so center backs being tossed into the shark tank.
Center back is a difficult position primarily because faster and better players are sprinting at center backs while center backs are backpedaling; at any moment, the opposition can play balls through or over center backs or simply decide to dribble past them with a full head of steam.
It’s easy to say that center backs are mistake prone or too easily beaten. It’s hard to stop someone sprinting at a center back when the center back has his back to goal.
Gonzalez and Besler? Cameron and Gonzalez? Cameron and Besler? Shane O’Neill and Besler? Cameron and Shane O’Neill? George John and Maurice Edu? The list of possibilities goes on as several center backs like Amobi Okugo, Gale Agbossoumonde, Caleb Stanko, and Andrew Farrell (amongst others) weren’t even mentioned in the options above.
Taking a look at Agbossoumonde and Farrell together at center back in a friendly would be a very bold move that could prove to bring better skill, defense, and athleticism to the center of the American defense.
Should Fabian Johnson play as a left back where he can attack and bring better skill to the left side of the defense?
Should a brand new MLS player like Chris Klute be allowed to suit up for a friendly or tested in camp?
Should right backs with the ability to play as left backs be used?
These are all legitimate questions, which Klinsmann hasn’t posed or tried to answer through testing, with the exception of frequently using Johnson at left back.
Despite Klinsmann’s makeshift line-ups, one thing is for certain: the United States Men’s National Team has a better and more athletic pool of players than ever before.
Will they get a chance to show what they can do? Will they be giving a fair shot?
The front six offers a lot more certainly.
Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore are starting as a box-to-box/defensive midfielder, roaming attacking midfielder or second striker, and first striker, respectively; this fact leaves three open spots.
Will Trapp isn’t beating Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron out for the defensive midfielder spot any time soon, and Perry Kitchen hasn’t even been given the chance to show how well he would do against someone like Brazil, if Jones or Cameron were unavailable.
Can Jeremy Hall or Amobi Okugo outperform Maurice Edu? Who knows?
The U.S. has other midfield destroyers as well, but no one from Tab Ramos’ U-20 U.S. side (except maybe Stanko in the future) is taking the misunderstood number 6 role, which requires a lot of comfort on the ball, speed, defensive skill, and elegant passing ability.
Two spots remain to be discussed, and these two spots have been Jürgen Klinsmann’s clearest display of being a poor tactician.
The ability to appreciate creative passing skills in a player who is willing to try passes that might not slip through the defense and the need of the first and second strikers to have a playmaker who is inventive, smooth, instinctual, and a risk taker is a connection that Klinsmann either refuses to try to address or a connection that he refuses to accept.
Either way, Klinsmann has been unwilling to even test out the best playmaker options at his disposal and pick one. Klinsmann’s standards for playmakers are high, but he has never proven that his assessment of Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Freddy Adu, Mix Diskerud, or anyone else is correct. He needs to prove it.
He needs to allow a playmaker to play with Cameron/Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore, and he needs to evaluate all of the options at his disposal.
With Cameron or Jones playing with Bradley and Dempsey and Donovan combining with Altidore to help him to attack the goal, Klinsmann doesn’t have a good excuse to not try out playmakers who link the more defensive midfielders with Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore.
Until he tries it out, he can’t support his tactics. Klinsmann needs to try something. He is entitled to not use his archenemies (Feilhaber and Adu) to whom he has nothing to teach , but he could at least play a line of three attacking midfielders Donovan, Corona, and Dempsey behind Altidore with Cameron and Bradley playing deep.
That’s fair.
That’s tactically sound.
Based on how Benji Joya has played in the U-20 World Cup and in CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying, Joya would be a very useful midfielder to begin to incorporate into the USMNT.
Joya brings skill, calm passing, defensive qualities, good athleticism, and intensity. He’s a complete midfielder that offers Bradley, Cameron, Jones, and Dempsey a player who can play at their level and help the team to produce better soccer.
Perhaps the best performance ever for the USMNT under Klinsmann was the game against Panama in which Klinsmann had players close to fulfilling the 1 through 11 numbering system: Tim Howard 1, Brad Evans 2, Omar Gonzalez 3, Matt Besler 4, DaMarcus Beasley 5, Geoff Cameron 6, Fabian Johnson 7, Michael Bradley 8, Jozy Altidore 9, Eddie Johnson 9, Clint Dempsey 11. No number 10 or anything close to it.
Even Joe Corona, an actual number 10 who proved himself in the Copa Libertadores, was on the bench for several qualifiers before and after the Panama game when the U.S. was passing poorly. Corona’s cameo against Panama was essentially a public insult from Klinsmann that said, “It means nothing to me that you start for a good Liga MX team that went deep into the Copa Libertadores, and I don’t care that you proved yourself twice against Corinthians.”
Looking at the starting line-up against Panama, the right back and left back were questionable as legitimate options against better teams. Eddie Johnson was oddly used as a right midfield winger. Clint Dempsey was used as a 10.
The reason the line-up worked was because Cameron, Bradley, Fabian Johnson, Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, and Altidore all had the skill-level, playing style, and athleticism to display a higher caliber of passing play despite the rather bizarre formation with a striker like Eddie Johnson as a right winger and Dempsey as a playmaker .