American Soccer

Sebastian Lletget, The New USMNT Number 10

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Sebastian Lletget Should Be the New U.S. Men’s National Team Attacking Midfielder

Sebastian Lletget is a viable Number 10 type attacking midfielder that can start for the United States Men’s National Team. Under coach Jürgen Klinsmann, any attacking midfielder has been a persona non grata, and this was also the case under Bob Bradley and Bruce Area.

This isn’t a Klinsmann problem as much as it is an overvaluing of non-stop full-speed running and defending to the detriment of skill and smooth passing. Despite being a striker as a player, Klinsmann’s refusal to deploy attacking midfielders might be his German mentality taking precedence over his attacking mindset as a former Number 9. Although Lletget is a young player and one who hasn’t represented the United States before, Lee Nguyen and Darlington Nagbe have played well for the national team on multiple occasions, and even this didn’t convince Klinsmann to start a Number 10.

Lletget is arguable better player than Nguyen and Nagbe, and he has a higher ceiling. There’s no evidence that he has trouble with the spotlight or playing in big games, and he appears to be fully ready right now. He would be a big boost for the national team’s poor passing, creativity, and creative play.

With center forward Bobby Wood putting in great performances for the United States in the Copa America Centenario, Lletget would be even more useful. Now that the United States has a more dangerous, aggressive, and active center forward in Wood, a true playmaker would make Wood even more of a threat.

Compared to Nagbe and Nguyen, Lletget is more creative and technical, and he’s more dynamic in his constant probing and searching for openings in the defense. Lletget is a versatile attacking player who can play wide or centrally as well as in the midfield as an attacking midfielder or as a second striker up top. He can also play as a wing in the midfield or in a forward line.

The LA Galaxy forward and midfielder not only has the trickery and technical skill to help his team keep possession and attack, but he also has a low center of gravity and a strong ability to shield the ball and not get muscled off the ball by defenders. These shielding and physicality qualities make him more resistant to overly physical defending or just very physical defending. Some coaches dismiss Number 10 like players as luxury players because these players supposedly don’t hustle or defend, but that’s not true of Lletget. The LA Galaxy man works for his team non-stop with or without the ball, and he covers lots of ground either defending or presenting himself as a passing option for his teammates.

Anyone who watches Lletget notices a player who plays with more skill and creativity than is average in MLS where there is still too much out of control passing and movement plus a scary dose of dirty, nasty defending which borders on criminal. Skill players are still heavily criticized in MLS unless they just wipe the floor with the opposition as Sebastian Giovinco does as he is really a Serie A fantasista playing with people well below his skill level. Giovinco himself suffered from being labelled a luxury player by many coaches who also viewed his tiny size as major deficiency.

But, the problem for Lletget might be that his advanced skill level isn’t at the level where he simply embarrasses and destroys opponents like Giovinco does.

Lletget has been a standout talent since he started in MLS at the beginning of the 2015 MLS season, and the United States would be wise to bring him into the fold for the national team even if he were just to substitute into the game for the final 20 to 30 minutes. The United States needs more skill players, and they need playmakers to link the midfield to the attack and improve the creativity of the team. None of those claims are controversial, but there remains not only a reluctance for players like Lletget to be used but also for more fans and media members to call for their inclusion on the national team.

Lletget should have already been on the national team, but it’s unlikely that playing for the LA Galaxy that he will continue to be underrated much longer. He doesn’t always start for the Galaxy, but that is simply a reality of player rotation in a deep squad.

 

The Emergence of Bobby Wood

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The Emergence of Bobby Wood

It’s no secret that the United States needs more skill and more goals, and now there is another dangerous attacking player other than Clint Dempsey: his name is Bobby Wood.

A dangerous center forward that combines skill with athleticism is what the United States really needed, and Wood has shown well for the United States on too many occasions to not consider him legit.

Wood’s play in competitive matches in the Copa America Centenario reaffirmed the skill he showed in international friendlies against Germany and The Netherlands. He has proven that he is a dangerous striker that the United States can count on for goals and assists.

Compared to all of the other strikers the United States has used since 1990, Wood displays much more movement and fluidity than the United States normally uses at center forward. It would be fair to say that the United States used to mostly just hit crosses or long balls to center forwards who were good in the air, but now the national team has a striker whose movement demands service and balls played to feet.

Jozy Altidore is a technical striker in his own right that wants the ball played to him on the ground, but Wood has displayed much better movement with and without the ball than Altidore has shown in the past. Maybe that’s unfair to Altidore who suffered from a lack of service due to multiple national team coaches who placed essentially zero value on playmakers or Number 10 players.

Expect to see Wood starting for the United States for the foreseeable future, and this should make the American attack more of a scoring threat. With Wood starting, the USA can look to start playing more final balls through and behind the defense because the Hawaiian makes excellent runs and runs the entire game.

Wood would benefit from a playmaker, but his style of play is one where he involves himself in the match and demands service.

Wood’s Playing Style

Wood is a technical center forward and a smooth athlete who plays with a high work rate on and off the ball.

Wood displays a huge increase in movement and activity compared to Altidore, the United States’ regular starting center forward when healthy.

It must be said that Wood is simply better and more aggressive than Altidore.

The Hawaiian center forward who will play in the Bundesliga beginning later this summer is a complete striker who can score with either foot or his head. Wood likes the ball played to his feet, but he is a strong striker who can shield the ball and outmuscle defenders.

Much of what has been lacking from the United States’ attack is technical skill, creativity, and quick combination play, and Wood can take defenders off the dribble, link up with his teammates, and score.

After the Copa America Centenario, Wood must be considered the USA’s best option at center forward in the Number 9 role. The use of Wood marks an evolution of sorts for the United States because previously the Stars and Stripes had normally preferred big, powerful strikers over skillful and fast ones, but Wood is powerful and tall while being skillful and quick.

The Hawaiian can stretch defenses and make them work, and these are not only fantastic in and of themselves, but they also suck defenders away from Clint Dempsey or whomever else the United States is using in the attack.

Wood is the type of technical, dynamic, and quick center forward that the United States has been waiting for.

How the USMNT Can Improve its Attack

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How the USMNT Can Improve its Attack

By bringing Bobby Wood into the U.S. National Team, Jürgen Klinsmann has already improved the American attack. Wood is an excellent strike partner for Clint Dempsey, and both players are technical and creative players. With Wood starting, the attack is more dynamic. Wood plays with more skill and movement that Jozy Altidore, and this gives Dempsey more support in the attack.

Adding a true Number 10 like Sebastian Lletget would make the American attack even better because Lletget can be a playmaker for both forwards, and he can also score himself. With Lletget, Wood, and Dempsey in the attack, the United States would have a more dangerous and talented group of attackers.

The United States has been lacking enough talent in the attack to really threaten top national teams, and these three – or Rubio Rubin in place of Dempsey- have the qualities to improve the attack. This attack won’t magically make the United States as good as the likes of Chile, Argentina, or Germany, but it will signal a major improvement to the overall skill of the United States. This would be an attack that displayed skill soccer over just toughness and a high work rate.

Dempsey still has several years in the tank, but Rubin is also ready to start for the United States now. Rubin has already played well for the United States, and nothing about him or his play indicates that he needs more development before playing a major role.

Without Dempsey, an attack comprised of Lletget, Wood, and Rubin would also be a skillful and dynamic attack that plays proactively against top opponents rather than waiting to score off a set piece or benefit from a defensive mistake.

Klinsmann has already figured out that Wood and Dempsey are an effective strike partnership, and he has already brought Rubin into the national team and seen him perform well. Adding Lletget to the squad or even just using Darlington Nagbe as an attacking midfielder would improve the American attack even more.

The United States looks close to having an attack that can do real damage against elite opponents. Klinsmann doesn’t need to change his Wood-Dempsey combination, but he would be wise to better link up the midfield to the attack with Lletget and/or Nagbe.

 

Who Should Start for the USMNT in the Copa America?

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Who Should Start for the USMNT in the Copa America?

Jürgen Klinsmann’s starting lineups continue to lack continuity, and there is always the feeling that one or two players are out of position. But, the squad has the personnel to field a balanced and talented lineup. There isn’t a lot of creativity or goal-scoring ability, but there aren’t likely to be any players who look at sea against Latin American competition.

Goalkeeper

Brad Guzan has been backed as the starting goalkeeper for the United States, and there is no reason to doubt him. Perhaps Tim Howard is better, but Guzan has never really been allowed to settle into the role and make it his own. Commentators and fans seem to always be looking to be able to say that any mistake Guzan made, Howard wouldn’t have made. We’ll see, but Guzan is a proven EPL goalkeeper that almost any national team would be proud to have.

Fullbacks

DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson are the best choices for the right back and left back positions. Yedlin has vastly improved his defending in regards to his marking, tackling, and physicality, and Johnson is a skilled left back who plays better as a wing in the midfield or attack. Johnson is a more skilled and technical player than Yedlin, but Johnson sometimes doesn’t track back on defense well enough.

Center Backs

In the center of the defense, Geoff Cameron and John Brooks are likely the best options at center back. An argument can be made that Cameron could better serve the national team as a defensive midfielder to let Bradley have more freedom to go forward, but Bradley is an excellent defensive midfielder who excels at not only defending but passing from the back of the midfield. This allows Jermaine Jones the license to attack.

Midfielders

A three-man midfield of Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, and Darlington Nagbe is a strong option for the United States. Bradley can play the role of the defensive midfielder who plays in front of the defense, and this frees up both Jones and Nagbe to go forward and feed Clint Dempsey, Christian Pulisic, and Bobby Wood.

Forwards/Attackers

In the attack, Christian Pulisic, Bobby Wood, and Clint Dempsey form the best trio. Pulisic and Dempsey are “wings” on paper, but really their role is more as playmakers and goalscorers in their own right. Both can float out wide or play more centrally, and likewise Wood isn’t a stereotypical center forward. Nevertheless, Wood is a center forward. Just because he drops deep, drifts out wide, and looks to play final balls doesn’t mean that he isn’t a center forward. The belief of the Number 9 as only a big bruiser of a center forward playing with his back to goal and mostly looking to score headers is a fairly Stone Age concept of the center forward position. Wood can score with either foot, and he can stretch the defense and get behind them. Speed kills, and Wood is certainly fast and skilled.

Clint Dempsey

The belief that Dempsey has lost a step of lacks the stamina to run for 90 minutes lacks much proof. Dempsey’s play and fitness don’t suggest that he is slowing down or should be a bench player. The view that the United States somehow don’t need Dempsey starting is a vast overestimation of the technical ability of the United States’ other players.

Dempsey still stands apart from all other American soccer players in terms of technical ability and creativity. Even Nagbe so far has looked to be largely one-footed despite all of his many great attributes. Pulisic is an excellent young player that has proven his abilities in the Bundesliga, but he isn’t at Dempsey’s level yet, as Dempsey has the skill, mentality, and physicality to excel against world-class competition. The United States would be best served by Pulisic and Dempsey playing together.

Importance of the Midfield

Much of the success of this team will be dependent on the midfield, which is the same situation where any team finds itself. An American midfield of Bradley, Jones, and Nagbe is full of running, ball-winning ability, and technical skill, and if those three don’t offer enough defensive coverage then the United States has major problems.

Those three offer almost an excessive tendency toward the defensive, but all three are two-way threats. Jones, Bradley, and Nagbe is two holding midfielders and an attacking midfielder, and that is a tried and true midfield formula.

For example, Argentina  will likely be starting Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia, and Javier Pastore which is two defensive midfielders and an attacking midfielder.

My USA XI: Guzan; Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson; Jones, Bradley, Nagbe; Pulisic, Wood, Dempsey.

 

Which 23 players should make the USMNT Copa America roster?

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Which 23 players should make the USMNT Copa America roster?

Jürgen Klinsmann has selected a 40-man United States preliminary roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenário, and once again there are multiple players on the roster that do not deserve to be there given the other talent in the pool.

The following players likely didn’t deserve to make the 40-man roster: Brad Evans, Alfredo Morales, Chris Wondolowski, Edgar Castillo, Graham Zusi, Michael Orozco, Gyasi Zardes, Timmy Chandler, Danny Williams, and Ventura Alvarado.

That’s 10 important roster spots that could have gone to either more talented or more in-form players. The 10 players that would have been better picks are: Sebastian Lletget, Rubio Rubin, Dillon Powers, Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe, Jorge Villafaña, Brek Shea,  Andrew Farrell, Paul Arriola, and Fatai Alashe.

Nevertheless, Klinsmann must cut down his 40-man roster to 23 names, and here are the names that World Soccer Source believes deserve to make it.

Goalkeepers (3)- Brad Guzan, David Bingham, Ethan Horvath

World Soccer Source went with two younger goalkeepers to back up Brad Guzan instead of backing Howard, but Howard is an excellent goalkeeper who still has several years of quality goalkeeping in the tank.

Defenders (8)- Geoff Cameron, Steve Birnbaum, Matt Miazga, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Lichaj, Kellyn Acosta, Tim Ream

Cameron, Birnbaum, Miazga, and Brooks give the squad the requisite four center backs, and Yedlin, Lichaj, Acosta, and Ream give the squad four fullbacks or outside backs. Yedlin and Lichaj are the right backs on paper, and Acosta and Ream are the left backs. Acosta plays right back or left back, despite really being a center midfielder or defensive midfielder. Lichaj can play left back, but he is a right back. Ream is a left-footed center back that also plays left back well.

Midfielders (6)- Michael Bradley, Perry Kitchen, Jermaine Jones, Darlington Nagbe, Lee Nguyen, Fabian Johnson

Bradley, Kitchen, and Jones give the squad three defensive midfielders, and Bradley and Jones are also box-to-box midfielders. Bradley and Jones do not partner well together because they normally don’t have a clear designation of roles: either the stay-at-home defensive midfielder or the Number 8 central midfielder. Nagbe is an attacking midfielder that has become an excellent Number 8 midfielder, plus he can play wide or as a second striker. Johnson is a winger, and Nguyen is a true playmaker that is essentially a Number 10.

Forwards(6)- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Christian Pulisic, Bobby Wood, Ethan Finlay, Jordan Morris

Altidore, Wood, and Morris are all center forwards, and Dempsey, Finlay, and Pulisic are all either attacking midfielders/second strikers or wings. All three can play well wide or centrally, and they give the center forwards a strike partner or wing support. Johnson listed as a midfielder can play as a wing or either side in a Front Three.

*Jozy Altidore is now out injured with a hamstring injury

A Better USMNT Midfield

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A New United States Midfield Three

The American midfields under national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann have been ever changing, and the United States Men’s National Team would benefit from order and consistency.

A three-man midfield is as good as any, and one of the hallmarks of a three-man midfield is the inclusion of a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, and an attacking midfielder.

Frequently, three-man midfields have one defensive midfielder and two box-to-box midfielders with the attacking midfielder or playmaker up with the Front Three.

Who should be in the American Midfield Three?

World Soccer Source backs the use of Michael Bradley as the defensive midfielder with Darlington Nagbe and Dillon Powers as box-to-box midfielders.

One bonus of using Nagbe and Powers is that both of these players have the endurance of Number 8 midfielders with the creativity and technical ability of attacking midfielders.

Nagbe has often been praised for his ability to roam all over the field and transport the ball from deep in the midfield into the attack, and this Number 8 role allows him to do that with the national team just like he does with his club team, the Portland Timbers.

Dillon Powers has to be high on the list of underrated American soccer players. After winning MLS Rookie of the Year several years back, Powers has continued to show why he is a much more talented and complete midfielder than the types of midfielders that the United States used to produce. Too many of these midfielders were simply hustle players that were hard tacklers, but they lacked the actual skill to be able to perform at the international level against better competition.

After years as coach of the United States, it’s unclear why Klinsmann has never once used Powers. There’s no justification or explanation for it. His competition was never Bradley and Jermaine Jones, as both of those players could mesh well with Powers.

With the Copa America Centenario coming up this summer, the United States needs to greatly improve the overall skill and tactical formation of its midfield or risk getting embarrassed by superior South American competition. A Midfield Three of Powers, Bradley, and Nagbe makes so much sense, and given how little thought it took to propose it, it’s a wonder that Klinsmann has never bothered to try it.

After Nagbe has shown well for the United States, he still doesn’t appear to be one of the first names on the lineup sheet for Klinsmann, and this is worrying. If deserving players can show well and impress their teammates and still not become starters, then how much hope can there be of Klinsmann using a better midfield this summer?

With both Powers and Nagbe in the Midfield Three, Sebastian Lletget is best used on the right in the Front Three as Clint Dempsey should be the first option to line up out left in that free attacking role.

The Return of Chris Klute

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The Return of Chris Klute

With the return of Chris Klute of the Portland Timbers back to full fitness, he immediately moves into discussion for a roster spot on the United States Men’s National Team at left back because the United States still doesn’t have one. Of course, Brek Shea, Jorge Villafaña, Fabian Johnson, and Kellyn Acosta all come to mind for the two roster spots for left back, but Jürgen Klinsmann has refused to settle on or stick with a viable choice.

Although Johnson is the clear front runner in that group, Johnson has a tendency to not track back enough on defense and run out of stamina during games. If you also consider the fact that Johnson is really a winger, then Klute’s name must be considered a viable possibility for the national team’s left back (Klute also plays right back).

Klute has several qualities that make him an worthy option to be the United States’ left back. He’s lightning fast and truly a two-way outside back, and Klute is technically-sound with both feet and a solid defender. Unlike many of the other left back options, Klute is not only comfortable playing the position, but he’s also very comfortable with both feet. He doesn’t have a tendency to avoiding using one of his feet to control, win, or play the ball.

Speed kills, and probably no one in MLS is as fast as Klute. But, don’t dismiss Klute has a speed merchant without technical ability or defensive skill. Klute is a clean tackler that times his tackles well. Having a left back that can chase down attackers and attack himself down the sideline can only help the U.S. National Team.

One area where Klute needs to improve is his willingness to shoot on goal when he gets himself near the penalty box. Klute can burn defenders and cut inside with ease, but he frequently doesn’t take advantage of the prime position into which he has put himself. Klute needs to channel his inner-Marcelo and let those shots fly. Rather than stopping his attacking forays and looking to drop the ball off to someone behind him, Klute needs to keep surging forward and force the goalkeeper to make a save.

Playing for the United States would expose some areas where Klute must improve, but Klute is quality outside back with an amazing x-factor of world-class speed.

Michael Bradley Should Play Defensive Midfielder for USMNT

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Michael Bradley Should Play Defensive Midfielder for USMNT

Michael Bradley was born to play as a defensive midfielder. Bradley’s incredible engine – meaning his cardiovascular stamina – has been praised for years, and this has caused some coaches and fans to push for him to play a more offensive role in the midfield. But, Bradley’s ability to run hard for more than 90 minutes is a key quality for a defensive midfielder.

Having the energy and endurance to constantly cover for the defense and present oneself as a constant passing option is vital for a defensive midfielder. Somehow, there is a belief that Bradley’s ability to run nonstop is wasted as a defensive midfielder, but that position is a physically demanding position. In fact, not having the air in one’s lungs or the power in one’s legs to be able to mark and chase down opposing players would be a major problem.

At the base of the midfield, Bradley can control the United States’ passing and protect the American backline from being overrun and burned. Playing the defensive midfield role doesn’t mean that Bradley can’t advance forward together with the team, and it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have any cover to make attacking forays. The Number 8 midfielder or box-to-box midfielder has the responsibility to cover for the defensive midfielder in this situation. The American midfield needs a tireless runner at its base, and this is where Bradley can best use his skill set. The base of the midfield even affords Bradley more touches on the ball, and therefore more influence on the game.

The misuse and miscasting of players has been a constant problem for Jürgen Klinsmann, and a non-American example of this was his attempt to get rid of Thomas Müller when Klinsmann was the coach of Bayern Munich. Bradley and Jermaine Jones have been consistently misused by Klinsmann, and the American midfield continues to be too weak as a result of not having a defensive midfielder with the technical ability and athleticism to truly compete against top national teams.

With the emergence of Darlington Nagbe, it makes sense to use the more dynamic Nagbe in his natural role as a Number 8 with a flair for the offensive. This means Bradley as the Number 6 and Nagbe as the Number 8 makes a lot of sense for the United States, and as World Soccer Source has previously written, Sebastian Lletget should be given the Number 10 role and set loose.

Bradley has many years of excellent soccer ahead of him, and it’s time to stop forcing him into different midfield roles that don’t suit him or his teams. For the National Team, using Bradley correctly as a defensive midfielder ultimately means the more creative Nagbe and Lletget can play the more attacking roles.

Don’t forget that, with AS Roma, Bradley’s position was listed as a “mediano” which is the midfield destroyer role.

The Clint Dempsey Supremacy

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The Clint Dempsey Supremacy

This column isn’t about Landon Donovan and whether he lived up to his potential. This column is about the supremacy of Clint Dempsey in American soccer history.

Of all the American soccer players, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley have the best club resumes – because compared to other American soccer players – these two had the most success against high-level competition. Bradley has more impressive club names on his resume – like Roma – but Dempsey displayed the most skill and success consistently over time.

Dempsey showcased a level of technical skill and the ability to compete and be successful against quality European club competition that no other American really showed. Although Dempsey played for a small EPL club in Fulham – as well as Tottenham Hotspur – he still was consistently an effective and skillful midfielder and forward for seven years in the EPL.

On the international level, Dempsey showed an ability to always perform well regardless of the competition or the importance of the game. By scoring in three consecutive World Cups, Dempsey proved himself to be a consistently good player that didn’t just enjoy a few moments of success.

The Texan has been a complete player for all of his professional career. Dempsey combined skill with toughness and athleticism, and this allowed him to not be outclassed with skill or bullied with physicality and tackling. Whether defenders came at Dempsey with some roughness or with skill, Dempsey had the skill-set and tools to be effective. Other Americans have also been effective, but Dempsey was really the first to showcase impressive skill and technique even against elite competition. He didn’t just standout technically against weak opponents, but he was also a technical and skillful player when he faced off against elite defenders.

One of the problems for Dempsey’s reputation and fame has been that he has been dismissed as sort of mediocre in comparison to the world-class talents, but not being as talented as the handful of elite attacking players at the current moment doesn’t mean that Dempsey wasn’t a skillful and accomplished player on the club and international level. Another problem for Dempsey’s reputation is that he’s often described as just a tough or gutsy player without any mention of his fantastic skill with the ball.

By playing for a small EPL club for so long, many critics dismiss Dempsey’s accomplishments as not being with a top EPL club, so therefore his accomplishments are considered equal to Donovan’s MLS accomplishments; but, this is a flawed mentality and argument. When Dempsey was excelling in the EPL consistently, he was competing against top EPL clubs all the time, so his success was against better talent that Donovan faced. Landon Donovan was a great American player, but let’s not say that Donovan’s accomplishments compare to Dempsey’s against better competition on a bigger stage.

Both players are excellent players with perhaps the same level of actual ability, but Dempsey was playing against better competition in a better league. As Dempsey gets closer and closer to breaking Donovan’s international goal record with the United States (Donovan 57 goals, Dempsey 49 goals), it will be harder to keep insisting that Donovan was a better player than Dempsey.

More so than just a player that was good enough and athletic enough to be successful at the higher levels of soccer, Dempsey was and still is a creative and technical player that showcased a mastery of the ball with both feet, and it is this visual display of skill in real games that makes him the best American player ever.

Sebastian Lletget For the USMNT

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Sebastian Lletget for the U.S. Men’s National Team

Sebastian Lletget is the Number 10 that the United States have been looking for. The LA Galaxy attacking midfielder and forward brings creativity, technical skill, quickness, a low center of gravity, and active movement off the ball.

Lletget is a triple threat in that he brings passing, dribbling, and scoring. Recently against the Portland Timbers, Lletget showed how he can thrive when playing his natural position as a playmaker. With Robbie Keane injured, all of the passing and play came through Lletget, and he was able to showcase what he can do when playing his best position. The former U.S. youth international is a complete enough attacker that he has also thrived with the Galaxy in a wide role, but in the middle, Lletget has more touches on the ball.

As several people have commented on social media, there are shades of Clint Dempsey in Lletget’s balletic dribbling, and this sort of comfort and facility on the ball is the main skill that the United States and American soccer have been missing. Let’s not forget that Lletget also knows how to put the ball in the back of the net with both feet. He’s proven himself to be a composed finisher.

Lee Nguyen and Darlington Nagbe have shown well with the national team, but their inclusion doesn’t exclude Lletget. In fact, taking nothing away from Nguyen, Lletget is a more valuable player than Nguyen. Despite being an attacking midfielder, Nagbe does bring a box-to-box element to the national team, so there’s no reason to think that he and Lletget cannot play together. Right now, a strong argument could be made that the best three-man midfield might be Michael Bradley, Darlington Nagbe, and Dillon Powers, and this leaves room for Lletget to start in the attack with Dempsey and a center forward.

The United States needs Lletget’s skill-set as a goalscoring playmaker that has a direct and creative style of play. Someone needs to provide some of the creativity and skill that usually only Dempsey brought to the table, so why not let Lletget play with Dempsey this summer in the Copa America Centenario?

Lletget is ready to play for the United States now. He isn’t just a promising player or an interesting prospect, but he is arguably the best American attacking midfielder now along with Nagbe. Based on his club form since the beginning of the 2015 MLS season and his overall skill level, Lletget should not only be on the national team roster, but he should be a starter.