American Soccer

The American Soccer Non-Crisis

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There isn’t a crisis in American soccer right now, but there is a need for change on the U.S. Men’s National Team. Major League Soccer will gradually improve over time as the percentage of more technical and athletic players increases.

As head coach of the national team, Jürgen Klinsmann has spent some four years either omitting needed players from the roster or playing players out of position, and this has resulted in dull and ineffective soccer that doesn’t look anything like aggressive or proactive play.

Too often the lineups have been lacking enough technical or creative midfielders to link up the more defensive midfielders with the attack. While the United States doesn’t have any world-class attacking midfielders, it does have attacking midfielders that can improve the team’s passing and attacking play from where it’s at now.

The constant rotation of the same players in and out of the roster has never really corrected the problem of make-shift midfields and defenses. Clint Dempsey has done as well as he can without any real help on the roster except for Michael Bradley in the midfield, but Bradley is a defensive midfielder that Klinsmann has oddly been playing as an attacking midfielder for a year now.

Without Bradley anchoring the midfield, the rest of the midfield is mostly filled with different players played out of position, whether it be Mix Diskerud or Alejandro Bedoya as a defensive midfielder or Gyasi Zardes as a wing or outside midfielder.

At the bare minimum, Klinsmann should be using his best options at the correct positions rather than always fielding at least one player out of position. Even just one player used out of position can kill the chemistry and interplay of the other 10 players.

The best professional American soccer players are going to stand out and be noticed by the media, fans, and club coaches, so as a first step the United States needs a coach that at least fields a lineup that makes sense and then makes adjustments as new or different players distinguish themselves.

Most clubs and national teams make coaching changes when they feel new ideas are needed, and this make Klinsmann’s long-tenure as head coach unusual.

As technical director of U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann has made it clear that he believes that the problem with the national team is a lack of talent in the player pool, but this opinion only explains the lack of elite-level soccer from the men’s national team and not the lack of decent collective play on the national team.

It seems unlikely that Klinsmann will make fundamental changes to how he selects players to the national team and makes lineups, and this means that the person above Klinsmann, Sunil Gulati needs to remove Klinsmann from both of his positions (technical director and head coach).

There is a talent gap between the United States Men’s National Team and the top soccer nations, and there is even a big gap between Clint Dempsey and every other outfield player except for Michael Bradley.

Klinsmann’s bizarre rosters and tactics combined with his insistence on publically trashing his players and never taking any of the blame for results mean that Klinsmann must be replaced.

Replacing Klinsmann won’t make the U.S. Men’s National Team an elite team, but it can allow a new coach to come in and field tactically-sound lineups that can be improved as better players distinguish themselves.

The Best USMNT XI (August 2015)

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Jürgen Klinsmann keeps starting players out of position for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and he won’t stop doing it. Players are started out of position every game for the United States.

As much as there is a need to start all 11 players at one of their natural positions, there is also a need to incorporate several new players into the starting lineup.

The American Midfield Three and Attacking Trident

Starting a more dynamic center forward like Juan Agudelo is a must for the USA, but so is starting Ethan Finlay out on the right wing. Finlay brings a real wide threat as much as he brings an overall ability to set up goals and score them.

Using Finlay out right allows Dempsey to play left of the center forward, and this creates a more dynamic and versatile American attack.

Benny Feilhaber and Sebastian Lletget would be excellent choices to start to the left and right of Michael Bradley, who should play in the center of the midfield as the anchor, metronome, and defensive stopgap in front of the Back Four.

The quality of the passing and the amount of possession is not good enough for the USMNT, and starting Lletget, Bradley, and Feilhaber improves these midfield problems of passing and low technical ability.

Currently, the United States’ tactics seem to be just Bradley getting the ball and blazing forward into the attack on solo dribbling forays and hoping that Clint Dempsey scores. Bradley’s engine and ability to push the ball upfield are great qualities, but having a central midfield advance solo upfield is predictable and easy to stop.

Bradley’s qualities are better maximized when combined with Feilhaber and Lletget who are better in the final third than Bradley. Both Feilhaber and Lletget are exciting midfielders in their own right who aren’t just support for Bradley. The U.S. would be better served with Bradley sitting in front of the defense and orchestrating the midfield’s play from a slightly deeper position.

The American Back Four 

The center of the American defense continues to be a weak spot, and Maurice Edu and Geoff Cameron have proven to be a strong center back pairing in the past against Mexico. The USMNT needs to right the ship, and at least Edu and Cameron are experienced, talented, and athletic – plus they are in their prime.

Using these two with Bradley sitting in front of them as a center midfielder can shore up the United States’ poor defense, which really might be less to blame for the poor performances  for the USA than the weak midfield.

It’s common to scapegoat central defenders and goalkeepers, but many defensive problems stem from a midfield that gets bossed around and taken to task by the opposition.

With the midfield and the attack already discussed, the outside backs have been glossed over. Eric Lichaj at right back and Greg Garza at left back are strong choices for now, and it’s difficult to argue that there are better options at these positions right now.

DeAndre Yedlin is a much better right back than he gets credit for, and having a right back with electric pace like Yedlin’s makes for a harder right flank to get behind and stay behind. Yedlin has shown that he can defend well 1v1, and he can quickly recover to dispossess or tackle attackers if he’s initially beaten.

Even though many people want to see Tim Howard return as the starting goalkeeper, Brad Guzan is an excellent, experienced, and proven goalkeeper, and it’s his time. The time has come to pass the torch to Guzan, who has been ready for years to start for the National Team. Guzan isn’t a step down from Howard, and it’s time to make this change.

Game Tactics

Compared to previous USMNT lineups, this lineup uses proven players in their natural positions, and it includes newcomers like Finlay and Lletget whose qualities the National Team needs now. Delaying their inclusion is unwise and pointless.

A midfield three with Lletget, Bradley, and Feilhaber has a balance of ball recovery and ball possession, and the overall technical quality of this trio is higher than most midfields the National Team has used in the past. This trio will be able to provide enough service and link-up play for an attacking trident of Finlay, Agudelo, and Dempsey.

If Dempsey is still injured or if the USMNT wants to try out an attack for the future, then Lletget can be started in the attack with Dillon Powers taking his midfield spot.

Below is the USA lineup discussed above:

Goalkeeper- Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa)

Right Back- Eric LICHAJ (Nottingham Forest)

Center Back- Maurice EDU (Philadelphia Union)

Center Back- Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City)

Left Back- Greg GARZA (Atlas)

Right Midfielder- Benny FEILHABER (Sporting Kansas City)

Center Midfielder- Michael BRADLEY (Toronto FC)

Left Midfielder- Sebastian LLETGET (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Right Wing- Ethan FINLAY (Columbus Crew)

Center Forward- Juan AGUDELO (New England Revolution)

Left Wing- Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

 

Who Should the USMNT Call Up for the September Friendlies?

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Under Jürgen Klinsmann, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) rosters continue to be puzzling and bizarre, and there has been a pattern of omitting too many of the best American players.

This will not be a prediction of Klinsmann’s 23-man roster.

Midfielders Sebastian Lletget and Ethan Finlay should be newcomers to the National Team on the upcoming roster, and American fans will see if Klinsmann snubs these players when the roster is announced.

Klinsmann needs to select a core group of experienced players to prepare for the Confederations Cup playoff game against Mexico in October, but these experienced players aren’t necessarily players Klinsmann has regularly selected.

In goal, Klinsmann must choose three goalkeepers, and Brad Guzan and William Yarbrough should be two of them. The third goalkeeper is anyone’s guess. Clint Irwin, Bill Hamid, Luis Robles, Tally Hall, and Nick Rimando are all worthy of this third spot.

Center back continues to be a problem for the United States. Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks were scapegoated for the Americans’ poor performance in the Gold Cup, but maybe this experience created some chemistry between the young center backs.

There are calls for Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler to return as the starters, but these two probably aren’t the answer to truly improve the center of the American defense.

Maurice Edu and Geoff Cameron would be a stronger pairing as these two are more experienced, more talented, and more athletic.

The likelihood of being wrong-footed and burned by Peru and Brazil is lower with these two.

To back these two up, Andrew Farrell and Matt Miazga from MLS are two of the best young American center backs around. Edu, Cameron, Miazga, and Farrell would be a nice combination of experienced center backs and new options. Farrell in particular has all the tools to make the center of the American defense harder to beat with speed, skill, or both.

As for the outside backs, Eric Lichaj and DeAndre Yedlin stand out at right back. Lichaj is proven at the international level and in the English Premier League, and Yedlin has shown himself to be a young right back that is hard to get past, even if he has been virtually unused by Tottenham Hotspur.

At left back, Greg Garza and Chris Tierney are the two standouts. Garza has performed well for the United States and in Liga MX, whereas Tierney is widely-considered one of the best left backs in MLS. Veteran DaMarcus Beasley would be another strong option for the two friendlies and the playoff with Mexico.

There are better American midfielders now than in the past, and along with veteran Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, Dillon Powers, Perry Kitchen, and Kellyn Acosta stand out amongst the current player pool.

Kitchen and Acosta are defensive midfielders, while Powers is more of a box-to-box midfielder than attacking midfielders like Lletget and Finlay.

Feilhaber, an attacking midfielder by trade, has become something of a box-to-box midfielder, but Lletget is really just an attacking midfielder that excels centrally or out wide.

Finlay’s combination of speed and skill has been impressive in MLS, and he fits in nicely with the National Team out wide either as a midfielder or forward. Both Lletget and Finlay are arguably starters for the National Team, and a strong argument can be made that both are more technically-skilled and smoother than Alejandro Bedoya.

Michael Bradley is an obvious inclusion on the roster, and hopefully Klinsmann stops deploying him out of position as an attacking midfielder.

The U.S. has better forward options than Klinsmann’s previous rosters have indicated, and Juan Agudelo, Rubio Rubin, and Charlie Davies deserve to be called up.

Picking Bradford Jamieson IV would be an inspired pick by Klinsmann for the 23rd spot, and Jamieson should be incorporated into the National Team sooner rather than later.

Jamieson brings real 1v1 skill and electric speed and quickness, and he offers the National Team the chance to actually attack teams like Peru and Brazil with real unpredictability and speed.

Many will dismiss Jamieson as too young and inexperienced, but he’s both the real deal and the most exciting young American player in the entire talent pool.

Rubin, Jamieson, and Finlay are likely the future American attacking trident. They’re all ready to be on the roster right now.

For the upcoming September friendlies, World Soccer Source backs the following 23-man USA roster:

Goalkeepers (3)- Brad Guzan, William Yarbrough, Clint Irwin

Defenders (8)- Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu, Andrew Farrell, Matt Miazga, DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Lichaj, Greg Garza, Chris Tierney

Midfielders (7)- Michael Bradley, Dillon Powers, Kellyn Acosta, Perry Kitchen, Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay

Forwards (5)- Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, Juan Agudelo, Rubio Rubin, Bradford Jamieson IV

 

The U.S. Men’s National Team Calls For Ethan Finlay

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The U.S. Men’s National Team is in desperate need of skillful and fast attacking players that can create more scoring chances and score goals. Ethan Finlay of the Columbus Crew is such a player, and it’s not a stretch to view him as a deserving starter for the National Team.

Although he plays as a wing in MLS, Finlay can play any attacking role other than as a traditional No. 9. He brings the ability to play the final ball, the ability to take defenders off the dribble, and the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. Finlay’s skill with both feet makes him even more deserving of a call-up.

Both Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey came onto the U.S. Men’s National Team more or less as wide attacking midfielders, but they were much more versatile players than this. In the same way, Finlay isn’t just a wing to stick into a certain formation, but he is the type of versatile attacking player that the National Team has had too few of.

In addition to the technical and physical requirements required to play international soccer, Finlay has also shown the mentality of a player always looking to win and take the game to the opposition. This is the omnipresent buzzword “proactive.”

When Finlay and the MLS All-Stars played Tottenham this summer, MLS actually had more famous players, but Tottenham was a strong English Premier League side looking to not lose to an American club team. Finlay treated this game as an opportunity to impress when a bigger international audience was watching.

The Columbus Crew attacking midfielder is an interesting prospect for the U.S. National Team because he fits into the starting lineup regardless of the formation. If a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, or 4-4-2 is used, then Finlay can be used out right or left as a midfielder or as a forward. He also seems to fit the billing for a second striker where he can use his combination of speed, playmaking ability, and scoring ability to partner with a No. 9. His 1v1 skills would be particularly maximized in this role, just as they would on the wing.

World Soccer Source has backed Dillon Powers and Sebastian Lletget for the U.S. National Team, and now Finlay is the next new talent that deserves National Team backing.

With Lletget and Finlay, the United States has two starters that can play out wide or in more central attacking roles, and these two players suggest that the overall talent level of the National Team is improving. More young players like Bradford Jamieson IV are making their case for the National Team, but Finlay has already made a convincing case.

In a country where the coaches and fans are hesitant about using new or young players even in friendlies, many of the best American talents are being told to wait their turn without a very good reason.

Excluding Finlay from the next friendlies cannot be justified based on talent or form, and his omission from the next USA roster would be another worrying sign from coach Jürgen Klinsmann.

If Clint Dempsey is started up top with Jozy Altidore, then Ethan Finlay and Sebastian Lletget can be started as the right and left midfielders. If the United States elects to use a 4-3-3 formation, then Finlay can start in the attacking trident as the right wing. Either way, Finlay’s current form and attacking qualities are simply too good to leave off the National Team.

The U.S. Men’s National Team is not good enough to omit players like Finlay. If there were two players that made him surplus to requirements, then that would be different.

On a final note, Finlay has a few x-factors like trickery and quickness that can lead to a more dangerous and unpredictable American attack, and one of the worst qualities that the National Team has is its boring, grind-out-a-draw predictability.

When people associate your National Team primarily with effort and not skill, then there is a real need to spice things up.

Time For a USMNT Lineup Overhaul

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The U.S. Men’s National Team’s lineup needs an overhaul immediately.

It’s unlikely that Jürgen Klinsmann will admit to unjustly snubbing players from his rosters or picking misguided starting lineups, but he is certainly capable of taking corrective action without admitting to doing so.

You have to assume that an ex-player of Klinsmann’s pedigree can easily look at the American player pool and say, “I need to simplify my lineup and play a three-man midfield with a center midfielder, a defensive midfielder, and an attacking midfielder, plus I need a Front Three with outside forwards on the right and left off a center forward.”

The problem with Klinsmann is that for some reason he thinks reinventing the wheel is just what the doctor ordered for American soccer.

Klinsmann probably holds American soccer in too low esteem.

Instead of just thinking that the United States doesn’t have enough players of Clint Dempsey’s level, Klinsmann thinks that the good players are just awful. The quality players are dismissed as not as good as elite world soccer stars, so therefore they have zero value for Klinsmann. Nothing else explains the exclusion of players like Benny Feilhaber, Maurice Edu, or Eric Lichaj.

The main problem with the U.S. National Team is a lack of a logical lineup made up of players deployed in their natural positions.

The United States is way below soccer’s giants in terms of the overall technical ability of the squad, but the United States does have international class players for every position.

Let us look over a possible lineup briefly to explore just how simple it is to form a capable, cohesive group.

The defense. There is no reason that Eric Lichaj, Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron, and Fabian Johnson cannot perform well as the American Back Four. All of those players are being deployed in a position where they have tons of experience, and all of these players are both technically and defensively up to snuff and athletically impressive.

Edu and Cameron have experience together in the center of the defense, and both Lichaj and Johnson know their responsibilities as outside backs very well.

One of the biggest problems with the American midfield is Michael Bradley being forced to play as an attacking midfielder instead of as a defensive midfielder where he is world-class.

Bradley should anchor the midfield with Benny Feilhaber playing as a center midfielder where he has been playing in MLS for several seasons. Feilhaber, known for his creativity and attacking play, is now a much more industrious player, and he and Bradley can provide plenty of defending in the midfield.

The third player I would add to the midfield is Sebastian Lletget, who has done more than enough to prove himself for international play. Lletget is an exciting and creative attacking player that is more than happy to run non-stop and defend when the United States loses possession. Lletget also has a knack for scoring goals and setting them up.

Starting Lletget, Bradley, and Feilhaber in the midfield would be an enormous upgrade for the United States.

As for an attacking trident, Ethan Finlay, Juan Agudelo, and Clint Dempsey from right to left immediately come to mind. Finlay has been excellent in MLS assisting goals and scoring them, and he has tons of speed and skill to use attacking down the wing. Finlay is versatile enough to cut inside and also switch places with Dempsey and Agudelo in a fluid attack.

Why Agudelo hasn’t been a reference point for the team’s attack since he has been back in MLS after work visa limbo in England and Europe is a mystery, especially since Agudelo is a more dangerous and effective center forward than Jozy Altidore.

An attack with these three would also be a major upgrade for the United States compared to past incarnations.

With Brad Guzan in goal, the lineup proposed above is entirely made up of skilled and athletic players deployed in their natural positions.

There is no reason that the United States cannot start a lineup similar to this in the next two friendlies before the competitive match with Mexico for the 2017 Confederations Cup spot.

It’s unclear what the reason is for Klinsmann’s refusal to form anything resembling a logical or effective lineup, and it’s unclear why Sunil Gulati has made it clear that it doesn’t matter how Klinsmann performs as coach of the National Team.

Both Gulati and Klinsmann have to know that the media and fan base are not satisfied with the direction of the National Team, and if the same type of puzzling and bizarre lineups are used against Peru and Brazil, both men will likely witness a new level of criticism and complaints.

Proposed Starting Lineup (4-3-3): Guzan; Lichaj, Edu, Cameron, Johnson; Lletget, Bradley, Feilhaber; Finlay, Agudelo, Dempsey.

The Best American Soccer Players (August 2015)

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Clint Dempsey (Photo: AP)
Clint Dempsey (Photo: AP)

With the conclusion of the 2015 Gold Cup, World Soccer Source is releasing its rankings of The Best American Soccer Players, a feature also called The Best American Footballers.

World Soccer Source believes that favoring Jürgen Klinsmann’s picks for the U.S. Men’s National Team paints an incomplete picture of the talent in the American player pool. Many of the best American soccer players have seen few to no call-ups under Klinsmann.

This list contains some new additions to MLS plus several young players who are too talented and performing too well to ignore. Another important thing to remember about American soccer players is some of the best ones are relatively new to professional soccer or underrated by their clubs.

Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley stand head and shoulders above all other American players. Benny Feilhaber is also finally receiving almost universal recognition for his outstanding form in MLS as a center midfielder and attacking midfielder.

After these three players, Fabian Johnson stands out, but the rest is debatable.

Below is World Soccer Source’s subjective rankings of The Best American Soccer players for August 2015:

1. Clint Dempsey (Forward); 2. Michael Bradley (Midfielder); 3. Benny Feilhaber (Midfielder); 4. Fabian Johnson (Defender/Midfielder); 5. Geoff Cameron (Defender/Midfielder)

6.  Brad Guzan (Goalkeeper); 7. Juan Agudelo (Forward);  8. Sebastian Lletget (Midfielder); 9. Ethan Finlay (Midfielder); 10. Dillon Powers (Midfielder)

11. Tim Howard (Goalkeeper); 12. Jozy Altidore (Forward); 13. DeAndre Yedlin (Defender/Wing); 14. Charlie Davies (Forward); 15. Mix Diskerud (Midfielder)

16. Lee Nguyen (Midfielder);  17. Alejandro Bedoya (Midfielder); 18. Bradford Jamieson IV (Forward/Midfielder); 19. Rubio Rubin (Forward); 20. Dax McCarty (Midfielder)

21.  Maurice Edu (Defender/Midfielder); 22. José Villarreal (Midfielder/Forward); 23. Kellyn Acosta (Midfielder/Defender); 24. Andrew Farrell (Defender); 25. Matt Miazga (Defender)

Honorable Mention: Joe Corona (Midfielder); Gyasi Zardes (Forward); Ventura Alvarado (Defender); Greg Garza (Defender)

 

Lineup Decisions For the LA Galaxy

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Who should start for the LA Galaxy?

With the arrival of central midfielder Steven Gerrard and attacking midfielder Giovani Dos Santos, who should start for the Los Angeles Galaxy?

There’s no need to change up the Galaxy’s solid defensive unit made up of Jaime Penedo in goal, Dan Gargan at right back, Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza as the center backs, and Robbie Rogers at left back, but there’s not enough room in the Front Six for all of the LA’s deserving players.

Making up the two-man center midfield or defensive midfield pairing, Juninho and Steven Gerrard is a strong and non-controversial pairing.

Juninho is a solid MLS center midfielder with several years of consistently good performances. Gerrard is a legenday center midfielder that can play a box-to-box role or deeper role where he anchors the midfield with his passing, vision, and recovery play.

Both Gerrard and Juninho are intelligent players that know how to adapt their midfield play to what is needed, so there’s no need to designate one as the defensive midfielder and the other one as the box-to-box midfielder. Both players will go forward or drop back depending on what the other one does.

The more attacking roles are where the 50/50 personnel decisions will arise. Whenever Robbie Keane retires or goes elsewhere, there will be one less set-in-stone starting spot, but for now, there are many line-up decisions to be made.

In the four attacking roles, Sebastian Lletget has cemented himself as a starter, and playing as an attacking midfielder right, left, or center likely makes little difference to his positive impact in the lineup.

Lletget can also play as a forward in several tactical setups.

Gyasi Zardes has to be considered the center forward, first striker, or Number 9 for this squad with Keane sitting underneath him as the second striker or withdrawn striker, and this already turns the Galaxy’s formation into a 4-4-2 with Juninho and Gerrard in the center of the midfield.

With the personnel in the roster naturally lending itself to a 4-4-2 formation, this puts Lletget and someone else as the outside midfielders or wings. Along with Lletget, the decision is Dos Santos or José Villarreal, and Dos Santos’ salary is several million dollars.

Dos Santos’ reputation and salary tends to make him be thought of as a starter, but Villarreal offers so much to the squad, not to mention his natural ability as a wing.

Villarreal like Dos Santos is left-footed, which makes him a strong choice to play as a left wing or as an inverted winger on the right wing.

For all of Villarreal’s skill, Dos Santos has to be considered more talented for now, but Villarreal is still on the rise. Villarreal is also a tougher player that runs more, tracks back more on defense, and plays with more physicality.

Comparing Villarreal and Dos Santos, Dos Santos is a more dynamic attacker, but Villarreal is also a skilled, quick, and dynamic attacker that provides more work rate and defending.

For the Los Angles Galaxy, the real lineup toss up will be the Dos Santos or Villarreal decision, and likely circumstances like fitness, injuries, and matchups will dictate who starts.

The Galaxy should be considered arguably the best team in MLS this season with their current roster, and the second half of the season should provide plenty of storylines about players and lineup decisions.

Bruce Arena will have to see what his best lineup really is and if there is more than one best lineup.