USMNT Archives – Page 20 of 41 – World Soccer Source

Joe Corona Is a Vital USMNT World Cup Piece

March 12, 2014 by Colin Reese

BY: COLIN REESE

The United States Men’s National Team needs Joe Benny Corona in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil because Corona gives Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore a creative, two-footed, and one-to-two touch attacking midfielder to play with to give them a critical mass of American players who are skilled on the ball.

As Corona plays either on the left or right wing in addition to playing centrally as a playmaker, Corona is a versatile attacker that can either be a substitute for Donovan or Dempsey or be a playmaker to start in between them or a player to start over Donovan or Dempsey if the circumstances call for it.

MLS: All-American Best XI

March 11, 2014March 11, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: COLIN REESE

With much of the United States Men’s National Team coming from MLS due to the return of many USMNT regulars to MLS from European soccer and due to the improvement of the league overall, World Soccer Source surveys the American player pool in MLS and selects an All-American Best XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Oddly enough, this Best XI is almost identical to the USMNT Best XI that World Soccer Source would select with the exception of players such as Joe Benny Corona, Juan Agudelo, and Tim Howard.

Below is World Soccer Source’s MLS All-American Best XI:

Benji Joya, The First Complete American Midfielder

March 10, 2014March 10, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

In Benji Joya’s first MLS game and his first game for the Chicago Fire, the central midfielder proved that he was able to excel on the wing as an attacking midfielder, and this confirmed that Joya really was a complete midfielder who could play anywhere in the midfield.

Many central midfielders find it difficult to play out wide because they aren’t able to avoid being pinned to the sideline by opposing players, but Joya showed that he was able to attack from out wide and combine with his teammates and make runs without being trapped out wide with nowhere to go.

USA National Team: 23 For Brazil 2014

March 17, 2014March 10, 2014 by Colin Reese

Clint Dempsey (Photo: AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

By: Colin Reese

Change is scary, and risk is scary.

But, that USA loss to Ukraine had to be alarming for American soccer fans because the first Ukrainian goal wasn’t some careless mistake made in the back – Ukraine just played a nonchalant chip over the American Back Four like it was nothing.

Many American soccer writers and many American soccer fans are of the opinion that starting a USA Back Four consisting of Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and DaMarcus Beasley is somehow a prudent and sound decision that will minimize risk and use an experienced group of players, but these players are not in fact experienced.

Compared to the skill-level of Ghana, Portugal, and Germany, these four defenders have no real experience defending that caliber of players or teams, and so the American Back Four and the American Front Six will need to change.

The Most Glaring USMNT Snubs

March 10, 2014March 10, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: COLIN REESE

Jürgen Klinsmann has his favorites, and many of them simply lack the genes or the refined skill that comes through practice to perform at the World Cup or in international soccer in general.

The United States Men’s National Team has seen various weak areas remain weak throughout Klinsmann’s tenure, and it appears many viable options are simply not even given a fair shot in friendlies.

With the World Cup fast approaching, only a small number of American players can be said to be truly ready and able to perform against high-level competition.

It could be said that the following USA regular are quality American footballers that belong on the World Cup roster:

Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Geoff CAMERON, Jermaine JONES, Michael BRADLEY, Landon DONOVAN, Mix DISKERUD, Clint DEMPSEY, Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON.

Jürgen Klinsmann’s other regular selections are highly-questionable, and Klinsmann likely gets away with them because of the fact that he can just point to his playing resume as a means to discredit any dissent or criticism.

Below are several American footballers that are either underused by Klinsmann or totally omitted from USA rosters:

The Best American Footballers (March 2014)

March 7, 2014March 6, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

World Soccer Source’s rankings for the Best American Footballers (March 2014) are an attempt to rank the American footballers based on talent and/or form.

For this writer, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, and Michael Bradley are the best three American footballers, and after those three, ranking American players is very difficult and subjective.

As far as American soccer players go, Clint Dempsey is still the king, and one of the only American players to have displayed high-level technical ability and the fire to compete and succeed against real competition.

Ultimately, soccer is a skill sport, and below is World Soccer Source’s rankings of the Best American Footballers (March 2014), which tries to be fair to players of all positions and different club situations:

Cameron and Orozco Should Be the USMNT Center Backs in the World Cup

March 6, 2014March 6, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

With so little time before the 2014 World Cup, the United States Men’s National Team should make Michael Orozco and Geoff Cameron the starting center back pairing right now.

The selection of the center back duo is affected by the starting defensive midfielders because starting Cameron over Jermaine Jones means the center of the American defense will be without Cameron, and at this point, Cameron is the United States’ best center back option along with Orozco.

The USMNT Depth Chart (March 2014)

March 4, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

Unlike other national teams, the United States Men’s National Team under Jürgen Klinsmann has simply not systematically tested out the most talented players in the player pool at each position to determine who is in fact the best, and then the next step was never taken either, which is to then keep that player in the Starting XI, in order to move on to the next position that needed strengthening.

Obviously, players like Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan were obvious choices to start, but after that, all of the other starting line-up spots were toss ups.

Can Benji Joya Play an Arturo Vidal role for the USMNT?

March 3, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

Arturo Vidal is world football’s central midfielder par excellence, and he is in a different solar system than Benji Joya.

Benji Joya has never been called The American Arturo Vidal, but it has a nice ring to it.

The non-existent nickname is obviously totally unwarranted at this point in time for the 20 year old central midfielder, but it’s a nickname that perhaps Joya can hopefully give some credibility to one day.

How to Make a Jürgen Klinsmann Approved USMNT XI

March 3, 2014March 2, 2014 by Colin Reese

By: Colin Reese

Predicting Jürgen Klinsmann’s United States Men’s National Team Starting XI for the 2014 World Cup is hard to do because Klinsmann has always made a change here or there that totally changes the quality and look of the team.

On the other hand, there are certain players that Klinsmann clearly rates, and there are clearly players that Klinsmann doesn’t seem to rate.

Using only players that Klinsmann has shown that he considers to be quality players in his eyes, there is a strong USA XI that could perform well in the World Cup.

Without examining hypothetical Starting XIs based on players that Klinsmann hasn’t considered worthy of a starting spot, here is a starting line-up comprised entirely of players that Klinsmann has seemed to consider worthy of a role on the national team for an extended period of time: