USMNT

 

By: Colin Reese

 

The American soccer media and American soccer fans should learn to embrace risk more than they currently do. For American soccer to improve and for the United States Men’s National Team to improve, coaches like Jürgen Klinsmann will have to field more players with the tools and physical gifts to excel at high-level soccer, even if these players aren’t too experienced.

 

Only a small number of the USMNT regulars have enough experience against top competition to refer to them as truly experienced anyway, so even many regular starters under Jürgen Klinsmann aren’t truly experienced at the international level against top national teams.

 

Each month, World Soccer Source proposes a 23-man United States Men’s National Team roster for the 2014 World Cup, and all sorts of developments like Benji Joya’s loan to MLS or Joe Corona’s return to full fitness after limited minutes while his ankle fully-healed constantly affect the hypothetical player options for the World Cup.

 

Recently, World Soccer Source published a “USMNT: 23 For Brazil” article, but this roster below differs slightly from that roster in a few respects, in addition to offering more of an explanation of tactics and the rationale by the player selections.

 

The basic premise behind this roster is that there is a first-choice and second-choice option for each of the 11 spots in the 4-2-3-1 Starting XI formation, and given the limited number of months before the World Cup, this seems like the best manner to voice one’s opinion on the 23 American footballers who deserve roster spots.

 

By way of a disclaimer, there are only three first strikers included instead of four because Jürgen Klinsmann’s system employs one striker, and Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan also excel as second strikers, also known as support strikers or shadow strikers.

 

Let the most well-known American soccer writers simply parrot Jürgen Klinsmann’s preferred selections. World Soccer Source’s 23-man roster is an opinion piece, and thus not a prediction of the future.

 

Below is World Soccer Source’s 23-man USMNT roster proposal broken down by position with an explanation of the picks after the roster:

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By: Colin Reese

 

COMMENT:

 

In no way, shape, or form are ANY of these players listed below poor players that shouldn’t be commended for their success and their contribution to the growth and improvement of American soccer.

 

There’s a difference between being a poor footballer by international standards and being pedestrian and incapable of really impacting international or high level games.

 

All of the players listed below are solid MLS professionals that in many ways are evidence of how much American soccer has improved to make these players on this list average or below average players by international standards, as opposed to MLS standards.

 

American soccer is producing more players that are closer to the level of players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, and Michael Bradley, and these players as well as several others deserve to play with players closer to or equal to their level.

 

Read the list after the jump:

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By: Colin Reese

 

As of right now, if the goal of the United States Men’s National Team is to start international-caliber defenders that are proven on the club and international level, then Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to start this Back Four: Jonathan Spector, Michael Orozco, Geoff Cameron, Eric Lichaj.

 

The United States will also need capable substitutes, and with Maurice Edu and Fabian Johnson listed as midfielders, then the United States has those two players in addition to other capable substitutes who are either internationally-proven or who possess the skill-set and physical gifts for high-level international soccer.

 

This list attempts to include both internationally-proven defenders as well as new talents with the qualities to play international soccer.

 

Below are the eight defenders that offer the United States the greatest chance for World Cup success, and many of these defenders are not highly-regarded by Jürgen Klinsmann:

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By: Colin Reese

 

Opinion:

 

Here are the 23 footballers that World Soccer Source believes that the United States Men’s National Team needs for the 2014 World Cup as of March 2014.

 

These are not the players that Jürgen Klinsmann will likely select, but they are the players that World Soccer Source wishes to see on the USA 2014 World Cup roster.

 

Readers will see proven veterans like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley plus proven American players who have seen limited USMNT playing time such as Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Juan Agudelo, and readers will also see USA veterans like Benny Feilhaber, Eric Lichaj, and Jonathan Spector all of whom have been frozen out by Klinsmann.

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By: Colin Reese

 

While the United States Men’s National Team isn’t nearly talented enough to emulate the technical ability and creativity of the Seleção, the United States can utilize the tactics, formation, and the combination of the types of players used by the Seleção.

 

Like Jürgen Klinsmann, Felipão uses the 4-2-3-1 formation with Brazil where truly two-way outside backs flank center backs with the skill of elite defensive or central midfielders, and the Front Six of Brazil combines a line of two defensive midfielders of both varieties behind a line of three attacking midfielders including a true Number 10 with a Number 9 spearheading the attack.

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By: Colin Reese

 

Many American footballers have been called 2014 World Cup roster locks by various people, but really only 10 or possibly eleven are true locks.

 

Jürgen Klinsmann referred to Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore as the “spine” of the United States Men’s National Team, but players such as Landon Donovan, Geoff Cameron, Brad Guzan, Fabian Johnson, and Aron Jóhannsson also have to be considered locks.

 

A few other players might end up being just too good to leave off the roster when the final decision comes around, but below are the USMNT roster locks for the 2014 World Cup:

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By: Colin Reese

 

Selecting American footballers that excel as center backs or defensive midfielders is an excellent way to maximize roster space, while upping the skill level, speed, and agility of center backs.

 

Geoff Cameron is the perfect example of this.

 

Cameron has the skill-set and athleticism of a defensive midfielder or of a central midfielder, but he can effectively play as a center back or as an outside back.

 

Michael Orozco and Maurice Edu are other examples of this, as are young American players such as Shane O’Neill, Caleb Stanko, and Amobi Okugo.

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By: Colin Reese

 

Going into the 2014 World Cup, the United States Men’s National Team needs to shore up the Back Four and look to improve the squad’s ability to keep possession. Jürgen Klinsmann and the USMNT would be wise to take advantage of not only new and young American talents, but also to take advantage of players that have shown that they have qualities and experience that can improve the national team.

 

The Back Four can be improved by using not only using natural and modern outside backs but also more skilled center backs. In the Front Six, young players like Juan Agudelo, Joe Corona, and Benji Joya can help to improve the passing and overall skill level of the United States.

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By: Colin Reese

 

World Soccer Source’s rankings for the Best American Footballers (February 2014) aren’t based on a scientifically equal weighing of talent, club form, and international form, but rather they are an attempt to rank the American footballers based on talent and/or form.

 

Ranking players are subjective, and many American soccer players don’t play in leagues where one can get a really accurate assessment of which players are the best against strong competition, which really shows how good players are compared to other players.

 

In other big soccer nations, players’ club form in really good leagues provides an indication of which players are the best because the level of competition provides a good indicator of skill and effectiveness.

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By: Colin Reese

 

Jürgen Klinsmann has been overcomplicating things as the coach of the United States Men’s National Team by tinkering with things that didn’t need tinkering and by not using a Back Four made up of players deployed at their natural positions.

 

Klinsmann can talk about the need for more American players in the Champions League, but this doesn’t excuse him from his illogical Starting XIs for which he himself is responsible.

 

While there is a big gap in skill between the United States and elite national teams, the United States does have a fairly solid group of players that can be deployed as the Front Six that at the very least have a baseline of good technical skill and sufficient athleticism for international play.

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