USMNT

Reaction to the United States 1-1 Tie with Honduras in World Cup Qualifying

by

The United States displayed no ability to pass the ball well or keep possession against Honduras on Tuesday, and only a handful of U.S. players looked like they were trying to win. The performance was so devoid of collective passing or positives that analysis of the game is virtually pointless.

Christian Pulisic, Clint Dempsey, and Jordan Morris played very direct from the beginning, and Kellyn Acosta was also looking to build up a passing rhythm and advance the ball with incisive forward passes.

Darlington Nagbe and Michael Bradley were not involved enough or impressive.

Pulisic was certainly direct and aggressive against Honduras, and the Borussia Dortmund midfielder pulled off at least two nutmegs while most of the team looked disinterested.

Dempsey and Acosta were involved and looking to keep possession and attack the goal, but Nagbe was virtually invisible without any trademark dribbling bursts. Morris starting at first striker was the other U.S. player who played like he wanted to win.

Where the goals came from

One again a defensive mistake caused a goal. Omar Gonzalez missed a tackle close to goal that allowed Honduras to score an easy goal at the far post, and he either didn’t have the pace to get down fast enough on his slide tackle or he just mistimed or whiffed his slide tackle. Bruce Arena still has Graham Zusi playing right back despite not really equipped to play the position at the international level, as Zusi is after all really a midfielder.

With some five minutes left, Bobby Wood brought a ball down off his chest and stabbed the ball off the bounce into the back of the net. It was a composed and cool finish off a bit of a melee after an excellent Kellyn Acosta free kick where Matt Besler kept the ball alive after a richochet.

Final Thoughts

All in all, not being able to keep possession and create more scoring chances against Honduras or any CONCACAF opponent for that matter is still unacceptable. The United States has the players to play better soccer, but there wasn’t enough urgency and directness against Honduras with the exception of several players. Nagbe was pretty flat for a player of his ability, and the outside backs didn’t provide much in the way of attacking down the sidelines.

Once again a 4-4-2 was used by the U.S. and there was a big gap between the midfield and the attack where Pulisic tried to fill the hole by attacking people off the dribble.

The United States had a formation that work, and it was an attacking formation where Bradley featured as the lone defensive midfielder behind three attacking midfielders and two forwards. Certainly, using a 4-2-3-1 would also work well with the U.S.’ talent pool, but reverting back to the 4-4-2 is causing the U.S.’s play under Arena to regress.

 

Who Should the United States Start vs. Honduras in World Cup Qualifying?

by

“The United States are not good enough to be arrogant about how they play.” Those were Alejandro Moreno’s words for ESPN about the United States after the loss to Costa Rica, and it was presumptuous on Bruce Arena’s part to think Clint Dempsey didn’t need to start.

The last time the United States played Honduras the U.S. used a 4-1-3-2 formation, and using that set-up again makes sense. The U.S. should look to attack Honduras rather than trying to beef up their defending in the midfield. The injection of Dempsey with Christian Pulisic should improve the U.S.’s passing and attacking because Dempsey and Pulisic have a great understanding and thrive when playing together. Not using Pulisic as a playmaker feels like a mistake, and against Costa Rick, Arena had him out on the wing.

Geoff Cameron and Tim Ream were scapegoated for the U.S.’s loss to Costa Rica, but maybe starting the two center backs together again after they’ve just played together will pan out. Cameron and Ream were too far apart last game leaving the middle too open, but that’s an easy fix that they are well aware of.

Fabian Johnson and Darlington Nagbe were criticized last game, but Johnson was pretty active and aggressive in his passes and runs  into the final third. If Nagbe is reverted back to his left wing position where he can cut in from the left off the dribble and advance the ball into the attack, then he should be more effective than in the loss to Costa Rica where he played as a center midfielder without any real playmaking ability.

Here is World Soccer Source’s preferred lineup vs. Honduras on Tuesday:

Goalkeeper: Tim Howard

Right Back: Eric Lichaj

Center Back: Geoff Cameron

Center Back: Tim Ream

Left Back: Jorge Villafaña

Defensive Midfielder: Michael Bradley

Right Wing: Fabian Johnson

Center Attacking Midfielder: Christian Pulisic

Left Wing: Darlington Nagbe

Forward (First Striker): Bobby Wood

Forward (Second Striker): Clint Dempsey

 

Who Should Start for the United States against Costa Rica in World Cup Qualifying?

by

 

The United States takes on Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying on Friday, and the biggest decisions for Bruce Arena will be in the defense with two of the four normal starters injured. The injuries are to right back DeAndre Yedlin and center back John Brooks.

Goal and Defense

Tim Howard should start in goal, but the right back selection is a tougher one. Arena has favored Graham Zusi at right back, even though this is Zusi’s first season playing his new position, but Eric Lichaj is the more experienced right back with years of playing professionally in England.

Geoff Cameron will be one of the two starting center backs, and Arena has to decide whether he’s going to start Omar Gonzalez with Cameron or whether Matt Besler or Tim Ream will start. Whoever will or should start with Cameron at center back is anyone’s guess, but Jorge Villafaña is the first-choice left back.

Midfield

In the midfield, Michael Bradley will start as the lone defensive midfielder, and the United States appears set to start a line of three attacking midfielders again. Christian Pulisic will start as the center attacking midfielder, and Darlington Nagbe will start as the left wing. The right wing position is more of a toss up. On the one hand, Paul Arriola has been playing well for the U.S. recently at this position, but Fabian Johnson is widely regarded as one of the very best players in the pool. There’s a chance Alejandro Bedoya could start at right wing, but maybe Arriola has the inside track, based on his recent performances for the U.S. and D.C. United.

Forwards

World Soccer Source favors Bobby Wood and Clint Dempsey starting as the two forwards. Nothing against Jozy Altidore, but Wood and Dempsey are the more fluid, active, and clinical players. Wood always looks more dangerous and direct than Altidore, and Dempsey is too good not to start.

Here’s who World Soccer Source thinks should start:

Goalkeeper- Tim Howard

Right Back- Eric Lichaj

Center Back- Geoff Cameron

Center Back- Tim Ream

Left Back- Jorge Villafaña

Defensive Midfielder- Michael Bradley

Right Wing- Paul Arriola

Center Attacking Midfielder

Left Wing- Darlington Nagbe

Forward- Bobby Wood

Forward- Clint Dempsey

 

Bobby Wood Should Start in the September World Cup qualifiers for the United States

by

Bobby Wood is too electric and too clinical not to start alongside Clint Dempsey for the United States in the September World Cup qualifiers.

For many Jozy Altidore is the first-choice U.S. center forward, but he doesn’t provide the same scoring threat as Wood. The Hawaiian Number 9 plays more direct and more aggressive than Altidore who doesn’t look to get behind the defense as much as Wood.

When Wood plays he makes runs all over the attack looking to receive a through ball or chip over the defense, and he attacks the goal more. Altidore has really improved his passing and playmaking, and this causes him to often not be high enough up the field to receive a final ball. Wood on the other hand plays higher up the field and also attacks defenders directly off the dribble, and he has better 1v1 skills than Altidore.

A trademark of Wood’s play for the U.S. is his willingness and accuracy with half chances and shots off the turn. Even when he’s marked, he can create enough space to hit a quality shot on goal. A more electric and creative forward like Wood is harder for opposing defenses to contain, and his play draws the attention of defenders, which leaves Christian Pulisic and Dempsey more open.

Often center forwards are either the kind that like to play with their back to goal or the type that face the goal and try to slip behind the defense. Altidore actually likes to face the goal and receive balls to feet in space, but Wood does this same thing better. When you watch Altidore and Wood play, you have to concede that Wood is the one that looks smoother, faster, and more skilled, and those qualities are much more effective and harder to defend.

There’s nothing wrong with Wood and Altidore starting together, but if the option is one or the other with Dempsey, then the best choice is Wood who is faster, more clinical, and more direct than Altidore.

Statement Game from Christian Pulisic on Bundesliga Matchday 1

by

Christian Pulisic looks like he has Landon Donovan’s speed with Clint Dempsey’s technical ability and creativity.

Pulisic starts for Borussia Dortmund in an attacking position, and that already puts him ahead of all other American players in the past in terms of the skill required to play at that level.

Pulisic is playing in the Bundesliga, which is a league with much more skill than the English Premier League. Playing in Germany, Spain, or Italy has always been more impressive than playing club soccer in England.

Pulisic’s game on Matchday 1 for Dortmund was something of a statement game. The American teenager was impressive for Dortmund last season, but on Matchday 1 he was one of the focal points of a squad with the German playmaker and forward, Mario Götze, who scored the winning goal of the 2014 World Cup, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a striker that everyone wants because he’s one of the best scorers and Number 9s in the world.

The USA Number 10 has a lot of flash to his game, and more so than Dempsey, Pulisic is able to use that flair and skill to fake out defenders and blow past them off the dribble.

I can still remember how Donovan told the press after Benny Feilhaber scored his 2007 Gold Cup winning volley against Mexico that he (Donovan) was thinking “No!” when he saw Feilhaber about to hit his volley, and this illustrates how Feilhaber and of course Pulisic and Dempsey were more willing to go for big plays without overthinking them. Donovan was thinking no, but Feilhaber was thinking “I can smash this volley in with the outside of my foot.”

In the same way, Pulisic is an aggressive and bold player who plays with flair, and flair is unpredictable and hard to defend. Bruce Arena was right to start Pulisic as the United States’ playmaker and Number 10 behind Clint Dempsey and another forward. It’s possible that the leading role Pulisic played for the U.S. recently emboldened him to be more aggressive for Dortmund.

The way that Pulisic scored his goal on Matchday 1 by firing his shot between a small gap between two defenders to the far post is a perfect example of how Pulisic is the real deal. That goal required the boldness to take the shot where there was only half a chance, and it required the skill to be able to execute the shot in the Bundesliga from the run of play.

The most notable thing about the American teenager, Pulisic, is definitely the combination of skill, creativity, speed, and a big-game mentality. Dempsey didn’t have the extra gear of speed that Pulisic has.

 

Projecting the United States Roster for September’s World Cup Qualifiers

by

Projecting the United States Roster for September’s World Cup Qualifiers

World Soccer Source recently published a “Who Should the United States Call Up for the September World Cup Qualifiers?” article, and now there have been several injuries to defenders DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks, and Omar Gonzalez, so coach Bruce Arena will have some hard roster choices to make. In front of the defense and in the goal there are no injuries to key players with the exception of Kelyn Rowe who’s made a strong argument for a substitute spot in the midfield.

Here are World Soccer Source’s predictions for Arena’s roster selections for the September World Cup qualifiers:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Ethan Horvath

Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are instant selections, and you’d have to think Ethan Horvath is the third-choice pick if William Yarbrough isn’t selected. Yarbrough plays in Liga MX, and he’s done well for the U.S. in the past where he’s played with authority and confidence.

The U.S. has never had problems with goalkeepers. The problem has been having technical skill at every other position and special skill in the attacking positions, so the third goalkeeper spot isn’t that crucial.

Defenders: Graham Zusi, Eric Lichaj, Geoff Cameron, Walker Zimmerman, Matt Besler, Tim Ream, Jorge Villafaña, Justin Morrow

Lots of injuries to American defenders. Starting left center back John Brooks is injured, and maybe Big Bruce lives a little and calls up Walker Zimmerman and Steve Birnbaum who have both done well for the U.S. in the past in the center of the defense since even Omar Gonzalez is also injured.

Luckily Matt Besler is available, and the good thing about him is that he isn’t slow and he isn’t poor technically, although he could stand to just play some easy passes on the ground instead of playing soft chips to nobody when he doesn’t have any life-changing passing ideas.

Arena will have to start Graham Zusi at right back, and Zusi hasn’t been bad at a position that he has basically been forced to play by his club coach and Arena. He’s done a decent job at right back because he has decent speed and good technique with both feet. At left back, Jorge Villafaña has to be the starter with Justin Morrow as his substitute. I though Morrow looked pretty smooth and aggressive going forward at left back, which is what you’d expect from a left back. We’ll see if he keeps improving and looking good.

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Dax McCarty, Kellyn Acosta, Cristian Roldan, Paul Arriola, Christian Pulisic, Darlington Nagbe, Alejandro Bedoya

The United States has been using four midfielders with Michael Bradley as the defensive midfielder and Paul Arriola, Christian Pulisic, and Darlington Nagbe from right to left.

From that trio, Pulisic is the playmaker or Number 10 without question, and Arriola is the likely right wing starter with Sebastian Lletget still injured.

Dax McCarty, Kellyn Acosta, and Cristian Roldan are all substitutes or partners for Bradley depending on the formation. Acosta and Roldan are box-to-box midfielders or central midfielders.

Injuries have forced Alejandro Bedoya to likely be on this roster, and Bedoya lacks the smoothness and passing ability of Lletget and Rowe, both injured.

Nagbe has excelled as a left wing where he adds to the team’s creativity and technical ability, but the Portland Timbers player needs to be more selfish and aggressive closer to goal. He’s really involved and active in the midfield, but closer to goal he hesitates to pull the trigger or burst into the penalty area.

Forwards: Clint Dempsey, Bobby Wood, Jozy Altidore, Jordan Morris

You have to think that Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood are the starting forwards here. For as much as Jozy Altidore has looked smoother and more dynamic, Dempsey is too good not to start, plus he has a great partnership with Christian Pulisic.

Bobby Wood is a more dangerous Number 9 that Altidore for a variety of reasons. Wood is more technical, more clinical, and more direct forward than Altidore. Wood is also better at creating his own shot, finishing off balls in scoring positions, and stretching the defense. Since the U.S. has a playmaking like Pulisic, Wood is the player who makes the runs that Pulisic can feed.

You even have to say that Jordan Morris might be more dangerous that Altidore. The Seattle Sounders forward runs all over the attack non-stop and he’s never needed an invitation to attack the goal and score. Altidore is a good center forward, no doubt about it, but too many people feel like backing Wood over Altidore is somehow betraying Altidore. A team needs several quality center forwards.

 

Clint Dempsey: Still a United States Starting Forward

by

Clint Dempsey: Still a United States Starting Forward

Clint Dempsey should still be a starter for the United States, and his starting allows the United States to have the all-important Dempsey-Christian Pulisic partnership. Although Bruce Arena recently used Dempsey as a super sub due to the quick turnaround in between Gold Cup games, nothing about Dempsey’s play suggest that his fitness level or skill has dropped at all.

In the American player pool, Christian Pulisic is the only other player with the same type of individual skill and ability to win games. There are other American players who can score impressive and important goals, but Dempsey’s creativity and individual skill is still needed; it’s not just nice to have.

Until there is some indication that Dempsey shouldn’t be starting anymore, there’s no reason to even consider it. Bruce Arena has liked starting only one defensive midfielder in Michael Bradley so that Arena can start two forwards, and this means that one of those two forwards should be Dempsey. While Jozy Altidore continues to improve as a player as evidenced by his fabulous freekick goal in the 2017 Gold Cup Final, he probably shouldn’t be starting over Bobby Wood who is more dangerous, more clinical, and more aggressive.

One of the keys for the United States playing at a higher level under Arena is Pulisic and Dempsey playing together, and not starting Dempsey gets rid of this potent combination. For years Dempsey has been playing for the United States with players who are way below his skill level, with the exception of Landon Donovan, and now that Pulisic has arrived, it would be foolish to not use the combination that has seen the United States playing a better brand of soccer. The U.S. is more likely to win with Pulisic and Dempsey playing together, and this partnership is especially needed against elite combination like the competition that U.S. will likely face in the 2018 World Cup.

 

Takeaways from the United States’ 2017 Gold Cup Victory

by

Takeaways from the United States’ 2017 Gold Cup Victory

It felt like the United States eked out its 2017 Gold Cup victory, rather than truly outplaying its competition. There were plenty of positives to take away from the tournament and the championship, even if the rotation of players led to a lack of excellent team passing and creativity most of the time.

Jordan Morris, Kellyn Acosta, and Paul Arriola all either reaffirmed their talent or they showed more of what they were capable of. Acosta and Arriola oddly received some criticism for not showcasing enough talent and special qualities, but Acosta looked smooth, skillful, and involved, while Arriola looked fast and dangerous.

Without Christian Pulisic acting as a Number 10 behind the forwards, there definitely was a lack of playmaking and creativity in the attack that saw Jozy Altidore dropping back into the midfield to receive the ball and playmake. Luckily, Clint Dempsey was around to win the semifinal and break the deadlock in the final, but Bruce Arena deserves some criticism for cutting Kelyn Rowe after the group stage and not always starting someone to operate as the team’s playmaker. Arena has several quality playmakers to choose from in the field, and he arguably didn’t have any of them on the roster for the group stage or knockout rounds.

Against a weak CONCACAF field of B Teams, the United States should have been more dominate and impressive. Arena did what was necessary to win the tournament, but the U.S. barely won most of its games. The only rotating of players that made sense was not starting Dempsey in the semifinal when he had just played 90 minutes a few days before. Other than that, there was too much meddling with the starting lineup, which affected the team’s performances negatively. Not starting Dempsey in the final didn’t make much sense either since Dempsey only played some 20 minutes in the semifinal.

After so many years of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones not pairing well as the team’s holding midfielders, Acosta proved himself to be a box-to-box midfielder who partners well with Bradley. Acosta plays with graceful skill and easy athleticism, and he passes well. Arena now has the option of either using two holding midfielders or two forwards, and this allows him to field a more attack-minded or slightly less attack-minded lineup whenever he wants. Morris continues to be a direct and aggressive striker who scores goals and unsettles opponents with his speed, so the United States has another striker like Bobby Wood who can get behind the defense and score.

Without the first-choice center backs, right back, striker, and playmaker, the United States’ Gold Cup squad wasn’t it’s A Team, so this wasn’t a chance to see if the United States has built on its progression under Arena. Nevertheless, at least the United States won the tournament, which should have been much easier to win. The real lesson is that the United States should always be starting its very best lineup until they are more dominant.

 

Bruce Arena Taking United States 2017 Gold Cup Competition Too Lightly

by

Bruce Arena has been a better national team coach than Jürgen Klinsmann in terms of his player selection and tactics, but Arena has taken the Gold Cup competition too lightly. In the 2017 Gold Cup, the United States has been drawing or barely winning, and in the semifinals, it took Clint Dempsey coming on in the 69th minute to break the deadlock with an artistic assist and a masterful free kick goal to finally beat Costa Rica.

Arena’s coaching decisions in this Gold Cup haven’t been poor, but they haven’t been excellent either. Arena has been taking opposing teams too lightly by shuffling lineups and auditioning players too much while also failing to start a playmaker behind the strikers to fill Christian Pulisic’s Number 10 role. Pulisic is already back with his club team Borussia Dortmund, and the United States’ passing, creativity, and attack has been subpar compared to previous recent U.S. National Team games.

The second-time U.S. coach was close to fielding a strong lineup against Costa Rica in the semifinal, but again there was no real attacking midfielder or playmaker until Dempsey came on late in the game. Pairing Kellyn Acosta and Michael Bradley as the holding midfielders behind the more attacking players was an improvement for the squad as Bradley could sit deeper in front of the defense and Acosta was free to go forward more. On the other hand, starting Graham Zusi once again at right back was suspect at best. Arena is apparently going to insist on having Zusi as a right back option, and Arena has really dug his heels in on this questionable decision.

Against Jamaica on Wednesday in the 2017 Gold Cup Final, Arena will likely start Dempsey rather than saving him for the end like last game which was done on purpose to account for Dempsey’s 90 minute performance just a few days prior to the semifinal against Costa Rica. Look for Dempsey to play alongside Jozy Altidore up top in the attack or to play as the center attacking midfielder behind Altidore and possibly Jordan Morris. We could see the United States drop Acosta in order to go with the more attack-minded 4-1-3-2 formation, but maybe not.

Arena has been taking the United States’ Gold Cup competition way too lightly in the 2017 Gold Cup, but against Jamaica in the final, Arena would be wise to not start the likes of Zusi or Gyasi Zardes. It will be interesting to see if Paul Arriola or Joe Corona starts in the final, but with many first-choice attacking players like Pulisic, Sebastian Lletget, and Kelyn Rowe not on this roster, one of Corona or Arriola should start.

 

The United States Must Build All Lineups around Christian Pulisic

by

The United States Must Build All Lineups around Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic should be the first name on the United States’ team sheet, and he should be on the team sheet in the Number 10 role.

When Bruce Arena first deployed Pulisic as a Number 10 beneath Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, what Arena did was set the United States up to showcase its best passing and best attacking play ever.

Recently, when the United States tied Mexico 1-1 in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Arena was somewhat forced to not use his first-choice players because they were operating on only a few days rest from a previous World Cup qualifier, but Pulisic nevertheless started. In the 3-4-3 formation used by Arena, Pulisic was operating out on the left wing in an attacking triangle, and this lessened his impact to attack Mexico and facilitate the American attack. Pulisic didn’t have as many touches on the ball out left, and he wasn’t in a position to feed Bobby Wood up top at striker as much as Pulisic could have in the middle.

Rotating players was excusable, but there was no need to use Pulisic out left or to use one less midfielder. Arena made the wise decision to start Kellyn Acosta in the center of the midfielder with Michael Bradley, and with Acosta helping out Bradley, there was no need to use three center backs instead of two. With the set-up used, there was a big gap between where Acosta and Bradley were and where Wood was up top.

This game against Mexico, while a good draw for the U.S., nevertheless showed how much the U.S.’s passing and attacking ability weakened with Pulisic out wide instead of behind the striker or strikers, and the team’s passing was certainly worse with Darlington Nagbe on the bench as one of the rotated out players.

Given Pulisic’s abilities and importance for the U.S., some minor criticism of Arena’s tactics against Mexico is warranted. The U.S. did earn an important point for the draw, but that point likely mostly came from an incredible and sensational golazo from Bradley.

Starting Pulisic as the center attacking midfielder should take precedence in an Arena lineup for the United States, and the real decision for Arena going forward will be whether or not he starts Acosta again with Bradley in more of a 4-2-3-1 or if starting two forwards is key for Arena. Whatever Arena goes with, Pulisic must be used centrally to orchestrate the American attack and to score and create goals.