USMNT

USMNT Positional Battles in the American Player Pool

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Despite being a national team that is criticized for lacking technical quality and game-changing creativity or skill, the United States Men’s National Team has enough depth in the player pool to have real positional battles.

Consider the center of the American defense, an area where the United States has been destroyed by quality opposition. It’s unclear what the best center back pairing is for the U.S. Is it Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler, or is Maurice Edu paired with Cameron a stronger partnership?

Edu and Cameron have really only been partnered on one occasion, but with these two players an argument can be made that they have all the club and international experience and skills needed to perform well when the better national teams play the United States. Omar Gonzalez and Besler don’t have any notable performances against elite attackers, but Edu and Cameron have much stronger club and international playing resumes. Edu has played all over Europe and in the Champions League, and Cameron is an EPL veteran. Edu is still under 30, so it remains a mystery why Edu and Cameron haven’t been allowed to show what they can do, especially since Cameron can play left center back well due to his skill with both feet.

There are other center backs in the player pool that warrant a serious look, and these center backs include Matt Hedges, Steve Birnbaum, Matt Miazga, and Andrew Farrell amongst others. Birnbaum and Hedges are left-footed and thus naturally-suited to play left center back, whereas Miazga and Farrell are more suited to play right center back – although these right and left center back labels are slightly small-minded and limiting in the center of the defense where both players are by definition aligned centrally.

There are of course battles at the fullback positions as well. Jorge Villafaña has emerged as a quality left back this season in MLS, so much so that he now plays for Liga MX side Santos Laguna. Brek Shea, Chris Tierney, Robbie Rogers, and Chris Klute must also be considered for one of the two left back spots on the roster. As for the other side of the defense, DeAndre Yedlin and Eric Lichaj have a silent battle for the starting right back spot. Lichaj as been one of the bizarre omissions by Jürgen Klinsmann.

The midfield is where the biggest positional battles should be. Michael Bradley is best when used as a defensive midfielder, and the United States needs to see if Benny Feilhaber and Darlington Nagbe can partner well with Bradley as a three-man midfield. Both are underrated in their ball-recovery and work rate.

Kellyn Acosta is another technically-skilled and athletic central midfielder with a complete skill set and huge work rate. Acosta also has many game-changing elements in his game, which range from bursting runs through the midfield to two-footed goal-scoring ability from distance. Acosta would bring a level of skill and athleticism to the midfield that the U.S. has never really had. The FC Dallas midfielder is even several levels above MLS-standout Dax McCarty as far as skill and athleticism go. Starting both Nagbe and Feilhaber over Acosta might make the American midfield too easy to penetrate and boss around.

There hasn’t been any movement in the media or fan base to start Acosta for the national team or even call him up, and this is a mystery. Perhaps too many people cling to experience as if it’s a guarantee for greater success.

What about some of the wingers in the pool? How will they fit in, and where should they play? Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, Fabian Johnson, and Kelyn Rowe are all international-caliber players, and they need to be incorporated into the roster and tested. The U.S. National Team needs to find out which wingers can help the team the most. If the team uses a 4-3-3 formation, then there are spots on the right and left wing in the attack, but Clint Dempsey should occupy one of those spots for a few more years.

Another battle is the battle for the center forward or Number 9 spot. Who should be the striker? Jozy Altidore has never been given enough service or enough quality service. It’s not good enough to just hit passes up in Altidore’s general vicinity. There is a real question of whether or not Altidore is better than Juan Agudelo and Rubio Rubin. Agudelo is likely the best striker in the pool because he has an arsenal of skills, creativity, and trickery that other American strikers don’t have. Agudelo can beat defenders off the dribble or score bicycle kicks or towering headers. Agudelo causes more problems for defenses, and he requires closer marking.

The best way to answer all of these positional questions is to systematically test out the best players vying for theses various starting spots without changing the whole lineup at the same time, and Jürgen Klinsmann is simply unwilling or incapable of doing this. If the United States wants to find its best players and its best chemistry, then the best and most proven players need to be played together while new players are tested out.

Right now, the main questions are the following:

Can Feilhaber, Bradley, and Nagbe form a viable three-man midfield?

Are Cameron and Besler a capable center back pairing, or should Edu and Cameron be tried for a while?

Who should be the starting fullbacks: Yedlin and Villafaña?

Is Agudelo a better center forward than Altidore, and does Agudelo play better with Dempsey ?

Is Fabian Johnson, Agudelo, and Dempsey the best attacking trident if the 4-3-3 formation is used or should Finlay and Lletget start somewhere in the Front Three?

Those are the main questions, but these are the main positional battles:

Wingers- Sebastian Lletget vs. Ethan Finlay vs. Kelyn Rowe vs. José Villarreal

Attacking Midfielder- Benny Feilhaber vs. Darlington Nagbe vs. Lee Nguyen vs. Sebastian Lletget vs. Luis Gil

Central Midfielders- Benny Feilhaber vs. Darlington Nagbe vs. Dillon Powers vs. Kellyn Acosta vs. Dax McCarty

Defensive Midfielders- Michael Bradley vs. Maurice Edu vs. Kellyn Acosta vs. Dax McCarty vs. Perry Kitchen vs. Victor Ulloa

Left Backs- Jorge Villafaña vs. Chris Klute vs. Brek Shea vs. Robbie Rogers vs. Chris Tierney

Left Center Backs- John Brooks vs. Matt Besler vs. Matt Hedges vs. Steve Birnbaum

Right Center Backs- Maurice Edu vs. Omar Gonzalez vs. Andrew Farrell vs. Matt Miazga vs. Zach Loyd

Right Backs- Eric Lichaj vs. DeAndre Yedlin vs. Kofi Sarkodie vs. London Woodberry

Goalkeepers- Clint Irwin vs. Bill Hamid vs. Luís Robles vs. Tally Hall

Who Should the USMNT Call Up in 2016?

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There may or may not be a U.S. Men’s National Team camp in January, but plenty of American players have made a case to be on the national team in 2016. For the first time in a long time, you can say that there are more deserving American players for a national team call-up than there are spots, and this isn’t going as far as to say that the player pool is full of world-class players.

Sebastian Lletget, Kellyn Acosta, Ethan Finlay, and Andrew Farrell lead the ranks of American players that deserve a call-up. Other players like Darlington Nagbe, Charlie Davies, Chris Klute, Rubio Rubin, and Juan Agudelo have already been invited to camps or given caps.

Leading the team as usual will be Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Tim Howard. Veterans like Geoff Cameron and Brad Guzan will also be among the first names on the list, and it’s time to recall Maurice Edu who plays as a defensive midfielder or center back. The National Team could really use another experienced central defender and central midfielder. In fact, a strong argument could be made that Edu-Cameron is the best American center back pairing at the moment, but where should Edu be listed on the roster: as a defender or as a midfielder?

This writer and this site has harped on the absence of a logical call-up system by Jürgen Klinsmann where the 23-man roster is selected by picking a first team and then the substitutes for each starter. This obvious system ensures that the roster isn’t too heavy or too light at certain positions, which has been a trademark of Klinsmann. If you read Toni Kroos’s recent comments about Klinsmann’s coaching and development abilities, then you can add his name to the list which includes Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller. The fact that the three most respected and complete current German footballers have major problems with Klinsmann’s coaching acumen speaks volumes.

Make no mistake about it. There is a problem with Klinsmann’s rosters and lineups, and pointing out better player options isn’t the same as saying that the American player pool is full of world-class talents. The talent out there is certainly capable of improving the overall play of the United States, and this doesn’t include tossing in some of the really inexperienced but undeniable talents such as Bradford Jamieson IV. If you wanted to really  take a chance on a player that might need some more club games before deserving a call-up, then that would be the American player to choose.

So, who should the U.S. Men’s National Team call up in 2016?

-Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers is the easiest position for the U.S. to fill. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan makes two goalkeepers, and only the third goalkeeper is needed. This writer backs Clint Irwin of the Colorado Rapids, but there are many other worthy options such as Zach Steffen, Luís Robles, and Bill Hamid amongst others. Irwin is arguably more fundamentally-sound while also being capable of making quick reflex saves with his hands and feet. Steffen is the real deal though.

-Defenders

Klinsmann has a history of not calling up two players for every position in the Back Four, and it’s not clear why this is the case. Four center backs, two right backs, and two left backs is absolutely required here with the exception that Edu plays center back and defensive midfielder just like Cameron.

Looking at center backs, Maurice Edu and Geoff Cameron should be on the list with John Brooks on there as well as a left center back. Although Matt Miazga has received more praise this season than Andrew Farrell, I would argue that Farrell is more vital to the team. Farrell is very hard to beat in a foot race, and his skill on the ball and 1v1 defending are well-documented. Miazga is a good defender already, but Farrell is harder to beat with speed or skill.  Farrell gives the team skill on the ball, speed, strength, positional sense, and lockdown 1v1 defending. Miazga is a taller and less quick player.

You could also say that Matt Besler or John Brooks is a toss up. There are no clear answers yet until the defenders are systematically tested as opposed to just switching up the partnerships all the time. Is Edu and Cameron better than Cameron-Besler or Farrell-Cameron? I have no idea.

As far as outside backs go, DeAndre Yedlin and Eric Lichaj have to be the right backs on the roster. There’s not enough evidence yet to suggest that anyone also should be here except for Fabian Johnson who plays better as a wing.

Left back continues to be a problem spot for the U.S. National Team. Jorge Villafaña stood out this year in MLS, and now he plays for the well-known Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

For the other left back, Chris Klute deserves a real chance. The U.S. cannot continue to have left backs that get beaten for pace and brutalized by good opposition, and Klute has world-class speed along with two-footed technical ability and strong defending. Klute has proven to be a true outside back in the sense that he is a fast, two-way player that attacks well and defends well. It’s worth noting that Klute is truly fast by any standard, rather than just being faster than other professional players.

Here is the list of defenders supported above listed in an organized fashion:

Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution, John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), Chris Klute (Portland Timbers)

-Midfielders

Who should be the eight midfielders? I like Michael Bradley as a defensive midfielder, and for the second defensive midfielder I would choose Kellyn Acosta who also plays as a box-to-box midfielder. Both Bradley and Acosta play both holding or defensive midfielder positions.

Next I would select center midfielders. Dillon Powers and Darlington Nagbe are the other two center midfielders besides Bradley and Acosta that are the most complete and capable of international play. Nagbe’s transition to a central midfielder from an attacking midfielder or wing or second striker allow him to have the ball at his feet more and his speed is useful in recovering the ball in the midfield.

Powers is similar to Nagbe in that he can play either as a central midfielder or attacking midfielder, but Nagbe has an extra gear in the speed and creativity department. Powers is the type of skilled central midfielder that the National Team has been missing, and omitting him would be a mistake for a National Team with a weak and unskilled midfield.

As for attacking midfielders and wings, Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, and Fabian Johnson stand out, and Finlay and Johnson are keeping out Kelyn Rowe who plays as a wing or attacking midfielder (and who deserves to be on the National Team).

Feilhaber’s creativity and passing ability are well-known, and his work rate and engine have drastically increased over the past three seasons. His dead ball ability and chance creation are big pluses as well.

Lletget is a more technically-skilled and creative player than Finlay, but Finlay is a real talent that brings speed and the ability to score goals and set up goals. Finlay would also help the team as a second striker or outside forward. Lletget and Finlay would improve the attacking skill of the United States without a doubt.

-Forwards

Clint Dempsey has shown no real signs of slowing down or dropping in skill or form. Along with Dempsey, it seems wise to select Juan Agudelo and Rubio Rubin before Jozy Altidore. Whether Altidore has been given enough service or not, Agudelo and Rubin deserve enough games to show what they can do.

The fourth forward on the list should be Charlie Davies who brings so much athleticism and activity to the final third, and Davies is a proven goalscorer who scores with his feet and head. Altidore shouldn’t be written off or forgotten about, but Agudelo and Rubin are more skillful and more aggressive.

The idea that the center forward has to be super strong and super physical is really a prehistoric soccer mentality, especially when Agudelo and Rubin are pretty physical anyway.

Who World Soccer Source thinks should be on the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 23-man roster in 2016 (at least for now):

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Clint Irwin

Defenders: Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Lichaj, Jorge Villafaña, Chris Klute

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Kellyn Acosta, Dillon Powers, Darlington Nagbe, Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, Fabian Johnson

Forwards: Clint Dempsey, Juan Agudelo, Rubio Rubin, Charlie Davies

USMNT Midfield Triangle: Bradley and Acosta holding, Nagbe creating

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In 2016, a midfield triangle with two holding midfielders and one attacking midfielder would serve the U.S. Men’s National Team well. This type of three-man midfield is a tried and true midfield formation.

Michael Bradley is a central midfielder that performs equally well as a defensive midfielder or as a box-to-box midfielder, but Darlington Nagbe is an attacking midfielder that also has good ball recovery ability and a good engine. Filling the last point on this hypothetical midfield triangle is Kellyn Acosta, the FC Dallas central midfielder that thrives as a box-to-box midfielder or as a defensive midfielder.

More so than with Bradley’s partnership with Jermaine Jones, Acosta is a midfielder that could potentially partner well with Bradley. Both players play both types of defensive midfielder roles, so covering for each other won’t be a problem. Bradley should play the deeper defensive midfielder role, but he has some freedom to go forward since Acosta will cover for him. Acosta has already displayed the willingness to play either holding midfielder role with FC Dallas.

If Bradley and Acosta are the base of the triangle as holding midfielders, then Nagbe is the creative top of the triangle. Nagbe is a smooth and technical player that brings lots of speed and non-stop running to the midfield. Nagbe’s ability to open up midfields and defenses with a pass or off the dribble is a needed dimension to the U.S. midfield. The fact that he runs so much and also drops deeper into the midfield can only help the U.S. to improve its passing and possession in the midfield.

The inclusion of Acosta and Nagbe should solve the problem of Bradley trying to be the team’s attacking midfielder and defensive midfielder at the same time. Bradley has been the player bursting into the penalty box behind the forwards and the player collecting the ball from the Back Four, and this is too much to ask of any player. With Acosta and Nagbe, the U.S. has a player to help Bradley recover possession and keep it, and the U.S. has a player to link the midfield with the attack.

Acosta is a key player in this triangle because he provides support to both Bradley and Nagbe, and he has the speed and skill to burst through the midfield and put the opposition on their heels. The FC Dallas midfielder has already displayed the willingness and ability to surge forward and score from outside of the box, and the U.S. needs more dynamism in its play.

The U.S. National Team must make changes in 2016, and a three-man midfield triangle with two holding midfielders at the base of the midfield with a creative point at the top of the triangle would be good tactics.

With Bradley, Acosta, and Nagbe the U.S. midfield would be a technical and athletic midfield that is also balanced. Using this midfield triangle could fix the U.S.’s problem of having no link-up with the attack and no possession in the midfield against quality opposition.

If Acosta doesn’t appear ready, then Dillon Powers can occupy the box-to-box midfielder role, but the U.S. National Team does have players to choose from that can keep possession and perform on the international level.

Rather than insisting on using so many players out of position, the U.S. National Team would be wise to use two holding midfielders with one attacking midfielder. Doing this requires making changes instead of just recycling the same group of midfielders that aren’t up to the job.

Midfield Formation Simplified:

Bradley———Acosta

———Nagbe———-

Three Improvements for the U.S. National Team in 2016

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Since the U.S. Men’s National Team has been having a major problem keeping possession and creating scoring chances, there is plenty to improve in 2016.

Here are three things the U.S. National Team can do to improve in 2016:

Play Michael Bradley as a defensive midfielder

Once Bradley has been named the team’s starting defensive midfielder, then two or three other midfielders can be chosen to play with him to improve the midfield’s possession problems.

If a three-man midfield is used, then a center midfielder and attacking midfielder can be penciled in to start. There is also the option of starting two other center midfielders with Bradley.

Looking at the American player pool, both Kellyn Acosta and Dillon Powers can start as the center midfielder with Bradley, and Benny Feilhaber, Darlington Nagbe, or Sebastian Lletget can be started as the attacking midfielder. Once Bradley’s position is settled as a defensive midfielder, then the National Team can find the best supporting class to help the team actually keep possession and look to dictate the game.

Include an attacking midfielder in the lineup

As discussed above, Feilhaber, Nagbe, and Lletget are all Number 10s or playmakers. Any of them can improve the U.S. National Team from going from no playmaking at all to at least some.

Feilhaber has been blackballed by Jürgen Klinsmann, but both Nagbe and Lletget can start at the same time. Whether a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation is used, Nagbe and Lletget can both start. In the 4-2-3-1, Nagbe and Lletget can be used in the line of three with Dempsey, and in the 4-3-3, Nagbe can be given a spot in the three-man midfield with Lletget given a spot in the attacking trident.

No matter what the National Team does, an attacking midfielder needs to start to fix the total lack of possession in the midfield and the lack of link-up play with the attack.

Build a 23-man roster with a Starting 11 in mind and substitutes for every position

Picking a Starting 11 and its substitutes should be an easy albeit controversial exercise for the U.S. National Team coach.

It’s easy to select a decent national team roster, but finding world-class players isn’t easy for anyone. Klinsmann can rightly claim that he doesn’t have world-class players, but he doesn’t have the right to say that he can’t call up a decent, balanced roster.

In 2016, the U.S. National Team needs to use an effective roster where every position has a first and second-choice option. Instead of using the best players he has, Klinsmann thinks he has to play players out of position because he doesn’t have world-class players. For Klinsmann, having a bizarre lineup is better than having a decent lineup.

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)