Thomas Müller of Germany deserved the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup.
By: COLIN REESE
Picking a 2014 World Cup Best XI was difficult with too many names for too many positions. In one of the best World Cups ever and with so many great players, there are no clear best choices for any position. Some players were fantastic but featured in less games because their teams were eliminated. Other players put in their best performances in only a few games when the stakes were the highest.
To look at one specific example, Neymar scored four goals and carried Brazil by being the only Brazilian player that could put the opposing defenses on their heels, break their defensive shape, and defeat teams from the run of play. By attacking so well, Neymar was Brazil’s best defender because he neutralized Brazil’s opponents’ ability to be able to build out of the back and take control of games.
Neymar only got to the quarterfinals before having his back literally broken, but he was better than Lionel Messi who bizarrely earned the Golden Ball, presumably for taking a team with no real playmakers or a balanced midfield to extra time of the World Cup Final.
Below is World Soccer Source’s 2014 World Cup Best XI:
GOALKEEPER: Manuel NEUER (Germany)
RIGHT BACK: Philipp LAHM (Germany)
CENTER BACK: Jérôme BOATENG (Germany)
CENTER BACK: Mats HUMMELS (Germany)
LEFT BACK: Marcos ROJO (Argentina)
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Javier MASCHERANO (Argentina)
Clint Dempsey (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
By: COLIN REESE
The United States did beat Ghana 2-1, but the USA starting line-up and tactics didn’t work. Clint Dempsey and John Brooks scored massive goals, but the poor team passing of the Americans should be worrying for American fans.
Against Portugual, the Americans will need to address the United States’ lack of possession and poor passing. After Clint Dempsey’s amazing lightning goal that must rank as the best American goal ever in a World Cup from a skill standpoint (with his goal against Ghana in 2006 and Eric Wynalda’s free kick in 1994 being close behind), the USA was being bombarded by wave upon wave of Ghanaian attacks.
In the 82nd minute, Ghana shredded the American midfield and defense with a series of give and go passes that culiminated with a smashed left-footed outside of the foot swerving goal from André Ayew, which American goalkeeper Tim Howard had no chance of saving.
Geoff Cameron and John Brooks did particularly well in the center of the American defense, and Matt Besler held his own in the first half at left center back before he was taken out at halftime due to injury. Looking back at the game, Cameron and Brooks both displayed better defending and superior technical ability and athleticism than Besler displayed.
Luckily for the Americans, Brooks headed in a striker’s goal that he hammered off the ground on a corner kick in the dying minutes of the game, and this goal won the game for the United States in a game where the United States was thoroughly outplayed from a passing and skill standpoint.
Jürgen Klinsmann will have to tweak his Starting XI to look to fix the Americans’ inability to keep possession and display quality and effective passing not only in the back but also in the midfield.
After the game, Clint Dempsey specifically pointed out the need to have better possession in the next game and to be more confident with the ball. The American captain noted that the passing needed to improve not only in the back but also all over the field.
Klinsmann will be looking to correct this problem, and he has a few options. Based on the logic that American defensive midfielder Jermaine Jones was able to play the wide left role that he was asked to play against Ghana, there is nothing to suggest that Jones or Michael Bradley can’t be tasked with playing the defensive midfield role that Kyle Beckerman played against Ghana – after all, Jones and Bradley are both defensive midfielders.
Removing Beckerman from the Starting XI opens up a spot for Mix Diskerud, and this needs to happen for the United States to see better possession and be a more dangerous and technical team against Portugal.
Surely Bradley and Jones can play as the two defensive midfielders against Portugal, and they need to really accept their roles as two-way central midfielders that need to cover for each other when one of the two goes forward with the attack.
With Jozy Altidore out, Klinsmann has no option but to start Aron Jóhannsson who is a fast and technical striker that plays the Number 9 role differently than Altidore.
The Americans will need to look to not just launch lots of long balls for Jóhannsson, but rather the Americans will need to display better one-to-two touch passing to allow players like Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Mix Diskerud, and Clint Dempsey to combine with Aron Jóhannsson and each other.
Klinsmann might keep the same line-up, but DaMarcus Beasley looked outmatched on the left flank as the left back.
The USA selected the young and exciting right back DeAndre Yedlin for the World Cup roster, and it’s time to start him at right back and move Fabian Johnson to left back – one of the positions at which he most excels.
Finally, whether Matt Besler has recovered from his hamstring injury or not, John Brooks is the better left center back to start with Geoff Cameron in the center of the defense.
Brooks provides better defending and particularly better man-marking, and Brooks is a smoother and more technical player with a higher level of athleticism than Besler. Brooks is also a major goal-scoring threat on corner kicks, and he’s an imposing figure in the center of the defense along with Cameron, which discourages opposing teams from being able to beat the United States with goals off headers.
Cameron and Brooks are best suited to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo as both are both laterally-quicker and more athletic than Besler, in addition to being better in the air. Cristiano Ronaldo has tendinosis in his left knee, but if Cristiano Ronaldo plays, then he will be a major threat not only in the air but with the ball at his feet.
Against Portugal, the United States will need to make three line-up changes from the fortunate win against Ghana: 1.) Mix Diskerud for Kyle Beckerman; 2.) John Brooks for Matt Besler; and 3.) DeAndre Yedlin for DaMarcus Beasley, which moves Johnson to left back.
Who does the USA need to start against Portugal with or without Cristiano Ronaldo?
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Geoff CAMERON
CENTER BACK: John BROOKS
LEFT BACK: Fabian JOHNSON
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Jermaine JONES
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT WING: Alejandro BEDOYA
PLAYMAKER: Mix DISKERUD
LEFT WING: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Aron JÓHANNSSON
USA XI (4-2-3-1): HOWARD; YEDLIN, CAMERON, BROOKS, JOHNSON; JONES, BRADLEY; BEDOYA, DISKERUD, DEMPSEY; JÓHANNSSON.
Why should the USA start this XI?
– Yedlin and Johnson as the right back and left back give the Americans fast, two-way outside backs that give the United States the best chance to keep up with Portugal’s attackers in addition to providing a wide attacking threat for the Americans. If Klinsmann is not willing to start Yedlin, then he shouldn’t have put him on the roster. In the pre-World Cup friendlies, Yedlin has shown the will and capacity to track back on defense and tackle, whereas Chandler didn’t do too well in this regard in the heat of Honduras in the USA’s famous loss against Honduras in February of 2013 in World Cup qualifying.
– Cameron and Brooks are the best American center back pairing on this World Cup roster. Brooks’ advantages over Besler were described above, and Besler does have an injured or at least sore hamstring.
– The Front Six is more self-explanatatory. Starting Jones and Bradley as the defensive midfielders or central midfielders (whichever term you wish to use) is the strongest option for the United States, and Dempsey has shown time and time again his ability to thrive when started out left where he’s free to cut inside and float around.
-Let a playmaker like Diskerud provide some additional creativity and technical ability to the center of the line of American attacking midfielders. Bedoya does well out right, and Jóhannsson is the most talented and experienced striker option not named Altidore, who is out with a hamstring injury.
– This USA XI gives the United States the most skill and athleticism as well as the highest likelihood of winning.
– Kyle Beckerman is not needed as the midfield destroyer, and against Ghana, he had the benefit of not having to face off with Kevin-Prince Boateng from the opening whistle, which gave the illusion of a strong performance. In reality, the USA was totally dominated in terms of the passing and quality of play, and Beckerman didn’t do much to help the USA to pass well out of the back to relieve the pressure.
– Starting Diskerud seeks to fix this passing problem, and look for the young central midfielder William Carvalho to possibly start for Portugal in some capacity, which will make the Americans’ battle for midfield possession even harder.
Here is World Soccer Source’s Best Pre-World Cup XI, which has Neymar listed where a Number 10 would normally play, but Neymar is really a wing or second striker.
With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also taking part in the 2014 World Cup, Neymar was listed as the central attacking midfielder in place of a true Number 10 such as Oscar, Andrés Iniesta, Mario Götze, or even Javier Pastore.
The players included in the following Pre-World Cup Best XI provide enough passing and creativity to be able to sacrifice a player such as Iniesta, Oscar, Götze, or Pastore from the XI.
Maicon has returned to form with Roma. Photo: (Tony Gentile/REUTERS)
A Seleção 23-Man World Cup Roster (January 2014)
Felipão has stated that either Kaká or Ronaldinho will go to the 2014 World Cup, but not both, so the race is on between two footballing legends and masters. Of the two, Ronaldinho Gaúcho is The Grandmaster.
Kaká has been playing for Milan with energy, speed, creativity, and passing and attacking skill and vision, and Ronaldinho is Ronaldinho.
No one can deny that an inspired Ronaldinho is a monster of a footballer and still perhaps the most gifted current player, if not ever.
Atlético Mineiro might have lost early at the FIFA Club World Cup, but that Ronaldinho free kick golaço was ruthless, magical, and unstoppable.
Nevertheless, as with the choice between Kaká and Ronaldinho, the problem for Felipão and O Canarinho is deciding which players should go to the World Cup. The Seleção now has an abundance of totally complete center backs (zagueiros), and the Seleção also has many attacking midfielders and forwards to chose from.
Really, Brazil is just absolutely loaded with players at every position, and more and more world-class Brazilian players keep making their case for inclusion on the 2014 World Cup squad.
In almost six months, the 2014 World Cup will begin, and a lot can happen. When the time comes, players like Pato, Robinho, and perhaps Ronaldinho might prove to be just too good to exclude from the roster.
Despite the quality of Germany, Spain, Italy, and others, Brazil is truly the clear favorite to win this World Cup.
Brazil is often every non-Brazilian’s second favorite team (with the exception of Argentineans), and Brazil is the team that neutrals love to watch and support.
From an American perspective, Brazil’s ability to constantly have so many world-class players at its national team’s disposal is hard to even fathom, if it weren’t a reality that soccer fans everywhere have grown accustomed to.
Brazil can beat your national team by four goals, and the loss will just be dismissed be the frequent excuse of, “It was Brazil.”
Without further delay, below is World Soccer Source’s 23-man currently-preferred Brazil World Cup roster, which is somewhat an approximation of Felipão’s ideal roster and somewhat this writer’s preference (and several world-class players have been omitted due to Brazil’s depth):
GOLEIROS: JULIO CESAR (Queens Park Rangers; rumored to be moving), JEFFERSON (Botafogo), RAFAEL (Napoli)/GABRIEL (Milan).
The typical United States Men’s National Team Starting XI as picked by Jürgen Klinsmann will be a recipe for defeat in the 2014 World Cup, and the United States has progressed too far as a footballing nation and developed too many technically-skilled players to field mediocre starting line-ups, especially in Brazil with Neymar on the rise. The United States needs to take advantage of its new talents and all of its progress over the past 20 years, so that the USMNT can play to win.
Whether one proposes using a greater number of the United States’ more-skilled proven players at the same time or whether one favors inserting some of the new American talents, something has to change in Klinsmann’s line-ups, and the United States has plenty of Starting XI options.
Below are some ideas ranging from experienced Starting XIs to even a Starting XI if all of the core group of American players are unavailable.
Option 1:
4-2-3-1 Formation with Experienced Players:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: Jonathan SPECTOR
CENTER BACK: Michael OROZCO
CENTER BACK: John Anthony BROOKS
LEFT BACK: Eric LICHAJ
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Landon DONOVAN
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Benny FEILHABER
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Jozy ALTIDORE
Option 2:
4-2-3-1 Formation with Experienced and New Players:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL
CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL
LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Benny FEILHABER
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Jozy ALTIDORE
Option 3:
4-2-3-1 Formation with Experienced and New Players and Juan Agudelo as the Striker:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL
CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL
LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Benny FEILHABER
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO
Option 4:
4-1-3-2 Formation with Jozy Altidore and Juan Agudelo as Strikers:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: Andrew FARRELL
CENTER BACK: Geoff CAMERON
CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL
LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Benji JOYA
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Jozy ALTIDORE
STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO
Option 5:
4-3-2-1 Formation with One Defensive Midfielder and Two Box-To-Box Midfielders:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL
CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL
LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Benji JOYA
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO
Option 6:
4-2-3-1 Formation with Experienced and New Players and Juan Agudelo as the Striker and Freddy Adu as the playmaker:
GOALKEEPER: Tim HOWARD
RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN
CENTER BACK: Andrew FARRELL
CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL
LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON
BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY
RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Freddy ADU
LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY
STRIKER: Juan AGUDELO
Option 7:
If Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore are all injured or suspended:
The United States needs Chris Klute starting at left back. (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Can the United States Men’s National Team survive Group G, the Group of Near-Death?
Yes, the United States can survive the Group of Near-Death, but Germany, Portugal, and Ghana are all better than the United States, and the real Group of Death is Group B, which is comprised of Spain, Chile, and The Netherlands—plus Australia.
The United States certainly isn’t as good as Germany, Portugal, or Ghana, but the United States can certainly beat all three of those teams with the right roster and the right Starting XI.
If Jürgen Klinsmann starts Geoff Cameron and Michael Bradley as a line of two defensive midfielders with Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, and Clint Dempsey in front of them as a line of three attacking midfielders with Jozy Altidore as the lone striker, then the United States can field a Front Six with players that can keep possession and pass the ball well, provide enough defensive coverage in the midfield, and create enough scoring opportunities.
This Front Six contains a midfield destroyer (Cameron), a defensive midfielder of the box-to-box variety (Bradley), a playmaker (Feilhaber), and two free-roaming attacking midfielders who line up on paper out wide (Donovan (right) and Dempsey (left)), and a first striker (Altidore).
Klinsmann’s Preferred USMNT Back Four made up of Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and DaMarcus Beasley is a different story, as it is an enormous weak spot for the Americans.
That Back Four is truly a subpar group of defenders who can’t defend World Cup opposition. It’s fair to openly call them inadequate.
Furthermore, if Jürgen Klinsmann starts his normal Front Six, which is arguably Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Graham Zusi, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, and Jozy Altidore, then the United States won’t have two defensive midfielders that cover for each other and play as a unit, and the United States will have no true playmaker to orchestrate the passing of the United States and play final balls.
The use of a real playmaker is key to keeping possession and allowing Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey to play their naturals positions, none of which is the playmaker position.
The level of American soccer is now at the point where the United States has plenty of technically-skilled players that are defenders, midfielders, or forwards, but the collective-skill one sees out of the United States Men’s National Team or your average Major League Soccer team falls short of elite-level soccer.
One of the differences between the United States Men’s National Team and elite national teams and elite club teams is the passing is still too chaotic and out of control because the gifted players’ passing and movement off the ball is essentially ruined by players who play lots of long balls or that can’t receive and release the ball quickly.
The key for the United States now is to play its most technically-skilled players together, in order to produce a brand of soccer where the ball is passed around the field quickly and under control.
Taking all of this into account, the United States can beat Germany, Portugal, and Ghana, but it’s a tall order.
Certainly, Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore can play against anyone, even if other teams might have better players.
Therefore, the main key for American success in the 2014 World Cup will be starting enough technically-skilled players together, so that the United States can maintain possession and not be overrun by Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.
If the United States learned anything from the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, it should have been that using a Front Six that was either too defensive or not defensive-minded enough was a recipe for disaster.
When Michael Bradley played with another defensive midfielder but no playmaker, the passing wasn’t good enough to break down the opposition.
Additionally, when Bradley was suspended against Brazil in the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup, Feilhaber played well, but there wasn’t a defensive midfielder who was good enough to prevent the Brazilians from storming back to score three goals in the second half.
Along with a few other options like Aron Jóhannsson, Juan Agudelo, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, and Freddy Adu, the Front Six discussed above is probably the only American Front Six that can compete with the likes of Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.
No matter how one wishes to look at the United States Men’s National Team, what Klinsmann is doing is using Jones and Bradley as defensive midfielders with Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore as attackers, which creates a dynamic where there is no link between the defensive midfielders and the attack and where there isn’t enough possession or scoring chances created.
That’s really the problem with the American Front Six: sub-par passing and not enough scoring chances created.
Using Cameron and Feilhaber with Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore eliminates these two problems because Cameron allows Bradley to play better in addition to contributing quality defending and passing himself, and playing Feilhaber frees Donovan and Dempsey up to constantly roam around, combine with other players, and make runs into scoring positions.
Using Feilhaber also gives Altidore a playmaker who can play him a wide assortment of quality passes and final balls mostly to his feet and in stride, as opposed to using players who just send crosses into crowds in the penalty box.
Defense is going to be a problem for the United States in the 2014 World Cup.
Evans and Beasley aren’t skilled enough defenders to defend Cristiano Ronaldo, Thomas Müller, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and other players in Group G, and Gonzalez and Besler are lacking some important qualities needed from World Cup center backs.
The United States has used young players in World Cups before, and Klinsmann’s current Back Four (even with the Front Six proposed in this article) won’t stand a chance in Group G.
The USMNT needs to incorporate some combination of Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, John Anthony Brooks, Michael Orozco, Shane O’Neill, Gale Agbossoumonde, Andrew Farrell, Chris Klute, and DeAndre Yedlin into the defensive Back Four or be prepared to lose to the teams in Group G, which many have dubbed the Group of Death.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s fate and the United States’ fate are inextricably bound up with how well the new and young defenders are able to perform because Evans, Gonzalez, Besler, and Beasley as a Back Four will mean certain defeat.
The United States can play well in the World Cup and get out of Group G, but the Back Four needs to change and a more balanced Front Six like the one proposed in this article needs to be used.
From an American perspective, it’s time to applaud the emergence of better defenders, and it’s time to use the new defenders who have the tools and skills needed to compete in Group G because Evans, Gonzalez, Besler, and Beasley don’t have the tools to perform at the next level.
World Soccer Source recommends this USMNT Starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation to survive Group G:
Tim HOWARD; DeAndre YEDLIN, Andrew FARRELL, Shane O’NEILL, Chris KLUTE; Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY; Landon DONOVAN, Benny FEILHABER, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE.
Furthermore, World Soccer Source recommends filling the rest of the roster with the following players:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad GUZAN, Clint IRWIN
DEFENDERS: John Anthony BROOKS, Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE, Kofi SARKODIE
Clint Dempsey (left) and Jozy Altidore (right). (Photo: AP)
As with other United States Men’s National Team roster proposals for the World Cup that this writer has made, this month’s addition of “USMNT: 23 For Brazil” is based on using newer and more talented American players as opposed to many of Jürgen Klinsmann’s preferences.
The United States qualified for the 2014 World Cup in first place in CONCACAF under Klinsmann’s watch, but many of the American players used to qualify out of CONCACAF have shown difficulty in keeping up with the speed of play against better national teams from outside of CONCACAF, whereas players like Benji Joya and Shane O’Neill have faced off against Paul Pogba in the U-20 World Cup and done very well.
This writer considers the play of those two players against France and others as proof of an ability to excel against higher-caliber international competition. The USMNT and Klinsmann received a lot of praise for the performance of the United States in World Cup qualifying, but the quality of play on display still falls well below the general quality of play that will be present during the World Cup, which will showcase teams who play quick-passing soccer characterized by advanced technical-ability and excellent athleticism.
Therefore, World Soccer Source disagrees with the general consensus of the American soccer media that Klinsmann is using his best players and fielding the players who can play high-quality soccer that’s good enough to defeat first and second tier national teams in the 2014 World Cup.
Many of the players on World Soccer Source’s list are considered inexperienced and unproven by many American soccer writers, pundits, and fans, but the United States will need the players with the tools to compete against World Cup competition, even if many of these players are inexperienced.
Below is World Soccer Source’s USMNT World Cup roster proposal as of November 2013:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim HOWARD (Everton), Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa), Nick RIMANDO (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): John Anthony BROOKS (Hertha Berlin), Shane O’NEILL (Colorado Rapids), Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE (Toronto FC), Andrew FARRELL (New England Revolution), Chris KLUTE (Colorado Rapids), DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders), Kellyn ACOSTA (FC Dallas)
STRIKERS (4): Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland), Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar), Juan AGUDELO (New England Revolution/Stoke City), Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien)
Roster Rationale and Notes:
-Despite the abundance of young and internationally-inexperienced players that give the impression of an experimental and unproven roster, this roster contains the core group of American players who are the backbone of the United States Men’s National Team plus new proven players: Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron, John Anthony Brooks, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Aron Jóhannsson.
-This roster also contains Benny Feilhaber, an under 30 and proven World Cup and Confederations Cup playmaker.
-With this group of players, Jürgen Klinsmann could start Howard, Cameron, Brooks, Bradley, Jones, Dempsey, Feilhaber, Altidore, and Jóhannsson, which leaves only the outside back spots as positions with internationally inexperienced starters.
-Given Klinsmann’s reliance on Brad Evans and DaMarcus Beasley as his outside backs, using two new, talented, and athletic outside backs is a necessary risk, if one wishes to call it that. Evans and Beasley have done well in World Cup qualifying, but this writer questions the prudence of banking on Evans and Beasley to either have the speed in Evans’ case or the defensive tools to mark the types of attackers who will be playing in the World Cup.
-Shane O’Neill, Geoff Cameron, and Andrew Farrell can all play as center backs, outside backs, or as defensive midfielders, so while this roster only has seven players listed as defenders, Geoff Cameron is a center back or defensive midfielder who is listed as a midfielder on this roster.
-Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, Kellyn Acosta, and Andrew Farrell can play both right back and left back, which gives the United States Men’s National Team four outside backs who can play on either side of the defense.
-Benji Joya gives the United States a complete midfielder who offers excellent creativity, passing ability, and technical play with better defense than Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, and Freddy Adu can provide. Michael Bradley is often called a box-to-box midfielder, but Joya brings a stronger attacking element than Bradley provides, which allows Bradley to play his natural position deeper in the midfield.
-Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Freddy Adu give the roster attacking midfielders who are also true playmakers, and all four players can play in the center, out right, or out left as attacking midfielders.
-Gale Agbossoumonde has seen less playing time in MLS this season than Shane O’Neill, but Agbossoumonde is another center back who brings quality tackling and 1v1 marking, size, strength, speed, agility, good positional sense, calmness on the ball, and smooth technical ability to the center of the defense. Agbossoumonde is inexperienced at the international level, but the United States needs him on the roster for the World Cup. Is it risky? Maybe, but so is using Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, and Matt Besler against elite attackers.
-This writer made including Freddy Adu on the roster a priority due to Adu’s ability to break down opposing defenses and put opposing players on their heels. Adu is a very skilled playmaker that the United States would be wise to include on its roster if only for the sole purpose of having a game-changer if a must-win game was looking like defeat was inevitable. One pass or one play could be the difference between being knocked out of the World Cup or living to fight another day.
-The roster contains an appropriate balance of all of the types of players needed on a World Cup roster, and several of them play more than one position. A close examination of the roster will show that every position is several players deep.
–With this group of players, Klinsmann could start the following Starting XI in the first game of the 2014 World Cup:
Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)
The United States Men’s National Team and Jürgen Klinsmann have plenty of outside back options available to them with the 2014 World Cup coming up next summer.
Due to the fact that Jonathan Spector and Eric Lichaj are proven-performers at the international level and the club level in England, it remains a mystery why Klinsmann has insisted on stubbornly declaring that Brad Evans and DaMarcus Beasley are his best right back and left back options respectively, especially since both players are less-proven and playing out of position.
There’s a widespread belief that both players have done well against CONCACAF competition and deserve recognition for holding their own at positions that neither player are naturally suited to play, but there is also widespread concern that Klinsmann is leaving the United States’ defense vulnerable out wide.
Any realistic examination of the types of attackers that the United States will face in the 2014 World Cup reveals the real danger of starting two players at outside back who are not really outside backs.
Klinsmann has a wealth of options at outside back, and many of his best options are players who are experienced outside backs with international experience. Additionally, there is the issue of the group of new MLS players who have demonstrated that they have the tools to be international-caliber outside backs.
The real mystery is why Klinsmann feels that using Evans and Beasley out of position is a better option than starting professional outside backs.
The coach of the United States Men’s National Team has been refusing to use outside backs that are paid to play the position at the club level for a living.
Even excluding new MLS outside backs like Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell, who are actually professional outside backs, Klinsmann has decided that both Jonathan Spector and Eric Lichaj don’t deserve any call ups to the national team, despite the fact that both players have a documented history of performing well for the United States and a wealth of experience in the English Premier League.
Klinsmann’s outside back selections have been a topic of discussion and debate for a long time now, and even if Klinsmann wants to start Evans and Beasley, there is no explanation for not putting Spector and Lichaj on the roster to fill the other two outside back roster spots.
Anyway that one chooses to look at this coaching situation, there is no way to counter the argument that Klinsmann has not put four natural outside backs on his rosters.
While Klinsmann can support the argument that Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell, and Kofi Sarkodie are inexperienced at the international level, he can’t support his stance that Spector and Lichaj are somehow less qualified to start as the outside backs than Evans and Beasley.
Spector in particular has performed well against Spain, Brazil, and a whole list of other top national teams, and Spector is under 30 years old. Lichaj too has performed well for the United States, even if he doesn’t have the same experience against elite national teams.
If Klinsmann views Fabian Johnson as more of a winger now as opposed to an outside back, Timothy Chandler, Fabian Johnson, Eric Lichaj, and Jonathan Spector are still all professional outside backs who have proven that they have the speed and skill along with the defensive skills to be the United States’ outside backs.
The track record of Spector, Johnson, Chandler, and Lichaj along with Klinsmann’s insistence on not making them his four outside backs really calls into question Klinsmann’s decision-making.
Consistently calling up the outside backs listed above was really only the first step that Klinsmann had to make in selecting his outside backs because he also needed to use some of the friendlies over the last few months to get a good look at the new outside backs like Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell.
At this point, there is no real evidence that Brad Evans and DaMarcus Beasley are more equipped to deal with better attackers than Spector, Lichaj, Chandler, Johnson, Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell because Evans and Beasley have only held their own against fairly weak competition.
Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell may be inexperienced but each of them has the technical and defensive skills along with the athleticism to stand a better chance of performing against the better competition in the World Cup. All three outside backs are skilled on the ball with both feet and extremely fast, and Klute and Farrell in particular have demonstrated very good defensive fundamentals and instincts.
Given the amount of playing time that Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell have seen as well as the quality of their performances for an entire season, all three of these outside backs have earned the chance to prove that they can outplay Evans and Beasley as outside backs.
Despite the fact that Chandler has cast doubts on how interested he is in really playing for the United States, certainly Spector, Lichaj, and Johnson should have all been a fixture on the U.S. rosters over the last two years.
Without a lot of games before next summer’s World Cup, there is a real possibility that Klinsmann will simply insist on freezing Spector, Lichaj, Klute, Yedlin, Farrell, and Sarkodie out of the United States Men’s National Team.
If this is the case, then the United States may very well not even put proven-players like Spector and Lichaj on the World Cup roster as outside back options, which essentially means that Klinsmann will be banking on using make-shift substitutes should his already make-shift outside backs be injured or suspended.
Klinsmann’s roster selections at outside back have been a problem, and from an American perspective, player selection at outside back is a major cause for concern going into the 2014 World Cup.
FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Juan AGUDELO, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Terrence BOYD
ALTERNATES: Mix DISKERUD, Jermaine JONES, Eddie JOHNSON, Eric LICHAJ, Jonathan SPECTOR, José VILLARREAL, Brek SHEA, Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, Edgar CASTILLO, Mario RODRIGUEZ, Joe GYAU, Kellyn ACOSTA, Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE, Gyasi ZARDES, Alonso HERNANDEZ, Perry KITCHEN, Will TRAPP, Caleb STANKO, Cody CROPPER, Clint IRWIN, Dan KENNEDY, Luis ROBLES, Tall HALL, Luis GIL, Daniel CUEVAS. Tony TAYLOR, Sean JOHNSON.
RATIONALE:
– This World Cup roster proposal as of September of 2013 has many new players, but the goal of the United States Soccer Federation has been to develop better players who have the physical gifts and technical ability to compete with top national teams. The team that qualifies for the World Cup (if the U.S qualifies) isn’t necessarily the team that offers the United States the best chance to beat top teams in the World Cup.
– There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the new crop of MLS players and young American players are much better than the majority of the people who played for the United States in the past, with the exception of players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan. Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, and now Geoff Cameron.
– Almost all of the defenders are players who Jürgen Klinsmann has been unwilling to use so far, but World Soccer Source believes that these players represent an improvement to the skill, athleticism, and positional sense to many of the makeshift defenders that Klinsmann has used.
– The USMNT has had a problem with outside backs, and Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, Kofi Sarkodie, and Andrew Farrell have the tools to improve the U.S. national team at the outside back positions.
– Farrell is listed as a center back (even though he has been playing as a right back in MLS), and a player with his tackling, speed, and technical ability would be a valuable asset and an upgrade to players like Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler.
– Shane O’Neill is included over Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler because O’Neill has demonstrated that not only is he a more fundamentally-sound defender, but he is also a more skilled and athletic soccer player than Gonzalez and Besler.
– Michael Orozco is also included as a center back because one of the problems that the U.S. will face in the World Cup is very clever and quick strikers, and Orozco has the agility and technically-skill to keep up with the higher-level strikers and attacking midfielders that the USMNT will face in the World Cup. Additionally, Orozco can also play as a right back and as a defensive midfielder.
– Chris Klute and DeAndre Yedlin are the future USMNT outside backs. Excluding Steve Cherundolo who was a skilled international-caliber right back and Bundesliga veteran, Yedlin and Klute represent the arrival of American outside backs who pose a real attacking threat out wide and who also have the speed and defensive skill to keep up with more dangerous attackers.
– The argument can be made that Eric Lichaj or Jonathan Spector are better outside backs than Kofi Sarkodie, but Sarkodie continues to improve and show the threat he poses out wide. Sarkodie is a fast and talented right back, and he is another young American player who looks to have more of the tools to perform against better and faster players on the international level.
– Geoff Cameron is listed as a defensive midfielder, but Cameron is also a center back and outside back. Cameron is most effective as a defensive midfielder or as a center back. Cameron is listed as a defensive midfielder because this opens up a spot for Andrew Farrell who doubles as an outside back and as a center back.
-Benji Joya is listed as a defensive midfielder, but he is really more of a box-to-box midfielder who is a very creative and technically-skilled player who also offers more defensive strength than players like Dempsey and Donovan. A teenager with that skill-set who performed well against Paul Pogba and who skipped college soccer to play professionally in Mexico is a great player to have on the roster to play with Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan.
– Both Benny Feilhaber and Freddy Adu are included in World Soccer Source’s roster proposal because of the creativity, technical ability, and big-game mentality that they possess. Even Landon Donovan publicly stated during the 2011 Gold Cup that Freddy Adu has no problems playing in big games with lots of pressure. Both Adu and Feilhaber have never shown any problems competing against elite players when playing for the USMNT, and playmakers like those two players are useful players to have on a World Cup roster to create goals and improve the American attack.
-This roster includes four first strikers along with several players who are either second strikers or attacking midfielders. Four out-and-out strikers with players like Dempsey, Donovan, Corona, and Adu offer the USMNT players who can put the ball in the back of the net against strong competition.
– José Villarreal, Gyasi Zardes, Eddie Johnson, Mario Rodriguez, and Alonso Hernandez were all excluded from this roster, but any of them could make their way onto World Soccer Source’s roster proposal in the coming months. The USMNT has reached a point where lots of deserving players will be unfairly snubbed.
-Several players on the roster offer the United States a lot of flexibility. For example, Shane O’Neill, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, and Michael Orozco can play as center backs, as defensive midfielders, and as outside backs.
The World Soccer Source 23-Man USMNT 2014 World Cup Roster Proposal
(August 2013 Edition)
COMMENT:
This 23-man USMNT Roster Proposal is less conservative than other projections and predictions that you will find from other writers and websites.
The purpose of not just going with the current group of Jürgen Klinsmann regulars who are doing a good job at staying on top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table is not to purposely propose a group of inexperienced and young players for the sake of creating controversy.
On the contrary, the purpose is that this group of players below represents a sincere attempt to not just survive the group stage but to give young, talented, and athletic players the chance to try and raise the level of play of the USMNT.
For example, Gyasi Zardes and Mario Rodriguez are on the list over Eddie Johnson, which will seem almost comical to many people.
The reason that this writer selected Zardes and Rodriguez, despite the excellent combination of skill and overall athleticism of Johnson, is that this writer believes that these two young and internationally inexperienced players, if they happen to play for whatever reason over starters like Juan Agudelo or Terrence Boyd, will relentlessly attack the goal no matter the opponent more so than Johnson will.
It’s important to remember that Rodriguez is highly-regarded by Tab Ramos, and Rodriguez plays in Germany. Additionally, Zardes is widely-considered an extremely talented striker in MLS circles, and Zardes seemed to have no problem playing against Real Madrid yesterday who were fielding a strong line-up, including Casemiro at the defensive midfielder role.
Here is the roster proposal:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad GUZAN, Tim HOWARD, Nick RIMANDO.
CENTER BACKS (4): Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE, Andrew FARRELL, Shane O’NEILL, Michael OROZCO FISCAL.
OUTSIDE BACKS (3): Chris KLUTE, Kofi SARKODIE, DeAndre YEDLIN.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS (3): Michael BRADLEY, Geoff CAMERON, Benji JOYA.
FORWARDS (5): Juan AGUDELO, Jozy ALTIDORE, Terrence BOYD, Mario RODRIGUEZ, Gyasi ZARDES.
NOTES:
-There are 7 defenders as opposed to 8 because Geoff Cameron plays center back as well as both outside back positions.
-Michael Orozco, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, Shane O’Neill can all play as outside backs and as defensive midfielders.
-Geoff Cameron is as much of a center back as he is a defensive midfielder.
-Benji Joya is a box-to-box midfielder listed with the defensive midfielders.
-Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber are on this roster proposal. Both of these players are highly-valued by World Soccer Source for their proven-ability and record of performing and making a positive impact at the international level regardless of the opponent. Many Americans and non-Americans consider these two players to be inconsistent and lazy playmakers with a poor attitude, but World Soccer Source considers them to be invaluable midfielders for the USMNT due to their ability to bring creative and quality passing and attacking play to a national team that lacks these qualities.
