Darlington Nagbe

Darlington Nagbe Must Become More Selfish

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Darlington Nagbe has been told that he must be more selfish numerous times by many coaches. His club coach Caleb Porter has told him, and his U.S. National Team coach Bruce Arena has also told him.

Yesterday, Nagbe scored a wonder goal against United States goalkeeper, Tim Howard. What made the goal a wonder goal was how Nagbe sent the ball up over Howard and back down quickly and from close range. Nagbe also scored the goal from basically a standstill, which required him to put so much curve and spin on the shot without a run up to the ball. In fact, the shot was so good and so unstoppable that Howard didn’t even move, rather he just watched it go over his head and drop into the net.

 


Nagbe’s goal resembled a ping pong shot hit with lots of top spin, and the degree of difficulty on the goal further showcases how Nagbe must get into the penalty box for the United States more and take more shots. The fact that Nagbe scored the goal on a goalkeeper of Howard’s quality and experience just further adds to the level of the goal.

So far for the United States, Nagbe has mostly used his individual skill to surge forward with the ball into the attack, but he’s hesitated to get into the penalty box to hit quality shots on goal. Christian Pulisic in comparison or of course Clint Dempsey don’t hesitate to really attack the goal with more boldness or aggressiveness than Nagbe.

The Portland Timbers midfielder isn’t exactly a playmaker, but he does have the skill set to play this role. In the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, Arena will hope to see Nagbe surge into the penalty box and attack the goal with the same flair and spontaneity with which he left Howard for dead yesterday.

Nagbe has repeatedly been called one of the most talented players in the pool by many of the best American players, and his game could use more selfishness and more use of his left foot, which he rarely uses. In the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, Nagbe should look to combine more with Pulisic and Dempsey, and Nagbe should attack the penalty box and take more shots.

 

A Better USMNT Midfield

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A New United States Midfield Three

The American midfields under national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann have been ever changing, and the United States Men’s National Team would benefit from order and consistency.

A three-man midfield is as good as any, and one of the hallmarks of a three-man midfield is the inclusion of a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, and an attacking midfielder.

Frequently, three-man midfields have one defensive midfielder and two box-to-box midfielders with the attacking midfielder or playmaker up with the Front Three.

Who should be in the American Midfield Three?

World Soccer Source backs the use of Michael Bradley as the defensive midfielder with Darlington Nagbe and Dillon Powers as box-to-box midfielders.

One bonus of using Nagbe and Powers is that both of these players have the endurance of Number 8 midfielders with the creativity and technical ability of attacking midfielders.

Nagbe has often been praised for his ability to roam all over the field and transport the ball from deep in the midfield into the attack, and this Number 8 role allows him to do that with the national team just like he does with his club team, the Portland Timbers.

Dillon Powers has to be high on the list of underrated American soccer players. After winning MLS Rookie of the Year several years back, Powers has continued to show why he is a much more talented and complete midfielder than the types of midfielders that the United States used to produce. Too many of these midfielders were simply hustle players that were hard tacklers, but they lacked the actual skill to be able to perform at the international level against better competition.

After years as coach of the United States, it’s unclear why Klinsmann has never once used Powers. There’s no justification or explanation for it. His competition was never Bradley and Jermaine Jones, as both of those players could mesh well with Powers.

With the Copa America Centenario coming up this summer, the United States needs to greatly improve the overall skill and tactical formation of its midfield or risk getting embarrassed by superior South American competition. A Midfield Three of Powers, Bradley, and Nagbe makes so much sense, and given how little thought it took to propose it, it’s a wonder that Klinsmann has never bothered to try it.

After Nagbe has shown well for the United States, he still doesn’t appear to be one of the first names on the lineup sheet for Klinsmann, and this is worrying. If deserving players can show well and impress their teammates and still not become starters, then how much hope can there be of Klinsmann using a better midfield this summer?

With both Powers and Nagbe in the Midfield Three, Sebastian Lletget is best used on the right in the Front Three as Clint Dempsey should be the first option to line up out left in that free attacking role.

Where Should Darlington Nagbe Play for the USMNT?

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What’s Darlington Nagbe’s best position for the United States Men’s National Team? Is there really only one?

Darlington Nagbe thrived this past season in Major League Soccer as a central midfielder, but his skill-set and qualities allow him to be a game-changer in multiple positions. Nagbe played his best when he was able to get lots of touches on the ball with lots of freedom to move. Whether he plays as a box-to-box midfielder or as some sort of forward, Nagbe just needs freedom to play the game as he sees fit. Even as an outside forward or wing in a 4-3-3, he could drop into the midfield to recover possession and collect the ball. Starting Nagbe either as a midfielder or forward is more important that ensuring that he is started in the Number 8 role.

Michael Bradley is certainly a more defensive player than Nagbe, so having Bradley in the lineup frees Nagbe up to be more offensive while still being able to contribute defensively.

A 4-3-3 formation would suit the United States well, and Nagbe’s qualities make him suited to play in the midfield or in the attack. If Clint Dempsey and Fabian Johnson are playing in the Front Three with Jozy Altidore or some other striker, then this makes the midfield the best spot for Nagbe. If Mix Diskerud (or some other attacking midfielder) and a defensive midfielder are lining up with Bradley in the midfield then one of the outside forward spots is best for Nagbe. These outside forward spots are positions that afford plenty of freedom of movement, and of course Lionel Messi and Neymar play these positions for Barcelona where they drop into the midfield all the time.

Nagbe is most influential when he is heavily involved in the game, and Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to make him a starter for the United States. Formations and tactics are certainly important, but special attacking players have always been given plenty of freedom.

All Nagbe needs is plenty of touches, and the United States needs him involved in the attack whether as a midfielder or a forward. Nagbe is also the logical choice to play Dempsey’s role when Dempsey isn’t playing, so Nagbe will have to work on his finishing to score as much as Dempsey.

For right now, a Front Six with  Diskerud, Bradley, and Nagbe, behind Johnson, Altidore,  and Dempsey seems as good as any, so it’s not hard to see Nagbe fitting into the lineup of a full-strength United States.

Although Nagbe did play as a Number 8 for the Portland Timbers, it’s easy to see how Nagbe is more of an offensive midfielder when compared to Michael Bradley or even the young Kellyn Acosta. Nagbe is much more of a complete player than just someone that needs to play the same role for the national team as his club team to succeed.

Whether he is more of a central midfielder or a forward, Nagbe can be a reference point and game-changing player for the United States.

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———-