Jermaine Jones

New Progress in USMNT Tactics

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Joe Benny Corona (Photo: Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports)
Joe Benny Corona (Photo: Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports)

 

Jürgen Klinsmann has certainly improved his tactical approach to games, and he now should be ready to field a team with better passing and a stronger attack.

The formations and tactics used in the Gold Cup differed from the formations and tactics used in World Cup qualifying.

As of right now, Klinsmann is currently using a defensive back four, a midfield destroyer, and box-to-box midfielder, a line of three attacking midfielders, and a striker. The only problem with this set-up is that the player who is supposed to be a central attacking midfielder has been Landon Donovan, a second striker.

Now that the Gold Cup is over, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore will be incorporated into the Starting XI with Landon Donovan, but Klinsmann has to decide if he wants to start Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron next to Bradley. Additionally, there is a spot open for a central attacking midfielder.

Instead of starting Landon Donovan as the central attacking midfielder or using Clint Dempsey as a second striker in place of a central attacking midfielder, Klinsmann would be wise to start Donovan out right, Dempsey out left, and Joe Benny Corona in the middle as the central attacking midfielder.

This gives the USMNT two attacking midfielders in Donovan and Dempsey who are free to roam wherever they see fit without ironing out an exact positional name for them. Klinsmann should just put them down in the Starting XI as a right midfielder and as a left midfielder and just let them roam as they naturally roam.

Given Corona’s superior playmaking abilities to both Donovan and Dempsey who are really second strikers/wingers, Corona should be started in order to free up Dempsey and Donovan to make runs, attack the goal, provide support for Altidore, apply pressure on the opposing team’s defenders and midfielders, and just do what they naturally do.

Corona is a goal-scoring playmaker, and he is fully capable of simultaneously looking to play a constant stream of final balls to Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore, in addition to looking to score himself. Corona can play off all three of these players and do whatever the game dictates.

Starting Corona as a playmaker frees up the confusion between Donovan and Dempsey about whether they need to primarily look to make runs into the final third or if they need to be responsible for providing service to Altidore.

Donovan, Corona, and Dempsey in a line of three attacking midfielders foster a style of one-to-two touch soccer based off passing and moving and combing with your teammates as much as possible. Furthermore, this system allows Altidore to not need to drop back into the midfield to get the ball, and it also gives the USMNT four strong attacking threats that will force the opposition to take all of them seriously, rather than focusing their defense on containing one or two of them.

This use of four attacking players actually corresponds with Klinsmann’s vision of high pressure team defense because having four attackers like Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore provides the United States with a group of players who have the speed, skill, and intelligence to know how to pressure the opposing defenders and midfielders into making mistakes in their own half or final third.

The two players that Klinsmann selects to play behind the four more attack-minded players and the defensive back four is something that Klinsmann will have to decide.

Michael Bradley is a lock as a starter, and his style of play has evolved into playing a box-to-box midfielder role more so than as a midfield destroyer. Jermaine Jones plays a similar style to Bradley, which has caused some miscommunication between the two players.

Both players seemed to want to go forward as much as possible, and frequently Bradley realized that he would have to play a deeper more defensive role than he wanted to because Jones wasn’t going to do it.

It’s worth mentioning that Bradley and Jones are not as effective in the attack as true box-to-box midfielders such as Paulinho or Arturo Vidal, so both of them can be fairly described as defensive midfielders.

While there is nothing wrong with two defensive midfielders with box-to-box abilities, a high level of overall athleticism, and an advanced technical ability, there does need to be an understanding that only one of the two can make forays at a time.

This similarity between Bradley’s and Jones’ style of play makes Geoff Cameron’s strong showing as a midfield destroyer very appealing. Cameron enjoyed patrolling the back and fulfilling a lot of the defensive responsibilities because he had a lot of touches on the ball, which allowed him to be heavily involved in the passing to the extent that he looked to play final balls from a deep position.

Cameron truly seemed to embrace the role of covering a lot of the ground in the back and being heavily involved in the midfield passing of the United States because he didn’t feel that his ability to impact the attack was hampered by his midfield destroyer role.

If anything, Cameron was playing more of an attacking role than when he played center back or even right back because at right back he was confined to only attacking and patrolling along the right sideline. As a midfield destroyer, Cameron was able to cover the entire width of the field and combine with his teammates and mix it up defensively with the opposition.

One more defensive option for Klinsmann and the United States, should the game call for it, would be to use a diamond midfield formation with Cameron as the midfield destroyer, Jones and Bradley as box-to-box midfielders lining up in front of Cameron, Corona as the tip of the diamond as the playmaker, and Dempsey and Altidore as the second and first strikers, respectively.

The United States Men’s National Team sits in a better position right now than it did after the most recent set of World Cup qualifying games because Klinsmann seems to have found a new balance of attacking and defensive midfielders. The defensive back four is a big question mark, but the Front Six and the general tactics of the national team shouldn’t be.

Cameron and Bradley provide excellent passing and defensive coverage and Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore provide a strong attacking threat and a good balance of differing skill-sets that can work together to form a cohesive and efficient team.

 

USMNT: 23 for Brazil (August 2013)

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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.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS (5): Freddy ADU, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY, Mix DISKERUD, Benny FEILHABER.

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.

 

USMNT Starting XI Proposal (4-1-2-1-2): Howard; Yedlin, O’Neill, Farrell, Klute; Cameron; Bradley, Joya; Corona; Agudelo, Dempsey.

 

ROSTER ALTERNATES:

FORWARDS: Teal BUNBURY, Alonso HERNANDEZ, Eddie JOHNSON, Tony TAYLOR, José VILLARREAL.

MIDFIELDERS: Landon DONOVAN, Junior FLORES, Luis GIL, Joe GYAU, Jeremy HALL, Perry KITCHEN, Dax MCCARTY, Brek SHEA.

DEFENDERS: Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, Fabian JOHNSON, Eric LICHAJ, Michael PARKHURST, Jonathan SPECTOR, Caleb STANKO.

GOALKEEPERS: Cody CROPPER, Tally HALL, Bill HAMID, Clint IRWIN, Sean JOHNSON, Dan KENNEDY, Luis ROBLES.

 

 

Post Gold Cup USMNT XI

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Despite a Gold Cup Final that did contain a lot of long balls and not a great deal of excitement, Jürgen Klinsmann likely has come closer to playing the style of proactive, one-to-two touch soccer where the attack starts from the defenders.

Without going into too many of the players who haven’t played in any friendlies with the full national team, the USMNT now is in a better position that it was before the start of the Gold Cup.

Why?

The Gold Cup displayed how Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud brought a certain creative and more advanced style of passing that was somewhat missing from the United States Men’s National Team as a whole before the Gold Cup.

While certainly Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey can play creative and quick-passing soccer that is more often seen outside of the United States, there was a missing piece to a midfield that was built around Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron playing as a defensive midfield tandem with Clint Dempsey playing as a second striker without any player to connect the three.

Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud provide this missing link, and Klinsmann now realizes that Landon Donovan is too good to exclude from his rosters and line-ups.

Any discussion of a Best USMNT XI requires one to draw a distinction between who based on their participation in full national team games should be in the starting line-up and who needs to be incorporated.

The way to include the best of the proven players and the best of the newer players is to start the more proven players and use several roster spots for players who have given strong indications based on their skill level and performances at the club or youth levels that they have something to contribute to the success of the national team.

This writer wrote an article entitled, “A Better USMNT Front Six Emerges,” and that article outlined which players should start in front of the defensive back four. That article can be found by clicking here.

That article advocated for using a 4-2-3-1 formation with the Front Six being Geoff Cameron and Michael Bradley behind (from right to left) Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Clint Dempsey with Jozy Altidore as the lone striker.

An argument could be made that Mix Diskerud should also be used at the central attacking midfielder role, and he is also a good choice to fill that role. Obviously, anyone who follows American soccer closely knows that someone like Benny Feilhaber has proved effective in this role, but based on their play in the Gold Cup, Corona and Diskerud are excellent choices to play a playmaking role in between Dempsey and Donovan and behind Altidore.

The real question is the defensive back four. Who should Jürgen Klinsmann use there? There are many indicators that at right back and left back that DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute are needed now, but at center back Klinsmann does have several options.

Matt Besler continues to surpass this writer’s expectations. While some of the younger MLS center backs like Shane O’Neill or Andrew Farrell (who has been used out of position at right back by the New England Revolution) might prove to be better, using Besler as the left center back is a reasonable and wise choice, particularly because he brings speed and good technical ability to the center of the defense, and he continues to use his weaker right foot more and more.

Klinsmann appears to be sold on Matt Besler, but Klinsmann also appears to be trying to decide who his center back partner should be. Remember that this is assuming that Klinsmann will only use center backs that have been playing for the national team (as opposed to some of the promising younger options), but this writer believes that Klinsmann might be a little more open to trying other outside backs, excluding DaMarcus Beasley who is performing well at left back.

Incorporating Chris Klute into the USMNT at left back will require first that Klute is selected to participate in a friendly or in a camp before World Cup qualifying, so Beasley is likely the prudent choice from Klinsmann’s perspective among the people who have actually been playing for the United States.

Read more on Chris Klute by clicking HERE.

Right Back is a different situation because Michael Parkhurst has done well there, but he doesn’t make as many attacking forays on the right side as Beasley does on the left side.

Since Parkhurst appeared to possess enough speed and quickness to do well as a right back, using Parkhurst at his natural position of center back might give Besler a faster and more technically-skilled partner than Clarence Goodson who is not quite quick enough and prone to hitting way too many 50 yard long balls just in the general vicinity of the U.S.’ striker.

Another center back option or even a right back option is Michael Orozco Fiscal who brings technical skill, speed, quickness, strong heading ability, and good defensive instincts and skills.

Looking at all of these positions, a first step for Jürgen Klinsmann and the USMNT could be to start this XI below:

 

Tim HOWARD; Michael OROZCO, Michael PARKHURST, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY, Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE.

 

There is another option, which some might describe as a more risky or experimental starting line-up, but it includes almost all of the same players as those above. This more adventurous Starting XI advocates using two young two-way outside backs from MLS: Chris Klute at left back and DeAndre Yedlin at right back. Below is the Starting XI that attempts to give the USMNT better defending and attacking out wide:

 

Tim HOWARD; DeAndre YEDLIN, Michael OROZCO, Matt BESLER, Chris KLUTE; Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE.

 

This second starting line-up would be the first step in using the players who have shown a real ability to perform on the international level with two outside backs who have the ability to improve the effectiveness of the United States out wide from a defensive and from an attacking standpoint.

 

Better USMNT Front 6 Emerges

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Taking into account the World Cup qualifying games before the Gold Cup in addition to the Gold Cup itself, a new so-called “Front Six” has emerged that can have the USMNT playing better and more balanced soccer that provides effective defense, better possession of the ball, and a more potent attack.

In addition to the players discussed below as a better Front Six than what Jürgen Klinsmann had been using before the 2013 Gold Cup, there are additional players in the pool who are already proven or who have shown real promise to be effective alternates or different options in the USMNT’s Front Six.

In light of the last few months, the Front Six proposed below would likely have the United States playing better in World Cup qualifying and in general, despite sitting at the top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table:

 

Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE

 

This group of five midfielders and a striker is stronger than previous line-ups that Klinsmann has used, and it’s likely stronger than any Front Six the United States Men’s National Team has ever used.

Although Michael Bradley is a defensive midfielder, he has developed into more than a midfield destroyer who patrols directly in front of the defensive back four. Bradley plays this role very well, but as Geoff Cameron is so willing and able to play that role, the United States has two defensive midfielders who are strong defensively and comfortable with the ball at their feet.

Bradley has steadily evolved into a central midfielder who likes to be more involved in the attack going forward, and using him with Cameron allows the overall passing and defensive strength behind the attacking midfielders to be much more effective than in the past.

Turning now to Jermaine Jones, it should be made very clear that Jermaine Jones is an elite professional soccer player who is a Champions League and Bundesliga starter, and his technical skill-level is world-class, despite being associated with strong tackles and picking up cards.

Jermaine Jones is an elite athlete who is a product of the German youth system, which is far superior to the United States’ developmental system. Any honest discussion of Jermaine Jones must acknowledge the reality that he is a product of being born and raised in Germany in a superior soccer environment to that which most of the other American players grew up in. Jones is both German and American at the same time, and to some extent he has suffered from not being considered German enough or American enough by Americans and Germans.

Certainly Jones and Bradley can learn to have a better understanding of which player is going up and when and which player is hanging back and when. When Cameron partnered with Bradley as a defensive midfield tandem, the roles looked to be more defined by a clearer understanding that Cameron would play the more defensive role while still participating heavily in the passing of the American midfield.

In fact, this exact style of using one more defensive, defensive midfielder and one box-to-box defensive midfielder is exactly what the Brazilian national team does. The Brazilian system of using a number five as a midfield destroyer and a number eight as a box-to-box midfielder is one of the standard tactics the Seleção employs, and in the recent Confederations Cup, Luiz Gustavo was playing as the cabeça de área (midfield destroyer) while Paulinho was playing as the volante (box-to-box midfielder; also a general term for a defensive midfielder).

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the United States Men’s National Team to model its midfield formation on some of Brazil’s standard tactics.

Focusing on the attacking midfielders, starting Clint Dempsey on one side of the field with the freedom to roam and starting Landon Donovan on the only side of the field with the freedom to roam is a tried and proven tactical approach for the USMNT. But, when the United States just used four midfielders with two defensive midfielders in addition to Dempsey and Donovan out wide, the United States never achieved real success or quality passing.

The absence of a playmaker has hurt Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore because there was a vital creative force missing from the middle of the attack. Like it or not, the United States achieved its real success in major tournaments when Benny Feilhaber was subbed in to fulfill a sort of floating playmaker role.

Given Joe Benny Corona’s recent display of his qualities as a goal-scoring playmaker, starting Corona in between Dempsey and Bradley with Altidore as the lone striker offers the USMNT the ability to really have a midfield and attack that produces more effective and more attractive soccer, which should lead to better and more consistent wins.

Joe Benny Corona has marked his territory on this United States Men’s National Team like a lizard doing push-ups.

Despite the fact that Corona has finally won over the majority of the American soccer media and the American fan base, the United States does have other playmakers like Mix Diskerud, Freddy Adu, and Benny Feilhaber who are qualified to fill this role.

After the Gold Cup is over, the United States Men’s National Team and Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to start a Front Six made up of Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore.

This formation and group of starters is the next step for the United States, and it allows the United States to maintain possession, defend well in the midfield, create more scoring chances, and score more goals.  Using this Front Six should be a no-brainer, and it should produce the highest caliber of soccer ever seen from the United States.

 

How good is Klinsmann’s USMNT XI?

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Clint Dempsey (left) and Jozy Altidore (right). (Photo: AP)
Clint Dempsey (left) and Jozy Altidore (right). (Photo: AP)

 

For several months, this writer has proposed fielding a United States Men’s National Team XI made up of some of the U-20 players with the best USMNT players, even the ones Klinsmann refuses to use.

 

What would this look like? It would look like Benji Joya, DeAndre Yedlin, Shane O’Neill, Caleb Stanko, Mario Rodriguez, José Villarreal, Alonso Hernandez, Juan Agudelo, Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, and even Freddy Adu being given a real shot.

 

The caliber of the passing hasn’t been good enough, and there haven’t been enough shots on goal.

 

So, just how good are Klinsmann’s starting line-ups?

 

Skipping quickly past the goalkeeper position, either Tim Howard or Brad Guzan are proven international and EPL keepers who serve the United States well.

 

Who plays right back? Well, Steve Cherundolo is certainly a seasoned Bundesliga and USMNT veteran who nobody really ever doubted in the past. Now, he’s a little older, and he asked for time off this summer. Additionally, some observers feel as if he’s lost a step.

 

Jonathan Spector is a capable player with strong technical ability, experience, and respectable athleticism for an international player. He’s by no means slow, and he isn’t very old. Spector performed well against Spain and Brazil in the 2009, and that’s something that he can continue to point to for a long time.

 

A bolder choice is tossing DeAndre Yedlin into the deep end with the full USMNT at right back where he gives the United States a modern outside back blessed with speed, attacking inclinations, comfort on the ball, and fairly aggressive defensive tendencies.

 

Yedlin is thought of as primarily an attacking threat, but he has certainly demonstrated an ability to tackle well, force attackers wide, and track down opposing players. The advantage of using Yedlin is that he puts the opposition on its heels when he marauds down the sideline, which breaks the defensive shape of the opposition and sucks opposing players toward the sideline, which frees up Yedlin’s teammates.

 

Who should be the two American center backs is really up for debate, and until all of the relevant parties are allowed to step into the ring, no one is really going to know which American center backs or defensive midfielders can take the center of the American defense to the next level.

 

Are Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler better than Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, and Oguchi Onyewu? Definitely yes.

 

Are Gonzalez and Besler better than Jay DeMerit? Probably not.

 

DeMerit was baptized by fire and performed well in two major FIFA tournaments against truly elite attackers. DeMerit didn’t just survive when the famous players were coming at him, he showed that he was an American center back that was too good to be victimized by elite forwards.

 

With that being said, Jürgen Klinsmann owes American fans and himself the opportunity to get to see the list of 10 or so center backs being tossed into the shark tank.

 

Center back is a difficult position primarily because faster and better players are sprinting at center backs while center backs are backpedaling; at any moment, the opposition can play balls through or over center backs or simply decide to dribble past them with a full head of steam.

 

It’s easy to say that center backs are mistake prone or too easily beaten. It’s hard to stop someone sprinting at a center back when the center back has his back to goal.

 

Gonzalez and Besler? Cameron and Gonzalez? Cameron and Besler? Shane O’Neill and Besler? Cameron and Shane O’Neill? George John and Maurice Edu? The list of possibilities goes on as several center backs like Amobi Okugo, Gale Agbossoumonde, Caleb Stanko, and Andrew Farrell (amongst others) weren’t even mentioned in the options above.

 

Taking a look at Agbossoumonde and Farrell together at center back in a friendly would be a very bold move that could prove to bring better skill, defense, and athleticism to the center of the American defense.

 

Should Fabian Johnson play as a left back where he can attack and bring better skill to the left side of the defense?

 

Should a brand new MLS player like Chris Klute be allowed to suit up for a friendly or tested in camp?

 

Should right backs with the ability to play as left backs be used?

 

These are all legitimate questions, which Klinsmann hasn’t posed or tried to answer through testing, with the exception of frequently using Johnson at left back.

 

Despite Klinsmann’s makeshift line-ups, one thing is for certain: the United States Men’s National Team has a better and more athletic pool of players than ever before.

 

Will they get a chance to show what they can do? Will they be giving a fair shot?

 

The front six offers a lot more certainly.

 

Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore are starting as a box-to-box/defensive midfielder, roaming attacking midfielder or second striker, and first striker, respectively; this fact leaves three open spots.

 

Will Trapp isn’t beating Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron out for the defensive midfielder spot any time soon, and Perry Kitchen hasn’t even been given the chance to show how well he would do against someone like Brazil, if Jones or Cameron were unavailable.

 

Can Jeremy Hall or Amobi Okugo outperform Maurice Edu? Who knows?

 

The U.S. has other midfield destroyers as well, but no one from Tab Ramos’ U-20 U.S. side (except maybe Stanko in the future) is taking the misunderstood number 6 role, which requires a lot of comfort on the ball, speed, defensive skill, and elegant passing ability.

 

Two spots remain to be discussed, and these two spots have been Jürgen Klinsmann’s clearest display of being a poor tactician.

 

The ability to appreciate creative passing skills in a player who is willing to try passes that might not slip through the defense and the need of the first and second strikers to have a playmaker who is inventive, smooth, instinctual, and a risk taker is a connection that Klinsmann either refuses to try to address or a connection that he refuses to accept.

 

Either way, Klinsmann has been unwilling to even test out the best playmaker options at his disposal and pick one. Klinsmann’s standards for playmakers are high, but he has never proven that his assessment of Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Freddy Adu, Mix Diskerud, or anyone else is correct. He needs to prove it.

 

He needs to allow a playmaker to play with Cameron/Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore, and he needs to evaluate all of the options at his disposal.

 

With Cameron or Jones playing with Bradley and Dempsey and Donovan combining with Altidore to help him to attack the goal, Klinsmann doesn’t have a good excuse to not try out playmakers who link the more defensive midfielders with Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore.

 

Until he tries it out, he can’t support his tactics. Klinsmann needs to try something. He is entitled to not use his archenemies (Feilhaber and Adu) to whom he has nothing to teach , but he could at least play a line of three attacking midfielders Donovan, Corona, and Dempsey behind Altidore with Cameron and Bradley playing deep.

 

That’s fair.

 

That’s tactically sound.

 

Based on how Benji Joya has played in the U-20 World Cup and in CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying, Joya would be a very useful midfielder to begin to incorporate into the USMNT.

 

Joya brings skill, calm passing, defensive qualities, good athleticism, and intensity. He’s a complete midfielder that offers Bradley, Cameron, Jones, and Dempsey a player who can play at their level and help the team to produce better soccer.

 

Perhaps the best performance ever for the USMNT under Klinsmann was the game against Panama in which Klinsmann had players close to fulfilling the 1 through 11 numbering system: Tim Howard 1, Brad Evans 2, Omar Gonzalez 3, Matt Besler 4, DaMarcus Beasley 5, Geoff Cameron 6, Fabian Johnson 7, Michael Bradley 8, Jozy Altidore 9, Eddie Johnson 9, Clint Dempsey 11. No number 10 or anything close to it.

 

Even Joe Corona, an actual number 10 who proved himself in the Copa Libertadores, was on the bench for several qualifiers before and after the Panama game when the U.S. was passing poorly. Corona’s cameo against Panama was essentially a public insult from Klinsmann that said, “It means nothing to me that you start for a good Liga MX team that went deep into the Copa Libertadores, and I don’t care that you proved yourself twice against Corinthians.”

 

Looking at the starting line-up against Panama, the right back and left back were questionable as legitimate options against better teams. Eddie Johnson was oddly used as a right midfield winger. Clint Dempsey was used as a 10.

 

The reason the line-up worked was because Cameron, Bradley, Fabian Johnson, Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, and Altidore all had the skill-level, playing style, and athleticism to display a higher caliber of passing play despite the rather bizarre formation with a striker like Eddie Johnson as a right winger and Dempsey as a playmaker .

 

The Best 40 American Players (July 2013)

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Clint Dempsey, the best American soccer player ever. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Clint Dempsey, the best American soccer player ever. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS ARE RANKED USING THE CRITERIA OF SKILL AND PROVEN ABILITY AT THE INTERNATIONAL OR CLUB LEVEL:

 

“Clint (Dempsey), I think has the most ability.” – Pelé (on who is the best American player)

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2013/06/05/4026451/pele-freddy-adus-career-hasnt-turned-out-the-way-i-expected

 

1. Clint DEMPSEY

2. Michael BRADLEY

3. Jozy ALTIDORE

4. Landon DONOVAN

5. Tim HOWARD

 

6. Benny FEILHABER

7. Geoff CAMERON

8. Jermaine JONES

9. Fabian JOHNSON

10. Freddy ADU

 

11. Steve CHERUNDOLO

12. Joe CORONA

13. Juan AGUDELO

14. Terrence BOYD

15. Brad GUZAN

 

16. Benji JOYA

17. Eddie JOHNSON

18. Stuart HOLDEN

19. Joe GYAU

20. Mix DISKERUD

 

21. Jonathan SPECTOR

22. Luis GIL

23. Brek SHEA

24. Mario RODRIGUEZ

25. Alonso HERNANDEZ

 

26. Tony TAYLOR

27. DeAndre YEDLIN

28. Andrew FARRELL

29. Chris KLUTE

30. Eric LICHAJ

 

31. Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE

32. Perry KITCHEN

33. Daniel CUEVAS

34. Teal BUNBURY

35. Maurice EDU

 

36. George JOHN

37. Kofi SARKODIE

38. Shane O’NEILL

39. Caleb STANKO

40. Matt BESLER

 

**NOTE: HERCULEZ GOMEZ WAS INJURED AT THE TIME THAT THIS LIST WAS MADE.

 

 

 

The State of the USMNT

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Clint Dempsey will be the best American soccer player for years to come. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Clint Dempsey will be the best American soccer player for years to come. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

 

Starting with the strikers and moving backward towards the goalkeepers, there are lots of pros and cons to what Jürgen Klinsmann is doing.

 

The main thing Klinsmann has done right is that he is close to finding a Starting XI that can play a higher caliber of soccer against top national teams.

 

The main two things he has done wrong are 1.) failing to use a player to connect the midfield to the attack; and 2.) filling the non-starter roster spots with players who haven’t proven they are better than other players the U.S. has at its disposal.

 

There’s no real connection between the improved international play of players like Jozy Altidore, and anything Jürgen Klinsmann is doing as a coach. Klinsmann simply likes to remind Altidore how he was a great German striker and thus entitled to publicly rag on Altidore, as opposed to solving the problem of providing Altidore with more service.

 

Klinsmann has publicly insulted Altidore on multiple occasions (supposedly as some sort of motivational tactic), but the improved service that Altidore received when playing for the United States was the real reason for Altidore’s recently improved scoring rate and combination play with Clint Dempsey.

 

Altidore’s improved skill-level and international performances is a product of steady improvement from childhood until seeing lots of playing time with technical footballers in Holland.

 

Clint Dempsey has been playing for the United States Men’s National Team as a second striker, even if a diagram of the line-up makes him look like a central attacking midfielder, but Dempsey’s performances for the U.S. have always been better when he’s provided with a better supporting cast who can play on his level.

 

Dempsey’s record and highlights speak for themselves, but Dempsey is often the scapegoat when the USMNT plays poorly. Often, Dempsey receives lower ratings from the American soccer media than players who clearly didn’t show as much class and intensity in a particular game. The more players like Michael Bradley who are playing with Dempsey, the more he’ll be able to play off his teammates and shine.

 

Despite the praise Graham Zusi has received from the American soccer media for his World Cup qualifying performances, Zusi looked mostly in over his head against Germany and Belgium. Often a single cross that finds its target in a game largely characterized by just trying to keep up with international competition will garner Zusi praise.

 

Zusi is certainly a technically-sound player with the ability to rely less on a steady stream of crosses and more on higher-caliber passing than he does. Zusi crossed the ball 12 times against Honduras, and while a few of them were well-weighted and elegant, others looked like he was married to crossing the ball. Nevertheless, Zusi has shown the ability to play a better style of passes, but he should play that way more.

 

One of the back ups for Zusi is Joe Corona, and Corona almost seems blackballed by Klinsmann, despite seeing a small number of World Cup qualifying minutes against Panama. Whatever Klinsmann’s rationale is for not using Corona more, even though he continues to call him up to the national team, it makes but little sense.

 

Every soccer fan around the world knows that the one missing element from the U.S. national team now is starting a higher number of technically-skilled players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Jozy Altidore, and Fabian Johnson. Corona is not only technically-skilled, but he’s creative, experienced, and a starting attacking midfielder in a league that is better than Major League Soccer: La Liga MX.

 

The constant refusal to let Corona play a bigger role is a tough sale for any knowledgeable soccer fan. The United States Men’s National Team is simply not good enough in its current form to exclude players like Corona.

 

Amidst the euphoria of sitting on 13 points in World Cup qualifying, American soccer fans and the American soccer media should be mindful of how easily Germany’s B Team was able to score a flurry of goals in a matter of minutes when it was actually trying. Additionally, Belgium absolutely destroyed the United States in the friendly before Germany.

 

The United States wouldn’t have been outclassed to such an extent by Belgium if a greater number of  better players were used. Without any thought, anyone who has followed the USMNT knows that Landon Donovan and Benny Feilhaber could have simply been given a uniform for the Belgium game and had no problems performing well without looking in over their heads. The United States might have still lost, but the quality of play would have been better.

 

People can say what they like about Donovan or Feilhaber, but both of them have skill-sets that this current U.S. team is missing.

 

While the United States has a variety of strong pieces in Klinsmann’s recent starting line-ups, there is undoubtedly a better right back, a better right midfielder, and a better playmaker. Klinsmann could simply insert three new starters to start with eight of his current starters and make the USMNT instantly better.

 

The State of the United States Men’s National Team is that eight of Klinsmann’s 11 starters should continue to start: Tim Howard (goalkeeper), Omar Gonzalez (center back), Matt Besler (center back), Fabian Johnson (left back), Michael Bradley (defensive midfielder), Geoff Cameron or Jermaine Jones (defensive midfielder), Clint Dempsey (second striker), and Jozy Altidore (first striker).

 

The United States needs to use new players at right back, at the central attacking midfielder role, and as the right attacking midfielder, and Klinsmann has the players available to him to strengthen these three positions.

 

At right back, Klinsmann has DeAndre Yedlin, Jonathan Spector, Eric Lichaj, and Andrew Farrell. At playmaker, Klinsmann has Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Benji Joya, and Freddy Adu. And lining up as a right midfielder, Klinsmann has Landon Donovan, any of the players listed at playmaker, Joe Gyau, Brek Shea, or Stuart Holden.

 

The State of the United States Men’s National Team is that it has the players in the pool to shore up its weaknesses, but Klinsmann refuses to use even the internationally-proven ones.

 

The United States is in first place in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, but the line-ups Klinsmann is using don’t have the collective quality to beat stronger national teams. Klinsmann will have to use someone who can provided Dempsey and Altidore with more service, and Klinsmann will also have  to use a right back with more speed than Brad Evans.

 

Not everything that Klinsmann is doing is bad, as Klinsmann is somewhat close to fielding a starting line-up with 10 skilled, dynamic, and athletic field players, but the missing connection between the defensive midfielders and the attack is still a problem.

 

One reality of the USMNT is that Jürgen Klinsmann is using some players who make the United States play below its real ability, and it’s time to see just how good the U.S. really is.

 

Can Cameron, Jones, and Bradley start together?

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Geoff Cameron (20) allows Michael Bradley to attack more. Can Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, and Geoff Cameron start at the same time? (Photo: AP/Rick Bowmer)
Geoff Cameron (20) allows Michael Bradley to attack more. Can Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, and Geoff Cameron start at the same time? (Photo: AP/Rick Bowmer)

 

In the wake of the United States Men’s National Team’s 1-0 win over Honduras, there are still many questions about how the United States should use Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, and Jermaine Jones.

 

While Cameron allows Bradley to play a bigger role in the attack, Jones is still a very talented Champions League and Bundesliga defensive midfielder who like Cameron has refined passing skills and an overall comfort with the ball at his feet.

 

Does starting Cameron, Bradley, and Jones play at the same time allow the USMNT to pass better while still being tough to break down defensively? Can all three stay out of each other’s way?

 

The American soccer media likes to refer to the various types of defensive midfielders as central midfielders, as if defensive midfielder means midfield destroyer and central midfielder means a box-to-box midfielder. The second classification is an accurate assessement, but there is this conflict of ideas of how the central midfield should line up and who should play there.

 

As many writers, pundits, and fans have pointed out, Geoff Cameron is doing a better job than Jermaine Jones of agreeing to play some variation of the midfield destroyer role. Nevertheless, Jones is a highly-skilled Champions League and Bundesliga veteran, but Cameron is, as many people have observed, allowing Bradley to play farther up field and participate in the attack closer to Clint Dempsey.

 

With that being said, Jones certainly has the right and skill to advance toward the final third as Bradley does, but if that is going to continue to happen, then the United States Men’s National Team will need to play Jones and Bradley in front of Cameron as three points of a diamond midfield formation.

 

If Bradley and Jones want to play closer to goal, Cameron seems perfectly willing and able to fulfill more of the defensive duties in front of the defensive back four while also stamping his passing imprint on the game as well. Starting Cameron, Bradley, and Jones leaves three open positions in the midfield and at forward, so the USMNT could start Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and one other player as part of the front six.

 

If Jürgen Klinsmann ever elects to start Cameron, Jones, and Bradley together, then he’ll have to finally take the plunge and allow Joe Corona, Benny Feilhaber, Benji Joya, or Freddy Adu to start.

 

This sort of line-up would be an improvement over the types of three defensive midfielder formations that Klinsmann used in the past.

 

In the past, the player tasked with the midfield destroyer role wasn’t as agile and skilled on the ball as Geoff Cameron. With Cameron playing as the midfield destroyer, the United States would be giving both Jones and Bradley (both defensive midfielders) the license to really play as box-to-box midfielders more so than in the past with a playmaker in front of them and a second striker and first striker in front of the playmaker.

 

The United States has used a midfield with Landon Donovan out right, Clint Dempsey out left, and Michael Bradley and Benny Feilhaber in the middle, but the U.S. has never used three midfielders with Bradley’s, Jones’s, and Cameron’s defensive and technical skills behind three essentially pure attack-minded players.

 

The key to the system is Cameron playing deeper than everyone else in the front six, and Cameron not only has no problem doing this, but he also seems to enjoy roaming the back where he gets lots of touches on the ball, which allows him to either spray passes around or combine with his teammates with quicker passes on the ground.

 

This formation would eliminate the need for Bradley to sacrifice his attacking qualities, in order to provide defensive coverage for Jones, and this formation would also be technically-skilled but difficult for opposing teams to break down.

 

As long as some playmaker is linking Cameron, Bradley, and Jones to Dempsey and Altidore, then this formation could allow Bradley and Jones the freedom to both attack and defend without fearing leaving a big hole behind them.

 

This system would be attempting to let the USMNT start two players similar (in position only) to a player of a much higher caliber: Arturo Vidal.

 

Despite being excellent European and international players and with all due respect to their technical qualities, Bradley and Jones don’t have the same attacking arsenal and class as Arturo Vidal, who’s essentially a combination of Bradley’s running, tenacity, and defensive skill with Dempsey’s technical ability.

 

Nevertheless, all of the U.S. midfielders listed above are quality international midfielders by any standard, and starting Cameron, Bradley, Jones, and Corona with Dempsey and Altidore up top would be a courageous and tactically-sound formation.

 

The most likely reaction by the majority of the American fan base and soccer media to the line-up proposed above would be a mixture between complaints that Corona isn’t ready to arguments that this is a formation with three midfield destroyers

Who Should the USMNT Start Against Honduras?

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Geoff Cameron (20). © TONY QUINN / ISIPHOTOS.COM
Geoff Cameron (20).
© TONY QUINN / ISIPHOTOS.COM

 

 

Who Jürgen Klinsmann will include in his Starting XI for the United States Men’s National Team is anyone’s guess, but it seems likely that Edgar Castillo would slot into his natural position of left back to replace the suspended DaMarcus Beasley.

 

Additionally, Klinsmann has been a big fan of Graham Zusi’s play as a pseudo-right winger. Nevertheless, Klinsmann must have liked the type of passing and off the ball movement the U.S. showed against Panama without Zusi.

 

The likely starters based on Klinsmann’s past decisions are: Tim Howard; Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, Edgar Castillo; Geoff Cameron; Michael Bradley; Graham Zusi or Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey, Fabian Johnson ; Jozy Altidore.

 

Is this the best starting line-up that can be formed from the players on the roster considering the suspensions? Maybe it is, or maybe it isn’t.

 

On the one hand, the United States played its best soccer under Klinsmann when two of Klinsmann’s first choice starters, Graham Zusi and Jermaine Jones, were unavailable. Zusi had delivered an assist two games in a row in the games before the Panama match, but without Zusi, Eddie Johnson was in the line-up making runs behind the Panamanian defense.

 

While Jones has performed well and provided the American midfield with lots of qualities, Cameron seemed to do a better job of playing a combination of a midfield destroyer and a box-to-box midfielder, mainly in regards to his passing and defensive recovery duties.

 

Klinsmann does have the option of starting Cameron right in front of the back four with Jones and Bradley in front of him to the right and left playing as box-to-box midfielders, but two things are unclear: is Jones ready to play again after his concussion, and would Klinsmann use all three at once given the problems with using three defensive midfielders in the past?

 

Despite the likely starting line-up predicted above, Klinsmann has the option of using Stuart Holden or Joe Corona or both, and Klinsmann has the option of using Terrence Boyd or Eddie Johnson as an additional center forward alongside Jozy Altidore.

 

Who will Klinsmann start? Who should Klinsmann start? These are two different questions.

 

The game against Panama at the very least demonstrated that changes to the starting line-up can greatly improve the USMNT’s performance, as opposed to the conventional wisdom that constant line-up changes prevent the team from playing as a cohesive unit.

 

A new line-up against Panama produced the first real glimpse of the type of proactive soccer that Klinsmann said he was trying to instill when he became head coach of the U.S. two years ago.

 

The right kind of change is good, and the next step for the U.S. is adding a playmaker in addition to the improved passing displayed with Geoff Cameron as somewhat of a combination of a midfield destroyer and a box-to-box midfielder.

The USMNT’s Christmas Tree Option Against Honduras

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With Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore up top, the USMNT can use the Christmas Tree Formation against Honduras. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
With Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore in attack, the USMNT can use the Christmas Tree Formation against Honduras. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

 

The Christmas Tree formation, a.k.a. L’albero di Natale, is a tactical option against Honduras next Tuesday.

 

With Geoff Cameron, Jermaine Jones, and Michael Bradley all possessing strong technical and defensive abilities, these three players in a line of three in front of the defensive back four could neutralize Honduras’ technical ability and speed while also stuffing the midfield with technically-skilled midfielders who like to circulate the ball around quickly.

 

Using Cameron, Jones, and Bradley is much different than the three defensive midfielder formation that Jürgen Klinsmann used to use with the United States Men’s National Team because all three players have a superior combination of athleticism and skill than Danny Williams, Kyle Beckerman, and to a lesser extent, Maurice Edu.

 

On paper, this Christmas Tree formation looks overly defensive, but given the playing style and skill-level of Cameron, Bradley, and Jones, these three defensive midfielders don’t just sit back and play defense; all three are able to facilitate possession soccer and play incisive through balls and final balls.

 

These three midfielders started at the same time employs a military strategy called “rapid dominance” which is often referred to as “shock and awe.” The presence of three midfielders of the size, athleticism, and ball control of Bradley, Jones, and Cameron should be able to easily dictate the tempo of the game against Honduras by simultaneously using defensive prowess and technical ability as a weapon against Honduras.

 

Many observers commented on how Cameron knew how to stay back deeper against Panama in order to let Bradley go forward more with the attack, but Cameron provided excellent passing throughout the game, in addition to surging forward when the opportunity presented itself. Cameron showed that he knew how to go forward and track back without being caught out of position.

 

With Jones, Bradley, and Cameron covering for each other and picking their opportunities to go forward, the USMNT has the opportunity to disrupt the passing rhythm of Honduras while still playing one-to-two touch soccer.

 

As the line of two players in front of Bradley, Cameron, and Jones, the U.S. has the option of using Clint Dempsey plus one other player. Some people will call for Graham Zusi. Others will call for Fabian Johnson, and still others will see this as a time to insert Stuart Holden. The boldest choice of all and the one with the most potential for exciting and effective attacking play is Joe Corona.

 

With the formation proposed above, Joe Corona playing with Clint Dempsey behind Jozy Altidore presents the United States with the chance to give Corona a bigger role with the national team, and this role can further improve the display of quality team passing that occurred against Panama.