MLS

Who Should Start in the MLS All-Star Game?

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Clint Dempsey. (Photo: Getty Images)
Clint Dempsey. (Photo: Getty Images)

 

 

By: COLIN REESE

 

 

The MLS-All Star roster has no left back. This was inexcusable for MLS All-Star coach Caleb Porter because The MLS All-Star Game is a marketing tool to try to beat a famous European club in order to up the profile of the league.

 

The absence of Chris Klute from the roster to start at left back was a big oversight by MLS, especially with an excellent two-way right back like Yedlin on the roster. Having two skilled and speedy outside backs would have been a better advertisement for the league.

 

The fans voted for 11 starters, omitting a left back, but Porter doesn’t have to start these 11 players. Porter’s job was then to select 10 more players, not including MLS commissioner Don Garber’s two picks.

 

This brought the roster to 23 players.

 

Unfortunately the roster doesn’t include a left back, so it would seem that both Porter and Garber are to blame for not selecting a left back or at least another outside back that can play on the left.

 

Given the lack of a left back on the roster, picking a Best XI to face Bayern Munich requires immediately figuring out who to stick at left back, so that Bayern doesn’t run amok on the MLS All-Stars, which they might very well do anyway.

 

Sticking Michael Parkhurst at left back is the best option to face Bayern Munich because at least Parkhurst has experience playing the position on the international level.

 

Some of the other Starting XI choices should be easy for Porter, if he picks the best players and the best combination of players. DeAndre Yedlin should be a lock as the starting right back, and Osvaldo Alonso and Michael Bradley should be locks as the defensive midfielders.

 

In the attack, starting Tim Cahill as the central attacking midfielder behind teammate Thierry Henry is the strongest option, and flanking Cahill with Seattle teammates Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey gives the MLS All-Stars the most skill and firepower against a team of Bayern Munich’s caliber.

 

The two center back spots are highly debatable. Aurelien Collin and Matt Besler is an obvious option because of their chemistry playing for Sporting Kansas City.

 

Maurice Edu was a late edition to the All-Star Game, and Edu is an interesting option to start at center back with Besler because of his international experience and center back play with the Philadelphia Union.

 

Perhaps an Edu-Besler partnership is the best advertisement for the league, and it could also help out the United States Men’s National Team by giving Edu minutes with Besler, which is a strong partnership that the United States could use in the future.

 

Edu and Besler both certainly possess the right type of combination of defending, speed, and skill on the ball needed to be competitive against a team like Bayern.

 

If the objective is to beat Bayern Munich, then starting Henry as the lone striker with Martins, Cahill, and Dempsey floating behind him offers elite talent and tons of experience against world-class competition.

 

With Osvaldo and Bradley protecting the defense and manning the back of the midfield, the attackers listed above have plenty of defensive coverage behind them, and those attackers should be providing a significant amount of pressure on the Bayern Munich defense as well.

 

The best Starting XI is debatable and up to Porter, but the line-up below is arguably the strongest and most balanced XI amongst the roster options.

 

 

The Best MLS ALL-STAR XI (4-2-3-1)

 

GK: Nick RIMANDO (Real Salt Lake)

 

RB: DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

CB: Maurice EDU (Philadelphia Union)

CB: Matt BESLER (Sporting KC)

LB: Michael PARKHURST (Columbus Crew)

 

DM: Osvaldo ALONSO (Seattle Sounders)

CM: Michael BRADLEY (Toronto FC)

 

RW: Obafemi MARTINS (Seattle Sounders)

CAM: Tim CAHILL (New York Red Bulls)

LW: Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

 

S: Thierry HENRY (New York Red Bulls)

 

 

Who does World Soccer Source think should start in the MLS All-Star Game not restricting the options to the 23-man roster picked or the Starting XI voted upon?

 

The World Soccer Source MLS All-Star XI (4-3-3):

 

GK: Clint IRWIN (Colorado Rapids)

 

RB: DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

CB: Shane O’NEILL (Colorado Rapids)

CB: Matt BESLER (Sporting KC)

LB: Chris KLUTE (Colorado Rapids)

 

CM: Michael BRADLEY (Toronto FC)

DM: Osvaldo ALONSO (Seattle Sounders)

CM: Benny FEILHABER (Sporting KC)

 

F: Tim CAHILL (New York Red Bulls)

F: Thierry HENRY (New York Red Bulls)

F: Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

 

 

Tactical Formation:

 

IRWIN

YEDLIN O’NEILL BESLER KLUTE

BRADLEY ALONSO FEILHABER

CAHILL HENRY DEMPSEY

 

 

Editor’s Note: Omar Gonzalez was originally listed as the starting center back with Matt Besler in the original version of this article, but Gonzalez was dropped from the roster on August 2nd due to the fact that he’d be playing a club game two days later. Maurice Edu was added to the roster on August 2nd as well.

MLS Players That Should Be USMNT Regulars

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Chris Klute, the Best American Left Back. (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Chris Klute, the Best American Left Back. (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)

 

By: COLIN REESE

 

This list of MLS Players That Should Be USMNT Regulars is in no particular order, and it excludes Maurice Edu who has more or less been a United States Men’s National Team regular under Jürgen Klinsmann.

 

Listing these players all in one place highlights the amount of quality American players that have been almost totally overlooked by Klinsmann for national team duty despite the problems the United States has displayed not only in the defense but in the ability to keep possession and score goals.

 

At a time when there are a higher number of quality American players than in the past, the United States Men’s National Team is not capitalizing on this phenomenon.

 

Winning is important, but a strong win, draw, and loss record can be deceptive if the competition isn’t that strong.

 

With the 2014 USA World Cup squad mostly decided, should Klinsmann have incorporated more of the new or younger players into the national team? You be the judge, but the credentials of the players listed are impressive and well-known.

 

Below is the list of MLS players that have been either frozen out or underused by Jürgen Klinsmann:

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MLS: All-American Best XI

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 By: COLIN REESE

 

With much of the United States Men’s National Team coming from MLS due to  the return of many USMNT regulars to MLS from European soccer and due to the improvement of the league overall, World Soccer Source surveys the American player pool in MLS and selects an All-American Best XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

 

Oddly enough, this Best XI is almost identical to the USMNT Best XI that World Soccer Source would select with the exception of players such as Joe Benny Corona, Juan Agudelo, and Tim Howard.

 

Below is World Soccer Source’s MLS All-American Best XI:

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Can Benji Joya Play an Arturo Vidal role for the USMNT?

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By: Colin Reese

 

Arturo Vidal is world football’s central midfielder par excellence, and he is in a different solar system than Benji Joya.

 

Benji Joya has never been called The American Arturo Vidal, but it has a nice ring to it.

 

The non-existent nickname is obviously totally unwarranted at this point in time for the 20 year old central midfielder, but it’s a nickname that perhaps Joya can hopefully give some credibility to one day.

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The Arrival of Andrew Farrell

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Throughout this Major League Soccer season, Andrew Farrell earned praise for his two-way effectiveness as a right back for the New England Revolution.

The New England Revolution were knocked out of the MLS Playoffs last night, but Farrell has raised his game to a new level.

Amidst all of the just praise for DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell has truly cemented his status as an outstanding American talent who lived up to his hype and exceeded it.

Farrell is technically a center back, but Farrell not only embraced the right back role, but he also developed into an international-caliber outside back.

He used his skill on the ball and his blazing speed to burst through the opposition with forays downfield and also to hunt down attackers on the defensive end.

Even more so than in all of his quality and impressive performances throughout the regular reason, Farrell raised his game to a new level in the MLS Playoffs where he showed how well he could shut down attackers and how much he could impose his will on the game in the attack and in the defense.

While American defenders like Geoff Cameron, Chris Klute, Shane O’Neill, and DeAndre Yedlin have also shown this quality, Farrell showed a real ability to dribble and pass out of trouble deep in the heart of his own defense, as opposed to just sending clearances 50 yards downfield.

Farrell certainly knows when to just send a ball way out of the defense or play a ball out of bounds, but the combination of being able to dribble and pass out of the back combined with the instinct to know when to send a ball out of the danger area is something Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States Men’s National Team can use.

World Soccer Source covered Chris Klute extensively this season in addition to highlighting the excellent qualities in DeAndre Yedlin’s game as a right back, but Andrew Farrell is equally as worthy of praise as Klute and Yedlin.

Yedlin and Klute will both be upgrades at the outside back positions for the United States, but Andrew Farrell is a monster who combines an intimidating combination of strength, size, and speed with a cultivated technical skill-set that makes him too good to leave off the the USMNT anymore.

When Klinsmann was watching Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber, and Juan Agudelo last night, there’s no way that he didn’t notice the impressive play of Andrew Farrell who is certainly someone who was being monitored and scouted anyway.

At the conclusion of Andrew Farrell’s rookie season in MLS, it’s safe to say that Farrell is for real and that he can certainly excel at the international level and outside of MLS.

Andrew Farrell is a freak of nature and his rookie season was a tour de force that displayed great attacking and skill on the ball along with strong defending and tackling without recklessness

 

The Rapid Rise of Chris Klute

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Chris Klute (right) is likely the best American left back along with Fabian Johnson. (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Chris Klute (right) is likely the best American left back along with Fabian Johnson. (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)

 

Chris Klute’s attacking abilities as a left back are the usual focus for any discussion of him, but Klute’s defensive qualities are equally as good.

While his attacking runs down the sideline and the visual effect of his speed and crossing ability are what observers normally notice about Klute, his actual defensive qualities are underrated.

Specifically, Klute is hard to take off the dribble in 1v1 situations because he knows how to strip players of the ball, and he has the instincts and technique to block passes and shots.

Furthermore, the timing of Klute’s tackles is particularly good.

He waits until the moment when he can get the ball before the player, and then he goes in hard to win the ball with a slidetackle without making dangerous contact with the attacker.

Klute is hard to beat with 1v1 dribbling skills from a standstill, and he is hard to get past using speed because, if a player gets past him, he simply chases the player down and cleanly dispossesses them with a slidetackle or by taking the ball off their feet or out of the air.

Any American left back who is as fast and defensively-sound as Klute, and who has the skill and technique to dribble and pass out of the back with both feet has to be seriously considered for the USMNT.

If Klute is in a situation where there isn’t the time or the space to dribble or pass out of trouble, he knows when to simply clear balls out of bounds or downfield.

There is more to defending than knowing when to clear balls out and when to pass or dribble out of the back; there is also the skill of tackling attackers without fouling them or without being cautioned.

The United States doesn’t have another left back option who brings all of these qualities to the national team, and the exclusion of Chris Klute from the roster again by Jürgen Klinsmann, even to be used as a substitute, shows Klinsmann’s unwillingness to consider using new talent in vital games, even when it is necessary.

While Klinsmann does call up Fabian Johnson, Klinsmann has stated that he views Fabian Johnson as a left winger.

Calling up Johnson and Klute would have made sense because it would have provided Klinsmann with a more experienced option and a new and talented option.

Improvement for the USMNT will require risk and change, but Klinsmann’s changes are mostly biased toward the selection of dual-citizens over talented American players who grew up in the United States.

Furthermore, many of the players who are selected by Klinsmann are played out of position and clearly less-talented than other options at Klinsmann’s disposal, and using Brad Evans and Michael Parkhurst at right back over Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Spector, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell is the obvious example of this tendency.

The friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina would have been the perfect time for Klinsmann to evaluate Chris Klute with the national team, but Klinsmann chose to waste more time before evaluating the player who is likely the best American left back.

Now, Jürgen Klinsmann has selected a USMNT roster where his best left back, Fabian Johnson, is going to be deployed as a wing, but the starting left back is going to be DaMarcus Beasley who has been played at left back instead of using any of the natural outside backs at Klinsmann’s disposal.

The point of using Chris Klute against Bosnia and Herzegovina would have been to get him ready to play left back against Costa Rica and Mexico, but now Klinsmann is going to be using a makeshift defensive back four again.

 

American MLS Defenders to Watch

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Gale Agbossoumonde. (Source: Toronto F.C.)
Gale Agbossoumonde. (Source: Toronto F.C.)

 

This MLS season has seen the rise or appearance of several quality defenders who look to be international-caliber players who Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States Men’s National Team would be wise to call up to the national team or at least closely scout and seriously consider.

Defense is a problem for the USMNT, and with a Front Six potentially made up of Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore, the defense appears to be the real problem to be addressed right now.

MLS has seen an increase in skilled American players at every position over time, and this season has shown that there are a number of exciting national team prospects playing in MLS who can improve the national team.

Below is the list of several of the more notable international-caliber MLS defenders who mark an increase in the skill-level of MLS defenders.

 

Chris KLUTE

The Colorado Rapids left back has been covered in great detail by this writer, but this extremely fast outside back brings excellent defensive timing and fundamentals with a willingness to surge forward in the attack and look to play crosses or cut inside toward the penalty box. Klute is a two-footed left back who has a tall, lean frame that makes him a natural runner and sprinter, but his game is built on using his speed and skill in concert, as opposed to just relying on speed. An excellent athlete who plays with skill, elegance, and aggressiveness.

More on Chris Klute:

http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2013/07/soccer-website-calls-rapids-defender-chris-klute-best-us-left-back

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/player-profile-chris-klute/

 

Andrew FARRELL

The New England Revolution right back has described himself as a center back who has been playing as a right back for New England, and his speed and technical ability allows him to be able to defend fast and crafty attackers by dispossessing them and passing or dribbling out of trouble in the back. While Farrell has excelled as a right back, the USMNT could use speed, strength, technical ability, and good defensive qualities in the center of the national team’s defense. Farrell has been receiving more media attention that Chris Klute, but both players are new and exciting talents that the national team would be wise to incorporate.

 

DeAndre YEDLIN

The Seattle Sounders right back has received even more media attention than Farrell and Klute, in addition to a spot on the MLS All-Star team. Yedlin is an exciting player who brings speed and aggressive attacking play at right back, and this is something that the USMNT has never really had. Yedlin looks to go forward as much as possible, and he knows how to play wall passes and make overlapping runs as he looks to break down the sideline. Looking at Klute, Farrell, and Yedlin, there is a nice crop of new MLS defenders who look to be international-caliber defenders in terms of their skill and athleticism. Often described as primarily an outside back that attacks well but lacks some polish defensively, Yedlin doesn’t shy away from slidetackles, and he possesses both good timing on his tackles and an ability to tackle leading with either his right or left foot. Yedlin’s defending is better than it’s made out to be, and perhaps the USMNT would be wise to not hold the age and lack of international experience of Klute, Farrell, and Yedlin against them.

 

Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE

Gale Agbossoumonde’s name has been floating around in American soccer circles for years, and the 21 year old is now playing MLS this year. Agbossoumonde’s athleticism, calmness and skill on the ball, and defensive awareness are evident, and he enjoyed a string on starts at center back while other Toronto FC center backs were injured. Agbossoumonde is an important player for MLS and the USMNT because he represents an upgrade in skill and athleticism to Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, and Oguchi Onyewu. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes for Agbossoumonde and how much he plays, but the technical and defensive skills combined with excellent athleticism are certainly evident in his game. It might be hard for Agbossoumonde to get close to seeing time with the national team unless he becomes a regular starter for Toronto FC. Regardless of playing time, Agbossoumonde is a player who has the calmness in the back as well as all of the physical gifts and technical skills to be a useful player for the U.S. national team.

 

Shane O’NEILL

The USMNT needs center backs. Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez are certainly an upgrade to Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, and Oguchi Onyewu, but Geoff Cameron is clearly the most talented and athletic center back, despite being the scapegoat for many observers. Cameron looks to be very useful as a midfield destroyer to partner with Michael Bradley in the line of two defensive midfielders, and even if Cameron were playing at center back, he would still need a capable partner.

Shane O’Neill has looked very capable and free of any serious flaws. O’Neill performed well in the 2013 U-20 World Cup, and he has excelled for the Colorado Rapids this season where he has not only played center back but also as a defensive midfielder and as an outside back. O’Neill like the other defenders listed above is young, which prevents many observers from seriously advocating for him to be included on the USMNT, but O’Neill is certainly good enough.

While Cameron was asked to play as a right back or used as a defensive midfielder, Gonzalez and Besler have held their own as center backs at the international level, but Klinsmann and the United States need more center backs. Shane O’Neill should be a serious contender for one of the center back spots on the USMNT, and O’Neill’s play in MLS and with the U-20 squad has received widespread praise. O’Neill’s age shouldn’t prevent him from being taken seriously for a national team spot, especially since he can perform as a center back, outside back, and as a defensive midfielder.

 

WHERE DO THESE DEFENDERS FIT INTO THE USMNT POOL?

At center back, the current players who actually have the combination of defensive qualities, technical ability, and athleticism to really compete against better competition are Geoff Cameron, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Michael Parkhurst, Matt Besler, and Omar Gonzalez. The center backs listed above (Agbossoumonde, Farrell, and O’Neill) deserve the opportunity to show how they compare to the defenders listed in the previous sentence. As Cameron looks to be a vital piece of fielding a strong midfield, the younger MLS defenders deserve an opportunity to compete with Orozco, Parkhurst, Besler, and Gonzalez for center back spots.

The situation at the outside back positions is totally different for the national team, as Timothy Chandler’s level of commitment is unclear and many of the selections at outside back look to be merely makeshift selections. Additionally, Fabian Johnson appears to be more of a winger than a left or right back.

Furthermore, outside backs like Jonathan Spector and Eric Lichaj have been totally frozen out of the national team set-up by Klinsmann.

Given this outside back situation, players like Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell (who also plays as a center back) deserve serious consideration, rather than holding their age against them. Lots of young players prove to be valuable and necessary additions to national teams, and the USMNT simply isn’t good enough to not consider players like Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell.

 

OTHER AMERICAN MLS DEFENDERS TO WATCH CLOSELY:

Amobi OKUGO

Zach LOYD

London WOODBERRY

 

MORE COVERAGE OF THE USMNT DEFENSE:

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/usmnt-back-four-options/

 

American Soccer and the MLS All-Stars

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Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)

 

One of the main problems with American soccer and everything surrounding the United States Men’s National Team and MLS is that, unlike in other countries where people argue over player selection, performance, and coaching, American soccer has factions of different types of fans who compete with one another over how you should be a soccer fan.

The problem with the conflict between various types of fans, media members, coaches, and bureaucrats is that it moves the focus away from the actual soccer.

Last night, when Roma easily beat the MLS All-Stars, many people said that the result or how the MLS All-Stars played wasn’t a referendum on the progress and strength of MLS and American soccer, and this is somewhat correct.

The only problem with this viewpoint is that many people who hold this viewpoint also said the USMNT’s dominance of the weak competition in the Gold Cup showed that the U.S. was starting to play better and Jürgen Klinsmann’s methods were working.

The Gold Cup did in a way demonstrate that Klinsmann was using better tactics than he had used in the past. For the most part, Klinsmann was using a tactically sound formation and a balance of defensive and attacking players.

Therefore, a strong argument can be made that Klinsmann has begun to employ better tactics, and he deserves credit for doing this.

At the same time, questioning who Klinsmann put on the Gold Cup squad is a fair thing to do, but many people feel that questioning the player selection for the roster or the line-ups is cynical because the USMNT won the 2013 Gold Cup.

There are thousands, if not millions, of people in the United States who enjoy watching non-American soccer but who also watch MLS and view it as an improving league that has American players who would be better off playing against better competition elsewhere.

It’s fair to say that MLS isn’t as good as the European or Latin American leagues because it’s true.

It’s also true that MLS continues to have more skilled American players at every position every year. The American players who display much more skill and athleticism than other Americans stand out, and there are now too many of them to fit on the United States Men’s National Team.

It was a surprise to see many of these players not even on the ballot and/or not on the field for the MLS All-Star Game. Many people are contending that the improvement of MLS is creating a better USMNT, and this is true.

The loss to Roma did mean something. It meant that Tony Beltran and Corey Ashe couldn’t compete with Roma’s players, and it meant that Kyle Beckerman couldn’t contain Roma like he contained the CONCACAF opponents in the Gold Cup.

The MLS All-Stars’ loss in the MLS All-Star Game did raise questions about some of the players selected for the game and some of the starters.

Looking at the performance of players in MLS this season and knowing that the MLS All-Stars would be facing Roma, one comes away with the feeling that MLS could have fielded a better starting line-up to face Roma.

There were lots of American names that really stood out as snubs from the roster or players who should have started. Here are just a handful of the players who fall into this category: Omar Gonzalez, Benny Feilhaber, Amobi Okugo, Chris Klute, Shane O’Neill, Perry Kitchen, Eddie Johnson (Marco Di Vaio did deserve to start), DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell, George John, José Villarreal, Jeremy Hall, etc.

The goal of the All-Star game is to try to show to the world that the level of play in MLS is improving. Since that is the case, MLS should have used a better line-up without Tony Beltran, Corey Ashe, and Brad Davis. DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute deserved to start as the right and left back, especially since the MLS All-Stars needed players with their combination of pure speed and advanced skill on the ball to try to compete with the likes of Francesco Totti of Roma.

 

Perhaps, something like this starting line-up below would have done better at showcasing MLS’ talent:

Raul FERNANDEZ; DeAndre YEDLIN, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, Chris KLUTE; Amobi Okugo/Perry KITCHEN; Graham ZUSI, Benny FEILHABER, Landon DONOVAN; Thierry HENRY, Marco DI VAIO.

 

What does this line-up correct? It removes Tony Beltran, Corey Ashe, Brad Davis, and Kyle Beckerman from the starting line-up.

Just because Beckerman is fundamentally sound and a solid MLS professional doesn’t mean that he’s the best choice to keep up with the athleticism and skill of the players that Roma has, and Roma wasn’t starting several of its best players. Additionally, starting Beltran and Ashe as the outside backs against Roma was a major mistake, as was evident to anyone who watched the game.

MLS squandered a real opportunity to showcase the vast improvement in the talent level of the league, and MLS didn’t take advantage of a great chance to really go for the victory against Roma, or at least put in a strong showing to turn some heads.

 

Player Profile: Chris Klute

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Chris Klute (arms raised). (Photo: USA Today SPORTS)
Chris Klute (arms raised). (Photo: USA Today SPORTS)

 

Chris Klute, even as a new name on the American soccer scene, is often over-simplified as a player whose game is primarily based on speed, but Klute uses his electrifying speed to make both his attacking and defending more effective.

They say that you can’t teach speed, which is true, but thinking of Chris Klute as just a great athlete who brings world-class speed to the left back position overlooks his technical ability, his skill at breaking down opposition defenses with attacking forays and crosses, and also his ability to run down attackers and execute well-timed tackles.

Defensively, Klute does many things very well. He steers attackers out wide where they are somewhat cornered out along the sideline, but he also dispossesses attackers well whether it’s by slidetackling or stripping attackers of the ball on his feet.

The Colorado Rapids’ left back is also strong in the air. Klute times his headers well, and he has an outstanding vertical leap, which allows him to clear out balls played over the top or played into the box.

One additional thing that Klute excels at defensively is stopping attacks by the opposition by tracking back with such speed that he forces the opposition to slow down and regroup because his presence forces the opposition to stop and look to work the ball around, which allows Klute’s teammates to get into position as they make their recovery runs.

In short, Klute’s speed and recovery defense slows down and stops the attacking sequences and advances of the opposition.

Despite the fact that Klute is too often only praised for his speed, it is important to really emphasize just how fast he is and how smooth of a runner that he is.

This ability to run effortlessly for entire games with such speed is a real weapon to neutralize elite opponents who bring a devastating combination of skill and speed.

His speed also is a huge disruptive force for the opposition’s midfield and defense. A player of Klute’s speed blazing along the sideline or cutting in toward the middle of the field forces more defenders to participate in marking him, which of course means that his teammates are left unmarked.

All of these qualities outlined above signal a real chance for the United States Men’s National Team to really use the outside back positions to not only defend well against quick and skillful opponents but also to attack opponents and break down their defensive formations.

All of the best national teams in the world rely on outside backs to provide width to their attack and speed along the flanks defensively, and Chris Klute allows the United States to begin to do this more so than it did in the past.

The main problem for any defender is people like to write them off if they are beaten or if they make a mistake, but all defenders at any level of the game are beaten with combination play, balls played in between defenders, or balls played over the top.

Mistakes happen because defenders are essentially backpedaling as attackers are running at them full speed, and people should learn to accept the reality that defenders will make mistakes and their teammates are supposed to cover for them.

Expecting Chris Klute or any other defender to never make a mistake or to never be beaten is unfair and unrealistic, as even the best outside backs in the world such as Marcelo, Daniel Alves, and Jodi Alba are frequently beaten. Good defenders frequently win the ball back when they are beaten, and Chris Klute also does this.

It’s time for the United States Men’s National Team to incorporate and use a left back like Chris Klute who gives the U.S. the type of outside back that much better soccer nations use to both attack from wide positions and to defend attackers out wide.

Many people will call it risky, but it’s a risk worth taking. Beating top national teams and closing the gap with them requires using players with the physical gifts and skills to be able to compete and win when the talent goes up.

Chris Klute is inexperienced as an international soccer player, but there comes a time when a national team coach has to look at the players at his disposal and play the ones who have shown the capability of competing and impressing at the international level.

Rather than saying that Chris Klute is just one of the best options the United States Men’s National Team has at a position that lacks depth, people should recognize the qualities that Klute brings that can’t be taught.

Klute does a number of things well such as tackling, relentlessly running the sidelines, using both feet, and playing quality crosses into the box to specific targets, but anything that Klute needs to work on can be taught and improved with practice.

In general, a coach can’t teach a player to use their speed to break down opponents and chase down opponents on defense, and more importantly, you can’t teach someone to aggressively run at defenders at full speed over and over again. You also can’t teach someone to be able to time slidetackles so that they are clean and graceful, even if they are hard tackles.

Chris Klute is definitely a left back who brings qualities to the table that the USMNT needs, and he can be coached to strengthen any areas of his game that need improvement.

 

Read more about Chris Klute and how he can fit in with the United States Men’s National Team by clicking the links below:

 

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/chris-klute-best-us-left-back/

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/post-gold-cup-usmnt-xi/

 

Best U.S. Soccer Players (August 2013)

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

 

WORLD SOCCER SOURCE’S NEWEST LIST OF THE BEST AMERICAN SOCCER PLAYERS RIGHT NOW:

 

THE BEST AMERICAN SOCCER PLAYERS (AUGUST 2013)

 

1.) Clint DEMPSEY

2.) Michael BRADLEY

3.) Jozy ALTIDORE

4.) Landon DONOVAN

5.) Geoff CAMERON

 

6.) Tim HOWARD

7.) Jermaine JONES

8.) Joe Benny CORONA

9.) Benny FEILHABER

10.) Freddy ADU 

 

11.) Benji JOYA

12.) Mix DISKERUD

13.) Stuart HOLDEN

14.)  Juan AGUDELO 

15.) Terrence BOYD

 

16.) Eddie JOHNSON

17.) Chris KLUTE

18.) DeAndre YEDLIN

19.) Brek SHEA

20.) Andrew FARRELL

 

21.) Shane O’NEILL

22.) Jonathan SPECTOR

23.) Perry KITCHEN

24.) Joe GYAU

25.) Tony TAYLOR

 

26.) Mario RODRIGUEZ

27.) José VILLARREAL

28.) Alonso HERNANDEZ

29.) Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE

30.) Maurice EDU

 

31.) Brad GUZAN

32.) Michael OROZCO FISCAL

33.) Kofi SARKODIE

34.) Eric LICHAJ

35.) Paul ARRIOLA 

 

36.) Teal BUNBURY

37.) Lamar NEAGLE

38.) Quincy AMARIKWA

39.) George JOHN

40.) Amobi OKUGO