Stuart Holden - World Soccer Source

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Panama?

August 9, 2013July 26, 2013 by Colin Reese

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

Suspended or not, Jürgen Klinsmann will be picking the USMNT’s Starting XI, and he will discuss what substitutions he wants made in certain scenarios.

Klinsmann’s USMNT Starting XI against Panama is anyone’s guess, but one reality about the United States’s Gold Cup roster is that many of the best players Klinsmann had at his disposal were snubbed from this roster.

Turning to the roster than Klinsmann does have, it is imperative that Klinsmann start Nick Rimando, Michael Parkhurst, DaMarcus Beasley, Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud, Joe Benny Corona, Landon Donovan, and Eddie Johnson. The other three starting line-up spots are debatable.

Given Panama’s skill and athleticism, the USMNT should fill the final three roster spots with Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back with Michael Orozco Fiscal starting as a combination of a midfield destroyer and a third center back.

In the semifinal, Joe Benny Corona, Mix Diskerud, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco, and Brek Shea all started on the bench.

A strong argument could be made that all of those players should be starters in the Gold Cup final.

Of the four defenders making up the back line, Klinsmann will likely start Michael Parkhurst at right back, Matt Besler at left center back, and DaMarcus Beasley at left back. Based on previous USMNT XIs in the Gold Cup, the second center back to partner with Matt Besler could be one of three players: Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, or Michael Orozco Fiscal.

Although extremely unlikely, Klinsmann could elect to use three center backs and two wingbacks; it is technically possible.

Some of the U.S. coach’s starting line-up selections have caught people off guard, and who knows what sort of formation Klinsmann will elect to use against Panama?

Unless the German coach of the United States gives some sort of hint about whom he is going to start at center back, the USMNT will likely use a defensive back four with Omar Gonzalez or Clarence Goodson partnering with Besler.

Panama’s striker, Blas Perez, will cause the United States’ defense problems, and Kyle Beckerman will lack the athleticism to prevent him from going at the center of the American defense.

Therefore, starting Michael Orozco and Matt Besler might be the best center back pairing the U.S. can use against a skilled and athletic Panamanian side, who will be fired up to win.

If Klinsmann is going to start Kyle Beckerman as a midfield destroyer in front of the back four, then the USMNT will need agile and skilled center backs to keep up with Panama’s guile and athleticism.

Turning to the midfield and assuming that Kyle Beckerman is starting, the assumption has to be that Joe Benny Corona will return to the starting lineup to play behind Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, even if Donovan is listed as a central attacking midfielder or a winger on the official line-up.

As in other games in the Gold Cup, a decision has to be made about the final two roster spots in the midfield. Should the USMNT start Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud just behind Corona, or should some other formation be used?

Klinsmann has been picking Holden or Diskerud to partner with Beckerman, but he has also started both of them together without Beckerman. In one game, he started both Diskerud and Holden, but he left Corona on the bench.

Since this is a final that the United States and Klinsmann desperately want to win, the wise decision would be to start Holden, Diskerud, Corona, Donovan, and Johnson.

This writer believes that Beckerman’s lack of speed and quickness will be a liability against Blas Perez, but it’s very unlikely that Klinsmann doesn’t give Beckerman the start as the midfield destroyer lining up directly in front of the back four.

World Soccer Source believes the best Starting XI that the USMNT can use in the final is this line-up below:

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Michael OROZCO; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

Despite this writer’s opinion, Klinsmann will likely start Kyle Beckerman, who this writer believes will work out if both Holden and Diskerud start just in front of Beckerman and if Gonzalez or Orozco or both are starting at center back.

José Torres has had a strong tournament, but Klinsmann has been strategically resting Holden, Diskerud, and Corona throughout the tournament, which seems to indicate that he might be planning on starting all three in the final.

With the two caveats that Torres and Goodson might start in place of Gonzalez and Holden or Diskerud, World Soccer Source believes that Klinsmann will likely field the following Starting XI below:

RIMANDO; PARKHURST, GONZALEZ, BESLER, BEASLEY; BECKERMAN, HOLDEN; CORONA, DISKERUD, DONOVAN; JOHNSON.

On a hypothetical note, as Klinsmann has been known to not use his full strength line-ups when he said he would and as he has mysteriously omitted certain players from starting line-ups for no clear reason, there is a very, very remote possibility that Klinsmann could elect to use a line-up made up of a new combination of proven Gold Cup performers.

The reason for this deviation from previous line-ups would be to neutralize any game plan that Panama intends to employ in order to target certain players to attack or to focus on defensively with more than one marker.

In the line-up below, if Panama focused on double-marking Donovan, then Holden, Diskerud, Corona, or Johnson would always be open.

Additionally, in the line-up below, with Besler moved to left back the USMNT would have a better left-footed defender than Beasley patrolling the U.S.’ left side of the field, plus Besler is also fast enough to play left back.

If Besler were used as a left back to provide speed and strong defense out wide, then the center of the midfield would be somewhat overloaded with players who excel at maintaining possession by passing and moving and using one-to-two touch passing to break down defenses with quick, incisive passes.

On the off chance that Klinsmann elected to really alter his usual Gold Cup tactics and formations, an example of an unlikely Starting XI would be the one below:

RIMANDO; PARKHURST, OROZCO, GONZALEZ, BESLER; BECKERMAN; HOLDEN, DISKERUD; CORONA; JOHNSON, DONOVAN.

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Honduras?

October 17, 2013July 22, 2013 by Colin Reese

JOE BENNY CORONA (6). (Photo: Steve Conner/Icon SMI)

Stuart Holden did not play a single minute of the USMNT’s goleada over El Salvador, which was presumably due to the fact that the previous match was the first time he played the full 90 minutes in several years.

With the Gold Cup semifinal against Honduras on the horizon, one would think that United States Men’s National Team coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, would start or at least play Holden in that game.

Whether or not Klinsmann starts both Holden and Diskerud is anyone’s guess.

As Kyle Beckerman is a Klinsmann favorite and the only defensive midfielder on the roster, the presumption is that Klinsmann will start Beckerman again. It will be interesting to see what Klinsmann decides to do with Mix Diskerud, Stuart Holden, Joe Benny Corona, José Torres, and Brek Shea vying for three spots.

It would be shocking if Klinsmann didn’t start Kyle Beckerman, Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Eddie Johnson as four of his Front Six. That leaves two spots open that likely would go to Diskerud and Holden as Donovan and Corona can both line up on the left or right with presumably Holden lining up next to Beckerman with Diskerud in a more advanced role.

Brek Shea might be somewhat unlikely to start due to his continued return to full health and fitness, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Torres start again, which would likely force Klinsmann to pick either Holden or Diskerud for the bench.

The semifinal against Honduras marks the addition of Omar Gonzalez to the roster presumably as a starting center back partner for Matt Besler, but then again, Eddie Johnson didn’t start against El Salvador at striker, despite being called away from his club team in order to represent the United States. Therefore, maybe Klinsmann doesn’t start Gonzalez.

The most likely back four that the coach of the United States will field for the start of the semifinal against Honduras is Michael Parkhurst at right back, Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back, and DaMarcus Beasley at left back.

With all of this in mind, who will Jürgen Klinsmann likely start?

Klinsmann could likely start this XI below (but perhaps with José Torres taking either Holden’s or Diskerud’s spot):

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Kyle BECKERMAN; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

The USMNT XI that Klinsmann will use is certainly a tactically sound and reasonable line-up with three small caveats: 1.) Michael Orozco might just be a better center back than both Gonzalez and Besler; 2.) Orozco could likely fulfill Beckerman’s midfield destroyer role better than Beckerman; 3.) Starting Brek Shea might put Honduras on their heels from the beginning of the game.

The concern with Beckerman is of course speed, agility, quickness, the ability to not mistime tackles, and of course the fact that Gonzalez and Besler have always been protected by some two-man combination of Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, and Maurice Edu.

Beckerman cannot protect the gap between Besler and Gonzalez like those four defensive midfielders can.

Therefore, starting Michael Orozco allows the U.S. to have a player who alternates between playing as a midfield destroyer and a third center back for the entire game.

As a coach Jürgen Klinsmann has progressed in the balance and tactical acumen of his formations, but his player selection and ability to judge talent soon enough is still lacking.

During the Gold Cup, Klinsmann has improved as a coach because he’s been using balanced line-ups that balance defensive coverage with attacking ability.

The line-up proposed above as something that Klinsmann might use against Honduras is balanced and essentially uses almost all of the best options that Klinsmann has on his roster at every position, however flawed that roster itself is.

It will be interesting to see if Klinsmann goes with Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud in place of Kyle Beckerman, or if he plays some combination of the three.

If Klinsmann starts Clarence Goodson instead of Omar Gonzalez and Michael Orozco, then there can be a legitimate critique that Klinsmann didn’t select the best partner for Matt Besler.

Then again, Gonzalez and Orozco as the center back tandem might prove to pay dividends.

There are three major foreseeable problems for the USMNT against Honduras.

First, Beckerman might be exposed as too slow to keep up with Honduras. Secondly, Klinsmann could start Chris Wondolowski over Eddie Johnson at striker. Thirdly, Michael Orozco might start on the bench as opposed to bringing speed and skill to either the center of the defense or to the midfield destroyer role.

Looking just at the players who the United States Men’s National Team has to choose from on the Gold Cup roster, the U.S. just might be at full strength without Chris Wondolowski, Kyle Beckerman, or Clarence Goodson starting.

If Orozco is quick, strong on defense, and passes the ball well with both feet, then why does Beckerman need to start as the midfield destroyer, if Klinsmann could start Orozco just behind Holden and Diskerud?

Despite what Klinsmann might decide to do, World Soccer Source believes a strong starting line-up would be the following one below:

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Michael OROZCO; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. El Salvador?

October 17, 2013July 18, 2013 by Colin Reese

The Starting XI will be greatly affected by the four new players added to the United States Men’s National Team’s roster.

Jürgen Klinsmann added four new players to the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster off the preliminary 35-man roster, and he sent four players back to their club teams.

Per the rules of the tournament, at the conclusion of the group stage, Klinsmann was allowed to add up to four players off his preliminary roster to his 23-man roster, if he removed four players from the current roster.

The USMNT added Eddie Johnson, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and Alan Gordon to the roster, so Klinsmann chose to select two strikers and two center backs. Klinsmann sent Herculez Gomez, Jack McInerney, Corey Ashe, and Oguchi Onyewu back to their club teams.

Gomez and Onyewu were dropped from the roster due to injuries, whereas McInerney and Ashe were dropped presumably due to the fact that they didn’t impress Klinsmann (Ashe had a minor injury before the Gold Cup).

Both McInerney and Ashe are an example of Klinsmann filling up roster spots with players he has no intention of using. One has to wonder why two players who he was more likely to use weren’t put on the preliminary roster or the final Gold Cup roster.

Klinsmann didn’t add Benny Feilhaber or Graham Zusi as midfielders, but Stuart Holden, Joe Corona, Landon Donovan, Mix Diskerud, and even José Torres give Klinsmann good options in the midfield.

The area where the U.S. needed to strengthen its roster was at defensive midfielder, center back, and right back, but the preliminary roster didn’t offer Klinsmann these options (except at center back), which is an example of his continued inability to call up balanced rosters.

Of the four players added to the roster, it seems likely that Klinsmann would definitely start Eddie Johnson at first-striker with Besler at center back, as it has been reported that Gonzalez will not join the U.S. until the semifinal game, if the U.S. beats El Salvador.

Michael Orozco has been playing well in the Gold Cup, and the argument can be made that Orozco is simply a better soccer player than both Besler and Gonzalez.

Besler is less one-footed than he used to be but still favors his left foot and Gonzalez isn’t as quick, fast, or as skilled as Orozco.

Orozco also seems less prone to falling asleep on defense compared to Gonzalez.

Based on these new additions Klinsmann’s likely Starting XI just might be:

Nick Rimando; Michael Parkhurst, Michael Orozco, Matt Besler, DaMarcus Beasley; Kyle Beckerman; Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud; Joe Corona; Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan.

In all fairness to Klinsmann, this is a fairly solid line-up, even if Klinsmann’s 35-man and 23-man rosters omitted a number of very promising and even proven players.

It’s possible that Klinsmann might elect to chose either Holden or Diskerud to start, thus opening up a Starting XI spot for José Torres, who really did have a strong game against Costa Rica, but Klinsmann might start Beckerman, Holden, and Diskerud at the same time.

Diskerud and Holden aren’t anything close to defensive midfielders, whether one is referring to midfield destroyers or more box-to-box midfielders, but the two did a good job when they shared the defensive workload in the midfield.

Beckerman’s actual skill-level is good, but his lack of athleticism makes him a liability in the midfield because when he gets beaten off the dribble or with passes, he tends to go into reckless tackles as a result of the inability to run fast enough or move quickly enough to get into position to make clean tackles.

World Soccer Source supports using the Starting XI option below:

Rimando; Parkhurst, Orozco, Besler, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Johnson.

World Soccer Source obviously prefers the Starting XI option presented above, but Klinsmann is more likely to use the option presented as Klinsmann’s likely Starting XI. Klinsmann could possibly decide that Beckerman might not have the athleticism to keep up with El Salvador and use World Soccer Source’s preferred Starting XI, which is surely an option that Klinsmann himself has been considering for days.

Whoever the USMNT elects to start, it seems likely that Holden, Diskerud, Corona, Donovan, and Johnson will all be starting, and this collection of midfielders and attackers is a solid group that would do well for the USMNT’s A Team as well.

Johnson should bring the speed, movement off the ball, and skill to allow all of the players above an excellent target to whom they can play final balls, and that target has world-class speed for any level of international soccer.

Hopefully Klinsmann and the United States learned their lesson that Joe Corona is an essential player in the midfield because he gives Diskerud and Holden a strong passing option in the midfield, which helps to connect the midfield to the attack.

Corona was missed for the 80 minutes that he wasn’t playing in the previous game against Costa Rica, which the U.S. didn’t need to win.

The strongest option for the USMNT would be to use a Front Six consisting of: Holden, Diskerud, Donovan, Corona, Shea, and Johnson.

This Front Six with Parkhurst, Orozco, Besler, and Beasley as the back four and Rimando in goal should give the United States the tools needed to win.

WHO SHOULD THE USMNT START VS. COSTA RICA?

July 15, 2013July 15, 2013 by Colin Reese

Landon Donovan (left), Herculez Gomez (center), and Joe Corona (right) have all earned the start against Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

As Eric Wynalda remarked while commentating for Fox during the USA versus Cuba game, nobody knows what Jürgen Klinsmann is thinking or going to do.

Klinsmann made a statement where he said that Costa Rica presented the first real test for the USMNT, and that’s an accurate statement.

In all fairness to Cuba, Cuba showed how skilled and athletic players can score on the U.S. at any time, and José Ciprian showed this with an outstanding side-volleyed golazo against the United States Men’s National Team.

Looking at the defenders, the midfielders, and the forwards or forward, Klinsmann has a variety of options at his disposal, and despite some of his bizarre formations before the Gold Cup, Klinsmann has been fielding Gold Cup starting line-ups that make sense.

Additionally, Klinsmann is making the correct substitutions when he sees a need to correct something.

Overlooking some of his roster omissions like Perry Kitchen, Klinsmann has been fielding starting line-ups that tactically make sense, and one constant has been the inclusion of Kyle Beckerman in the starting line-up, as he is the only midfield destroyer on the roster.

Furthermore, Beckerman isn’t a more dynamic defensive midfielder like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, or Geoff Cameron.

All three of these defensive midfielders have the athleticism to play as midfield destroyers while still picking their opportunities to go forward.

On the other hand, Beckerman doesn’t have the endurance or speed to run as much or as fast as Jones, Bradley, and Cameron, which forces Beckerman to conserve his energy by always playing very deep.

Even when Bradley, Jones, and Cameron play as the midfield destroyer, they certainly cover much more territory, even when they restrict themselves to just patrolling the very back of the midfield

Unless Klinsmann elects to start Mix Diskerud and Stuart Holden together in order to allow two people to fulfill the extreme running endurance that other American defensive midfielders can deliver on their own, then Beckerman will be starting as a midfield destroyer with Holden, Diskerud, or both supporting him.

Compared to Holden and Diskerud who are really more attacking midfielders, Cameron, Bradley, and Jones are like apex predators who can run endlessly and deliver the running necessary to play as a midfield destroyer for the full 90 minutes.

While Klinsmann has been using Bradley, Jones, and Cameron in two-man tandems, all three of those players can run the entire game in order to play defense as well as being some of the main protagonists in the passing play of the USMNT’s midfield.

Looking at who Klinsmann will start and who Klinsmann should start, it seems obvious that Nick Rimando will be starting in goal with DaMarcus Beasley playing as a left back.

Beasley as a right back with Edgar Castillo as a left back would be a real curveball, so it seems likely that Klinsmann will start Michael Parkhurst at right back with DaMarcus Beasley at left back.

At center back, Michael Orozco Fiscal is playing very well, and he looks to be more skilled and quicker than both Clarence Goodson and Oguchi Onyewu.

Klinsmann will likely start Orozco with Goodson, but it would be interesting to see if Klinsmann decided that he needed Parkhurst and Orozco as the center backs against a Costa Rican side that is quite frankly much better than Belize or Cuba.

In all likelihood, Klinsmann’s back four will be Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, and Beasley, but a back four of Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, and Beasley might just be a better option as the competition in the Gold Cup goes up.

In front of the defensive back four, Klinsmann will likely start Beckerman, and it will be interesting to see if he elects to start a diamond midfield formation of Beckerman playing as a destroyer with Holden and Diskerud just in front of him as essentially attacking midfielders playing like a tandem of box-to-box midfielders.

This set-up would protect Beckerman from being too exposed to being beaten by quicker opponents as often, and it would allow the American midfield to have two midfielders in Holden and Diskerud who can maintain possession and pose a real threat going forward.

In the diamond midfield formation, Corona could play as the tip of the diamond as a central attacking midfielder, trequartista, enganche, meia-armador, or any other synonymous term one wishes to use to describe the playmaker playing behind the strikers.

Landon Donovan and Herculez Gomez could likely start in front of the diamond midfield formation with Donovan as the second striker, or perhaps Klinsmann will elect to use a different formation all together.

Therefore, the coach of the USMNT has many options against Costa Rica.

He can start Beckerman with Holden or Diskerud deeper in the midfield with a line of three attacking midfielders in front of them, or he could elect to use the diamond formation discussed above.

Below are three options that Klinsmann might employ, but it should be noted that Klinsmann probably has several others up his sleeve:

Rimando; Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, Beasley; Beckerman, Holden; Corona, Diskerud, Donovan; Gomez

Rimando; Parkhurst, Onyewu, Orozco, Beasley; Beckerman; Holden, Diskerud; Corona; Gomez, Donovan.

Rimando; Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, Beasley; Beckerman, Diskerud; Corona, Holden, Donovan; Gomez.

World Soccer Source would like to see an entirely different option than the three proposed above.

The World Soccer Source option eliminates Beckerman from the starting line-up and tasks Diskerud and Holden with sharing the work load to fulfill the defensive duties of Beckerman, while bringing more athleticism and more creative and dynamic midfield play that is both able to keep possession and unlock the Costa Rican defense from a deeper role or when one of the pair advances forward more to attack.

Shea had an off-game against Cuba, but the talent, speed, size, and the willingness to attack are strong qualities in Shea’s game.

World Soccer Source is willing to write off a performance as bad as Shea’s against Cuba as just a bad outing characterized by reluctant play, crosses sailed over the goal and out of bounds, and some hesitancy to control one cross-field pass soon enough, which Eric Wynalda discussed during Fox’s broadcast.

Shea started to improve a little bit toward the end of the first half, and World Soccer Source supports using a weapon like Shea against the strongest opponent the USMNT has faced in this tournament so far, even if Shea had a bad game against Cuba. When he’s on his game Shea disrupts defenses and poses a threat to opponents.

Therefore, World Soccer Source proposes using the following Starting XI against Costa Rica:

Rimando; Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

On a final note, it’s unclear whether Klinsmann views Chris Wondolowski’s recent string of goals as a reason to start him over Gomez, or if he views Wondolowski’s nose for goal as a good option to save for the final 20 minutes of the game, as Eric Wynalda suggested on the air for Fox during the U.S.’ game against Cuba.

Who Should the USMNT Start Against Cuba?

October 17, 2013July 12, 2013 by Colin Reese

Mix Diskerud (Photo: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports)

Jürgen Klinsmann will likely start a line-up that is something along the lines of what he started in the Guatemala friendly before the first Gold Cup game against Belize, but it’s likely that Klinsmann will start either Stuart Holden or Mix Diskerud over José Torres, who started against Guatemala and Belize.

Torres might start against Cuba, but it would likely be in a more advanced role out left where he started against Belize.

Many American soccer writers such as Ives Galarcep of Soccer by Ives as well as others suggested that Klinsmann didn’t start Herculez Gomez, Oguchi Onyewu, and Stuart Holden against Belize because of the artificial turf in Portland where the game was played.

That seems like a fair assumption with the exception of Onyewu who World Soccer Source believes wasn’t started at center back because Michael Orozco was younger, quicker, and more skilled.

With the next game on grass near Salt Lake City, it is very likely that Holden and Diskerud will start and that Beckerman will start as well.

Starting with the defense, Klinsmann will probably start Nick Rimando in goal, Michael Parkhurst at right back, Clarence Goodson and Michael Orozco at center back, and DaMarcus Beasley at left back.

While Parkhurst lost his man on Belize’s goal against the United States, Parkhurst is looking very composed and efficient out at right back. According to the statistics on MLS’ site, Parkhurst completed 113 of 127 passes against Belize, which shows a major involvement in the game and an ability to not lose possession.

At center back, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst have looked much more composed on the ball and more equipped to keep up with quicker attackers than Onyewu has shown.

Klinsmann may start Onyewu with Goodson at center back, but Orozco deserves the start with Goodson.

Beasley continues to surprise at left back, and he is looking too capable of keeping up with attackers and too composed in possession with both feet to be removed from the starting line-up as the left back.

One interesting option would be for Klinsmann to start Beasley as a right back with Edgar Castillo at left back with Parkhurst and Orozco as the center backs.

This option would eliminate Goodson from the Starting XI. Goodson has done nothing wrong, but Parkhurst and Orozco are visibly more skilled and athletic center back options than Goodson and Onyewu. As the tournament goes on, the United States will need to field the best line-up at its disposal.

The so-called Front Six presents even more questions than the defensive back four.

Should Holden and Diskerud start as a line of two faux-defensive midfielders in order to improve the overall skill level of the American midfield behind Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, and Break Shea?

Against Belize, Klinsmann started Beckerman as a midfield destroyer with Corona, Diskerud, and Torres forming a line of three attacking midfielders behind Chris Wondolowski as a first striker and Landon Donovan as a second striker, so Beckerman will likely be in the line-up again.

Jürgen Klinsmann could likely use the following Starting XI: Rimando; Parkhurst, Goodson, Orozco, Beasley; Beckerman; Diskerud, Holden; Corona; Gomez, Donovan.

While Klinsmann’s likely option is close to the strongest option that Klinsmann has at his disposal, this writer supports eliminating Beckerman from the Starting XI.

The more skilled option is a Front Six consisting of: Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

Therefore, World Soccer Source supports starting the following Starting XI against Cuba: Rimando; Beasley, Parkhurst, Orozco, Castillo; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

What’s the rationale behind World Soccer Source’s Starting XI?

The basic premise is that the line-up proposed above includes a higher number of technically-skilled players with a defensive back four with two faster and more skilled center backs.

Additionally, Holden and Diskerud showed against Guatemala that they were able to play the requisite amount of defense while also drastically improving the quality of the passing in the American midfield, and that game proves more than the game against a low-ranked Belize side that did surprisingly well, while showing that even really low-ranked teams have players who display good athleticism and good basic fundamentals.

World Soccer Source sees Herculez Gomez starting over Chris Wondolowski despite Wondolowski’s hat trick and well-executed goals off diving headers. Gomez is a better player than Wondolowski, and Gomez plays better against better competition.

Gomez showed some good chemistry with Corona, and the most potent attack for the USMNT is Donovan, Corona, and Shea behind Gomez with Diskerud and Holden playing deeper in the midfield in a truly unorthodox formation with no defensive midfielder.

Klinsmann might start Beckerman again, and there is a logical rationale for doing so as Beckerman is the only defensive midfielder on the roster.

To be fair to Beckerman, his actual technical ability is good and his soccer IQ is high, but he’s simply not blessed with the speed and quickness that allow him to maximize his skill or catch up to opponents to perform better-timed tackles that aren’t fouls.

Another Starting XI option that Klinsmann might use would be: Rimando; Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, Beasley; Beckerman, Holden; Corona, Diskerud, Donovan; Gomez.

USMNT: 23 For the 2014 World Cup

October 17, 2013July 9, 2013 by Colin Reese

Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)

23-MAN USMNT ROSTER PROPOSAL FOR THE 2014 WORLD CUP

GOALKEEPERS (3):

*Tim HOWARD

Brad GUZAN

Luis ROBLES / Dan KENNEDY / Clint IRWIN

CENTER BACKS (4):

*Geoff CAMERON (CENTER BACK / OUTSIDE BACK / DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER)

Shane O’NEILL (CENTER BACK / OUTSIDE BACK / DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER)

*Andrew FARRELL (CENTER BACK / OUTSIDE BACK)

Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE

OUTSIDE BACKS (4):

*DeAndre YEDLIN (RIGHT BACK / LEFT BACK)

Kofi SARKODIE

*Chris KLUTE (LEFT BACK / RIGHT BACK)

Fabian JOHNSON (RIGHT BACK / LEFT BACK)

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS (2):

*Michael BRADLEY

Perry KITCHEN

BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDERS (3):

*Stuart HOLDEN

Mix DISKERUD

*Benji JOYA

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS (4):

*Clint DEMPSEY

Benny FEILHABER

Joe CORONA

*Freddy ADU

STRIKERS (3):

*Juan AGUDELO

Jozy ALTIDORE

Terrence BOYD

* STARTERS

USMNT STARTING XI (4-1-2-1-2) : HOWARD; YEDLIN, FARRELL, CAMERON, KLUTE; BRADLEY; JOYA, HOLDEN; ADU; AGUDELO, DEMPSEY.

Best USMNT XI Against Belize

October 17, 2013July 8, 2013 by Colin Reese

Who should Jürgen Klinsmann start against Belize?

The USMNT XI against Belize should be similar to the USMNT XI against Guatemala with four changes.

Klinsmann will likely start Nick Rimando at goalkeeper again. Rimando came out of his box a few times to clear balls that Clarence Goodson and Oguchi Onyewu looked in danger of not getting to in time, and there were some miscommunications between Rimando and his center backs.

Rimando likely learned to just clear those out himself next time.

There’s nothing wrong with a goalkeeper coming out of his box, if it looks like his center backs are going to be outrun.

The key is for the goalkeeper to just clear the ball in such a way as to not be vulnerable to being beaten with a blast over his head from distance or a chip floated over his head and into the goal.

Michael Parkhurst looked up to the task at right back despite being a center back for almost his entire career until recently. Parkhurst is known for being calm on the ball, and based on Klinsmann’s roster selections, Parkhurst is still the best choice at right back.

Parkhurst has learned how to play the position. He’s not as fast as other right backs in the pool who were left off the roster, but he isn’t a slow player. There’s no one on the roster that can do a better job at right back than Parkhurst.

Klinsmann would be wise to start Clarence Goodson and Michael Orozco Fiscal as the center backs, as Onyewu looked vulnerable to being beaten with quickness, overall speed, or trickery. Goodson looked far superior to Onyewu in this regard, and Goodson isn’t even a fast or quick player.

Orozco is a player that is subjected to a fair amount of criticism within the American soccer fan base and the American soccer media, but compared to Onyewu, Orozco is a player who is more agile and more technically-sound.

People have their reasons for not liking Orozco, but he certainly doesn’t play like a player with inadequate fundamentals or poor quickness. Starting Orozco over Onyewu seems like a necessity.

Oddly enough, DaMarcus Beasley seems to do well at left back. At the beginning of his career and still now, Beasley was a very thin player who looked easy to muscle off the ball, but Beasley seems to have learned how to play left back reasonably well where he has shown a new ability to shield the ball.

He has the ability to dribble and pass out of trouble, and he isn’t a left-footed player who can’t or won’t use his right foot. Despite Edgar Castillo’s strong showings in La Liga MX and the Copa Libertadores, Beasley looks better at left back, even though it was a position he was force into.

Modern outside backs are expected to attack and defend, and Beasley as a natural winger has learned how to play adequate defense, which even includes the ability to win the ball back when dispossessed due to being somewhat new to the left back position.

Based on Kyle Beckerman’s and José Torres’ performances in the previous game, it was clear that Beckerman’s lack of athleticism caused him to foul players that he couldn’t keep up with, and his lack of speed prevented him from being able to catch players to tackle them or dispossess them.

On one occasion, Beckerman actually tackled an opposing player like he was playing American football and not soccer.

Skill-wise, Beckerman is sound, but the lack of the physical gifts of speed and quickness make him unable to get his body into position to show his skill-level in international games.

Beckerman’s partner was José Torres who provides a level of passing that is far below Stuart Holden’s or Mix Diskerud’s. Klinsmann’s only real option to maximize the skill of his squad is to not use a midfield destroyer or Torres as Klinsmann’s attempt at using an American regista.

Instead, Klinsmann should have Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud playing in front of the defense not as defensive midfielders but just as central midfielders who are mindful of the need to play more defensive than they normally play.

Playing defense is something both players can do, as both players have a complete set of soccer fundamentals, which includes playing defense and tackling.

In addition to Holden and Diskerud, the final four starters of the USMNT’s Front Six should be Landon Donovan as a right midfielder, Joe Corona as a central attacking midfielder, Brek Shea as a left winger, and Herculez Gomez as the lone striker.

Gomez is clearly the most talented striker on the roster, and his performances for the United States as well as those in La Liga MX display better movement off the ball, better attacking instincts, and better technical ability than the U.S.’ other options at striker: Jack McInerney, Chris Wondolowski, and Will Bruin.

This roster gives the United States a midfield full of players who have the ability to control the ball possession in the midfield.

The key to the midfield will be Holden and Diskerud continuing to remember that they don’t have players like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, or Maurice Edu on the roster behind them playing imposing defense.

Holden and Diskerud must provide the defensive coverage needed in the midfield, and they must do it while being two of the main protagonists of the United States’ passing and attacking.

USMNT Starting XI Proposal: Rimando; Parkhurst, Goodson, Orozco, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

USMNT: GOLD CUP XI TAKES SHAPE

July 6, 2013July 6, 2013 by Colin Reese

The Best USMNT Gold Cup XI is taking shape.(Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images) — The Best USMNT Gold Cup XI is taking shape. (Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

As this writer previously wrote in the build up to the USMNT vs. Guatemala game, Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud need to be started slightly deeper in the midfield, as opposed to using Kyle Beckerman as a defensive midfielder.

Additionally, José Torres wasn’t as effective as Holden and Diskerud at facilitating ball movement and possession, which was his job.

Once Joe Corona had Holden and Diskerud to combine with in the second half, Corona was able to have more technical players with whom to pass, despite passing well without Diskerud and Holden in the first half.

Jürgen Klinsmann made two excellent halftime substitutions: Holden and Diskerud.

Both players as mentioned above eclipsed Beckerman’s and Torres’ performances. Additionally, the insertion of Brek Shea gave the U.S.’ attack an additional technically-skilled player who brought speed and the will and ability to get past defenders.

The set-up of Diskerud and Holden playing behind Donovan, Corona, and Shea looks to be the strongest and most effective option.

Going forward in the Gold Cup, Klinsmann will have to continue this strategy of flooding the midfield with players who are comfortable on the ball and who facilitate a style of one-to-two touch passing.

Perhaps, Klinsmann can experiment with Michael Orozco as a defensive midfielder, but the strategy of using midfield possession as a form of defense might be Klinsmann’s best option, given the presence of only one defensive midfielder on the entire Gold Cup roster.

Holden, Diskerud, and Corona all demonstrated that they can tackle and that they are willing to tackle. All three players have the soccer IQ to realize that they will need to provide a lot of tackling and defensive pressure in the midfield to compensate for the lack of a midfield destroyer or just a true box-to-box midfield who defends with authority.

Looking back on the Guatemala game, the best Front Six looks to be: Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud; Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, Brek Shea; Herculez Gomez.

This Front Six is predicated on the strategy of asking non-defensive midfielders to not only pressure the opposition into making mistakes and providing defense and tackling but also to use ball possession and offense as a form of defense.

Beckerman and Torres are both liabilities athletically and technically. Beckerman is way too slow and makes reckless tackles, and Torres is a one-footed soccer player who doesn’t play enough quality passes and final balls, in addition to being too easy to dispossess.

Torres is certainly a player with technical-ability, but it’s held back by relying on just his favored left foot.

Klinsmann made the changes that he needed to make, and he now likely knows that the Front Six mentioned above is his best option for the group stage.

The defense is a different story.

Certainly, Michael Parkhurst and DaMarcus Beasley performed well as outside backs, and Clarence Goodson really outperformed Oguchi Onyewu who looked top-heavy, awkward, and a step too slow.

Nevertheless, Goodson is hardly better than the other options Klinsmann could have picked for the roster, but Goodson showed a level of skill in scoring his goal that Onyewu doesn’t have.

Going forward, the USMNT should field a back line made up of: Michael Parkhurst, Clarence Goodson, Michael Orozco Fiscal, and DaMarcus Beasley. Depending on how well Tony Beltran does, Klinsmann has the option of using Parkhurst and Orozco as the center back tandem.

Klinsmann and the United States’ staff didn’t get their Starting XI right, but Klinsmann seems to have spotted the problem players in the game and corrected them quickly.

This was an example of Klinsmann making excellent player changes that drastically improved the level of play and created five second half goals.

It’s likely that Jürgen Klinsmann will use (or at least should use) the following starting line-up in the first Gold Cup game: Rimando; Parkhurst, Goodson, Orozco, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

This starting line-up is built around ball possession, and using the best defenders possible, given the questionable roster choices in the defense.

A USMNT Front Six with Dempsey, Holden, and Corona

October 17, 2013June 17, 2013 by Colin Reese

After seeing Geoff Cameron and Michael Bradley partner well together as something close to a defensive midfielder partnership, the next step for Jürgen Klinsmann is to start three attacking midfielders in front of them against Honduras.

While Cameron and Bradley do much more than breaking up the opposition’s possession and helping to protect the defensive back four, starting three dynamic attacking midfielders such as Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, and Joe Corona would give the United States Men’s National Team the chance to see how the passing could be improved even more from the Panama game without taking any real risks.

Playing as a left midfielder with the freedom to roam around the field is not a new or unnatural role for Dempsey, and Holden and Corona are attacking midfielders who have plenty of experience plus all of the tools to help the USMNT continue to improve its possession and passing ability.

Starting four defenders and two defensive midfielders (even of the more box-to-box variety) is considered by many to be a fairly defensive line-up, therefore starting Dempsey, Holden, and Corona in front of the two defensive midfielders is hardly an overly attack-minded line-up.

These three attacking midfielders gives Klinsmann the chance to see his vision for the U.S. national team go to the next level.

Klinsmann had to like the type of passing and off the ball movement he saw against Panama, and using Holden and Corona provides him with the chance of taking his vision of proactive soccer to the next level without using inexperienced or unproven players.

Starting Corona is a decision that Klinsmann needs to make, if he’s serious about taking the United States national team to the next level.

Based on the type of combination play Altidore and Dempsey were displaying against Panama, the next logical step is to play someone like Corona behind them, in order to give them the types of final balls they are looking for. Nice chemistry between a first and second striker poses a real threat to a defense, but a playmaker behind players of Altidore and Dempsey’s skill level is even more of a threat.

Although Dempsey in this system would be starting as an attacking midfielder on paper, Dempsey will be looking to slip behind the Honduran defense and provide support for Altidore.

Holden and Corona aren’t liabilities as starters, but if people view them as somewhat risky, the risk cannot be much more than minimal.

Who should the USMNT start against Jamaica?

June 12, 2013June 6, 2013 by Colin Reese

Geoff Cameron should start at center back.(Photo: BILL BARRETT/ISIPHOTOS.COM)

The United States Men’s National Team’s coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, has talked about World Cup qualifiers not being the time to experiment with players and line-ups, but Klinsmann has in fact experimented quite a bit with his starting line-ups, particularly with his defenses.