United States Men’s National Team

USMNT Roster Options for Klinsmann

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

 

Making an improved 23-man USMNT roster is much easier than choosing the best Starting XI.

The primary difficulty now is not finding quality American players but rather cutting the pool down to 23 players and deciding how many new players should receive roster spots.

Any national team roster normally contains three goalkeepers, four outside backs, four center backs, 4 defensive midfielders, four attacking midfielders, and four forwards, but frequently players can play more than one position so the amount of players at each position can vary.

At goalkeeper, Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are clearly the best two American goalkeepers (excluding Brad Friedel), and the only decision for Jürgen Klinsmann to make is who the the third goalkeeper should be. Maybe it should be Nick Rimando or some other goalkeeper like Clint Irwin, Dan Kennedy, Tally Hall, Sean Johnson, or Luis Robles, but perhaps Cody Cropper or some other young goalkeeper should receive the third goalkeeper spot.

When selecting center backs, a wise decision would be to have four center backs. The primary center backs to choose from for the USMNT are Geoff Cameron, George John, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco, Michael Parkhurst, Tim Ream, and Matt Besler. These center backs are some of the more experienced center backs that aren’t too slow for or not skilled-enough for international play.

Additionally, there are younger center backs like Shane O’Neill, Andrew Farrell, Amobi Okugo, Gale Agbossoumonde, and Caleb Stanko who are worthy of a look. Assuming John Anthony Brooks plays for the United States, which isn’t definite, he also has to be strongly considered as a front-runner for one of the four spots.

Therefore, at center back, the coaching staff of the USMNT has at least 12 players to look at without doing more extensive scouting of all of the other options.

When choosing four center backs, the final decision comes down to deciding which center backs have the defensive instincts and fundamentals combined with the technical ability and athleticism to realistically be able to compete at the international level.

Outside back is an area of some concern for the United States. Without any exploration of new players, the obvious starting point is to choose from Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Spector, Timothy Chandler, and Fabian Johnson, but then one has to strongly consider new players like Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell. Furthermore, Steve Cherundolo when healthy is still likely the best American outside back.

The United States has several quality defensive midfielders, and Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, and Maurice Edu are the first names that come to mind. There are additionally some MLS defensive midfielders like Perry Kitchen, Jared Jeffrey, and Jeremy Hall who need to be looked at.

Without even including Shane O’Neill and Caleb Stanko, who were listed above in the center back section, Jürgen Klinsmann has seven defensive midfielders to choose from for four spots.

Just looking at this list of defensive midfielders, Bradley, Jones, Cameron, and one other player are the obvious choices.

At the very least, Bradley, Jones, Cameron, and Edu are a good starting point unless Klinsmann is willing to pick one of the newer defensive midfielders instead of Edu.

Benji Joya falls in between the realm of the defensive midfielders and the attacking midfielders. Joya is somewhat more of an attacking midfielder than he is a defensive midfielder, even though he has stated that he is a holding midfielder. Joya has also stated that he can play a variety of positions. A young, complete midfielder like Joya is another name that deserves serious consideration for the USMNT because he can bring defensive coverage and excellent passing and attacking skills to the American midfield.

The decisions now are attacking decisions.

For a country that has a reputation for not having very technically-skilled players, the United States has more quality attacking midfielders than it has roster spots. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan should be obvious choices, and then the team realistically needs to select two playmakers. The obvious group of playmakers to choose from includes Benny Feilhaber, Joe Benny Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Freddy Adu.

While contending that Corona and Diskerud should be the playmakers on the roster is a logical and good decision, both Feilhaber and Adu have demonstrated their ability to perform well against strong opponents in international play.

Choosing Feilhaber should be a much easier choice than it appears to be for Klinsmann because Feilhaber has an excellent track record at the international level, and his comfort on the ball, passing ability, set piece taking, and his excellent shooting skills are quite evident.

Nevertheless, Corona and Diskerud have recently shown their ability to bring strong playmaking qualities to the United States, but of all of the playmakers, Feilhaber has the most international experience and the most proven-ability on the international level.

Additionally, the USMNT has wingers like Brek Shea and Joe Gyau in the player pool who can bring speed and skill as well attacking strength out wide.

At striker, the United States actually has more than four capable and effective strikers. The player pool includes Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo, Terrence Boyd, Eddie Johnson, Herculez Gomez (injured), and the pool has newer strikers like Mario Rodriguez, José Villarreal, Alonso Hernandez, Gyasi Zardes, Teal Bunbury, Aron Jóhannsson, and Tony Taylor.  With the exception of Villarreal, those are all first strikers including Tony Taylor, but a roster normally has four forwards who are not always just first strikers.

The goal is to close the gap with the world’s best national teams, and Jürgen Klinsmann’s roster selections always contain way too many players that are solid at the club level but lacking that next level of skill and athleticism needed to do battle with elites and magicians.

The next step for Jürgen Klinsmann should be to at least call up all of his players with the most proven-ability at the international level, and he also needs to play them together. The starting line-up of proven-players would be something like this formation below:

Tim Howard; Jonathan Spector, Michael Orozco, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson; Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley; Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey; Jozy Altidore.

On the other hand, if the USMNT was willing to use more inexperienced players in the defense to try and improve the level of play of the United States, then perhaps this line-up below would be a good place to start:

Howard; Yedlin, O’Neill, Farrell, Klute; Cameron, Bradley; Donovan, Feilhaber/Corona, Dempsey; Altidore.

 

Who’s on the USMNT Roster vs. Bosnia?

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Guessing who Jürgen Klinsmann will select for the USMNT roster to face Bosnia-Herzegovina is impossible because there are too many factors that come into play, including his personal opinion of players and what his goals are. World Soccer Source’s guess at a possible Klinsmann USMNT roster can be found at the bottom of the page.

On the other hand, World Soccer Source would like to see a combination of the players from the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying, in addition to some new players to strengthen the United States Men’s National Team at various positions.

Below is the roster that World Soccer Source would like to see called up to face Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it contains more than 23 players:

WSS USMNT ROSTER PROPOSAL VS. BOSNIA

GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Luis ROBLES.

DEFENDERS (8): Shane O’NEILL, Michael OROZCO, Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE, Andrew FARRELL; DeAndre YEDLIN, Chris KLUTE, Kofi SARKODIE, Eric LICHAJ.

MIDFIELDERS (9): Michael BRADLEY, Geoff CAMERON, Jermaine JONES; Benji JOYA, Mix DISKERUD, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Benny FEILHABER.

FORWARDS (5): Jozy ALTIDORE, Terrence BOYD, Mario RODRIGUEZ, José VILLARREAL, Gyasi ZARDES.

*Injured- Juan AGUDELO

 

Based on World Cup qualifying and the 2013 Gold Cup, World Soccer Source believes this 23-man roster below is close to Jürgen Klinsmann’s first-choice team, with the exception of DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute who World Soccer Source believes Jürgen Klinsmann is close to calling up due to a need for outside backs:

 

Jürgen Klinsmann’s Likely USMNT Roster vs. Bosnia

GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO.

DEFENDERS (8): Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, Michael OROZCO, Clarence GOODSON, Timothy CHANDLER, DeAndre YEDLIN, Fabian JOHNSON, Chris KLUTE.

*It’s unclear whether John Anthony Brooks will be representing the United States.

MIDFIELDERS (8): Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Geoff CAMERON, Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Mix DISKERUD, Joe Benny CORONA, Graham ZUSI.

FORWARDS (4): Jozy ALTIDORE, Terrence BOYD, Eddie JOHNSON, Aron JÓHANNSSON.

 

USMNT Back Four Options

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Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)
Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)

 

Recently, World Soccer Source examined a Front Six option that Jürgen Klinsmann could start for the USMNT to maximize what he learned from World Cup qualifying and the Gold Cup, but the defensive Back Four is still a big question mark.

In the Front Six, this writer advocated that the USMNT start Geoff Cameron as a midfield destroyer with Michael Bradley as more of the box-to-box variety of defensive midfielder with a line of three attacking midfielders in front of them: Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Clint Dempsey.

To read that article and more about the logic of the Front Six click  HERE.

Combining that Front Six with either Tim Howard or Brad Guzan in goal, the best defensive back four is an area that is very much a pressing issue. The popular opinion seems to be that Matt Besler is a lock at one of the center back spots, and that is certainly what Jürgen Klinsmann believes.

The entire defensive back four is still a big question mark because there are new outside backs on the scene who look as though they offer a package of skills and physical gifts that the United States Men’s National Team has never had. These outside backs are Chris Klute and DeAndre Yedlin, but it’s important to note that Andrew Farrell falls into this category too as he has been used as right back by the New England Revolution instead of his natural position of center back.

Therefore, the Back Four of the USMNT is nothing but questions. Is Matt Besler a lock as a starter? If so, who should partner with him at center back? Should it be Omar Gonzalez or should it be Michael Orozco Fiscal? Furthermore, is it possible that two completely different center backs are the best center back tandem for the U.S.?

One route that the United States could take would be to start Matt Besler at center back with either Omar Gonzalez or Michael Orozco, but give DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute a chance to start with them as the outside backs. This approach would keep the center back situation somewhat stable, but it would shake things up at the outside back spots.

Actually letting Chris Klute play against Bosnia-Herzegovina would be a bold move for Klinsmann, if he even puts him on the roster, but it would offer the U.S. the opportunity to really see a gifted and athletic left back storming up and down the left sideline.

DeAndre Yedlin has received much more media attention that Klute, but Klute is likely a more polished defender. Yedlin is a very promising right back who is skilled at attacking and defending, and using him against Bosnia-Herzegovina would be an excellent opportunity for Klinsmann to see two young and talented outside backs who are both exceptionally fast facing off against international competition for the full national team.

No one knows what the best defensive back four for the USMNT is, and the only way to really know is to play outside backs like Yedlin and Klute and see what happens. Anything the U.S. can do to make its defense more equipped to deal with fast and skilled attackers is necessary.

There are several defenders that need to be tested and evaluated by Klinsmann. At center back, Klinsmann needs to see how Shane O’Neill can do with the full national team, and it would be useful to see Andrew Farrell playing his preferred position of center back.

Looking at these two players in regards to their defensive qualities, their comfort on the ball, and their high-level of athleticism, it is possible that Shane O’Neill and Andrew Farrell might prove to be a better center back tandem than Matt Besler plus Omar Gonzalez or Michael Orozco.

If Andrew Farrell can play as an outside back and as a center back, one idea of a list of eight defenders would be Andrew Farrell, DeAndre Yedlin, Chris Klute, Fabian Johnson, Michael Orozco, Shane O’Neill, Omar Gonzalez, and Matt Besler. It’s important to note that Geoff Cameron would be listed as a midfielder, even though he obviously excels as a defender as well.

This list presents the USMNT with the opportunity to start a back four of DeAndre Yedlin, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and Chris Klute, but it also allows for a number of other combinations of center backs and outside backs. For example, Michael Orozco can start as a right back, and Fabian Johnson could start at left back.

Given the group of players listed above, the United States could start any number of defensive back fours. One option would be to start Yedlin, Orozco, Besler, and Klute. Another option would be to start Orozco, Gonzalez, Besler, and Johnson. The youngest and most experimental option would be to start Yedlin, Farrell, O’Neill, and Klute.

These are back fours to consider, and using one of them behind Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore would offer Klinsmann the opportunity to learn more about what his best combination of players is, and there might be more than one. This system allows Cameron and Bradley to cover for Chris Klute and DeAndre Yedlin when they make attacking forays.

Really progressing as a national team will require some new faces to be allowed to play, in order to truly test out more of the American player pool.

While a Front Six made up of Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore is a tactically sound and proven group of players, the best defensive back four for the U.S. is unknown.

Maybe starting Yedlin and Klute will improve the USMNT, and maybe Andrew Farrell deserves a shot to play his natural position of center back or perhaps start at right back over Yedlin.

It’s time to see if there is room to improve the defensive back four of the United States.

 

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/

 

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Panama?

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

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

 

USMNT Player Ratings vs. El Salvador

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Eddie Johnson (Photo: MexSport)
Eddie Johnson (Photo: MexSport)

 

RATINGS GUIDE:

0=Multiple own goals, no display of any skill, and a red card

5= Average performance for a professional player. No big mistakes. Nothing special.

10=Zidane against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup

 

GOALKEEPER: Nick RIMANDO – 7.0

The U.S. goalkeeper gets a rating of 7 largely for his fantastic kick save that saved a certain goal at a time when the game could have been even. Rimando had a number of other saves, but getting overexcited about the quality of the saves in a way downplays his goalkeeping abilities, which have always been solid. 5 is an average rating, and 7 shows the difficulty and importance of the kick save, which kept the U.S. in the lead.

 

RIGHT BACK: Michael PARKHURST – 6.0

Parkhurst is a center back playing right back, and rather than just defending well out wide, Parkhurst has proven to know how and when to participate in the attack. His passing and crosses from out wide in the attack are good, and against El Salvador, he made a good foray into the box and his solid shot on target was saved by Portillo’s shin. Parkhurst is a veteran, and 6 is an above average score that was given due to his quality participation in the attack.

 

CENTER BACK: Clarence GOODSON – 5.5

Goodson receives a rating of just above average due to his goal, which was somewhat of a sitter, but it still required Goodson to react to a deflection through a Salvadoran defender’s legs and finish the point blank goal. Otherwise, it was impossible not to think of how much more skilled and faster Michael Orozco was, and he was sitting on the bench.

 

CENTER BACK: Matt BESLER – 6.0

Besler has a tendency to not be really noticeable in games, and that sort of indicates a lack of major mistakes, which is good for a center back. Besler will have to use his right foot more if he wants to compete with the new, younger center backs who are coming up through the American player pool. Besler looked bad on Zelaya’s run into the penalty box, but El Salvador only scored off a penalty kick, as opposed to Besler ever being guilty of making any mistakes.

 

LEFT BACK: DaMarcus BEASLEY – 6.0

Beasley conceded a penalty kick, but he probably didn’t have a choice. Beasley could have let Zelaya dribble past him and have an open shot on goal or Beasley could have tried to get away with an obstruction. Beasley did his best to stop Zelaya without tackling him or hacking him in the box. Beasley was involved and effective in the attack, but there was nothing to give him a score of 7, which is considered a high score around the world. Receiving a rating of 7 or above requires something special.

 

MIDFIELD DESTROYER: Kyle BECKERMAN – 6.5

Beckerman’s shots on goal combined with several of his passes releasing his teammates downfield give him a rating of 6.5, but Beckerman is always a player who is a victim of a lack of quickness. Due to a lack of athleticism, Beckerman didn’t show the imposing midfield destroyer presence to receive a score of 7 or higher. Beckerman was poor on the play leading up to Zelaya’s penalty kick.

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Mix DISKERUD – 7.0

Diskerud is really an attacking midfielder by any definition, and his superior athleticism to Beckerman’s forced him into a role of providing coverage for Beckerman’s lack of speed. Diskerud score in this game, and players like Diskerud are the sort of quick passing and creative players that Jürgen Klinsmann froze out of his World Cup qualifying and previous rosters for the most part. Diskerud was a vital component of the United States’ domination of possession and improved passing. For his ability to play a higher caliber of soccer like Donovan and Corona play plus his goal, Diskerud receives a 7 for providing dynamic passing and defensive support for Beckerman.

 

RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA – 7.5

For Corona’s well-taken and self-created goal plus his major involvement in the facilitation of one-to-two touch soccer during this game, Corona earns a higher score than Diskerud. Corona scored in traffic from around the top of the penalty box, and that goal showed a coolness in front of the goal and an advanced ability to score goals that required 1v1 skill. Corona continues to show a willingness and an ability to put defensive pressure on the opposition and win the ball back.

 

SECOND STRIKER: Landon DONOVAN – 7.0

Landon Donovan is a seasoned veteran blessed with speed and skill, and Donovan is well-known to be a good player. While Donovan played very well against El Salvador, he also played really aggressively, but Donovan should run riot on teams below the world’s elite national teams.

 

LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: José TORRES – 6.0

Torres’ has improved over the last year, and his performances throughout the Gold Cup show a player who has learned how to make more of an impact in international games with his passing and his technical ability. Torres is still a one-footed soccer player, which is really on display when Corona, Diskerud, and Donovan are playing, but Torres has improved his ability to affect the outcome of international games in the U.S. jersey.

 

FIRST-STRIKER: Chris WONDOLOWSKI – 5.5

Wondolowski’s passing was quite good against El Salvador, and for this reason, he receives a rating of 5.5, which is just above average. Eddie Johnson is just much better and more athletic than Wondolowski.

 

Substitutes:

FIRST-STRIKER: Eddie Johnson – 7.0

Eddie Johnson scored a ruthless and mean-spirited trampoline header on his first touch of the game. The header was hit almost as hard as a punt. While Johnson used to not attack defenders aggressively enough, he is a technically-smooth and phenomenal athlete for any level of soccer. When he harnesses all of his gifts, Johnson is a useful weapon against any national team. Despite the opposition, Johnson’s headed pass off Rimando’s punt to set up Landon Donovan for a goal was something that not many soccer players can do. It would appear that Klinsmann’s strategy was to unleash an athletic prodigy and a skilled striker on El Salvador when they were tired and soaked with sweat.

 

LEFT WINGER: Brek SHEA – 6.0

Regardless of what people want to say, Shea is a very talented, athletic, and tall winger. Five years ago, the USMNT didn’t have wing players like Brek Shea. Without more inside information, it’s clear that Shea is still recovering from his injury, but Shea showed why players like him bring a degree of skill and athleticism combined with a willingness to attack that the U.S. needs. Shea’s touches were good, and his service into Eddie Johnson showed a real ability to provide plays that can win games. Shea’s service and his attacking earned him an above average rating.

 

CENTER BACK: Michael OROZCO FISCAL – 6.0

Orozco receives a 6 for showing quickly how his skill-level and athleticism is well-above that of Clarence Goodson. The U.S. could have used Orozco when Zelaya pillaged the penalty box and proceeded to score a statement Panenka. Orozco once again showed why he is a superior center back to Goodson.

 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

 

 

Joe Benny Corona, Goal-Scoring Playmaker

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

 

Joe Benny Corona’s position is misunderstood by the American soccer media.

Whether Corona is lining up out left, out right, or in the center, there is so much movement off the ball that his position is really just a position put on paper or on a diagram for the purpose of simplifying the line-up for readers or TV viewers to see.

American soccer writers often describe Corona as a winger because he has been started out right on paper for some of the USMNT’s Gold Cup games, but a winger is really a player who uses speed out wide to storm down the sideline to play crosses in or to cut inside toward the penalty box to shoot or pass.

The way Corona plays is like how many skilled attacking players play: pass and move with one to two touches.

Corona is really a goal-scoring playmaker that can line-up anywhere in the attack except as a first-striker.

In Spanish, Joe Benny Corona’s playmaking position is called an enganche, which means “hitch” or “hook,” and this position is responsible for hooking or linking the midfield to the striker or strikers.

An enganche is really just a playmaker, as opposed to specifically meaning a goal-scoring playmaker.

When Corona lines up out right, he isn’t really playing as a winger as he is moving all over the field with the ebb and flow of the game, and the role of running the sidelines is really the responsibility of the outside backs who should overlap Corona when he is playing out right or left.

When these overlapping runs come, Corona’s role is to move toward the center of the field to allow the outside back to receive a wall pass back from Corona, which Corona would play down the sideline into the path of the outside back.

Some American soccer writers can continue to contend that Corona is playing as a winger, but Klinsmann knows that Corona isn’t really playing as a winger even if he says Corona is playing out on the wing. This is merely a convenient way of saying that Corona is lining up out right to allow Mix Diskerud or Stuart Holden to play more in the center during the Gold Cup.

Corona is really playing as a mezz’ala, which is a well-known position for fans of Italian soccer.

There isn’t really a name for mezz’ala in English, which is the position name in Italian that Clarence Seedorf played out wide in a line of three attacking midfielders at Milan. Whereas, the trequartista is in the center behind the strikers, the mezz’ala is really a midfielder playing out left or right that isn’t an out-and-out winger.

Additionally, Andrés Iniesta has often played this position for Barcelona in Spain, but the name of the position of course isn’t referred to by its Italian name. Barcelona sometimes uses Cesc Fàbregas, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta as a line of three attacking midfielders with Sergio Busquets behind them, and the position that Fàbregas and Iniesta play in that set-up is really what Corona is playing when he is out left or right.

This absence of a good name for attacking midfielders out wide who aren’t wingers is the crux of the problem that causes many USMNT fans and writers some confusion. The confusion is what to call Corona’s position.

The name isn’t really that important, as the important thing is the way that Corona improves the U.S.’ passing as well as linking the midfield to the strikers.

Wherever Corona, Diskerud, and Holden are playing, they are passing and moving all over the field, but in this Gold Cup, Diskerud and Holden have been tasked with the role of playing more as box-to-box midfielders (where Michael Bradley usually plays) to either partner with Kyle Beckerman or to start together to share Beckerman’s defensive duties.

Joe Benny Corona is needed to link the midfield to the attack, no matter who is starting deeper in the midfield.

With Corona on the field in the upcoming game against El Salvador, the USMNT has a player who can connect some combination of Beckerman, Holden, and Diskerud to Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson, but it should be noted that Diskerud and Holden are really more attacking midfielders than box-to-box midfielders.

For the USMNT’s purposes in the Gold Cup , Corona has to start because he fulfills a goal-scoring playmaking role that Diskerud and Holden aren’t being tasked with playing in this tournament.

Corona shouldn’t be thought of as a player who is down the pecking order from Holden, but Corona should be thought of as a creative attacking midfielder with a unique playmaking skill-set (superior to Stuart Holden’s) that this United States’ Gold Cup roster (and the World Cup qualifying roster) needs to play up to its full potential.

After the Gold Cup, Joe Benny Corona should play a bigger role with the full national team where he can help to improve the passing, the attacking, and the amount and quality of final balls. To top it off, Corona knows how to score as well.

 

 

 

USMNT: Risk, Failure, and Success

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Benji Joya (8). (Photo: MexSport)
Benji Joya (8). (Photo: MexSport)

 

The best athlete in the history of American sports said over and over again that failure was the key to his success. That athlete was Michael Jordan.

American soccer has more potential for success right now than at any time in the entire history of soccer in the United States. The key to success is actually fielding unproven players at the international level who have demonstrated the potential ability and the athleticism to be competitive with elite soccer nations.

A vast majority of the coaches in the United States including Jürgen Klinsmann are afraid to risk losing by playing starting line-ups made up of several internationally unproven players in meaningful games, but there is a way to accomplish this without jeopardizing qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

The solution is quite simple: use a Starting XI made up of proven players and fill the remaining roster spots with new but talented players in addition to players who are too good to exclude.

 

After the Gold Cup, the USMNT could start the follow starting line-up without taking any more risks than usual:

Tim Howard; Jonathan Spector, Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron, Eric Lichaj; Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones; Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey; Jozy Altidore.

 

The Starting XI listed above isn’t really a risky line-up by any means, as all of those players have ample experience playing international soccer at a respectable level.

If the whole world considers the United States Men’s National Team to be a team with just a few technically-skilled players, then why not use friendlies to field new players who have demonstrated the ability to offer an improvement over many of the players Jürgen Klinsmann has been using?

The sort of undertaking described above is considered risky by many, but couldn’t it also be considered risky not to attempt to strengthen areas where the USMNT is weak?

Beginning to improve the caliber of players fielded by the United States isn’t a question of teaching experienced players to play differently, but it is a question of actually starting promising players who could do very poorly in their first game or games.

On the other hand, maybe they’d do well.

The first step in this process is easy because the first step is deciding which players among the players that Klinsmann has been starting in World Cup qualifying absolutely have to start, and this list of names is short.

Tim Howard or Brad Guzan have to start. Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey have to start, but who else absolutely has to start? Maybe Landon Donovan has to start too.

Looking at that list, that list includes five names for four starting spots leaving seven Starting XI spots up for grabs. Starting line-up space for seven open spots leaves the door open for a lot of possibilities.

Looking at right back, DeAndre Yedlin of the Seattle Sounders seems like a risk worth taking, given his performances in MLS and in the U-20 World Cup, not to mention the two-way threat he poses. Yedlin has speed that’s close to Chris Klute’s speed, and using them as the outside backs would certainly improve the U.S.’ ability to attack and defend out wide.

Moving to center back, Geoff Cameron has demonstrated that he has a level of athleticism and skill, not to mention size, that has never really been given a chance to partner with a center back of similar qualities.

Why can’t Gale Agbossoumonde, Andrew Farrell, or Shane O’Neill be given a shot to start with Cameron? What’s the real argument against that?

Is there any proof that Omar Gonzalez or Matt Besler can outplay Agbossoumonde, Farrell, or O’Neill in an international game when they are partnered with Cameron? Those are all good MLS players, so trying them out should be something that the USMNT’s coaching staff and American soccer writers are interested in seeing.

None of those three players have been given the chance to show how they can perform compared to Besler and Gonzalez, but Besler was started against Mexico in Estadio Azteca in a World Cup qualifier with essentially no significant international experience. Besler and Gonzalez have done well, but have they really proven that they are the best?

At left back, Chris Klute hasn’t been given the chance to show how he can do compared to DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson. Beasley and Johnson aren’t even really left backs. Klute actually is a two-way left back, and he’s a very fast and skilled two-way left back who uses both feet.

If Americans really want to see better soccer, where’s the backing for at least using a friendly to field a backline of Yedlin, Agbossoumonde, Cameron, and Klute with Howard as the goalkeeper? Certainly, the United States has never fielded a back four with that degree of speed and technical ability.

There doesn’t appear to be any real risk, particularly in a friendly. The U.S. might lose, but the U.S. might lose anyway. Klinsmann’s World Cup qualifying rosters and line-ups have been completely make-shift and experimental anyway.

All of the players listed above are players who are garnering attention from the American soccer media and American soccer fans. None of those players are soccer players taken off the street; those are all well-known professional players.

One of the arguments that Klinsmann’s methods have been working is the USMNT’s victory over Italy.

The U.S. played Italy in a friendly, only to have Mario Balotelli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and Daniele De Rossi not start. The USMNT can’t really say that it beat Italy convincingly, if Balotelli wasn’t playing. Cesare Prandelli and Italy clearly felt like they didn’t need to use their best players against the U.S. because, if Italy lost, everyone would know Italy didn’t use its best players.

Certainly, Clint Dempsey played well against Italy, but Americans already knew that Dempsey could perform well against elite opponents.

Rather than not taking any risks in friendlies, the USMNT would be better served to see how much potential it could show if a bunch of young, athletic, and skilled defenders were allowed to play with a slightly older Geoff Cameron who too hasn’t really been given a fair chance to play with an adequate center back partner.

Assuming Michael Bradley is playing as a defensive midfielder and Landon Donovan is out on the right wing, why not start Freddy Adu or Joe Corona as a central attacking midfielder with Clint Dempsey out left? This group of players has been used before with success, at least with Adu playing with Dempsey and Donovan. Whereas, Corona hasn’t really been given the chance to play with Dempsey yet.

With the players mentioned above, there are only a few line-up choices left to make for the purpose of this experiment.

Does the U.S. use another defensive midfielder or perhaps a box-to-box midfielder with Bradley, or should the U.S. start two forwards? If the USMNT plays another midfielder with Bradley, is there any reason not to let Benji Joya start with Bradley?

Furthermore, who should the U.S. start at striker?

Jozy Altidore has improved greatly over the past two seasons in Holland, and the players listed above provide him with the service he needs to score goals.

On the other hand, if Altidore has already proven himself by scoring so many goals in Holland as well as showing that he can score for the U.S. when provided with service, shouldn’t the USMNT see how Juan Agudelo or Terrence Boyd can play with the players listed above?

Lots of questions. Few answers.

It’s time to start answering some of those questions, and the way to answer those questions is to start the following Starting XI:

Howard; Yedlin, Agbossoumonde/Farrell/O’Neill, Cameron, Klute; Bradley, Joya/Holden; Donovan, Adu/Corona/Feilhaber, Dempsey; Agudelo/Boyd.

 

Who Should the USMNT Start Against Cuba?

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