Joe Corona (left center) and Michael Bradley (right center). (Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
By: COLIN REESE
World Soccer Source backs eight midfielders for the World Cup roster, and these eight midfielders are limited to players with a reasonable chance of being selected by Jürgen Klinsmann, which likely excludes Benny Feilhaber.
Given his skill, form, and experience, Feilhaber is still a possible though unlikely selection for the 2014 World Cup.
With the caveat that Geoff Cameron and Maurice Edu are both midfielders and center backs and with the caveat that Cameron is listed as a defender, here are the eight USMNT midfielders that World Soccer Source backs for the World Cup supported by explanations.
Below are three defensive midfielders and five attacking midfielders:
The USMNT Back Four that Jürgen Klinsmann has in his mind is anyone’s guess. It was Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and DaMarcus Beasley, but Klinsmann looks to be changing his mind.
Klinsmann has given indications that either Geoff Cameron or John Brooks could replace Omar Gonzalez, and the coach of the United States is also likely to start Fabian Johnson at left back or right back, especially given his preference to start Alejandro Bedoya/Graham Zusi, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan as the line of three attacking midfielders.
The United States seems to be getting DeAndre Yedlin ready for the World Cup since he played in the last two USA friendlies in the United States. Tony Beltran started over Yedlin in the game against Mexico, but this was probably to give Beltran one last look before inching closer to putting the young Yedlin on the World Cup roster.
An argument can be made that perhaps DeAndre Yedlin, Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, and Fabian Johnson may be the Back Four that is currently the frontrunner for use in the 2014 World Cup.
Landon Donovan (10) and Clint Dempsey (8). (Photo: MexSport)
By: COLIN REESE
Jürgen Klinsmann has been making changes and rethinking his United States Men’s National Team XIs and his roster selections.
Nevertheless, this is World Soccer Source’s best guess of the USA XI for the World Cup including two players that are possible starters based on this writer’s educated guess that Tab Ramos might be able to convince Klinsmann to start them: DeAndre Yedlin and Joe Corona.
Players like Tim Howard, Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore all feature on World Soccer Source’s predicted USA XI.
Given a fair shot during the May camp, Yedlin can win the starting right back spot, and Corona can win the starting Number 10 spot, thus pushing Dempsey to his natural left wing position.
Without further ado, below is World Soccer Source’s predicted USA XI (in a 4-2-3-1 formation) with the two dark horse starters, which were described above:
Here is World Soccer Source’s best guess at Jürgen Klinsmann’s 23-man USA World Cup roster, but keep in mind that Klinsmann has publicly stated that he will be selecting 30 players for the May Camp to try out for the 23 World Cup roster spots.
GOALKEEPERS (3):Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO
Jürgen Klinsmann’s goalkeeper selections are common knowledge.
DEFENDERS (8):Geoff CAMERON, Matt BESLER, Michael OROZCO, John BROOKS, Fabian JOHNSON, DaMarcus BEASLEY, Michael PARKHURST, DeAndre YEDLIN
Only DeAndre Yedlin, Michael Orozco, and John Brooks are very debatable here. Klinsmann clearly rates Orozco at center back, and after the 2-2 friendly tie with Mexico, Klinsmann cited both Cameron and Brooks by name as center backs that he’d consider trying with Matt Besler.
MIDFIELDERS (8):Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Landon DONOVAN, Graham ZUSI, Maurice EDU, Mix DISKERUD, Joe CORONA, Julian GREEN
Maurice Edu and Joe Corona are the debatable names here.
Maybe Klinsmann considers Edu a player that should be listed as a defender, and maybe he rates Kyle Beckerman higher than Edu.
Alejandro Bedoya is the player that seems to be ahead of Joe Corona based on national team appearances, but Klinsmann clearly holds Corona in high esteem as he should given his club and international performances. Corona plays on either wing and as a Number 10.
FORWARDS (4): Clint DEMPSEY, Jozy ALTIDORE, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Juan AGUDELO
Juan Agudelo is fighting a silent war with Terrence Boyd, Eddie Johnson, and Chris Wondolowski for the final Number 9 spot (Dempsey is a second striker or attacking midfielder).
Agudelo is a better and more lethal striker than Boyd and Johnson, while still bringing excellent athleticism and size.
The USMNT needs Joe Corona as a Number 10 or wing. (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images )
By: COLIN REESE
There’s a trend in the American soccer media to write that any opinions about the United States Men’s National Team except for Jürgen Klinsmann’s are irrelevant.
This writer has never seen such a phenomenon in any sports writing about other sports in the United States or in any soccer writing in other countries.
The first thing the Brazilian press does when the Seleção rosters are announced is ask the coach why certain players were excluded or included.
If Jürgen Klinsmann’s opinions about players and tactics for the USMNT were so set in stone and knowable, then why did he fire Martín Vasquez?
The coach of the United States said that he would be selecting 30 players for the May Try-Out Camp for the World Cup roster because he wasn’t certain about which 23 players that he would select for the final roster.
There are clearly many decisions still being made about players and tactics.
World Soccer Source is assuming Michael Orozco (center back and outside back) and Maurice Edu (defensive midfielder and center back) will make the World Cup roster, so then the United States will still need some key players to field a strong Starting XI and to form a strong 23-man roster.
For World Soccer Source, here are those five needed fringe players:
Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
By: COLIN REESE
Almost everyone in world football is using the 4-2-3-1 formation, and for the United States Men’s National Team, Michael Bradley should play as the Number 8 in this formation instead of playing as the Number 10.
Against Mexico, Jürgen Klinsmann used a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation on paper, and with Jermaine Jones away in Europe, Kyle Beckerman played the Number 6 or midfield destroyer role; it would have been interesting to have seen Maurice Edu start in place of Beckerman.
As was the case in a World Cup qualifier against Panama where Geoff Cameron partnered with Bradley, the use of a defensive midfielder other than Jones allowed Bradley to be more two-way, as opposed to having to play deep as the Number 6.
The important takeaway from the friendly with Mexico was that the United States possessed the ball better when Bradley had more freedom to attack and drop back as he saw fit.
World Soccer Source ranks The Best American Footballers as of April 2014 factoring in skill, club and international form, and proven performance against top-level competition.
Rankings are always subjective and some players are better than others in terms of their skill-level and proven-performance and some are currently experiencing better form on the club and/or international level.
DeAndre Yedlin has long been regarded as the best right back prospect in the American player pool, and his rookie season in MLS in 2013, in addition to his MLS games this season, have proven him to be the very best American right back.
Although many people have commented on Yedlin’s improved defending, Yedlin’s ability to bomb up and down the sideline was never questioned, and his two-footed technical ability was never questioned.
After seeing Yedlin play very well against Mexico, it has become clear that a right back with his ability to track down attackers, attack himself, pass and dribble out of trouble, force attackers out wide, and tackle has to be considered the starting right back for the United States Men’s National Team.
Maurice Edu (7) and DeAndre Yedlin (2) made strong cases for themselves against Mexico. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)
By: COLIN REESE
Against Mexico, DeAndre Yedlin made his case for the starting right back spot for the USA World Cup team. Yedlin’s touch, passing, recovery speed, and bombing runs down the sideline were too impressive to ignore. A right back with that ability to track attackers and attack himself displaying excellent speed and electric speed is something the United States needs starting in the World Cup.
Maurice Edu showed how his combination of defending, speed, strength, and technical ability often go underappreciated. A player that can defend speedy and tricky attackers as a center back or as a defensive midfielder is something that this USMNT needs in the World Cup.
