USMNT

October 2013 USMNT Roster Proposal

by

 

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

 

Since the United States has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup and since Jürgen Klinsmann is frequently fond of talking about throwing players into the cold water, he might as well use the upcoming World Cup qualifiers to let the new or young talents in the player pool join the Polar Bear Club with swan dives and cannonballs.

As the United States Men’s National Team has already qualified for the 2013 World Cup, Klinsmann should use the final two World Cup qualifiers to test the player pool, in order to see who should start or be on the roster with the U.S.’ strongest players like Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, and Aron Jóhannsson.

On the other hand, another coaching philosophy would be to use a mixture of the best of the most-proven players with new players.

World Soccer Source proposes calling up the following players to test out the depth and talent of the American player pool:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO, Clint IRWIN

CENTER BACKS (4): John Anthony BROOKS, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL, Amobi OKUGO

OUTSIDE BACKS (4): Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN, Kofi SARKODIE, Kellyn ACOSTA

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS (3): Geoff CAMERON, Perry KITCHEN, Jared JEFFREY

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS (5): Joe Benny CORONA, Mix DISKERUD, Benji JOYA, Alonso HERNANDEZ, José VILLARREAL

FORWARDS (4): Juan AGUDELO, Terrence BOYD, Mario RODRIGUEZ, Gyasi ZARDES

 

USMNT Starting XI Proposal: 

Guzan; Yedlin/Farrell, O’Neill, Brooks, Klute; Cameron, Joya; Corona, Hernandez, Diskerud; Agudelo/Boyd.

 

NOTES:

Since the United States has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup, there’s no reason to call up Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Fabian Johnson, Jozy Altidore, or Aron Jóhannsson because all of these players have thoroughly demonstrated an ability to perform at the highest level.

These October World Cup qualifiers should be used to test out newer players who have demonstrated a real potential to possibly improve the United States Men’s National Team.

Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, Amobi Okugo, and Shane O’Neill play at least one more position than where they’ve been designated in the roster listed above. Cameron, Farrell, and O’Neill play center back, outside back, and defensive midfielder, whereas Okugo plays as a center back or as a defensive midfielder.

Since Cameron could use some minutes as a defensive midfielder with the national team, World Soccer Source has proposed calling him up to this roster, which is without many of the regular U.S. starters.

Gyasi Zardes is a striker that has been frequently playing as a wing for the LA Galaxy this season, and José Villarreal can play as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder.

Proven-performers like Benny Feilhaber, Jonathan Spector, Eric Lichaj, and Freddy Adu fall into a different category than the players listed above as players who have performed at the highest level under Klinsmann because Feilhaber, Spector, Lichaj, and Adu are players Klinsmann has simply frozen out of the national team without a clear reason, even when he needed them.

The point of these October World Cup qualifiers should be to see who should start with players like Geoff Cameron, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, and Aron Jóhannsson.

The United States needs a right back, a left back, a center back, and a playmaker, but the United States also needs to know the best group of 23 players and the best Starting XI. There’s no way to learn these things without testing out players in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, and the United States has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup, which allows Klinsmann to focus on evaluating players more than the result of the games.

 

The USMNT Best XI: October 2013

by

 

Coming into October of 2013, and since the United States has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, here is the Best Starting XI that Jürgen Klinsmann can start for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in October.

Michael Bradley and John Anthony Brooks are currently injured with an ankle injury and elbow injury, respectively, but here is the best Starting XI that the United States could use, if both players are healthy in time.

This starting line-up combines proven-players with players who have shown a real ability to offer the United States Men’s National Team upgrades in certain areas, most notably in the defense and at the playmaker role.

The national team must keep starting its very best players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, and Jozy Altidore, but it should fill the rest of the starting line-up with new players with the tools to compete at the next level.

Here is World Soccer Source’s Best Starting XI for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers:

GOALKEEPER: Brad GUZAN

Chosing Brad Guzan over Tim Howard is a tough decision because Tim Howard excels at making game-saving stops that register high on the difficulty scale. There is some concern that Howard doesn’t always come off his line to collect balls played in the air fairly close to his own six-yard box, but goalkeepers are often judged too harshly. Nevertheless, it’s time to see if Guzan comes off his line better than Howard, and if Guzan is better at saving shots from distance than Howard is. Either way, this choice between two excellent keepers is a toss up, and until Guzan plays more, it will be hard to determine which keeper should start. Starting Guzan isn’t risky, nor is it a drop off in skill.

 

RIGHT BACK: DeAndre YEDLIN / Andrew FARRELL

The time for Jürgen Klinsmann to let DeAndre Yedlin or Andrew Farrell play right back is now. The United States has qualified for the 2014 World Cup, and both Farrell and Yedlin are better than Brad Evans. Both players are more technically-skilled than Evans, and both can stay with faster and more-skillful attackers better than Evans. Although Geoff Cameron can play right back quite well, Cameron has shown how he excels as a midfield destroyer with his tackling, passing, and running, so it’s better to let a natural and explosive outside back like Yedlin or Farrell play right back. Both Yedlin and Farrell are extremely fast and technically-skilled, but Farrell’s tackling is likely better than Yedlin’s (but Yedlin’s defense and tackling are quite good). Time will tell if Yedlin or Farrell is better or if they are just different, and time will tell if Farrell proves to be better suited to be a starting USMNT center back.

 

CENTER BACK: Shane O’NEILL

Just like DeAndre Yedlin and Andrew Farrell are legitimate options for the United States and likely upgrades at right back, Shane O’Neill is an upgrade at center back to both Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler. O’Neill is a better defender and a better soccer player in general, and O’Neill possesses a complete skill-set that allows him to play better defense and pass and dribble out of trouble better than Gonzalez and Besler. Both Gonzalez and Besler have become familiar to American soccer fans, and the recent winning streak makes people afraid to accept the possibility that there is another level above that at which Besler and Gonzalez play.

 

CENTER BACK: John Anthony BROOKS

Assuming he’s healthy, John Anthony Brooks should start at left center back for the USMNT. Brooks is a starting center back for Hertha Berlin at 20 years old, and he was named to the Bundesliga Team of the Week twice already this season. These facts combined with his agility, size, skill on the ball, and athleticism are just too much to ignore, and Brooks showed that he was ready to play international soccer against top competition when he started against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

LEFT BACK: Chris KLUTE

Chris Klute is the best American left back in the American player pool. Klute offers better defending and more speed than Fabian Johnson or DaMarcus Beasley, and Klute is a constant attacking threat who creates a lot of goals. Klute’s defending and attacking skills combined with his athleticism (most notably his world-class speed) make him too good to not incorporate into the national team now. Skeptics will argue that Klute is inexperienced, but since any defender has the potential to make a mistake or be beaten in any game, the possibility that a new defender may be beaten a few times is just an irrational excuse to ignore a talented player at a position where the United States is weak.

 

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: Geoff CAMERON

Geoff Cameron’s passing, tackling, skill on the ball, and tireless and smooth running make for an excellent midfield destroyer to patrol the back of the midfield, while Michael Bradley has more freedom to attack and drop back as he sees fit. Jermaine Jones also likes to participate in the attack when he plays for the United States, and starting Cameron over Jones prevents a hole from being left in front of the American defense.

 

BOX-TO-BOX MIDFIELDER: Michael BRADLEY

Michael Bradley is a defensive midfielder who was always skilled as a passer and as a defender, and his trademark was his ability to run for the full 90 minutes participating all over the field. Bradley’s passing and technical ability have progressively improved, and Bradley’s forays into the attack and his combination play with Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan make him the ideal player to provide Cameron passing and defensive support deeper in the midfield, in addition to providing the link from Cameron to the attacking midfielders and strikers.

 

RIGHT MIDFIELDER: Landon DONOVAN

Landon Donovan’s skill-level and experience are a vital component of the USMNT, and using Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan together as attacking midfielders gives the United States good passing and excellent attacking in the midfield. Donovan’s speed and his ability to score and set up goals are well-documented. Starting Dempsey and Donovan together should be a priority for Jürgen Klinsmann.

 

PLAYMAKER: Benny FEILHABER

Benny Feilhaber brings playmaking qualities that Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan don’t have. Whereas Donovan and Dempsey are skilled-attackers who can score or help to create goals, Feilhaber is an actual playmaker who makes sure players like Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey receive service when they make their runs in the final third. Feilhaber is a proven-performer, and he allows Dempsey and Donovan to focus on scoring goals and combining with Altidore, rather than being tasked with providing all of the playmaking responsibilities.

 

LEFT MIDFIELDER: Clint DEMPSEY

Whether Clint Dempsey is playing as an attacking midfielder out on the left or playing as a second striker, his role is a fluid role built around passing and moving throughout the attack in an effort to score or set up goals. As the best American soccer player ever and the most skilled American player now, Clint Dempsey is an obvious inclusion in any USMNT Starting XI that is looking to have the United States playing its best soccer.

 

STRIKER: Jozy ALTIDORE

Jozy Altidore has shown that he has blossomed into a more-refined striker with improved technical-skill and better movement off the ball; Altidore has also become a more aggressive striker and a more ruthless finisher who can score with both feet and his head. Altidore’s scoring drought with Sunderland is a product of no longer playing for a team like AZ Alkmaar that places a premium on quality passing and good technical play. Sunderland’s poor form doesn’t change the fact that Altidore has become a complete striker who brings skill, athleticism, and size to the front of the American attack.

 

USMNT Starting XI (4-2-3-1):

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

 

Klinsmann’s USMNT Options For October Qualifiers

by

 

Joe Benny Corona. (Photo: MexSport)
Joe Benny Corona. (Photo: MexSport)

 

Despite the possibility of Michael Bradley and John Anthony Brooks still being injured, Jürgen Klinsmann still has a lot of new options for the United States Men’s National Team’s October World Cup qualifiers.

A prudent decision for the future success of the USMNT is for Klinsmann to start many of the proven players who he has chosen to snub in the past, but he should fill the rest of the roster with new players that need to be given experience.

The math on this is simple; Klinsmann has 11 starting line-ups spots that he can reserve for some of the more-experienced American players who he has chosen to not use, and he has 12 roster spots for the new talents in American soccer.

The other alternative is to use the same roster outlined above but start the new players.

If Klinsmann wants to start more-proven players, then this is a topic that can be discussed with specificity.

For example, Klinsmann could start Brad Guzan in goal with Jonathan Spector at right back, Shane O’Neill and Michael Orozco at center back, and Eric Lichaj at left back.

In front of them, Klinsmann can start Geoff Cameron as a defensive midfielder with Joe Benny Corona, Benny Feilhaber, and Mix Diskerud as a line of three attacking midfielders.

Up top, Klinsmann could start Juan Agudelo (if he’s healthy) or Terrence Boyd with Aron Jóhannsson.

The line-up proposed above leaves 11 or 12 roster spots open for Klinsmann, depending on the health of Agudelo.

Starting in the defense, the obvious names are DeAndre Yedlin, Chris Klute, and Andrew Farrell.

This leaves eight or nine roster spots (depending on whether or not Agudelo is healthy) for goalkeepers, midfielders, and forwards.

If there are eight roster spots, calling up Nick Rimando and some other goalkeeper like Clint Irwin, Dan Kennedy, Sean Johnson, Luis Robles, or Tally Hall leaves six more roster spots to fill.

For the final six roster spots, Perry Kitchen as a defensive midfielder, Amobi Okugo as a center back and defensive midfielder, Benji Joya as a midfielder who plays as an attacking midfielder or as a box-to-box midfielder, José Villarreal as a forward or attacking midfielder, Joe Gyau as a winger or forward, and Freddy Adu as midfielder or forward (it’s time for Klinsmann to check in with Adu).

The roster proposed above includes three goalkeepers, four outside backs, four center backs, four forwards, five attacking midfielders, three defensive or box-to-box midfielders (plus Shane O’Neill and Geoff Cameron).

To be clear, the USMNT could start the following fairly-experienced XI below:

Guzan; Spector, O’Neill, Orozco, Lichaj; Cameron; Corona, Feilhaber, Diskerud; Agudelo/Boyd, Jóhannsson.

On the bench, the USMNT would have the following players available:

Rimando, Irwin/Kennedy/Robles/S. Johnson/Hall, Yedlin, Klute, Farrell, Kitchen, Okugo, Joya, Villarreal, Gyau, Adu.

Starting Guzan in goal with Spector, O’Neill, Orozco, and Lichaj forming the Back Four should be a strong enough defense to win or at least they should be strong enough to win.

In front of them, Cameron as a defensive midfielder behind a line of three attacking midfielders (Corona, Feilhaber, Diskerud) should be a midfield with a strong defender and good passer patrolling the back with three creative midfielders helping the United States to maintain possession and set up goals.

Up top, Agudelo or Boyd with Jóhannsson is a potent young strike force who at the very least should cause problems for all but the very best of international defenders.

These forwards still have room to improve, but all three of them are real threats on the international level. There is no reason to think that they aren’t capable of easily scoring against CONCACAF opposition unless they simply don’t receive enough service.

Something similar to the roster and starting line-up proposed in this article combines the best of both worlds for the United States Men’s National Team: more-experienced players that Klinsmann hasn’t favored as starters with new talents who can gain experience and help to strengthen the national team.

On the other hand, if Klinsmann wanted to use mainly new and/or younger players, then he could start the following XI:

Guzan; Yedlin, Farrell, O’Neill, Klute; Cameron, Joya; Adu, Feilhaber, Corona; Agudelo/Boyd/Jóhannsson.

What Jürgen Klinsmann really needs to learn is whether or not he’s been using the best players and if the new talents or some of the out of favor talents can improve the ability of the USMNT to better compete or win at the highest level against better national teams.

The coach of the United States enjoys using the metaphor about tossing players into the cold water, and with the 2014 World Cup approaching next summer, it’s time to see who the best American soccer players are and prepare them for the big stage.

 

 

Best American Soccer Players (October 2013)

by

 

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

 

This list is based on ranking American soccer players based on skill-level based on their performances at the club level, international level, or both.

In many cases, some of the less-experienced players at the international level have demonstrated a noticeable increase in skill-level and athleticism compared to players that are more experienced members of the United States Men’s National Team under Jürgen Klinsmann.

Ranking players is subjective especially given the difficulty of comparing and contrasting players who play different positions.

 

The Best American Soccer Players (October 2013):

 

1.) Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders)

2.) Michael BRADLEY (Roma)

3.) Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy)

4.) Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland)

5.) Benny FEILHABER (Sporting Kansas City)

 

6.) Juan AGUDELO (New England Revolution / Stoke City)

7.) Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar)

8.) Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City)

9.) Jermaine JONES (Schalke)

10.) Fabian JOHNSON (Hoffenheim)

 

11.) Tim HOWARD (Everton)

12.) Freddy ADU (E.C. Bahia)  

13.) Joe Benny CORONA (Tijuana)

14.) Mix DISKERUD (Rosenborg)

15.) Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien)

 

16.) Eddie JOHNSON (Seattle Sounders)

17.) Benji JOYA (Santos Laguna)

18.) John Anthony BROOKS (Hertha Berlin)

19.) Shane O’NEILL (Colorado Rapids)

20.) DeAndre YEDLIN (Seattle Sounders)

 

21.) José VILLARREAL (LA Galaxy)

22.) Chris KLUTE (Colorado Rapids)

23.) Gyasi ZARDES (LA Galaxy)

24.) Andrew FARRELL (New England Revolution)

25.) Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa)

 

26.) Jonathan SPECTOR (Birmingham City)

27.) Alonso HERNANDEZ (Monterrey)

28.) Paul ARRIOLA (Tijuana)

29.) Joe GYAU (Hoffenheim II)

30.) Eric LICHAJ (Nottingham Forest)

 

31.) Mario RODRIGUEZ (Borussia Mönchengladbach U-23)

32.) Tony TAYLOR (Omonia)

33.) Brek SHEA (Stoke City)

34.) Michael OROZCO (Puebla)

35.) Sebastian LLETGET (West Ham United)

 

36.) Daniel CUEVAS (Santos Laguna)

37.) Luis GIL (Real Salt Lake)

38.) Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE (Toronto FC)

39.) Dax MCCARTY (New York Red Bulls)

40.) Alejandro BEDOYA (Nantes)

 

41.) Michael PARKHURST (Augsburg)

42.) Lamar NEAGLE (Seattle Sounders)

43.) Maurice EDU (Stoke City)

44.) Perry KITCHEN (DC United)

45.) Graham ZUSI (Sporting Kansas City)

 

46.) Kelyn ROWE (New England Revolution)

47.) George JOHN (FC Dallas)

48.) Amobi OKUGO (Philadelphia Union)

49.) Omar GONZALEZ (LA Galaxy)

50.) Kellyn ACOSTA (FC Dallas)

 

EDIT: Due to a small oversight, Kofi Sarkodie was unintentionally omitted from World Soccer Source’s rankings of the Best American Soccer Players.

 

USMNT: 23 For Brazil (October 2013)

by

 

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

 

Below is a proposal for a 23-man United States Men’s National Team World Cup roster that can be competitive in time for the 2014 World Cup. This is the October 2013 edition of World Soccer Source’s “USMNT: 23 For Brazil.”

Several players like Geoff Cameron, Shane O’Neill, and Andrew Farrell can play multiple positions, and when their names are repeated, they are inside parentheses. Geoff Cameron, Shane O’Neill, and Andrew Farrell can play as center backs, midfield destroyers, and as right or left backs.

In addition to playing his normal position of left back, Chris Klute can also play as a right back or center back.

Benji Joya is on the roster because he is a complete midfielder who brings great technical ability and attacking play along with more defensive grit than the other attacking midfielders.

Freddy Adu is a necessity for the World Cup roster due to his special skill-set and his ability to play in the place of Clint Dempsey or Landon Donovan should they be suspended or injured.

The United States Men’s National Team is going to have to use a young roster along with some of the more established or older players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Geoff Cameron, and Tim Howard, if the United States is serious about really competing with better national teams in the 2014 World Cup. Merely using players who held their own in qualifying won’t be enough in the World Cup, so the United States will have to roll the dice and call up many of the younger players with the tools to compete against better players from better national teams.

USMNT: 23 For Brazil (October 2013)

GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD, Brad GUZAN, Nick RIMANDO.

CENTER BACKS: Geoff CAMERON, John Anthony BROOKS, Shane O’NEILL, Andrew FARRELL.

OUTSIDE BACKS: Chris KLUTE, DeAndre YEDLIN, Kellyn ACOSTA, *(Andrew FARRELL),  *(Geoff CAMERON), *(Shane O’NEILL).

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Michael BRADLEY, Jermaine JONES, Benji JOYA (Box-to-Box Midfielder), *(Geoff CAMERON), *(Shane O’NEILL), *(Andrew FARRELL).

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Clint DEMPSEY, Landon DONOVAN, Benny FEILHABER, Joe Benny CORONA, Mix DISKERUD.

FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE, Juan AGUDELO, Aron JÓHANNSSON, Terrence BOYD, Freddy ADU.

* Already Listed

ALTERNATES: Fabian JOHNSON, Eddie JOHNSON, Jonathan SPECTOR, Mario RODRIGUEZ, Alonso HERNANDEZ, José VILLARREAL, Michael OROZCO, Joe GYAU, Brek SHEA, Will TRAPP, Luis GIL, Dax MCCARTY, Jeremy HALL, Maurice, EDU, Eric LICHAJ, Clint IRWIN, Dan KENNEDY, Sean JOHNSON, Gyasi ZARDES.

 

USMNT World Cup Starting XI:

HOWARD; YEDLIN/FARRELL, O’NEILL, BROOKS, KLUTE; CAMERON, BRADLEY; DONOVAN, FEILHABER, DEMPSEY; ALTIDORE.

 

Notes on the Starting XI:

-7 of the 11 starters are proven international performers (Howard, Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Feilhaber, Dempsey, Altidore), and John Anthony Brooks (who was recently named to the Bundesliga Team of the Week) is a starting Bundesliga center back for Hertha Berlin.

– The Starting XI is based on a Front Six made up of two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders (including a playmaker), and a first striker, and the Back Four includes modern two-way outside backs with athletic and technically-skilled center backs that represent an improvement in the skill-level of the usual USMNT Starting XI.

-It’s still unknown whether DeAndre Yedlin or Andrew Farrell is the better right back. Each player has different strengths and weaknesses, and it’s unclear, at this time, which player is the better right back. Farrell’s speed and technical ability might better serve the USMNT at center back since Yedlin is an excellent outside back that can’t play as a center back.

-Chris Klute is actually right-footed, despite playing left back, but the USMNT desperately needs him at left back. Farrell has been used as a right back this season, so he hasn’t been able to work on being a center back.

– The line-up above is a balanced XI with a more talented and a more athletic group of players than the United States used in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and possibly the 2002 World Cup as well.

– The Starting XI above has defenders with good defensive instincts and skills combined with technical ability and athleticism, and the Front Six is a balance of various types of defensive midfielders and attacking midfielders plus a striker, which creates a Front Six that can recover possession, keep possession, and score goals.

 

American Soccer Must Embrace Change

by

 

Kevin-Prince Boateng celebrates after scoring on the United States in the 2010 World Cup. (Photo: AP Photo)
Kevin-Prince Boateng celebrates after scoring on the United States in the 2010 World Cup. (Photo: AP Photo)

 

Some American soccer fans need to embrace the concept of change for the sake of improvement because this collective mentality puts pressure on The United States Soccer Federation, The United States Men’s National Team, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Major League Soccer to have higher standards.

There’s no denying the growth of soccer in the United States or the increase in talented American players, but The United States Soccer Federation is going overboard with its level of celebration and almost propaganda during World Cup qualifying.

One thing in particular that was disconcerting was the shirt that Jürgen Klinsmann was wearing that had “Qualified” written across the front of it after the U.S. qualified for the World Cup.

While the players, fans, and coaches celebration after the United States had qualified for the World Cup was understandable and definitely appropriate, that t-shirt was Jürgen Klinsmann essentially going overboard with his bragging about the United States qualifying for the World Cup in the weakest soccer region in the world.

Celebration and congratulations were in order, but Klinsmann’s publicity stunts like the “Qualified” t-shirt, the fist pumps after beating weak teams, and walking down to the field before the 2013 Gold Cup Final was over look slightly ridiculous when he has so much work to do in order to strengthen the United States Men’s National Team at several positions to close the gap with better national teams.

The coach of the United States has continued to refuse to address or correct the issues with the weaknesses at the outside back positions and the failure to incorporate a playmaker to balance out his two-man defensive midfield.

He has also not evaluated enough center backs to really know who the best American center backs are. There are some real concerns with the ability of Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and Clarence Goodson to handle better attackers.

When the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, John Anthony Brooks and Geoff Cameron were starting at center back, so there’s no way to know how Gonzalez and Besler would have done.

The counter-argument to this is of course that the U.S. beat Germany’s B Team when Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez were starting, but anyone watching that game could see that Germany was clearly not trying very hard until the U.S. went up 4-1, at which time Germany quickly scored two goals in a matter of minutes without any difficulty.

The problems with the United States Men’s National Team are not with the player pool, but U.S. Soccer and American soccer fans need to acknowledge that the sort of line-ups that Klinsmann uses and the lack of balance and/or talent in his rosters in certain areas will be a major problem in the 2014 World Cup.

It is a time to celebrate the growth of American soccer and the influx of young and talented players, but the rosters and line-ups that Klinsmann has been using will not get the job done in Brazil against top national teams.

Klinsmann himself has said that the 23-man roster that he uses in the World Cup will look different than the 23-man roster than he is currently using, but he has also shown a tendency to not really mean what he says.

Now is the time for Klinsmann to incorporate the new players that are needed to bolster the roster, and even if he doesn’t start them in the final two World Cup qualifiers, then he still needs to have them among the 12 non-starters on the roster.

The recent snubbing of Chris Klute and Shane O’Neill from MLS’ 24 Under 24 rankings, the ranking of Juan Agudelo way down at the sixth position on the list, or the ranking of José Villarreal at 11th show that even many of the employees of MLS are not adept at judging talent, and this recent list demonstrates a larger problem with the inability of some Americans to recognize talent and to recognize the need to support players with a level of skill that is closer to the skill-level of other national teams, in order to beat the better national teams.

On the bright side, the United States is really close to closing the gap with better national teams with the exception of teams like Brazil, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc, but changes will have to be made to get closer to those teams.

With roughly one year until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, there is plenty of time to season better players and strengthen weaknesses.

 

Depth Chart: USMNT Second Strikers

by

 

Freddy Adu (Source: Esporte Clube Bahia)
Freddy Adu (Source: Esporte Clube Bahia)

 

World Soccer Source considers Juan Agudelo and Aron Jóhannsson to be first strikers also known as number 9s, and for this reason, neither one is listed on the depth chart below.

Depth Chart: USMNT Second Strikers

1.) Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)

Clint Dempsey plays a similar position to Robinho, Thomas Müller, Jérémy Ménez, or Neymar in that they are attacking midfielders or forwards without being out-and-out strikers like Mario Balotelli or Jozy Altidore. As long as Clint Dempsey isn’t deployed as a lone striker like Spain has done with Cesc Fàbregas, Dempsey’s positional name isn’t as important as him being included in the USMNT Starting XI as an attacking midfielder or a second striker. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey have developed a nice partnership up top, and seeing both players starting together highlights the difference between a first striker and a second striker. Of all the American players, Dempsey is the player who can best play off a first striker in a supporting role, which not only helps the first striker be less closely marked but also draws defenders away from Clint Dempsey. Given the fact that the Texan is the best American player and given his penchant for scoring goals and disrupting defenses, Clint Dempsey is the best second striker in the American player pool.

 

2.) Freddy Adu (E.C. Bahia)

Freddy Adu is ranked above Landon Donovan as a second striker because Donovan is best used out wide where he can use his speed to run at defenders and cut inside from out wide, but Adu is more adept at playing final balls and setting up goals than Donovan. Obviously, Donovan has a much higher amount of assists for the United States, but he’s played in a lot more games. Donovan excels at using speed to beat defenders and attacking from wide positions, but Adu has a more refined ability to play passes of a higher degree of difficulty that unlock defenses. As far as 1v1 abilities, Adu possesses probably the best ability of any American to beat quality defenders off the dribble, and Adu knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. Adu’s aggressive playing style and skills combined with his ability to take risks forces defenders to leave a first striker like Altidore unmarked as they turn their attention to the penetrating dribbling and quick passing of Adu. Donovan has better stats and accolades to his name, but using Adu as a second striker doesn’t exclude starting Landon Donovan at the same time.

 

3.) Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

Landon Donovan is more suited to start out wide as a winger or just as an attacking midfielder starting out wide than he is as a second striker because starting out wide allows Donovan to receive the ball and beat defenders with pace down the sideline, quickly combine with his teammates from a deeper position, and use his speed to cut inside towards the penalty box, which causes Dempsey and Altidore to be open when the defenders run over to mark Donovan. Along with Dempsey, Donovan is the best American soccer player, but using Donovan as a second striker doesn’t maximize his speed in the same way that starting him in the midfield does because up top Donovan would be waiting to receive service rather than sprinting at defenders from a deeper and wider position.

 

4.) José Villarreal (LA Galaxy)

José Villarreal is ideally suited to play as a second striker because it allows him to use his technical ability and trickery to support a first striker and draw defenders away from a first striker. Villarreal will continue to improve, but the 20-year-old is a member of a group of young American players who are demonstrating that the United States is producing more technically-skilled players than it used to. Villarreal’s general play for the Los Angeles Galaxy and his goal against Real Madrid make him too talented to not be part of the discussion for inclusion on the United States Men’s National Team. When Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan stop playing in four or five years or more, the USMNT will be in good hands, as long as Villarreal is playing.

 

 

Depth Chart: USMNT First Strikers

by

 

 

Jozy Altidore scored the game's only goal. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Jozy Altidore. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

Over the past two years, Jozy Altidore has dramatically improved his movement off the ball, and he has refined his technical ability and finishing skills.

Now, Jozy Altidore has blossomed into a first striker whose athleticism and physique are matched by his technical skill and movement off the ball. Altidore has two years playing club soccer in Holland to thank for these improvements, and now Jozy Altidore tops the list of World Soccer Source’s best American strikers.

After Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo and Aron Jóhannsson are tied for second due to the difficulty in trying to scientifically rank all of the various criteria like finishing, club form, the league played in, technical ability, scoring-rate, and athleticism.

 

1.) Jozy Altidore (Sunderland)

Easily the best American striker, Altidore showed just how far he’d come in polishing his technical ability, finishing, and movement off the ball when he scored an outstanding hat trick against Bosnia and Herzegovina after two years with a prolific scoring-rate with AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie. Two months shy of his 24th birthday, Altidore is a complete first striker, and he will continue to improve in all areas of his game as the years go by.

 

2.) Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution / Stoke City)

Juan Agudelo is one of the crown jewels of American soccer, and it will be interesting to see how he compares to Jozy Altidore in a few years or sooner.

It took Altidore several years and the right club situation to become a more finished product who had harnessed his physical gifts and honed his skills, so Agudelo should be allowed the same amount of time to become more polished and deadly.

Whereas Altidore was accused of needing to refine his technical ability several years ago, Agudelo was never criticized for his technical ability. Agudelo has been criticized for trying to do too many tricks, for overcomplicating things, and for taking too many touches, but Agudelo has become more efficient without eliminating the trickery and creativity from his game.

The young American striker has had multiple opportunities to showcase his talent against top national teams playing at full strength, and he has never looked overmatched or fazed by the opposition.

There are too many excellent goals with both feet and his head to not consistently have Juan Agudelo on the United States Men’s National Team, and despite a few injuries, there have been plenty of occasions when Agudelo has been unjustly snubbed by Jürgen Klinsmann and the national team.

 

2.) Aron Jóhannsson (AZ Alkmaar)

Aron Jóhannsson is as good as or better than Juan Agudelo, and Jóhannsson plays for Jozy Altidore’s former club, AZ Alkmaar.

Altidore has backed Jóhannsson due to his time playing with Jóhannsson and seeing him in action, but Jóhannsson’s play last season and this season combined with his excellent play against Bosnia and Herzegovina prove Jóhannsson’s skill and ability to excel against top-level competition.

The AZ Alkmaar striker is fast and clinical with a nose for goal, and he never hesitates to go straight to goal or hit shots the instant the opportunity presents itself.

If started right now for the United States, there’s no reason to think that Jóhannsson couldn’t do as well or better than any other American striker who has played for the USMNT in the past.

He will continue to grow and get stronger, but Jóhannsson is already a tall striker with excellent speed and textbook technical ability.

Jóhannsson’s biggest strength is the combination of his technical ability with his instinct to attack the goal.

 

4.) Terrence Boyd (Rapid Wien)

A year ago, the young Terrence Boyd looked poised to make a run at Jozy Altidore’s starting spot, but with Altidore’s improved international form came less playing time for Boyd.

Nevertheless, Boyd is a direct-to-goal first striker who attacks the goal constantly with his skill and athleticism. Unlike Altidore who took some time to develop more of a ruthless streak, Boyd has always been very aggressive and his ability to score with both feet should serve the United States well.

Boyd has all of the tools to be a starting striker with the USMNT, and it’s time for Klinsmann to start seasoning more of his strikers besides Altidore.

Boyd is a faster and more athletic player than Altidore, Agudelo, and Jóhannsson, and his technical ability is equally good.

A striker with Boyd’s gifts and skills should prove to be a very valuable weapon for the United States. Once Boyd plays more with the United States, it will be easier to compare and contrast him with Jozy Altidore.

Of all the American strikers, Boyd is the most ruthless, and he attacks opponents with pure rage and no respect.

 

Conclusion:

Jozy Altidore leads the pack as the best American striker, but Juan Agudelo, Aron Jóhannsson, and Terrence Boyd deserve more opportunities to gain international experience. Until the other three play more for the United States, it’s unclear how they compare to one another or if one of them partners particularly well with Altidore. There is also the real need to make sure that the United States has four first strikers who are ready to play well in the World Cup.

 

Depth Chart: USMNT Attacking Midfielders

by

 

Clint Dempsey (8). (Photo: ISIPhotos.com)
Clint Dempsey (8). (Photo: ISIPhotos.com)

 

All playmakers are attacking midfielders, but not all attacking midfielders are playmakers.

For this reason, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan were not listed in World Soccer Source’s article entitled “Depth Chart: USMNT Playmakers.”

Playmakers are rare, and the best two American soccer players, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, are not playmakers. Attacking midfielders can be playmakers, wingers, or players like Neymar who has no clear positional name. Frequently the very best players in the world are hard to classify with a single positional name.

 

USMNT Depth Chart: Attacking Midfielders

 

1.) Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)

Many journalists and fans consider Landon Donovan to be better than Clint Dempsey and the best American soccer player ever, but World Soccer Source disputes this. Clint Dempsey has shown a level of technical-ability, trickery, killer instinct, physical and mental toughness, and a competitive spirit above those of Landon Donovan.

Some people think Clint Dempsey is better, and some people think Landon Donovan is better. The most important thing is that both players can start together on either side of a playmaker and work together to win.

Clint Dempsey scored goals on a consistent basis in the English Premier League for seven years, and Landon Donovan has played basically his entire career in MLS. Dempsey outplayed Donovan in the 2006 World Cup and in the 2010 World Cup where Donovan scored one goal thanks to a tap in off a rebound, which Dempsey forced, and Donovan scored a penalty kick and one ruthless point blank head shot, which was his one notable goal from the 2006 and the 2010 World Cups.

The Texan is a more technically-skilled player than Donovan, and Dempsey shows a greater ability to disrupt the defensive cohesion of top national teams.

If you were to compile the individual highlights and goals of both players, Dempsey’s would be much more impressive. But more important than the highlights or the trickery, is the combination of fire, skill, toughness, and irreverence that Dempsey brings to all of his games.

Whereas Donovan sometimes puts on a disappearing act in games, Dempsey shows absolutely no respect for his adversaries, and this makes him more of a threat and more of a cold-blooded assassin against elite national teams.

The USMNT needs both Donovan and Dempsey playing together and combining with one another, but this writer views Clint Dempsey as the better player with a better track record against higher-level competition on the club and international level.

Dempsey’s left-footed upper 90 wonder strike scored against Germany in a friendly after losing Lukas Podolski with a Cruyff turn, his chipped golazo against Juventus (without Gigi Buffon playing), and his goal scored against Gigi Buffon in a friendly against Italy in 2012 are just a view examples of the Clint Dempsey Supremacy over Landon Donovan.

 

 

2.) Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

Landon Donovan is without question the very first American soccer player who was born and raised in the United States who demonstrated an enormous boost in the skill-level of American soccer players.

Donovan excels at using his speed and both feet to beat defenders off the dribble and play one-to-two touch passing. Donovan is the all-time goal-scoring leader and assist leader for the USMNT, but he enjoyed a four year head start on Clint Dempsey who was playing in obscurity, despite being just one year younger.

For this writer, Donovan has never shown the same technical-ability and big-game mentality as Clint Dempsey, but no one can deny Donovan’s achievements or abilities.

It’s a shame that Donovan didn’t elect to make more of an attempt to play his club soccer in Europe, as opposed to playing in MLS. People can say that he helped developed the league, but that wasn’t his responsibility. Playing in Europe for 10 years would have made Donovan an even better player than he is today.

Despite all of this, Donovan and Dempsey aren’t mutually exclusive, and they shouldn’t be competitors on the national team, as the Unites States needs both of them starting.

As the poster child for American soccer, there can be no doubting that Landon Donovan’s four year head start caused Clint Dempsey to be unjustly underrated and underappreciated by American soccer fans who worshipped Landon Donovan for being the first world-class American soccer player.

 

3.) Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City)

Benny Feilhaber was heavily discussed in the article entitled “Depth Chart: USMNT Playmakers,” but nevertheless Feilhaber has been the attacking midfielder other than Dempsey and Donovan who demonstrated the greatest ability to play one-to-two touch soccer against top national teams, and he still is one of the most technically-skilled American soccer players.

Whenever you see highlights of the United States performing its best against the best national teams since 2007, you will see Benny Feilhaber who proved to be a needed midfield piece to Bob Bradley’s midfields which almost always started two defensive midfielders in the middle with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey out wide.

There’s nothing to suggest that Benny Feilhaber’s abilities and athleticism have dropped over the last few years under Klinsmann’s tenure as head coach of the national team.

 

4.) Freddy Adu (E.C. Bahia)

Freddy Adu remains one of the only American attacking midfielders who can truly put even top players on their heels, and Adu possesses a combination of 1v1 abilities and quickness that Donovan and Dempsey do not have. Additionally, Adu’s passing and vision are well above those of Dempsey and Donovan.

There’s a reason that teams continue to sign Freddy Adu. Say what you want about Freddy Adu and his club playing time, but he was signed by Benfica, where he actually played and scored goals, and he was signed by the famous Brazilian club, Bahia, where he has done his best to continue to fight for a spot in the game-day rosters and in the starting line-ups.

No one gets to even sit on the bench for Bahia or Benfica, if they aren’t good, and claiming that American soccer and the USMNT doesn’t need a player like that is perhaps rating the United States Men’s National Team too highly.

 

Conclusion:

Selecting four attacking midfielders among Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Freddy Adu, Joe Benny Corona, Mix Diskerud, and several others is a tough decision, and Jürgen Klinsmann doesn’t seem to particularly rate several of these players (most notably Benny Feilhaber and Freddy Adu).

Selecting a 23-man roster for the World Cup will require factoring in which players can play more than one position, but for this writer, Alejandro Bedoya, José Torres, Brad Davis, and Graham Zusi have never demonstrated the same still-level as players like Benny Feilhaber, Freddy Adu, Mix Diskerud, and Joe Benny Corona.

There aren’t any real wingers among the four players highlighted in this article, except for Landon Donovan, and the reason for this is because the width in the attack can come from the outside backs.

 

Depth Chart: USMNT Box-to-Box Midfielders

by

 

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

 

Several of the players discussed in this article such as Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones were also discussed in World Soccer Source’s article entitled “Depth Chart: USMNT Defensive Midfielders.”

Both players can play either role, but Benji Joya is the one player in the American player pool, to the best of this writer’s knowledge, who is truly a box-to-box midfielder in the traditional understanding of the role.

While Bradley participates in the attack and goes forward quite a bit,  his game is heavily characterized by collecting the ball from the defenders deep in the midfield and starting the attack. Joya appears to be more of a true box-to-box midfielder than Bradley is.

Depth Chart: USMNT Box-to-Box Midfielders

1.) Michael Bradley (AS Roma)

Michael Bradley was discussed in World Soccer Source’s article about the depth chart of the United States Men’s National Team at the defensive midfielder position, but Michael Bradley is also a box-to-box midfielder who advances forward with the attack and drops back to play defense when the United States loses the ball.

Due to his club play with Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, and his play with AS Roma in Serie A, Bradley’s technical ability and passing has progressively improved over time from what was already a solid foundation when he turned pro at 16.

The combination of playing lots of soccer as a child combined with a steady improvement in his technical ability with non-EPL clubs has made Bradley a player whose attacking and technical skills are equaled by his defensive skills and his workrate.

It’s worth mentioning that Michael Bradley is still not at the same level technically as Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, but he is a highly-skilled midfielder with excellent, touch, vision, passing, shooting, and dribbling skills.

Bradley is by far the best box-to-box midfielder and defensive midfielder in the entire American player pool.

 

2.) Jermaine Jones (Schalke)

Jermaine Jones was also included in World Soccer Source’s recent depth chart of American defensive midfielders, but Jones is also capable of playing a box-to-box role due to his skill on the ball, his running endurance, and his athleticism.

Jones is a formidable defender, and he has refined technical ability with both feet.

While Jones may not be as smooth of a passer as Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones is a Bundesliga and Champions League veteran who is a complete midfielder with proven technical ability, defensive skills, and athleticism against the highest competition in the world.

 

3.) Benji Joya (Santos Laguna)

Benji Joya is a 19-year-old Santos Laguna player who skipped college soccer and MLS to go play professionally in La Liga MX. Joya was used by Tab Ramos as a holding midfielder with the U-20 United States national team, but Joya is a very creative player with great vision, excellent ball control, and a big-game mentality.

While Joya’s natural position is hard to classify, Joya is a complete midfielder who brings excellent passing and movement off the ball with good defending. The young American can best be described as an attacking midfielder with far better defensive qualities than players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, and Freddy Adu.

Joya brings an array of skills in one player that almost no one else in the pool has. Using Joya would give the United States Men’s National Team a player who plays one-to-two touch soccer, but who also provides a lot of defensive coverage in the midfield. Joya doesn’t see a lot of playing time for Santos Laguna, but that doesn’t mean that his skill-set isn’t needed by the United States.

 

4.) Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg)

Mix Diskerud has recently been used by Jürgen Klinsmann has either a playmaker to play right behind a striker like Jozy Altidore or as a box-to-box midfielder to bring more of an attacking threat and linking ability to a two-man defensive midfield set-up.

Mix Diskerud is not really a box-to-box midfielder as Diskerud doesn’t quite have the level of defensive qualities needed in a true box-to-box midfielder but he is an excellent passer and shooter who is one of the only playmakers in the entire American player pool.

Diskerud can play as the box-to-box midfielder in a two-man defensive midfield, but playing the number 8 role is not really his natural position, as Diskerud excels at passing, orchestrating play, setting up goals, and scoring goals.

 

Conclusion:

There is some overlap between defensive midfielders of the midfield destroyer variety and those of the box-to-box midfielder variety. When selecting a roster, Jürgen Klinsmann might consider calling up Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, and Benji Joya as the more-defensive midfielders, even if the term is a misnomer for players like Joya.

Choosing these four players leaves Klinsmann four more midfield roster spots for players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, Benny Feilhaber, and Freddy Adu.