The U.S. men's national team has called in its best players for the first time since last summer's World Cup, and Bob Bradley will have his first chance to see what this summer's Gold Cup starting lineup might look like.
Stuart Holden's loss to injury was a tough blow, but U.S. head coach Bob Bradley will still have several options for his central midfield, whether he goes with a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 formation.
The real question marks are in the back, where Bradley has Jay DeMerit back in the fold, as well as fellow World Cup veterans Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu. Young defender Tim Ream is in the mix as well and could have an edge on DeMerit, having played more games in recent months, including two starts with the national team.
Right back is also a question mark, with Steve Cherundolo missing the match due to an injury. Eric Lichaj has been called in to replace Cherundolo. Jonathan Spector was already in camp, but Lichaj is playing regularly right back at Leeds and could have the edge.
So what will the starting lineup look like for the USA? Here's a projected lineup:
PROJECTED USMNT LINEUP vs. ARGENTINA
Ream gets the nod in this projection, with his sharp passing serving as a valuable strength in the back. DeMerit could get the nod as well.
The central midfield makes the most sense, though we could expect to see a more attack-minded substitution in the second half. There's also the possibility that Bob Bradley will leave Maurice Edu on the bench and start him vs. Paraguay. If that's the case, then we could see someone like Sacha Kljestan or Benny Feilhaber get a start. That seems like the less likely scenario.
Jonathan Bornstein's inclusion raises some interesting questions. With him not playing much at Tigres, will that keep him from getting the start, or will Bradley overlook that and give him the nod at left back, which would allow for the Onyewu-Bocanegra centerback tandem to be reunited?
The attacking trio of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore looks like a safe bet to start, though you wonder if Bob Bradley would start an Edson Buddle alongside Altidore in a 4-4-2. Young forward Juan Agudelo is an exciting option, and an Altidore-Agudelo combination could be an exciting one to watch. That seems more likely to wait for the second half for that Double A pairing.
What do you think of the above lineup? What starting lineup would you like to see face Argentina?
Share your thoughts below.
+1 for Chandler at right mid, Dempsey at ACM
Personally, I would start Jones and Edu behind Dempsey, and of course Landon wide left.
“Coach Bradley has repeatedly stated in the past that regular club playing time is very important.”
He may have but he never said it was the deciding factor. No one here really knows why he starts this player over that player ( other than in the most general terms) because he’s never that specific to the media.
There are far too many exceptions to your stated rule.
BB plays the guys who he thinks are the best for the job at that time.
……..Altidore (Buddle)……..Agudelo
……………….Edu (Mix)………………..
Demps (Feil)…………….Donovan…..
………………Jones (Bradley)………….
Boca…..Ream (Demerit)….Gooch…..Lichaj (Chandler)
……………Howard (Yelldell)
Subs in parentheses. I DON’T want to see Bradely and Jones playing the same position at DM. WAY too defensive. And we can’t leave Altidore up there alone. I want to see him paired with Agudelo.
Zach, Agreed 100%.
At least 2 of us get it…I didn’t really want to go there but it gets annoying to pretend things are different than they are.
+1
LOL yeah and I was looking for his partner, Torres. 😉
I agree with the second backline, maybe even Spector at left back based on his experience. I think you would have to be crazy to start Ream at CB against Argentina in only his third cap. Not good for his confidence at all. Sorry to anyone who thinks he is the messiah, but he will be undressed by Messi et al.. Let him start against Paraguay, especially since Argentina will come in with a chip on their shoulder after being held by the USA last time. I like Ives’ formation though, and would just replace Bradley with Felihaber and keep the rest. Can we please just have one creative player? Please?
Are you saying Ream is a starter for the US team now? I meant he has to be prove himself to be a starter before he should be considered for games against likes of Argentina and Spain.
We should put our best players up against this type of opposition since we don’t play them every year/frequently.
How else are you going to test our best players against top class teams? So if we play England, Germany, Brasil, etc., then I hope to see the best players we can put out, not an upcoming player like Ream.
He has two caps; against S. Africa and Chile, and now you think the guy is good enough to be starting over Demerit?
Playing to pack it in and go for the draw. I agree.
It would probably be more appropriate to call Barcelona’s method “Argentina-esque” since systematic working of the ball through the pitch is all but synonymous with Argentine football.
This should be the US’s starting lineup against Germany:
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/1340/geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeermany.jpg
Don’t like it, but I agree that this is probably what Bradley is going to put out there.
Jozy’s hold up play and effort chasing the ball are too weak to be a lone forward. Dempsey and Donovan will struggle to get into the game and won’t get to push the game wide to let Bradley come forward.
Bradley is not a creative player, so there goes the link between the defense and the attack.
We are going to look like a patchwork cluster-**** out there.
Demerit over Ream
Chandler over Lichaj
I don’t see why saying “DCM” is any worse than saying “holding midfielder”.
(SBI-It’s a silly video game acronym that nobody in the real world of soccer uses. DM is fine, but when you say DCM it basically suggests, whether correctly or incorrectly, that the foundation of your knowledge of the game is based on a video game. Either way, it’s a pet peeve of mine. I’m sure I’m not alone there.)
i got an idea for some experimentation too. while i don’t think this will ever happen, it’d be cool to see. a back three like you mentioned, but play a 3-5-2. as much as i hate bornstein, maybe he could work as a wing-back style player in that formation with less defensive responsibilities so there’s not as many chances for him to screw up. and chandler could probably play well on the right side of that, as he has played both RB and right winger for Nurnberg this season.
i know it’s never going to happen, but i just randomly started thinking about it
People use DCM and CAM because the CM role doesn’t exist anymore… off the top of my head i can think of one world class “CM” (CM meaning box to box player) and that’s frank lampard. Everyone else is either a “DM”/holding midfielder/deeper lying midfielder – xabi alosno, mascherano, pirlo, busquets, khedira, cambiasso, de jong, barry, etc. – or they are a CAM/attacking midfielder/sitting further up the field and more involved in attack – modric, xavi, iniesta, snjeider, etc.
the box to box CM is dying out because it’s hard to form a cohesive team around them. if you partner them with a defensive player then you are weak offensively/creatively, and if you partner them with an offensively player then you are weak defensively. see england and chelsea this year trying to work around lampard…this is also my problem with MB. he may be our best midfielder but he doesnt partner well with our other, more defensive minded players like jones/edu, making us rely on counter attacks and limits our creative attacking ability…
in summary, DCM might not be an accepted term but it obviously means holding midfielder…
I like the formation but I would keep Altidore out in favor of Agudelo, if at all possible play both Lichaj and Chandler and try Diskeruud in place of Bradley.
We need to be looking toward the future here and Bocanegra isn’t it. Bradley doesn’t deserve a spot right now and we don’t need three DMF playing at the same time. As for Altidore, I would start Agudelo if for no other reason than to send a message. Altidore has been playing overseas for the past few years and CANNOT score. That has to change if he wants to be the man. Perhaps the thought of losing his spot will light a fire in him.
Can’t for the life of me figure out why all this outcry for an attacking/creative midfielder type. Maybe a good dose of reality pills are in order – this is Argentina – with Lionel Messi. They’re all going to be defensive midfielders. Especially with two young and inexperienced players on the backline.
Argentina’s new Barca-esque emphasis on possession, death-by-a-thousand-passes tactics means the US will have the ball for about 12 minutes. Honestly, A bench-ridden Michael Bradley as the lynch-pin of the team against Argentina? He’ll just be another one out there chasing the ball and trying to clog space.
Benny or Mix? Essentially the same player right? So who ya got?
Personally, I love Benny’s game.
And I’d add that nobody says “DCM” in the real world.
My comment was only half serious (it is true that he knows what he’s talking about even if the acronym is annoying), but I was mostly levelling.
Um, IMHO we’re gonna be in the defensive half for more than 70 percent of teh game. that’s a given.
i agree. Junior = box to box yes, CM yes DM yes, CAM no.
Having said that, why not insert Holden into a specific part of the formation where he will be able to utilize his best attributes ? I think Holden is a solid contributor but definitely not the one to pull strings in a 3-man midfield where on this team, creativity is a must taking into consideration that the only creative cog we have in the attack is Dempsey. Keep holden on the right to benefit us on the counter and cross as well as defend both sides of the pitch while keeping the attack fluid. That right position in a 3 man-mf plays to his strength and as a result it will maximize the US opportunities to counter as well as defend both sides of that right flank effectively which would allow that Right back to join into the attack occasionally.
Let Mix, Benny, Bradley or even Dempsey play that CAM role.
Holden on the right FTW.
The US does have all the components to play the 4-2-3-1. What we severely lack is creativity (with the exception of Dempsey). Holden would be played out of position if he is the CAM in a 3-man MF due to the fact that he would not utilize his best attributes playing centrally. It works for Bolton however, he is going to be inefective for the U.S. Holden…box to box…runs all day…great crossing ability…ball winner. I have seen quite a bit of football from Holden and just an observation but creativity is not in his arsenal <——-sucks. I know he plays centrally for Bolton and excels there however, he does it in a 4-4-2. He is not asked to provide creativity nor is he asked to be an offensive spark. He is there centrally to be a pivot point as well as defend that middle and be a ball-winner, think of an advanced defensive Midfielder. I can appreciate his work rate and I think he is fantastic however centrally in a 3 man-MF does not suit Holden's game especially when creativity is required from a CAM role on the US squad. It isn't about what the individual looks like on paper however, its about how he performs on the pitch and it starts with the requirements from that particular position not so much with how the player has performed on the pitch for their respective clubs.
I am thinking old Bobby boy is starting three holding mids is to contain a prolific argentine mid that will most like run hoops around a standard flat four mid. The Argentine way is to flow from the back through the mid and smash the goal. Btw; Jones and Edu like to make (often crazy) long forays into the daunting “O” territory so don’t be surprised when they pop up and surprise you. Cheers to a good match!
I like this lineup alot. Only question is if bradley has shown enough during camp this week to earn a spot in the side. However, that said I would be very interested to see him in a more attacking role, much like he played at heerenveen. Also, would like to see mixx, aguedelo get some playing time.
I agree, however not interested in seeing Buddle. I want to see Altidore as the target man and Agudelo playing off him.
I think we’re going to see Chandler play on the flank in a 4-4-2. I think it’ll be jones and edu playing mid flanked by Donovan and Chandler. Altidore up top with Dempsey floating behind. Bradley isn’t playing at Villa so he doesn’t start. If we try the formation listed above it will be super negative. When the USMNT were talking about Chandler they mentioned that he plays more like a winger than a fullback, I think that’s a hint of where they want to play him. In an inside the line video he was playing out wide during I think 4v4 (or something similar) and he was sending in good crosses. I think Bob Bradley is shifting his coaching style this go around and I hope he doesn’t start the way Ives listed.
I saw ream play against chile he was terrible. If he starts we are toast.
Bench Baby Bradley and start Agudelo!
Jozy’s main contribution with Bursaspor is “almost” scoring a goal.
That’s a really unfortunately misspelling of Clint’s name.
If mb is the best player available on the day, he plays, regardless of club circumstances. If his lack of club time results in a drop in form and edu/benny or a 442 become better options, then that’s when mb hits the bench. Not before.
No coach should or will handcuff himself with a black-and-white club minute rule. See also altidore circa summer 2009 and gooch circa right before he did his knee.
I would love to see Mix play as well, maybe we’ll get to see him as a second half sub. I think Jones brings a little more to the table than just winning the ball. He does pass very well, and not just square passes.
I realize Argentina has two world cup championships under their belt, but none of their current players played on either of those teams. They are an amazing team but they aren’t the World Cup champs.
People bring up this fact (Bob’s statement about club playing time in relation to Nats time) all the time as if thats what Bob really does.
Fact is there are numerous examples of Bob starting players who were not getting minutes for their club teams (Gooch, Beasley, Jozy, just off the top of my head).
anyone other than Lazy Altidore! Please!
I’d rather see Buddle than Altidore.
I can’t stand to see Altidore jog/flop around with his boots of brick.
“Can’t believe Holden is injured again – was hoping we’d see Bob have to bench his son.”
That this is even close to your mind at all when thinking about Stu’s injury shows how far this pathology has come.
And it also proves that a lot of the evaluation of Michael as a player is deeply tied to what people think of his father.
I don’t see how people can doubt Bradley. We won our group at the world cup. We were an extra time goal away from a quarter final spot. Get real, people.
Right, except it boxes people into thinking what a certain midfielder can do. Bradley is not a DCM or a CAM. He is a central midfielder. The DCM or CAM are just tactical roles, they don’t describe his ability.
And these lineups don’t always describe how a player acts in a game anyways. Soccer isn’t like football. How a lineup plays on the field is not always how it looks on a graphic before the match.
wow for the first time someone understands the game!!, totally correct Dude, I’m right with you when it comes to classifiying EDU, BRADLEY AND JONES on the same player rank, I guess BB should use a creative mid as MIX or Feilhaber but he’s not much of a fan of that. We’ll see.
I like the line up, but I think it’s too defensive.
I would replace Bocanegra with Bornstein. The last time WE played Argentina, Bornstein was said to have “shut down Lionel Messi”, so let’s see if he can do it again.
Plus, I think it’s time to start moving the new crop into the fold … sink or swim. This is the best opportunity to test these youngsters without “coming under live fire”.
Ream has to prove his worth in the Gold Cup before playing a team like Spain?
I think you have this backwards on two fronts. First, we play Spain (and Argentina, if thats who you mean) before the Gold Cup.
Second, the friendlies against Spain, Argentina, and Paraguay are meant to prepare us for the Gold Cup. Not the other way around. The most important match we will play in 2011 is the Gold Cup Final vs. Mexico. We need Ream to be ready for that by playing Argentina, Spain, etc now.
“Chandler has shown so far that he is the more reliable and better player.”
How many of Chandler’s matches have you seen, out of curiousity? Or is it just that he is starting in a better league? Because that isn’t always the best standard. Usually, but not always. The only way to determine who is ‘the better player’ is to evaluate them both in the same camp.
As far as saying that integrating Chandler into the team before starting him is “crap”… I don’t know what you’re getting at. He’s been with these guys for 3 days. It has nothing to do with being German. Bob routinely makes all kinds of players attend a camp and come on as a sub before they get a start. He’s a young kid and this is his first national team camp. He’s only been playing first team soccer for 3 months. It makes sense to break him in a little as a sub. He’ll get a cap this week… relax.
I agree completely.
To everyone who is saying that Chandler should start over Lichaj–Chandler has been with the NT for five days. He has never played an international match. He has no idea what the pace of the game is going to be. I’m not saying that he isn’t a good player–I think that he has a huge amount of potential. But international games are a completely different game from the Bundesliga. Playing well for your club does NOT instantly mean that you will play well for your country–again, different team, different style, different place. I can see him coming on as a sub, but I don’t want a player who has not played a single minute of international time starting against Argentina, no matter what the hype around him is.
I think that people need to calm down and give him a chance to integrate into the team.. If we see him, it’ll probably be as a sub or during the Paraguay game.
———Howard———-
Lichaj-Gooch-JD-Captnegra
——-MO———JJ—–
MIXX——Clit———LD
———Buddle———-
smirking— adu?
Totally agree…if Bornstein steps foot on the field, I’m leaving the game. Try me Bob Bradley…try me.
Huh? Holden’s position is in the center. That’s where he’s been flourishing at Bolton. Playing him out of position when the team has all of the components to play a 4-2-3-1 makes no sense.
I think that what Andrew was trying to say was that, since we can’t use Holden, it might be worth considering the 4-4-2 since it’s questionable whether anyone would be an adequate replacement.
That was nearly 4 years ago. And as much as I like to see members of the tribe succeed in sports, Benny has been fair to middling since.
Where would you play Holden in a 4-2-3-1?