By FRANCO PANIZO
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The U.S. men's national team isn't quite thinking about Honduras just yet.
The United States returned to the practice field on a cloudy Wednesday morning in South Florida, but rather than turn their attention towards their soon-to-be opponents, the Americans used the session to focus on themselves.
"Tomorrow we will be more focused on Honduras," said DaMarcus Beasley. "But right now, the last couple of days has been getting our team right. Everybody from the games on the weekend (are) getting back fit and getting to know the guys again."
The team went through a lively one-hour training session, which included drills that emphasized movement and quick transitioning. All 19 players currently in camp practiced, including Jonathan Spector, who sat out of Tuesday morning's session to recover from a slight ankle knock.
Here's more from Wednesday's training:
ALTIDORE UNAFFECTED BY GOAL-SCORING SURGE, COMPETITION
Jozy Altidore has gotten off to red-hot start with AZ Alkmaar, scoring seven goals across all competitions. That goal-scoring run is something that U.S. fans believe has come as a result of Altidore playing more confidently after cementing his place in Alkmaar's line-up.
But Altidore disagrees with that.
"Myself, personally, I don't think I ever changed," said Altidore when asked if he feels that he's playing with more confidence. "If I'm scoring goals, I'm not going to say I'm ecstatic. When I go through a bad spell, I go through a bad spell. It's normal. I just think things happen in your career. You just have to ride with the good and ride with the bad."
Altidore is likely to start against Honduras at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, though the competition for his place in the starting XI is as heavy as its ever been, with Juan Agudelo, Edson Buddle and Teal Bunbury all in camp.
But no matter who plays, Altidore is hoping the Americans can get Jurgen Klinsmann his first victory as U.S. coach when they face Honduras in three days.
"I think we want it for (Klinsmann)," said Altidore. "He's been really good to us. He's been working really hard, doing a lot of things and teaching us a lot of different stuff. As players, we want to actually help him get that first win and get that off his back."
Here are some other tidbits from Wednesday's early training session:
- The team trained twice on Tuesday and will train for a second time on Wednesday. It will only train once on Thursday, as the players will undergo testing during the morning.
- Former U.S. teammates Claudio Reyna and Fernando Clavijo shared pleasantries before the practice session. Clavijo, who is the current Director of Soccer for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, attended the beginning of training while his club trained on an adjacent field.
- The session began with the players splitting into two groups for warm-ups before they worked on a drill that emphasized movement and quick transitioning.
- Practice for the players ended with a two-touch game between two teams of eight (gray vs. yellow). The game was played with big goals from one end of the field to just over the midfield line, and included three two-ways players in Danny Williams, Brek Shea and DaMarcus Beasley.
- Williams played centrally amongst the rest of the players while Beasley and Shea stayed on the outside to provide players with outlets on the flanks.
- The gray team was made up of Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Timmy Chandler, Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Teal Bunbury.
- The yellow team had Bill Hamid, Michael Orozco, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector, Jeff Larentowicz, Maurice Edu, Clint Dempsey and Edson Buddle.
- Altidore, Edu and Cherundolo looked good during the game, while Larentowicz scored the only goal.
- After training, the players went in for cold baths while the coaching staff stuck around on the field and ran a few laps. After running, Jurgen Klinsmann continued to workout by doing some push-ups.
- Altidore, whose family lives in South Florida, joked that out of the 6,800 tickets sold to Saturday's game, 3,800 were bought by his friends and family.
- The search for an U-20 coach and Olympics team coach is slowly nearing a resolution, a U.S. spokesman said.
———–
What do you think of the latest goings on from USMNT training? Think Altidore's club form will carry over to the national team?
Share your thoughts below.
Colin, danny and JaJa,
None of the guys mentioned by any of you is a classic 10 or trequartista at least in the sense that none of them normally plays that way.
But players can evolve so we’ll see.
I’d be curious to see who you think earned it.
I don´t get it, why would you prefer that lineup over a diamond lineup or a 4 3 1 2 lineup?, it´s insane, people need to know we don´t have the players to do it, we need to be playing with two fowards, as such:
Altidore— Demps,Agudelo, Teal or Edson.
Bradley
Edu — Beckermann— Williams
Boca—Onyewu–Goodson–Dolo or Chandler
——–Tim———–
I watch the office too.
So what’s our depth chart for the back? Spector, Ream, who else? Not just for this game but the upcoming Nov games as well.
Re: Beasley positional talk above.
Anyone know what formation Altidore plays in at AZ?
The reason I ask is that there is a connection in my mind between who starts at striker(s) and our formation. Altidore has NOT looked good as a lone striker, whereas Agudelo has looked creative. In a 4-4-2 though, I’d love to see Agudelo and Altidore together (or, better, or 4-4-1-1 with Altidore up front).
Actually, we’d probably have better success with a 4-2-3-2!
In the parts of Puebla matches that I have seen, Beasley has an advanced role. More like a LW or LF. I think he is usually listed as a F in lineups – not that those are 100% accurate. We have seen DMB at LB before . . . I don’t think that is going to work. He can definately be a LW or LAM in the system provided his in form.
maybe you are right or maybe u are are wrong what ever it is, I think is great for him to talk to them like that. Everyone need to win their spot on the USNMT I like the gray team. I wonder why dempsey was on the yellow team. Anyway you have any prove of this?
It seems in that video that MB does not feel real comfortable talking about the new USMNT coach. Kind of painful to watch.
Opps yellow Goal Keeper is Hamid by the way.
i think that could be a great idea to play out. with the lack of quality outside backs and the surplus of DM’s why not try out a 3 backs/2 d-mid formation something like:
——-Edu—–Jones—–
-Boca——Gooch——Dolo-
basically gives 5 defenders and frees up Chandler, Bradley, Shea, Beas, whoever else to be on the wings or in attack.
p.s. i know Jones isnt in camp but will be in future ones..
Klinsman believes the gray team is made up of winners and he thinks the yellow team is made up of losers. He even candidly admitted this to the players after practice when pressed on the issue by Demarcus Beasley. Apparently he told them, “This is what I think and now its time for the Winners to prove me right and the losers to prove me wrong. After making these comments he paused and made eye contact with the entire team and then quietly left to go do his pushups.
__________Altidore___Buddle___________
Beasley_________Edu_____Bradley___Dempsey
Dolo______Boca_____Onyewu____Chandler
______________Howard_________________
Hey, I’ll coach the USMNT, and I don’t really care that much about how much power I have over the federation… JK!
Hey, I’m going to call in Diskerud, Gonzales and George John for the next USMNT camp… JK!
Hey, I want to sit down for dinner with Bob Bradley… JK!
That is interesting. When the roster was announced, with all the mids and forwards, I was wondering whether Klinsmann might be thinking about risking a 3-5-1 like Napoli is doing. That would be wild.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:3-5-2.gif
.
And he has Williams as the central offensive midfielder? That is a major surprise.
lol
Gray Team:
——–Teal——-Altidore—-
Shea———-Williams——-Beasley
———Bradley—–Beckerman——
——-Chandler—–Oguchi—–Chandler—
—————-Howard————-
Yellow Team:
——–Dempsey——-Buddle—-
Shea———-Williams——-Beasley
———Larentowicz——Edu——–
——-Boca—–Orozco—–Spector—
—————-Howard————-
They way Ives is explaining how they were doing the two-touch game between two teams of eight, gray/yellow setup it look like he was doing a 3-2-3-2. What you guys think. is very very offensive minded
Check out this Studio 90 vid. You can see some clips of the practice.
http://youtu.be/QPb4dEuqxY0
I like this new reporting. Unless I just blatantly missed it I’ve never seen a report on a USMNT practice as detailed as the last few. Thanks!
Agreed. I like your thinking. I want to see Gooch’s form.
Is Williams a DM? HOnestly, who in that lineup is an attacking CM? Maybe Dempsey (but he didn’t look great in that role against Belgium). If so, then how about this?
————- Altidore —————
Shea ——– Dempsey ———— Chandler
——— Edu ——- Bradley ———–
Beasley — Boca —— Gooch —— Dolo
————— Timmy —————–
Wouldn’t be surprised to see the 4-2-3-1 formation again, with Dempsey as attacking mid, Chandler on the right, and either Shea or Beasley on the left. Jozy up front, obviously. Too many D-mids not to use two of them, probably Edu and Bradley. I sincerely hope Williams gets a look at leftback, while Dolo of course is right back. While I’m at it, get Gooch on the field.
Nostradamus, everyone.
The usmnt is the ultimate rorschach test.
For the love of god, please no lineup with 3 defensive midfielders. Just telling one of those guys to go forward doesnt make them an attacker.
“The session began with the players splitting into two groups for warm-ups before they worked on a drill that emphasized movement and quick transitioning.”
Come in Klinsmann gear our boys up! USA!
Agreed. But let’s not kid ourselves…he’s certainly not doin’ as many pushups as Arena.
“I think we want it for (Klinsmann),” said Altidore. “He’s been really good to us. He’s been working really hard, doing a lot of things and teaching us a lot of different stuff. As players, we want to actually help him get that first win and get that off his back.”–Jozy Altidore
Win!!! GO USA!!!!
Clint Dempsey is the best candidate for that position.
I see where you are getting at, but I don’t see a player in our pool that can play this position. MAYBE Torres and better yet Holden. Donovan plays that role in their offense but is not the classic “10”. Beyond that, who else? And please don’t mention Adu. He likes to float out to the flanks, mainly right, and seems more comfortable as a forward behind a target man.
Reya is the Youth Technical Director. Dooley and Tab have not yet finalized their contracts with USSF but they’re still assistants nonetheless.
I love that JK’s warmups actually say “JK” on them!
There are plenty of young players who have EARNed calls up. Do you need a list?
I think there are November friendlies, but the USSF stated that they are waiting for the next round of Euro qualifiers to finish before they announce them. A certain opponent’s participation must depend on their next Euro result.
or the other way around. 🙂
Replace Shea with Beasley.
I meant to say LB re: Beasley.
If I had to guess, it would be something more like this:
__________Altidore___Buddle___________
Shea_________Edu_____Bradley___Dempsey
Beasley______Boca_____Onyewu____Chandler
______________Howard_________________
From what I am hearing, Chandler is in better form that Dolo at RB in the Bundesliga and Beasley is playing a position in Mexico that effectively makes him a RB. Not necessarily the lineup I would choose, but thats my guess. I think this current squad without Donovan is more suited to a traditional 4-4-2 though
There’s only one goal when you don’t call up any trequartistas.
Maybe something like this?
————- Altidore —————
Beasley —— Williams ———— Dempsey
——— Edu ——- Bradley ———–
Chandler — Boca —— Gooch —— Dolo
————— Timmy —————–
Just a thought…..
How many push-ups did Klinsi do? Better be more than Bradley or ELSE.
I love that the coaches look to stay fit as well. I know it’s going to be a long road, but I’m definitely looking forward to what the future brings under the Klinsmann regime!
Thanks again for the report. I wish there was more video of the training sessions. Always nice to see the guys playing.
Glad to hear Altidore looked good. It sounds like Williams may be a focal point. Maybe we see him in the middle with MB and Edu? Could be interesting?
A younger (and hopefully more effective) J. Jones, if you will?
Is Reyna going to be an assistant? What happened to Tab Ramos and Thomas Dooley?
What youth are you dying for? Players need to EARN their way into USMNT camp not get there simply because they are young.
Where do you get that from in the piece? All i says about Beasley is that he was a midfield flank plus player during the session’s endgame.
“Slowly nearing a resolution.” For some reason, this is a generally accepted facet of our program.
Anyway, good luck to the boys!
I really am sad more youth isn’t coming in for the camps at least. I guess if there are Nov friendlies, maybe we see one more fringe player and one less current mystery crush.
Almost sounds like the Beasley at LB experiment could be returning.