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Who should the USMNT start vs. Ecuador?

Photo by Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. Men’s National Team will face a familiar foe in the Copa America quarterfinals, but they will have to do so without one of the team’s top defenders.

For the first time since the start of the competition, Jurgen Klinsmann will be forced to alter his starting XI due to the suspension of DeAndre Yedlin. Thursday’s match will mark Yedlin’s first exclusion from the starting XI since a pre-tournament clash with Ecuador, who is, coincidentally, the USMNT’s quarterfinal opponent.

Ecuador proved a dangerous foe in a pre-tournament friendly, a clash that saw the USMNT emerge with a 1-0 victory on a last-gasp Darlington Nagbe winner. With stars like Enner Valencia, Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero leading the way, the CONMEBOL side will be a bigger threat this time out after emerging ahead of Brazil in group play.

That being said, a berth in the Copa America semifinals is very much within reach for the USMNT, who chases the pivotal knockout round win that Klinsmann has highlighted all throughout the competition.

Here’s a closer look at who the USMNT should start against Ecuador:

USA Projected XI vs. Ecuador

Here are some thoughts on the lineup:

Heading into the USMNT’s clash with Ecuador, we know at least one change will be made after three straight matches of consistency. And, if Jurgen Klinsmann’s words and actions are to be believed, it’s already quite clear who will fill in.

DeAndre Yedlin is set to serve a suspension following his dismissal against Paraguay. It was a costly and otherwise boneheaded red card, one that has given his team a major handicap heading into a clash with tricky Ecuador winger Jefferson Montero.

In Saturday’s victory over Paraguay, it was Michael Orozco who stepped in for Yedlin, and he stepped in quite well. With the USMNT backed up into their own half, Orozco did what he does best: defend. The fullback made no mistakes, and provided a capable presence at the right back position.

Before the tournament, Klinsmann stated that Orozco’s inclusion was for this situation. Should the USMNT need help at right back, he’s the guy. Saturday’s performance did little to deter that, and while he won’t offer much going forward, Orozco can be counted on to at least provide a steady presence defensively on the right side.

It’s an option that makes significantly more sense than the alternatives. Shifting Fabian Johnson to the right disturbs the chemistry developed by the back three to this point, even if Edgar Castillo would provide more creativity if included on the left. Moving Geoff Cameron outside commits that cardinal sin of breaking up a successful centerback partnership, something Klinsmann is unlikely to do considering their performances thus far. Keeping the defense intact is paramount, as a backline of Johnson, Cameron, John Brooks and Orozco will all but certainly be the go-to against Ecuador.

With Orozco’s inclusion, there will be times where whoever starts at winger is left a bit isolated on the right side as the fullback stays back to defend. Against Paraguay, Alejandro Bedoya and Yedlin provided a strong partnership prior to the latter’s dismissal, but that partnership will be much, much different when the defensive-minded Orozco.

Bedoya is smart enough to figure out his spot, while Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood will look to continue to forge their partnership ahead of him. All things considered, the forward duo have done well individually, with Dempsey providing the goals while Wood provides the work-rate. In a 4-4-2, the abilities of the two are maximized, as Dempsey drops deep while Wood plays the typical No. 9 role.

On the other side will likely be Gyasi Zardes who, for all his faults, has done very well this tournament. His sequence that led to the game-winning assist, was sublime, as the LA Galaxy star beat two defenders before whistling in an inch-perfect cross. Zardes still isn’t a technical wizard. His touch lets him down, his passing is still a bit off and his attacking nature is based on athleticism much more than flair on the ball. However, he does cause problems for each and every opponent, and deserves significantly more respect than he gets.

Finally, the midfield unit of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones will all but certainly remain together, especially given the break between games. With several days to rest, Jones and Dempsey should be a bit fresher, especially the latter given his early substitution last time out.

Overall, it’s about going with what got you here, even if there is a piece missing. Throughout the Copa America, continuity has been key for the USMNT, and expect more of the same against a tough Ecuador team.

Comments

  1. At this point the starters have earned the right to keep playing, and the chemistry is coming together, so I see Orozco as the only change. I would not mind FJ moving to the RB and Besler coming in, but I do not think it will happen.

    Reply
  2. I would not be surprised by the following line up:
    Guzan
    Cameron–Brooks–FJohnson
    J Jones———Bradley
    Bedoya—-Nagbe—-Zardes
    Dempsey
    Wood

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  3. I guess Montero is good? But everybody is making him out to be this terrufying hybrid of Gareth Bale and the T2. The guy scored one goal in two years in Swansea. Those are Altidore numbers!

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    • I get where you are coming from.. but our premier league caliber RB is suspended, so that statement doesn’t make me feel better. Even Altidore was able to score against lower level opposition. Also, while Montero went in and out of games for Swansea… he did open things up for other players… Swansea is not a bad team.

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    • Long list of Montero highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z97BuhYj98

      This is the matchup that will most influence the game.The danger with Montero clearly isn’t his goal scoring. It’s his set up play and ability to get past defenders consistently with speed, intelligence, & flair, getting crosses into Enner Valencia, a huge danger in his own right. If you’re for Ecuador, you know most of the attacks go through Montero, and you know he’s your best hope for getting the ball in a position to score. If you’re a US fan, it’s a huge opportunity for Orozco to market himself. If Orozco can force him to consistently go right towards his help, that’d be huge for the US. He will surely be getting extra support from Michael Bradley on that side. It also helps that the US centerbacks are huge, Enner regularly gets up higher than most for headers, but I can’t see him winning one over Cameron or Brooks. Regardless, you can be sure Montero will break a few ankles tonight, just have to hope Enner can’t convert ’em, or that he doesn’t find himself in a race with Brooks/Cameron.

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      • I’m sure you know more about him than I do. Mostly, he was a guy you’d never pick on your Fantasy Premier League team. In addition to that lone Swansea goal, he had only two assists. He did manage 111 crosses, which in a vacuum I have no idea whether that is many or few. Suffice to say none of them lead to any goals. I like our chances with Brooks and Cameron patrolling crosses into the box.

        There are great players on Ecuador. Anything can happen, but this is not Argentina. A US victory would not be a miracle.

  4. Wood
    Dempsey
    Bedoya Jones Zardes
    Bradley
    FJ JAB SB Cameron

    I think you have to move Cameron to the outside to deal with Montero. Cameron also gives you more going forward than Orozco. Birnbaum played the lead up games with JAB and did fine.

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    • Just my opinion, the best way to exploit Cameron is with speed/quickness montero has both, I know Cameron has done fine out there for stoke but He and brooks have done very well in the middle, I wouldn’t consider breaking up that pairing.

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      • If that’s conventional Wisdom why would you recommend removing Cameron from the middle where he has done so well and stick him on the right to start a young nat with 5 caps in the middle? Because he looked good in the friendly?

  5. If Vince McMahon ran FIFA, after the national anthems and right before kickoff, the lights at the Link would turn off and then you’d hear loud familiar music. Then from the top of the stadium you’d see the spot-light pointing at someone sliding into the field hanging from a cable. “Oh my God oh my God its Brek Shea!! It’s Brek Shea!! He’s gonna start!!”

    We can only dream.

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  6. I pretty much see it the same way. With Orozco you might give up some speed, but if Orozco stays back and uses his experience, the US will only loose Yedlin’s forays in to the attacking half, but not give up much on defense. The fact that Yedlin’s speed make up for coverage mistakes in the backfield should not be overlooked Klinsmann loves to throw fullbacks forward so we will see Fabian Jonson more in that role. At issue is if his forays and lack of Yedlins speed to recover will jeopardize the US defense.

    In the first game the US looked rather moribund and only sparked when Nagbe an Pulisic were introduced. The US has never beat Ecuador in tournament play, lets hope they break that streak.

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    • While I can certainly see JK using Orozco, I would prefer to put FJ at RB and use Castillo at LB (even though I am not much of a fan). Orozco is too slow to deal with Montero. In addition, keeping Orozco from pushing forward will allow Montero too much space on the wing without ever having to track back, which means he will always be forward to move into the counter attack. Although Castillo hasn’t been the best, he has enough speed to keep up with Valencia. Thus, I am looking at speed and defensive shape as opposed to pure defense, which I think can potentially hurt us because it allows Ecuador to counter more easily. The less we have to deal with Ecuador having the ball in open space, the better. Lastly, I wouldn’t break up our CB pairing due to chemistry and that will be necessary if and when Ecuador get crosses in from the wings.

      I think we still run the 4-3-3 and move into a 4-4-2 later in the game. I’m thinking about consistency. It seems we are finally starting to have the same lineup, formation, and style. I think it will really help our players to continue down that path and simply replace a player here and there when necessary (starting or substitution). Nagbe, Pulisic, or anyone else.

      Wood——–Dempsey———-Zardes
      ——–Jones————Bedoya———
      —————-Bradley———————
      Castillo—-Brooks—–Cameron—–FJ
      —————–Guzan———————

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      • Good comment, and I see your point. The only downside, is the lack of minutes Castillo has with the current squad. At least Orozco has the Paraguay minutes which were crucial and he held up well. It’s only on that point that I chose Orozco over Castillo. Castillo is an added benefit with his better mobility but the question Kilnsmann wants answered now is ,will he fit in?

      • Zardes is the two-way workhorse and , if he’s on, can still add an offensive punch. Klinsmann wants him because he can run all day and fill gaps. Neither Zuse or Nagbe can do that although they bring in a more offensive dynamic. I expect that if Klinsmann needs an offensive punch or more ball control, he does have nagbe. zusi and Pulisic.

        I would not be surprised that players like Jones or Bedoya are pulled if the US has a lead in the final half hour. Some players need rest and others are in jeopardy for YC accumulation.

        The US is walking a fine line here and sub and starting choices will determine if we go home or go on.

      • Zardes has his issues, but as bottlecaps mentioned, he provides a lot of defensive coverage, effort, and still has the ability to offer quite a bit going forward, especially if he has a good game. Zusi just doesn’t do it for me, especially in terms of defensive coverage. Nagbe isn’t a winger or wide center forward, so I would rather keep him in the area where he is best suited, which would be where Jones or Bedoya are located.

        As for Orozco, I get where you are coming from and I’m not that opposed to having him play, I just simply worry that we open ourselves up to be exposed if we think defense first and don’t have the speed to keep up. The more possession we have and the more our full-backs keep Ecuador’s wingers on their toes, the more likely we are at controlling the game and get the ball back quickly after we lose it in the offensive zone.

  7. Ryan, weren’t you listening to Ally Wagner when she said Demsey should be on the bench? Sorry Clint!
    I can live with this lineup and shape. The mentality of the players is the most important factor. Still too many mental meltdowns but the mentality was good enough for us to advance.

    Reply

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