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After beating Sweden on Saturday night in its first match of the year and only tuneup before World Cup qualifying begins, the U.S. men's national team now stands just 17 days away from its crucial qualifying showdown vs. Mexico.
That means we can start thinking about which 11 players Bob Bradley will call on to start in the latest installment of 'La Guerra Fria'. As much as there are some young and inexperienced players that U.S. fans would like to see get a chance to place, you can bet that Bradley will be calling on a mostly experienced squad to take the field at Crew Stadium.
Barring injuries, the defense and goalkeeper should be easy enough to predict. The front six is also pretty easy to call, especially after Sacha Kljestan made a very strong case for inclusion with his hat-trick against Sweden.
So what lineup should we see against Mexico? Here is what the lineup should look like barring injuries:
———————Ching————-Donovan————————
Beasley———————Kljestan————————-Dempsey
——————————Bradley————————————
Pearce——–Bocanegra————–Onyewu———–Cherundolo
——————————Howard————————————-
Positions that you can say are up in the air include left back, where Heath Pearce gets the nod, and central midfield, where Kljestan should be the choice. Pearce has struggled for minutes with Hansa Rostock, and also had some shaky moments in 2008 qualifying, but he's still the pick ahead of Jonathan Bornstein.
Kljestan gets the nod ahead of the likes of Ricardo Clark and Maurice Edu to start alongside Michael Bradley. Kljestan and Bradley work well together, with Bradley being able to provide the defensive cover to let Kljestan focus more on attack, but Kljestan's improved defensive work is really what makes him a viable option vs. Mexico.
Brian Ching will get the nod, and showed against Sweden why he should. He doesn't score as many goals as you would like, but he makes his teammates better, is a constant threat to draw dangerous free kicks and his defensive work is unmatched. He also works very well with Landon Donovan, a partnership that could prove very instrumental to the U.S. team's chances of breaking down Mexico's defense.
Who would get the call if Ching wouldn't? If Ching were unavailable you would have to go with Jozy Altidore, who hasn't gotten minutes in recent weeks for Villarreal, but who is still the best option among the remaining forward options. You will recall his header goal in the last USA-Mexico match a year ago.
Steve Cherundolo is the pick at right back, but if a lingering hamstring injury keep him out, Bob Bradley will have an interesting decision to make between veteran right back Frankie Hejduk and young but promising Marvell Wynne.
Some might be surprised to see Beasley included considering he isn't playing at all for Rangers, but he is still far and away the best option at left wing. Eddie Lewis might have been an option in the past but with memories of him getting torched at Guatemala still fresh, it would be tough to imagine him getting the call ahead of a healthy Beasley. Jose Francisco Torres would certainly be a favorite to start if Beasley were unavailable, but he is more likely to see playing time in central midfield as a substitute.
There are questions about whether it will be Donovan up top and Dempsey on the right wing, or vice versa, but it's safe to say that Dempsey's form on the right for Fulham and Donovan's form at forward for Bayern Munich will make their deployment easy enough for Bob Bradley to decide on.
What do you think of the above lineup's chances against Mexico? Are you confident the group can secure a victory? What positions worry you? Which change would you make to the above lineup?
Share your thoughts below.
I’ve hear a rumor that Bease has a knock.
If he can’t go kick Sasha outside and bring in Torres to play with MB.
Also Surfer was called into this camp for a reason. Cherundolo has a pulled hammy. No word on how he’s doing.
Gotta figure in the first game against the second most talented team in the group of the round robin Coach is going to go with experience. Otherwise I think he would roll the dice on Torres on the left side instead of Beasley. Torres plays for Pachuca and you know he would love to see some time against some of Mexico’s best.
Like the 4-4-2, but doubt we’ll see it.
La Guerra Fria III !!!
…………..jozy…….ching…………….
kljestan…………deuce…………….lando
……………….bradley………………..
boca……..gooch……parkhurst…….spector
………………..howard………………..
bench: dolo, torres, clark, simek, guzan, pearce, wynne, adu
I know Bradley likes to consider his players “two way players” and that formation isn’t all that important, but with Kljestan having emerged, does that mean we are now in a 4-4-2 with Donovan and Ching up top?
I’m worried about our left side and Steve Cherundolo. It’s imperative that Torres, Bornstein, Hejduk and Wynne get called into camp for this game as reinforcements.
why you guys want Torres ?? is not a regular player in Pachuca … here the Mexico networks call him “gringo torres” , hope this guy be on the field because no matter if he choose USNT , he still being a mexican guy!!
i would be very suprized if Bob did a different lineup than Ives has..
I wanna see Bocanegra move out to left back and try Demerit or Califf in the middle with Onyewu. But not at this game, maybe at a game that will be a bit easier on us so that we can try it out and get a feel for it. Then if it works go with it, if not, stick with what we have been doing. No harm.
I like this lineup, although I doubt Torres will start against El Tri
————Ching—-Donovan————
Torres–Kljestan-Bradley–Dempsey
–Boca—Parkhurst—Gooch—Dolo–
——————Howard——————–
Sub in Clark later in the 2nd half – the guy is too known for giving up yellows. Can’t afford an early one in this game.
I think Holden is our Ace
I don’t see any reason why one would choose an out of season Ching over an in season (albeit not playing) Jozy Altidore. Ching had a good game against a mostly overmatched Sweden team that isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire. Jozy adds yet another strong, fast player that Mexico simply won’t be able to handle, what with DMB and Lando on the pitch as well.
That said, I bet Bradley takes Ching.
Actually I’d like to piggy back on the other guys and add either parkhurst or Califf to the middle with gooch and put boca on the left…that’d be a nice lineup but we all know it won’t happen lol
——Ching–Donovan——–
Torres—————-Dempsey
——Clark—–Klejstan—–
Pearce–Boca—Gooch—Dolo–
Torres is in playing form unlike Beasley, whom I love, but since Bease is a vet I think Torres will come off the bench if Bease looks bad …Clark looked great against Sweden and Bradley hasn’t looked great with Gladbach (although we know there is no chance of Bradley benching his beloved son unfortunately)…I don’t like Ching but he makes sense right now since Altidore has been riding pine…Sucks that we don’t have a left back right now
* Donovon—Ching
Torres———–Dempsey
Bradley—-Kljestan
BOCA—-Califf—-Gooch—-Dolo
This is what i meant
I think that Ives’ lineup is spot on(barring injury) but I would like to see this:
Donovn Ching
Torres Dempsey
Kljestan Bradley
Boca Califf Gooch Dolo
Howard
I would really love to see Boca play at lb because that is his starting position with his club team and last i checked they are in second place. I would also like to see Torres paly (either on the left or middle) because I have read that his club team has played in the FIFA World Cup and the CONMEBOL Champions Leage.
______________Ching_____________
_________Donovan__Dempsey_______
____Torres___Kljestan__Bradley__
_Pearce___Boca____Gooch___Wynne_
______________TIMMY!____________
Subs:
Guzan
Altidore
Rodgers
Parkhurst
Adu
Beasley
Califf
Some of you have lost your minds.
If you say that Rogers should start over Beas because Beas isn’t in shape you’re an idiot. Beas is at least practicing right now.
and…………..Jay Demeritt would be the best Defender in the MLS if he were there so he will be a sub over Parkhurst. Bornstein is a good option too.
Gotta say, RunDMZ is no way going to start. He hasn’t played and therefore is not match fit. I think it is why Rogers got so many minutes against Sweden. Also, why we won’t see Heydude at RB. If Dolo is injured, I think we’ll see Wynne, since he’s in shape.
You may be right, Raghu.
But Beasley’s speed and attacking ability (and aptitude for tracking back should Boca move forward at some point) give me hope that Boca can slot in on the left.
Remember: Boca played LB at Fulham and he plays there now at Rennes. He only plays in the center for the USMNT, and he’s a very small fullback at any level.
Boca and Gooch have played so well together. They’re the heart of the squad. No way does BB move Boca from the middle. He’s not fast enough to play out wide in international ball. There is no way Califf gets the start over either Gooch or Boca.
Boca has been the most consistently impressive player for the US over the last year. He’s not getting moved anywhere.
B. Bradley made a point of praising Califf after the Sweden game, and this, combined with Boca’s experience/quality at left back, tells me that the back four will be:
Boca — Califf — Gooch — Dolo (or Wynne, if necessary)
I actually think Sascha will sit. (That was the least-impressive hat trick I’ve ever seen — a great free kick, a PK somebody else earned, and a sitter that Ching created.) The midfield will be:
Beasley — Bradley — Clark — Dempsey
Donovan (90) and Ching (65) and Jozy (25) will handle things up front.