The U.S. men's national team plays its final match of a busy and memorable 2009 today when it takes on Denmark in Aarhus (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece).
Both teams will be missing several key players, with the Americans playing without Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey (as well as injured regulars Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit and Charlie Davies). The Danes will be missing Nicklas Bendtner, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Dennis Rommedahl and Daniel Agger, to name a few.
That doesn't mean today's match won't be useful in providing U.S. coach Bob Bradley with chance to see how some new faces stack up against what will still be a talented Denmark team.
U.S. fans will be especially interested in seeing who starts at forward and at left back today. Eddie Johnson and Jeff Cunningham are both vying for the chance to fill in for Charlie Davies and one of them should get the start today ahead of Conor Casey, who was largely ineffective against Slovakia (and who is not in the 18-man roster for today's match).
At left back, Jonathan Bornstein has been the regular starter, but with Edgar Castillo and Heath Pearce both in camp, you would imagine that Bradley will give one of them a chance to start. (UPDATE-Edgar Castillo is in the 18-man gameday roster. Pearce is not.)
Denmark will offer a good challenge for whoever Bradley starts at forward or left back. Central defender Simon Kjaer is one of the most highly-regarded young defenders in Europe, while the midfield tandem of Christian and Jacob Poulsen will make things difficult for whoever the Americans deploy in midfield or at left back.
What will be interesting to see is whether Denmark plays in the 4-3-3 it uses traditionally, or if the rash of injuries will force the Danes into a 4-4-2. Either way, the Americans will likely trot out a 4-4-2. The real question is who will partner in central midfield with Michael Bradley. Will it be Ricardo Clark, or will it be Benny Feilhaber. Feilhaber will be playing in his club's stadium and seems like a safe bet to start, but he could also be deployed on the left flank to make room for Clark in the middle, with Stuart Holden looking like a good bet to start on the right wing.
SBI will be providing a live commentary on the match so please feel free to follow the match here. For now, what do you think of today's match? Who would you like to see start at left wing, central midfield and left back today?
Share your pre-game thoughts below.
thanks!
sarahsilky2006@yahoo.com
As it turns out, all these guys owe Sarah an appology. This game was virtually worthless.. For the most part due to how BB managed the game.
Heyduk should never see the field again.
Spector brings composure and is still a worthy experiment in the middle but will need to toughen up
We learned nothing about Castillo.
Cunningham is now ahead of EJ, although
Holden on the right and Dempsey up top still seems to be the best option.
Bradley even under these circumstances does not have an acumen for when to sub and who.
Baby Bradley fills gaps better than he passes but was the best US player today.
oh im pretty sure he would of if not for the playoffs.
no, shes right. who the hell could evaluate anyone on the field after today’s mess.
I think the writing is on the wall about the strikers. I think Dempsey moves up and Holden fills in. I think that is a done deal based on the effectiveness that the team had doing that at the Confed Cup. Add Holden’s ability to whip balls in and it just adds to the gameplan. Simply put, Dempsey is the best we have at finding the back of the net in the run of play now that Davies is out. Must put him in position to get service/support from guys like LD, Bradley, and Holden.
Also, I like the comment about LD and not moving him from his best position. The US has looked the best when Davies, Altidore, Dempsey have played striker. EJ, Cunningham, Ching, Casey, Findley etc are just playing to be the back up.
Oh, I’d love the US to identify a striker, sure. But I think of the candidates we have now, only Jozy is a starter (& WOW he better start trying harder). Dempsey has been moved up top later in games and it has worked reasonably well. Davies probably won’t return in time (if ever), that would be a shock so that’s why I said 4-5-1.
Cheers!
Hey Ives,
What are the chances of seeing torres, orozco, and castillo come january camp while mexican league is going on?
Bornstien needs to sit down. Bradley still is incompetent.
Any word on Felix Garcia from Laredo?
Does anyone know if there is a radio station that you could listen to a broadcast of this.. maybe even with using an iphone app live Wunder Radio?
nice video.. if someone can make a us soccer video with muse-knights of cydonia as the song i would be sooo ridiculously happy. and when it says”how can we win when fools can be kings” show bob or sunil ha. and when it says” dont waste your time or time will waste you” put a clip of sacha or bornstien or anyone of those fools who waste our time