Photo by ISIphotos.com
With just three days of turnaround time, the U.S. men's national team figures to have a different look on Tuesday night against Colombia from the squad we saw tie Poland on Saturday.
FC Dallas teammates Heath Pearce and Brek Shea have joined the team in Philadelphia, while Carlos Bocanegra has returned to France (Steve Cherundolo has also left the team to return to Germany). Just how many other changes there will be to the U.S. lineup beyond Bocanegra (and Cherundolo) is tough to predict, but Bob Bradley is likely to give a handful of players starts on Tuesday who didn't get chances on Saturday.
What lineup could we see taking the field vs. Colombia? Here is one possibility:
USA Projected Lineup vs. Colombia
———-Altidore——Johnson————
Jones——-Edu——–Bradley—–Dempsey
Pearce—-Onyewu—-Goodson—-Spector
——————-Howard——————–
This lineup would mean that Brad Guzan, Michael Parkhurst, Eric Lichaj, Alejandro Bedoya and Brek Shea would be the players in camp not to start a match. It's safe to say that if those five don't start on Tuesday, they would be good bets to be second-half substitutes. You could conceivably see Guzan start, and Bedoya could start for Dempsey, but we'll go with Howard getting the call behind a patchwork defense and Dempsey getting a look on the right.
I suppose I should have discussed the inclusion of Jones on the left. He's been used there for Schalke, and while he's not a true winger, he can be effective working on the left and floating inside. As for leaving Holden out, he's probably someone who should have included.
In retrospect, I think we'd be more inclined to see this lineup to start the match:
————-Altidore——Johnson————
Dempsey——Edu——–Bradley——Holden
Pearce——-Onyewu—-Goodson—–Spector
———————-Howard———————
Jones was stellar vs. Poland, but with Champions League and Bundesliga play already on his plate something tells me Bob Bradley won't push it and start him in both friendlies. With that said, I can see Holden starting both matches.
What lineup would I find most intriguing?
———————Altidore———————-
———–Dempsey———Holden————–
——–Jones———Edu——–Bradley———
Pearce——-Onyewu—-Goodson—–Spector
———————-Howard———————
No, I don't really think Bradley will be using the 4-3-2-1, but count me among the people who would be very interested to see this group, particularly in midfield, work. Pearce and Spector both like to get forward so they could definitely make use of the space on the flanks. You might now want this formation with a pair of not quite fast centerbacks though.
What do you think of this projected lineup? What lineup would you like to see?
Share your thoughts below.
Cooper over Altidore any day!
Johnson instead of Altidore. Johnson plays with Dempsey every day at Fulham, and started at striker with Dempsey last week against West Ham. Let’s play guys who are getting playing time on their club teams. Jozy has improved, but isn’t playing– yes he’s on a good team– should have lost his starting spot to Buddle last June. There are others who should be getting playing time ahead of Jozy too. I don’t think that a player should be getting all of their minutes on the national team, while other players who are playing and thriving (Buddle,Gomez, Johnson, and others). I don’t buy the “there are no other strikers but Jozy” meme, just look around. Nobody has been given more chances than Jozy, and he isn’t finishing enough on a regular basis.
unconfident
inconfident
lacks confidence
doesn’t have the stones
Forgot to mention, statistically, 7 out of 8 seeded teams will advance in a World Cup.
Also, in the last World Cup, 7 out of 8 group winners made the Round of 8… 🙁
Your sentiment that we need to be able to compete with anyone, is correct of course. In terms of national soccer success, though, being seeded is very important. As one of the best unseeded sides, we’ll always be drawn against a seeded team, and our odds of forming the “group of death,” a la Brazil-Portugal-Ivory Coast are very high.
Our national goals should be
Qualify for every WC
Win our Gold Cup
Play every Confed Cup
Be seeded every WC
We’re not doing too badly from 1990. This is why I love US Soccer.
The war wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
That article is f*ckin crap.
ESPN SOCCERNET U.S. (Or Yanks Abroad)
Topic: “The U.S. needs a true No. 10”. Everybody needs to read that column. Wow, David Hirshey hit some key points about soccer and coaching in the U.S.
I know this will never happen, and I also know that many smart soccer minds will disagree, but I would like to see Bradley ride the pine, just this once, after a really bad game, and see a different midfield crew. Jones-Edu, Edu-Holden, Jones-Holden, or all three! I would also like to see EJ get some time, show what his speed can do, and see if his ball skills have improved at all from playing in the EPL. I like Dempsey on the wing. Lets see a newb defense to see what our future could look like.
I know this will never happen, and I also know that many smart soccer minds will disagree, but I would like to see Bradley ride the pine, just this once, after a really bad game, and see a different midfield crew. Jones-Edu, Edu-Holden, Jones-Holden, or all three! I would also like to see EJ get some time, show what his speed can do, and see if his ball skills have improved at all from playing in the EPL. I like Dempsey on the wing. Lets see a newb defense to see what our future could look like.
+ one million
The funny thing about all this Michael Bradley hate is gonna be the hater’s reactions when he’s wearing the armband against Colombia. LOL!
I agree. I’m just trying to look at it this with “Bob Bradley colored” glasses. Lichaj will get some time against Colombia, but he won’t be starting at RB unless Spector gets the start at CB.
Yeah he owned Milner. The only thing that concerns me with Dolo is the injuries. He’s been relatively injury free lately (*knocks on wood*), but he was out for quite a while there. If I recall correctly, he missed all of the early World Cup qualifiers, the Confederations Cup, and he finally made it back until the Gold Cup. I definitely held my breath when he took that hard knock to the right side of his body early on in the Poland game.
Still I feel like he’ll definitely be the starting RB for the Gold Cup because at this point Lichaj is still an unproven commodity and Spector, while I feel he is a good RB when he is on form (like during the Confederations Cup), isn’t as fast as Steve or as good on defense. He can get spun like a top sometimes.
As for the Confederation Cup (if we win the Gold Cup) and World Cup, it’s kind of just wait and see. I don’t see Hannover just dumping him unless he really starts to slip. And I’m not so sure I see him coming back to MLS anytime soon, if at all. He’s been in Germany for like 11 years now and he has a German wife. I feel he’ll end his career with them.
I agree on Pearce. He is a step slow and a decision behind where he needs to be. I am sure he is a good MLS quality player, but not USMNT. Kind of like Kreis when he played forward – a great MLS player, but just not there at the MNT level
On M Bradley, I think he brings some intanglibles to the game – leadership, daring, intensity and commitment. I just cant see leaving him out of even a friendly. Let them play and adjust to one another so we can kick the Tri Colores at the Gold Cup next year.
Wow- it took you 3 paragraphs to say absolutely nothing. I see politics in your future.