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There is no position with more good options for U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley to choose from than midfield, and Bradley will have a tough time deciding on the four or five midfielders he will start against Poland.
The first question is whether Bradley will seriously consider using a five-man midfield, and take a step away from the standard 4-4-2 he made a staple of his first four years as U.S. head coach. If he sticks with a four-man midfield then you can see Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Stuart Holden and Benny Feilhaber getting the starts. Alejandro Bedoya is another option on the wing, though Feilhaber seems like a good bet given his recent run of good form for AGF Aarhus.
Now, if Bradley plays a five-man midfield, the possibilities become even more intriguing.
You could see a trio of Clint Dempsey, Holden and Feilhaber playing in front of Bradley and Edu. If Bob Bradley decides he wants to give Jermaine Jones a start in his first U.S. cap, then we might even see the trio of Michael Bradley, Edu and Jones paired together in the middle. Both Edu and Jones are coming off impressive Champions League performances last week so it wouldn't be surprising if both started (especially if Bob Bradley decides to go with a 4-3-2-1 or gives Jones a look on the left wing, where he has seen some time for Schalke.)
Who would you start in midfield? Would you go with a four-man midfield, or are you intrigued by the possibilities of a five-man midfield?
Share your thoughts below.
THis is how it should be, honestly there is no room for EDU unless he could play in the left.
—–Altidore———
Dempsey—Holden—Donovan
—-Bradley—-Jones
Lincaj___Goodson___Gooch____Chorundolo
——————————–
EDU and Boca as a Sub.
Hope Gale Agbossoumonde and Omar find a team with playing time to replace Gooch replace Goodson
and Brek Shea goes to Europe to replace Dempsey as a left mid. All we need is a foward, or maybe Omar Salgado coming out of his shell and scores like a mad man.
As I’ve been saying, before the match. Boca can’t play left-back even if his life depended on it. Why the hell is Boca playing left-back. What the F, this is F-in B.S.
Bradley and Jones in the middle… we’ve all been waiting for this.
“”Garbage” goals don’t count? Guys like Gerd Mueller made a living scoring them.”
Miroslav Klose, too.
My guess for a winning team would be:
Jozy __Dempsey
Shea__Holden__Edu
Bradely__Jones
Lichaj__Onyewu__Chorundolo
Boca just cant play left back because of his reaction speed (didn’t work out for him previously in a few games), Chorundolo is still ripe for his age as a defender. I know Shea who?, we need someone would could break the left flanks and feed the ball, lately his been promising with Dallas. I’ve never seen Feilhaber perform well in a 90 min game (i’ve seen them all) only as a sub.
OR.
Demps-Altidore-Holden
Bradley-Feilhaber
Jones
Lichaj-Boca-Goodson-Cherundolo
Everyone be suckin’ on JMOU and Lowe’s bawllz…
4-2-3-1 IS the way to go, but it’s been like this for a while (since CDavies injury)
Edu-Bradley
Holden-Feilhaber-Dempsey
Altidore
Brek Shea should not be on the roster in the midst of a FCD playoff run…There will time to look at him later.
Fire Bradley!!!
————Dempsey—————-
Dempsey———————Dempsey
————Dempsey—————-
One can only dream!!!!!! Clonning FTW!!!!!!
Here’s something most of you always seem to forget about Michael Bradley; he just turned 23 in July of this year.
This makes him the youngest of all the front line midfield players (Donovan, Dempsey, Holden,Benny,Edu,Jones, Clark, Kljestan, DMB, etc.) in the USMNT player pool except for JF Torres who turns 23 at the end of this month.
Yet he is among the most experienced of them in terms of games played both for his clubs (119) and the national team (48). He plays regularly in one of the best leagues in the world and anyone who thinks he won’t develop and improve over the next few years is crazy.
I liked the first one!
Then Edu better start staying healthy.
I like Mo, who after all is a Maryland Terrapin, but I think everyone loves him so much because his last name isn’t Bradley.
Yes he’s playing well for Rangers but the SPl is ranked about 10 places below the Bundesliga by UEFA. Basically, the quality of the opponents Mo and the Rangers face week to week is way inferior to what Bradley and BMG face on a weekly basis.
For me some combination of Bradley, Jones and Holden is the most in form US central midfield.
———-Altidore—————-
—Dempsey——-Feilhaber———
–Jones—–Bradley—-Holden——-
Bocanegra—Goodson–Edu–Cherundolo
Lichaj for Cherundolo
Bedoya for Dempsey
I like the Bradley/jones/Holden trio. Good tacklers, box to box players that get forward well.
I want to try Edu at CB again. I think his class on the ball, football intelligence, and athleticism could see him there full-time for us. Plus, playing CM in the SPL for Rangers will toughen you up fast.
Clarence starts just because Onyewu isn’t playing.
(Cough..Central MF role…cough 20 goals..caough)
Im just sayin…