Photo by ISIPhotos.com
Now that the roster is out, we can start to think about potential lineup combinations for the U.S. national team against South Africa.
Figuring out a potential lineup from such an inexperienced field won't be easy, but it will be a good exercise to think about which way Bob Bradley will go.
He has called in some very young players, but that doesn't mean he will start any or all of them. For some relative veterans like Clarence Goodson and Brad Guzan, the match should allow them a chance to serve as leaders.
So who might we see take the field in Cape Town? Here is one possible combination:
Projected USA Lineup vs. South Africa
————-Agudelo———Findley————–
Rogers————–Bedoya—————–Gaven
———————-Carroll———————–
Bornstein—-Goodson—-Spector———Lichaj
———————–Guzan———————–
Bedoya can play centrally, though he hasn't yet for the national team. If Bradley wants to play it safe, he could go with a more standard 4-4-2, like this:
————-Agudelo———Findley————–
Gaven—————————————-Bedoya
—————-Carroll——-Pause——————
Bornstein—-Goodson—-Spector———–Lichaj
———————–Guzan————————-
What do you think of this lineup? Which lineup would you trot out against South Africa?
Share your thoughts below.
Looking at the roster stats:
http://www.ussoccer.com/Teams/US-Men/Mandela-Challenge-Roster/101117-MNT-vs-RSA.aspx
2 players on the roster are tied for the most MNT goals at 2 each. Guesses?
Borstein and Goodson
Robbie R has 1 goal. Everyone else has 0 goals and/or 0 caps.
Someone better step up.
why not??? hahahahahhaha 😉
Is Ian Darke cap-tied?
————El Guzano———
Lichaj—Goodson-Spector—JB
——-Caroll—–Gavin—–
——-Bedoya——Rogers—
-Findley—————-Agudelo
I’ve got to agree with Ives 1st proposed line-up with a minor change:
———Agudelo—–Findley——–
Rogers——–Gaven———–Bedoya
———–Carroll————–
Bornstein—Goodson–Spector—-Lichaj
————-Guzan——————-
Subs:
Ream for Spector
Mix for Rogers
Bunbury for Findley
Keep Gale on the bench for this one. The experience of the trip and training is enough for an 18 yr old Center Back.
Cervi only to be used for training and in the event of injury to Guzan.
Harkes can’t play, period.
Like good (or bad) poetry, the answer to that question is a matter of your own interpretation.
Honestly though, imagine those guys taking the field in South Africa. No, seriously… imagine it. That would be the greatest entertainment of the year, hands down.
No, I like Wynalda too much.
Funny no one has mentioned how the back four actually could be awesome.
I was very impressed with Lichaj. Given what we’ve seen from Spector, looks like central defense is the natural position for him. I also wouldn’t be shocked if Bornstein has a standout game. Goodness forbid he may want to impress his future employers.
Eddie Gaven also seems underrated. He seems to have a nose for the goal. We ALWAYS need guys like that.
To top it off, Agudelo is fun to watch.
Should be a fun game all around. It’s just too bad that only the back 4 have realistic chances of having starting roles for us over the course of the cycle.
+1000 on Agudelo and Diskerud.
Haha. Weird.
But um…..what were you trying to say with this again?
Bunbury will play. they want to “sell” the US team to him. Best way is to get him in games.
I think we should go with the good old 4-4-2/4-2-2-2 for this configuration of players. Something like this:
———————-Agudelo—–Bunbury—————–
———Diskerud—————————–Bedoya——
———————–Carrol—–Pause——————-
Bornstein——————————————-Lichaj
———————-Goodson—–Spector—————–
—————————–Guzan————————
I really doubt Bradley starts Diskerud and Bunbury, not to mention Agudelo, but this is just me. Diskerud is dynamic, creative and skillful enough to play similar to the way Dempsey and Donovan do and Agudelo is definitely the kind of forward that emultes the Charlie Davies we want back. Agudelo makes those in-to-out runs in behind and between the full-back and center backs. This stretches the defense and pushes them back, opening up space in the center and between lines, which Diskerud and Bedoya can come inside and exploit.
We may have to change depending on how South Africa play. If they play the 4-2-3-1 that they used in the World Cup, then we’ll need to be open in terms of working the ball through the middle as well as up the flanks. The wide players in our 4-2-2-2 will need to be willing to come deep and central for our defensive midfielders at times in order to link the midfield to the attack and compensate for the numerical advantage we have in the center of midfield(4-2-2-2/4-4-2 vs. 4-2-3-1). One of South Africa’s central midfielders will probably get wide while the other holds, giving them three players on the flanks to defend. To counter this and successfully open play up from wide areas, we’ll need the full backs to overlap and one of the forwards to get wide as well. This will make triangles on the wings to work the ball around he South Africans.
Another interesting prospect is that of a 4-2-3-1/4-2-1-3.
————-Agudelo——-Bunbury——-Findley———-
—————————Diskerud———————–
——————–Carroll——–Pause——————
Bornstein——————————————-Lichaj
——————–Goodson——–Spector—————-
Agudelo and Findley will stretch the field( I know that line is getting old) and allow Diskerud, or whoever is playing the attacking midfield role, to work between lines. Rogers could take the place of Findley in this lineup as well.
Just my thoughts.
Wynalda and Harkes can’t play together
Sadly, that is the case, but what has Findley done for the USMNT that shows he deserves anything? Pretty much nothing.
This looks pretty good…I would only change the center backs. Starting two guys with zero caps between them (one just finishing his first pro season, the other having barely even played professionally) seems like a recipe for disaster, and one we couldn’t learn much from. Goodson at least must start.
Certainly there is room for Trekker and Wynalda on this team……
I don’t know…I just checked and he does have 384,000 twitter followers
I think people would tune in out of curiosity of nothing else
Well I’m not busy I’ll go get a job real quick
Wow, my projected starting line-up looks very different:
—— Ives Galarcep ———– John Harkes ———
— JP Dellacamera —- Bruce Arena —- Alexi Lalas —
and a couple of slow, white oafs playing in the back.
I hear their opinions enough. Let’s see what they can do on the field.
(4-4-2)Guzan, Spector, Bornstein, Ream, Goodson, Bedoya, Gaven, Diskerud, Pause, Findley, Bunbury
VERY excited about agudelo and more excited that bunbury seems to be leaning in our direction as opposed to the canadians, then again did he really have much a choice with the mess of a system they have going? they really could be not half bad but they gotta get their act together. as for bunbury, their (hopeful) loss is our gain
——–Agudelo—–Bunbury——-
Gaven——–Diskerud——–Bedoya
————–Spector————–
Bornstein(c)–Ream–Goodsen–Lichaj
—————Guzan—————
Slim pickings for this one. Excited to see what Agudelo and Diskerud can do together though.
Yahh, i know Ives, but it would be great to see it, hopefully its Findley who gets subbed at the half for either Agudelo or bunbury.
He’s the only one with the “experience” to be guaranteed to start as a striker. I’m all for youth but you’d get slaughtered with such young talent.
The midfield is the part I’m most concerned about. Without quality service to our strikers, there’s no use in having them out there. And when I look at this midfield, I see a bunch of guys who’ll be chasing the game the whole time.
Beckerman should of been invited.
this is one aspect of Bob Bradley that is forgotten but great, his willingness to introduce new players. personally, it will be exciting to see ream and agudelo playing for the nats.
NO Chad Ochocinco? Future Columbus Star
Twas actually 6 minutes lol. It only took 4 comments haha
6 minutes. Look up.
adu time…hahaha
I’d be willing to bet that not one South African would be enticed to buy a ticket because Freddy Adu was on the roster, and I doubt the US viewership would increase at all if it was “Freddy & The No Names” as opposed to just “The No Names.”
And if you’ve ever taken a live Christmas tree through a front door you’ll know they turn out looking like that shape above!
Adu time: 17 minutes.
6 minutes.
So you are a rangers fan, huh? Walter Smith for USMNT coach?
I think Agudelo-Bunbury combo will be more dangerous than a Agudelo-Findley, or Bunbury-Findley combo
(SBI-I agree with you, but I don’t see Bradley sitting Findley and starting both kids.)
I say Borchers over Spector at CB
(SBI-It’s possible, but I’m pretty sure Goodson and Spector have played CB together before so I’d give them the edge. Borchers would be good considering he’s actually been playing. Spector has dust and cob webs on his boots.)
Bullard would be loved in flyover country as well. Tell me KC fans wouldn’t love him.
Are there any SBI readers who work TSA at Salt Lake Airport? That might be the only way we don’t see Findley starting.
I suppose Ives’ first lineup is the best we can hope for.
The Adu thing is interesting to me too. This squad is not the most exciting group of players, so throwing Adu in there as an attacking central midfielder makes some sense as far as selling tickets and getting ratings, if that matters at all. I’m thinking his omission from this game with our D team means he’s effectively out of the USMNT picture indefinitely.
In order to keep the score close he will use the Christmas tree, well, the decapitated because it wouldn’t fit through the door Christmas tree formation:
——
——-Gavin——–
—- Carroll———–Pause————
Borns.-Gale-Good.-Spect.-Ream-Borch-Lichaj-
————–Guzan—————-
Thin.
I’m glad these guys are getting call-ups and a shot to impress, but, wow, I’m having a tough time putting together a lineup. Any combination of the available players is so inexperienced — they’ll have a tough time playing with the roster SA called up. I expected at least Rico and Onyewu (who are not playing with their clubs and are well-known by the South African fans dating back to Confed Cup 2009) to get called.
why Agudelo over Bunbury? close to a toss up, i guess just pick 2 of 3 forwards.
(SBI-Agudelo is a bit more intriguing at this point for me than Bunbury. Bradley needs the speed forward and Agudelo is clearly a prospect in that role.I’d bet on him playing, but I think Agudelo gets the start. We’ll see, Bradley could go either way, but I’d bet on Agudelo.)
I’m no Findley fan, but I’ll take the first one.
Also… is Beckerman that far past his sell-by date?
Apropos of nothing… Ives is there any chance an MLS team would take a look at Jimmy Bullard? He may not have much life in him, but a smart GM puts it in his contract that he must be involved in at least 3 hilarious bits of antics per season, and it’s worth it.
I think he’d be great over here in one of the bigger markets– LA, NY, Seattle.
I hope we get to see someone else pay left back besides Bornstein. I’ve made my peace with Bornstein — he played relatively valiantly in the WC and if he continues growing he could be a stable presence — but we definitely need to see more options. Do you think El Tigro will get subbed out at half for a youngster?
Well what i hope for is something like this
——Agudelo——-Bunbury——
Rogers——-Diskerud——–Bedoya
————Carroll————–
Bornstein——————-Lichaj
———Ream——Boss———-
but what Ives put it is prolly what we’ll see
Bedoya is a winger. ZERO chance he plays in the middle. Ivez…we know you hate Diskerud, but he’s really the only creative central mfd on this roster. He gets the nod.
As an aside…how far has Adu fallen? Wow.
(SBI-You clearly don’t read this site much if you think I “hate” Diskerud. As for Bedoya, he plays on the wing, but can play centrally. We should see Diskerud, I just don’t see him starting.)
—-Bunbury——-Findley—
Agudelo———————–Bedoya
——-Carroll——-Pause———–
Bornstein–Goodson–Spector–Lichaj
—————–Guzan————————-
Ives, what do you think about the Findley call up?
I really hope Findley doesn’t get the start, but I think he probably will, as a WC vet…