The U.S. men's national team can move into the 2011 Gold Cup Final with a win on Wednesday night, and whether that goal is reached will be determined in large part by the lineup decisions head coach Bob Bradley makes.
Bradley actually has some tough calls to make after seeing several players step up in the team's quarterfinal victory against Jamaica. While the back four should be the same as it was against Jamaica, Bradley has to shuffle some things around now that he has a fully rested Landon Donovan and with Jozy Altidore expected to miss the match with a hamstring injury.
So which moves will Bradley make? Here is one potential lineup we could see take the field against Panama in Houston on Wednesday night:
Some thoughts:
Agudelo played well enough against Jamaica to get the start. Chris Wondolowski is the other option, but Agudelo's physical qualities make him better suited to cause problem's for Panama's back-line. Jozy Altidore would be a good option against Panama, but he's unlikely to play due to his hamstring injury.
Alejandro Bedoya gets the nod over Sacha Kljestan, though of Bradley decides for a more veteran group he could also start Kljestan in the central midfielder role and put Dempsey on the wing. Having Bedoya and Donovan on the wings would give the Americans a better tandem to deal with Panama's speed on the wing.
Something to note about the above lineup. Donovan, Dempsey and Bedoya can each play any of the three midfield slots in the 3 of the 4-2-3-1, so playing them together would allow for some serious interchanging, which would cause problems for Panama's defense.
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What do you think of the above lineup? Which lineup would you like to see start vs. Jamaica?
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