Tonight is do-or-die time for the U.S. men's Under-23 national team. A win tonight against El Salvador and the Americans stay alive in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. Anything less than a win and the United States will see the dream of an Olympic berth eliminated.
U.S. head coach Caleb Porter has the difficult task of trying to pick the starting lineup he believes can deliver a result, and with the team facing its third game in five days, he will have no choice but to consider some changes to his squad.
Tonight's match should be a wide-open encounter. El Salvador isn't a bunkering team, and will almost certainly go after the U.S. defense if given the chance. That works into the USA's favor because they have the weapons to burn El Salvador. The question at this point is what changes will Caleb Porter make to his lineup.
Which changes should we expect? You can look to the team's upset loss to Canada for disappointing performances that should lead to some switches. From Teal Bunbury at forward, to Jared Jeffrey in central midfield, and Zarek Valentin at right back, there were some players who didn't make the grade against Canada who could be good bets to be subbed out.
What lineup can we expect Porter to go with tonight? Here is one lineup I could see him going with, along with a lineup I would consider turning to:
PROJECTED U.S. Under-23 LINEUP vs. EL SALVADOR
Shea————–Boyd—————-Adu
———-Diskerud—Corona————–
——————Okugo——————–
Villafana—————————Sarkodie
————-Kitchen—Opara—————-
—————–Hamid———————-
Some thoughts:
The most glaring absence from this group is Joe Gyau, who has looked dangerous coming off the bench in the team's previous two matches. It is that effectiveness off the bench, along with Porter's seeming hesitation with starting him in either of the first two matches, that makes me wonder if Gyau is someone Porter sees giving the team extended minutes.
Bill Hamid returns in goal and while it may be a surprise to some, the fact is he is still the most highly-regarded player at the position and one bad game isn't going to lead to him getting yanked.
Terrence Boyd should the call up top and it shouldn't come as a surprise. Teal Bunbury was largely ineffective against Canada and Boyd is just a better option.
Kofi Sarkodie makes sense returning to the lineup to give the team some speed and fresh legs on the flank. Jorge Villafana returns for a second start and he did give the team a few effective runs forward vs. Canada. Valentin started the first two matches and looked very fatigued in the Canada match.
Amobi Okugo gets the nod here over Jared Jeffrey, who just looked tired vs. Canada. Okugo is the kind of imposing physical presence in the middle that could help disrupt El Salvador's attack.
So what lineup would I trot out there if I were putting a team together to beat El Salvador? Here's the group I would go with:
Gyau————Boyd—————-Shea
————-Adu——-Corona————-
——————Okugo——————–
Villafana—————————Sarkodie
————-Kitchen—Opara—————-
—————–Hamid———————-
The only change I'd make is starting Gyau for Diskerud, though that would mean sliding Adu into a playmaking role and potentially flipping Shea to the right. If Porter doesn't go with this lineup, I still think it's a group we could see at some point in the second half.
As much as I like Shea, he did look exhausted against Canada. I’m also in favor of letting Speed Demon Gyau get the start. Shea could be a very effective sub.
Sitting a player after those errors is prone to do a *&^% of a lot more psychological damage than the errors themselves. ANY competitive athlete wants nothing more than to get back on the field to set the record straight- I’d give my #1 guy that shot any day. If you truly believe he is the better keeper of the two- and I do, you have to stick with him.
Listen, the U.S. is going to dominate El Salvador tonight and then , in a close game, beat the frijoleros. It is going to happen. We will not lose at home to the frijoleros. They will have run out of their bean juice by then. ORALEEE!!!
For one game they might. Promise not to play them in final that does not matter. That is why I could see Williams.
Universal Sports Network = DirecTV 625.
if you don’t have directv, i recommend it.. 100x better than Comcast or any other inferior tv carrier.
————–Boyd—————-
—Shea——-Corona——Gyau—-
———Mixx——–Adu———-
-Villafana-Kich/Val/Opara-Williams-
—————Hamid————–
CF: Boyd needs a full game to show his ability
LM: Shea his only position he should be at is LM
RM: Gyau deserves the start but could be used off the bench, if this is the case slide Adu up and bring in Okugo at Adu’s spot
CMs: Mixx, Adu and Corona can get it done. Jeffery looks beat and Okugo is not as good as the stated 3, offensively at least. I would start Gyau and bring Okugo later once the lead is in hand, but i could understand doing the opposite and starting Okugo, stabilizing the game and then going for it later with either Gyau, Adu, Corona, Shea (whoever doesn’t start)
FBs: Williams needs to show he is the best RB, watching valentin try to make long throwins and track wingers like Williams can just wasn’t cutting it. Plus he is in form and not exhausted like the others.
CBs: Up to Porter, none of them have been great, I guess whoever looks most ready.
GK: Keep Hamid in there, he will bounce back. I believe Johnson could do well (a la Guzan vs. Egypt ’09) but Hamid is the top choice and this is a must win game.. 50/50 i guess I just have more faith in Hamid.
All in all this game is beyond must win! Don’t hold back anything, if we win we have almost a week off until the semi final game. And there is no way this team shouldn’t be in the Olympics!
Jeezuz F. Christ, lighten up!
just saying, even though they would switch frequently regardless, shea would be on the left to begin if him and gyau lined up as the 2 wingers.
yeah, because i’m sure their clubs will do a 180 and let Jozy, Chandler or Williams go…
absolutely. Caleb was no better. every interview was talking about how technical these players were. and how good their strategy is. i just started getting the feeling they all thought they were Barca or something. but at the same time, i thought Caleb’s media response to the Cuba game was good. so idk, i think they just got ahead of themselves and 2-0 was the result.
but, like you said, they’re young. i hope to see a much better display tonight.
Does Aguedelo count? If so do you bring in Jozy or Chandler? I almost like Williams to shore up defense
if Canada won the first game, they would be sitting at 6 points before this final game. assuming they beat Cuba, they get 9 points. 7 points if they tie. If the USA beats ES, then we end with 6 points and in 2nd, no matter the result in Canada/Cuba.
if ES had won the first game, they would be sitting on 6 points before the final game. assuming Canada beats Cuba and the USA beats ES, than ES ends with 6 points (Canada & Cuba), Canada with 6 points (USA & Cuba) and the USA with 6 points (Cuba & ES).
in our current situation, if we beat ES, then we are good, but the question is 1st or 2nd. we still need Cuba to tie or win at a chance to get 1st.
unless i am completely wrong in my assessment, having ES and Canada each only get 1 point helps boost our chances of getting 1st, albeit at the control of Canada/Cuba. in scenario #1, we have no chance of getting 1st while in scenario #2 we are relying on GD to break a three way tie. scenario #2 is probably about the same as our current situation.
probably not as big of a deal as i first thought, but interesting nonetheless.
I agree to an extent, but this is why they’re playing the the U-23s… they’re young. If anyone should be blamed for their over-confidence it should be the coaches in my opinion.
That being said I think they’ll learn a lot from it and hopefully have a hell-of-a game tonight. Go USA!
Shea with his back to the goal? No way, he is not the kind of player to play a hold up role. Even if he doesn’t have a right foot, I’d play him on the right, his cutbacks to the middle would allow for the RB to come up the wing for the cross. But more importantly, it gets Shea moving toward goal with his ‘on’ foot.
I don’t trust the backline being able to distribute through the midfield to play Adu as the false 9. It’s cool on paper, but is it only me who is looking at Valentin, Opara and Kitchen dropping in very poor passes to the midfield? I mean, it is almost comical how poor the passing out of the back is.
The one guy I at least respect out of the back is ‘el Sueno’. I too would start Williams on the right…I want someone who isn’t afraid to tackle someone out there. Valentin is way too soft for me as a fullback. Maybe better at CB..but I’d sit him this game.
Gyau should start but Shea sucks on the right(no right foot at all). I’d rather play him in the center than on the right. How about this:
Gyau——Shea——–Adu
—-Mix—–Corona——-
———Okugo———–
Villifana————Sarkodie
——Kitchen—-Opara—–
Shea has the height to play a target role and could make runs onto the skilled passes of Mix and Corona out of the midfield. We need Gyau’s speed out there to put pressure on the Salvadoran flank.
Amy, as usual your post is a very good observation.
I too doubt that Porter will sit Mix. Still, I think think he should. Mix is/was visibly gassed and for the #8 carrying forward/point of attack that is a tough guy to have slow to react when pressing for a goal.
If this team is as deep as we think it is, and as deep as Porter has said it is…then he will lose little by starting a Stephens or Okugu at holding midfield, and letting Corona play the #8 and Adu the #10.
Good post.
Porter was out-coached the last game. I don’t think anyone would have thought Cuba would be tough, but could predict a good game against Canada and what is likely to be a card-fest against El Salvador.
That Porter wasn’t ready with a 3 game strategy is troubling to me. He got the result he wanted in game one, but wasn’t ready for game two. He’s a smart guy , he’ll realize his mistakes…I just hope he gets a shot to prove me right.
+1
Someone needs to take one for the team then so we can bring in a stud. Get some advice from the Canadians on how to fake an injury and go down late in the game. Or perhaps that idiot from the American Outlaws section that threw the beer bottle at the goalie can aim for one of our expendible players tonight?
I rewatched the game yesterday. The team actually started pretty decently. Mix in particular played well. He really keeps the team flowing with his off the ball movement, switching the attack and his quick, intelligent touches.
After that good start Canada seemed to wear us down a bit and the team as a whole struggled. Mix was relatively decent (although it was a poor performance all around). If anyone looked especially tired to the point of it affecting performance it was Opara, or Bunbury. Boyd (all hype aside) didn’t look too different from Teal in terms of effectiveness. Shea supposedly had a bad game but he created some of the best chances of the night. Gyau turned in another good performance.
I think Mix may have been tired but Porter probably considers him too essential to the midfield to take him out. I doubt he sits today.
oh and Bunbury’s first, second and third touches are horrendous. The dude has a lead foot.
NBC plays hardball with the cost of NBCSports… they are currently sending Universal out there to try to build it for the olympic build ups. Not sure why the thought process on one but not the other, but there you go, that’s Comcast/NBC for you… mergers like that lead to weird ideas.
Enjoy the mall at Legends there across from the stadium Parking lot while Mexico plays El Salvador. You could also hit up the Nebraska Furnature Mart.
Interesting idea. You could also play Shea at CF as well. As long as Bunbury is not out there I will be happy. He totally disrupted the flow of the attack by just standing around waiting for a ball over the top. He had no movement and rarely came back for the ball. All of things that made this offense great was because Juan did all of those things. ther weer times he would drop further back acting like a false #9 allowing Shea to cut in towards goal. There was none of that with Bunbury.
You’d be well served to dial down the snark. Keepers get scored on all the time, but both goals showed pretty poor keeping from Hamid, at least in my view. The first was just awful, and I thought he could have punched the cross on the second.
That said, I think I agree that Hamid should start IF he isn’t damaged psychologically by those errors.
Hmm. I have DISH and I get BOTH Mun2 — Channel 269 — and USN — Channel 402.
Aw no, it changed in January to @sportstv which is utter crapola
obviously you cant read, okugo is in there as the holding mid to make a 4-3-3
Mix was fine. On the other hand Jeffrey was not. Mix had to continually come back and help Jeffrey.
I meant to say clenbuterol.
True, but USDA does not permit chebutanol in our beef.
If we want to really implement the 4-3-3, with the modern permutations, why not this?
Gyau——Adu——–Shea
—-Corona—–Mix——-
———Okugo———–
Vilifana————Sarkodie
——Kitchen—-Opara—–
Adu would serve as a false 9 in this. Boyd has potential and I understand the “need” for a point player, but this is our most efficient line-up. These boys could easily play through El Salvador.What do you think?
Universal Sports is local in the Yuma AZ are, channel 13.2 if it helps anyone.
if we have another injury and only have 18 abled bodies, then porter can bring in a replacement
Dear Mr. Akron,
Play Sheannon Williams at right back!
Sincerely,
America
mun2 is on Verizon FiOS. Don’t know about cable systems.
Except then it’s just a back 3, unless you actually name someone to be the 4th.
Oddly, I get Universal Sports Network, but not NBC Sports. Dish Network sucks.
I think he was responding to the notion of getting him into the Cuba game. There are better ways of using subs in routs like that.
This roster is set..no changes until qualifying is done
Win or lose tonight (or in the semis), the main thing I am taking away from this tournament is the amount of enthusiasm everyone seems to have about our U-23 squad, both good and bad. The AP article about the US losing to Canada has nearly 2,000 comments. During the Olympic qualifiers four years ago, you didn’t see nearly as much interest from anyone other than die-hard soccer fans. I think that speaks volumes about the progress we’ve made as a nation that wants to care more about soccer.
Idk… I would much rather have a 4-4-3 than a 4-3-3 :O
The benefits of high-altitude training….
If you have DirecTV, or a friend with it for that matter, Universal Sports Network is on a free trial through April 2. It is on channel 625. Take advantage.
I like the 4-4-3 better than the 4-2-3 proposed above!
If and when we win tonight and we play el tri in the semi’s will we see Chandler, Morales, Hart, and Altidore? Or will it be this same group?
If El Salvador had beaten Canada, this situation wouldn’t be worse. A win over El Salvador combined with a good GD would give us a better chance at winning the group as opposed to praying that Cuba somehow steals a point from Canada. And either way, we’d need the win to move on.
Canada and El Salvador tying couldn’t have been worse. We now have to beat El Salvador, all they have to do is bunker and counter for any result but a loss.
But you’re right about the overconfidence. This seems to be a trait amongst American group play. They have on awesome result, one awful result, and one very narrow opportunity that they either take or lose.
You can’t blame Jeffrey for Mix’s play. He’s started 180 minutes, and looked withered in the last 90. Giving him another 90 rather than saving him as a sub is playing names instead of performances.