By John Todd/ISIPhotos.com
By IVES GALARCEP
Both Jurgen Klinsmann and U.S. Men's National Team fans everywhere breathed sighs of relief this morning amid word that midfielder Michael Bradley was back in full training with AS Roma after being sidelined for the past three weeks with a thigh injury.
Bradley's return gives him two weeks to get match fit and prepares for the USMNT's remaining qualifiers in October, first against Antigua & Barbuda on Oct. 12th, then against Guatemala on Oct. 16th. His return is crucial to the U.S. team's chances of fielding as strong a team as possible for the matches that will ultimately determine if their World Cup qualifying hopes remain alive.
No, the USA shouldn't need Bradley to beat Antigua & Barbuda, or to beat Guatemala at home, but the midfield's struggles in Jamaica illustrated just what the team misses when Bradley's dominant presence is missing.
What will be interesting to see is who Klinsmann fits around Bradley for the upcoming qualifiers. Jermaine Jones has long been preferred as a midfield partner, but Danny Williams' showing against Jamaica in Columbus (and his improving form with club side Hoffenheim) has him on the rise.
Klinsmann sees Bradley in a more advanced central midfield position than the anchor No. 6 role most recently filled by Williams. Jones tried playing Bradley's role in the September qualifiers but struggled badly in Kingston before showing some improvement in the return match in Columbus.
Here is the USMNT midfield we could see start vs. Antigua & Barbuda:
Donovan———-Bradley——–Dempsey
——————–Jones———————
Before anybody even dares say it, NO this layout does NOT mean Bradley is a playmaker. It just shows how he will be in a more advanced role than Jones. This quartet would play behind two forwards, most likely Herculez Gomez and Jozy Altidore. As we have seen in the past, when Bradley and Jones are paired centrally neither really sits deep for the majority of the time. Both players tend to surge forward when they can. I would lay out the formation to look more like this, though it will probably too reminiscent of the Bob Bradley era for Klinsmann to ever concede he was playing a 4-4-2 with deep-lying central midfielders
———–Altidore——Gomez————-
Donovan—————————Dempsey
————Jones——-Bradley————-
What we will need to see is whether Klinsmann learned any lessons about leaving forwards stranded like the USMNT did in Kingston. That might prevent him from trotting out this attack, though it should be noted that having Landon Donovan in the lineup across from Clint Dempsey in midfield would give Herculez Gomez and Jozy Altidore much more support than they saw against Jamaica.
The game on Oct. 16th vs. Guatemala will be an interesting one because what Klinsmann tries to do will likely be determined largely by the result the USMNT manages in Antigua. If we stick to the notion that the USA will attak more at home, we could see this front six:
———-Gomez———–Dempsey——-
Donovan———-Bradley————-Zusi
——————-Williams—————–
Some might ask why not just play Bradley in the deep role and slide Dempsey into the playmaking role (like this):
———-Gomez———–Altidore——-
Donovan———-Dempsey———–Zusi
——————–Bradley—————–
Klinsmann has never really used Bradley in an anchor role (though he has shown in the past on the club level that he can certainly handle that role well). For my money, if Klinsmann is convinced Zusi can handle a starting role (and he sure did impress against Jamaica) then I would personally love to see this front six go at Antigua & Barbuda as well as
Whichever way Klinsmann goes, his options are improved exponentially by the presence of Bradley, who brings a presence to the middle of the field no other American central midfielder does. Now all Klinsmann and the national team need is for Bradley to stay healthy for the next three weeks so he can resume his role as the indispensable backbone of the U.S. midfield.
great article, Ives.
Evan,
In fact, I just did call MB our best player.
Now we get into what you mean by “best”. In this instance I’m talking about the best player during JK’s short tenure. And it goes without saying that I’m talking about their performances for the USMNT.
Howard has done well but he is a keeper and I generally put them in their own separate category.
Donovan and Dempsey, the usual suspects have been either too absent or too inconsistent.
The only competition then for MB is Johnson but because MB is a central midfielder I just believe his influence is greater.
Jones has had a few stinkers though he is much better than most of you think.
And Jozy, are you kidding? We’re not talking about his play for AZ, we’re talking about his play for US.
Don’t say it too loud. GW may hear you. MB was always a good player. I think now he is more of a complete player.
??? I don’t getting from you guys…I have never said he was bad or not worthy, yet some of you just ran with like.
I can dig it
Dennis = Debbie Downer
agree with all 5.
I’m for
gomez altidore
donovan bradley deuce
williams
dempsey sometimes doesn’t defend as hard in the center as he does on the wing.
idk man, i think it’s ridiculous to make some gigantic assumption like that. the players did not play well at all. we didn’t even have the ball in enough dangerous situations to even be able to cross the ball. i don’t think it was a lack of a tactical game plan, but rather a lack in the execution.
i have to disagree. Gladbach did NOT get rid of him, he wanted to move to a bigger team. so he went to AV and failed. and Gladbach, who was not happy with him leaving, said he was surplus requirements now. not because he didn’t have the talent, but because he “wronged” them. and after a bad time at AV, it was no question it would be hard to find a good team. luckily Chievo took a chance on him, he re-focused, and did extremely well for a very boring team. and now he is with Roma.
having said that, i will agree it was ridiculous he ALWAYS started for the USMNT during his bad stretch at AV and was NEVER subbed out if he was having a poor game.
but he certainly has always deserved to be in the team and, aside fro the AV spell, has deserved to start for the USMNT.
the update is that there is no update!!!! Ives has said this OVER AND OVER. he should be back training in Oct. or Nov. the same timeline it’s been for a long time. then he’ll still have to get his fitness back, his touch back, and then get into games. at that point, we can see how he’ll figure into the USMNT.
—————Altidore—————-
—–Donovan—–Dempsey—-Zusi—-
———Williams—–Bradley———–
-Johnson–Boca——Cameron—Dolo—
————-Howard—————
Ives,
Can you give us an update on Holden? He has been completely off the radar for club and country? Is his career in jeopardy? I would like to see Diskarud given a chance rather then inviting Beckerman or another MLS midfielder.
So, you just looked at the formation, and didn’t read my tactical description of Donovan’s role? Cool. And this is only for the A&B match. Hardly int’l level.
And just want to add about the comments above asserting that MB is indispensable to the USMNT. Nobody, I repeat, nobody is indispensable to the USMNT. Not Landon Donovan, not Clint Dempsey, not Tim Howard, and certainly not Michael Bradley. Yes, MB is an important member of the team. But he is not indispensable. We have other talented midfielders and can do quite nicely, thank you, even with MB is absent, as we did in August with the historic win against Mexico in Mexico City and as we did in the second WCQ Jamaica game earlier this month in Columbus after Klinsmann fielded a more attack-minded line-up than the 3 defensive midfielder disaster he played in Kingston. If Klinsmann sticks with an attacking line-up in the Antigua and Guatemala games in October, the USMNT will have no trouble winning–with or without MB. There is no need to exaggerate the importance of any single player to the USMNT. Doing so makes it appear as if the Exaggerate-Tor is promoting a personal agenda rather than the team as a whole.
Agreed. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a daily Bradley sucks, no Altidore sucks, fest.
+1 Amen. So true.
With the way Jones is all over the field, up and back, it probably makes pairing with him difficult. When Bradley has a good holding mid behind him, he is able to play his game. With Jones all over the field, I think he is split between his assignment and making sure Jones didn’t vacate his as MB moves forward. Personally, I think that MB would pair better with Williams. By the way, Boca gets called in every game and doesn’t play in the midfield. Or were you thinking Ricardo Clark? If so, he is definitely down/off the depth chart from MB.
Exceptional is a pretty big exaggeration, Roma has some great players but is not the team they used to be. I think Roma will be a good move for him but a lot of people on here are over rating Bradley.
Messi’s a free-roler playing striker. And Messi is a one of a kind player. Comparing ANYONE to Messi is unfair.
And yes, Messi may be small, but he’s hard to knock off the ball because of his skill and low center of gravity. LD doesn’t have those traits, so he’s easier to muscle.
Also, LD is a player who needs to be on the ball to be happy. If he’s marked out for 10 mins, he can disappear for the match.
And did I say left wing or right? No, I said he should start on the wing, where there’s more space, and then have the freedom to cut in as the match allows. I also mentioned switching wings.
Because you know, Marc Overmars and Robben and other Dutch wingers NEVER come into the middle. At least have the courtesy to read what’s read, instead of your assumptions.
I want LD to free role. But not where he can be marked by three players in the center of the pitch. It’s not where he’s best. And look back at all the ‘disappearing Landon’ matches and see where he played in 75% of them. Coincidence? I think not.
I wouldn’t say he’s ‘different’ than the one who played under BB. That MB scored on a box-to-box run vs Mexico and was a good player in his own right.
I’ll agree that he’s GROWN as a player. But he was never as bad as the nepotism crowd, and while his deserving to start in the last World Cup may have been a commentary on our lack of quality depth in midfield as much as his talent, he was never undeserving.
Wrong. He was exceptional for Chievo, or Roma wouldn’t have bought him.
He’s still missing because he’s not match fit. Holden isn’t screaming to get into matches on Twitter. That should tell you they’re on the same page as far as his recovery goes.
There was a horrific broken leg, followed by an almost as horrific knee injury that occurred in no small part because he rushed himself the 1st time. They’re going to make sure he’s physically 100% before committing him to the pitch again.
And they should.
Never used the word nepotism. Learn to read. Gladbach got rid of him AV didn’t keep him after the loan and Gladbach didn’t take him back and he went to a bottom dwelling Serie A team. I watched him most weeks during that time. He changed when he went to Chievo Not sure if he changed his mind on how to play the game. Maybe he went back to how he wanted to play the game. Maybe his new coach or system helped. He changed for the better that year. Saying that he changed for the better is not an insult. Saying that there were stretches with the USMNT where he could have been sat a game or two is not an insult. It also is not to say that, at times, he was great. Young kid, growing and maturing. Most of them sit the bench a game or two now and then. But if that takes you to a dbag comment…that is a YOU problem.
Liked him then, didn’t bash him. Didn’t insult him. Lose the hate. The only thing worse than Bradley bashers are those that love him so much they can’t take any non-love comments about him.
Not a basher, haven’t used the word nepotism, have liked him since before he cut his hair, etc. Love the way you people go straight to hate. But to say that his game was such that no other player ever deserved to have a start in his place is wrong headed. To cherry pick a game that fits your argument and ignore numerous others is insincere. As to my insight, you miss the point. I was pointing out his recent improvement when another poster like you points to how good he “is” and then goes back a few years to say all of the MB haters were wrong. Current performance vs. past decisions.
Yeah, wrong dude. We can go back and look at great simple passes he made when he was starting out. He certainly wasn’t as good as he is now. But look up the Michael Bradley video with him in the u-20 world cup and MNT. He was making nice and more than “easy” passes.
I think one might say that when he was younger the things he did were simpler and easier to discount, where he now has gotten better at the going forward part- so good in fact that it is very hard to go unnoticed.
Biff, you make too much sense for these clowns. Just be careful when mentioning Altidore’s improvement or you might be torn apart on here.
He was certainly not our best player that game (Dempsey and Altidore being better) but I will admit when I am wrong, he did play very well that game. Thats two good games….
Why all the anger toward Scott, Ewan W, Louis Z up above for simply giving their opinions on Michael Bradley’s development as a soccer player? Can someone please explain to me why it it perfectly okay to point out that Jozy Altidore has improved dramatically during the past year playing for AZ, but anyone who says the same about MB is attacked?
This is a forum for people to give their opinions about soccer and what the guys up above said is actually quite mild and absolutely correct: MB has improved dramatically over the past year. Part of that improvement is no doubt because of the move to a lower level team like Chievo after his troubles during the end of his time at Gladbach and followed by the disappointing fiasco of Aston Villa. At Chievo, MB was guaranteed 90 minutes per game and had Italian coaches working with him to improve his skills. It was a great move for MB and he took advantage of it and worked hard and he succeeded in improving his game.
I also think part of MB’s improvement the past year can be attributed to Bob Bradley being fired as USMNT coach. Whereas MB had a guaranteed starting position under his father on the USMNT roster plus a guaranteed 90 minutes per game, even when he was not playing at the club level and was not in good form, MB had no such assurances under Klinsmann. That basically shook MB up and he realized it was a whole new ball game and he needed to pick up his game and he did. Nothing wrong with that. Even one of the writers for a big newspaper said that the change in coaches appeared to have lit a fire under MB. I think Klinsmann is the best thing that ever happened to MB and Klinsmann should be given credit for his role in MB’s improvement as a player.
There is a logical reason why Roma, which was strongly linked to MB in the summer of 2011, waited until the summer of 2012 to pull the trigger. Quite simply, MB was not good enough in 2011 but he improved dramatically and was good enough by the summer of 2012 for Roma to bring him on board. Everyone should be happy that he has improved, just as we are happy to see Jozy’s progress.
Another D-Mid for Klinsmann to use….awesome news
how about the road win over Italy when he was our best player? Best central midfielder since Reyna easily and has been for a while
I agree with Scott. Bradley has certainly improved in the past year but I still don’t think he is as good as everyone is making him out to be. He has played one game for Roma, was solid for Chievo but certainly not exceptional. I would like for someone to name two games that Bradley has played for the US in the past year and a half where he has looked really good. I’ll give him Scotland but what other game?
+1 I’ve been waiting to see this one for a while.
No EJ 2.0?
Boca Raton Malmstein
5 is pretty much a question. So if you don’t agree, why don’t you tell us when Jones was last red carded?
I really hope you didn’t just call Bradley (who is 25 by the way not 24) our best player….. He isn’t even in the same class as Dempsey. Donovan is still a better player as well. I would even argue that Jones, Altidore, and Johnson are better players.
4 outof 5 ain’t bad.
“Donovan isn’t useful in the center at International Level. This was proven repeatedly under Arena and Bradley both”
Horse manure.
Arena was quoted as saying the problem with Donovan is that he is your best player wherever you play him. In the 2002 World Cup he was paired up front with McBride and has basically played everywhere ever since.
“He’s not a big player, and his greatest asset, pace, gets taken away when he is forced to play centrally.”
I guess all those litle Barca guys should stay out of the middle of the field. I guess Messi’s speed and quickness has been neutralized because he is so often centrally located, huh?
Speed is an asset everywhere on the field. When you play centrally you always have the freedom to head out to the flanks. On a good team others cover for you.
Donovan has always turned up wherever he is most needed. Do you think his manager is going to sub him out because he is on the left wing instead of the right?
If your best player plays better with player X, you pair him with player X.
I’d flip Jones and Bradley…otherwise I think you’ve got it. Would like to see Lichaj and Chandler as Outside back options too. Gives us the option of pushing Johnson further foward…or subbing Dolo if needed.
“Klinsmann is at fault, why people wont call him out is beyond me.”
Probably because you are wrong.
Away game, crap field, hostile crowd, big nasty, fast athletic oppostion, missing your most of your best attacking players and the one who is there is completely out of shape.
In that case, you don’t care about offense per se,you field a very defensive lineup and shut it down early and often.
They had the gift of a first minute goal that should have been enough.
The players lost this game. And they really only needed a tie. The players could not get their set piece defense organized. Without those set piece goals the US wins 1-0.
You seem to be under the impression that talent alone is what determines a player’s success. MB is what 24?
Do you think Roma or Chievo for that matter would have signed MB 90 at his age if they thought they had to teach him how to tackle or pass the ball?
They aren’t as stupid as you think they are.
All that nice passing (and the other good things)he is doing now for Roma and that he did for Chievo? I saw him do that for BMG and occasionally for the USMNT, just not as frequently or as comfortably.
At 24 he is not developing new skills per se. What has happened is he has now found a more structured environment with players and a staff that appreciate him and what he can do and have to the talent to take advantage of that.
For example, Holden already had his skills and talent at Houston, Coyle and Bolton gave him an EPL platform and better teamates to play with. Same with Donovan at Everton with Moyes.
And because he has done well Bradley’s confidence, in need of a bit of a boost after the Villa fiasco,is now at an all time high. And confident players play better.
“if he was always this good he should have gone directly to a ROMA team or similar, not start out at CHIEVO.”
No.
Italy is a big culture shock for a player new to the league and the country. Chievo gave Mikey a chance to learn the language, the culture (of the league as well as of the country) and the style of play in the league, etc. etc.
The competition is fierce at Roma. His time at Chievo gave him a chance to acclimate and prepare.
His success at Chievo also made it far more likely that the people at Roma would take a chance on him in the first place.
You look more appealing to them as a succesful, dominant player from Chievo rather than a reject who played ten seconds with Aston Villa and was kicked off the team by his manager in Germany.
I’ve really enjoyed seeing Bradley improve as a player. It is great to see him back training and ready for qualifiers. I don’t think it will be to much longer until USA is as good as soccer powerhouses.
Or Timothy Bornstein
Why not just play them in their natural role:
—————Altidore—————-
—–Dempsey————–Donovan—-
———–Bradley—-Jones————
—————Williams—————
-Johnson–Boca——Goodson—Dolo—
————-Howard—————–
I would feel safe with that lineup…………
Like it.
Yeah, I’m tired, no sleep catching up to me. this would work great with if we could sneak an extra play on. Get rid of Jones and move Bradley up behind Dempsey and Donavan.
Jozy Gomez
Dempsey Donavan
Bradley Jones
Williams
Johnson Cameron Boca Cherundalo
howard
With Gomez slightly behind Jozy to pick up the scraps and Dempsey and Donavan on the outside to cut it back in.
Johnson and Cherundalo will still be able to overlap on the wings and help spread the field and giving Bradley and Jones more space in the middle.
And Bradley is nothing but class and he and Jones seem to have an understanding when together most of the time. He is going to be one of the best us products. If it starts to fall apart move Jones next to Williams and Dempsey up next to Jozy and Gomez. With Bradley slightly drawn back behind Donavan. What I’m trying to say is a modern team needs to be able to adjust and adapt to what they are facing.
Just my two cents.