By IVES GALARCEP
The month of March was supposed to be a real turning point in the process to identify which players Jurgen Klinsmann would be taking to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The tournament is still four months away, but with two friendlies in Europe, March was supposed to help Klinsmann thin out the herd, and potentially find some new options.
A loss and a tie later, the list of players who really pushed themselves into the Gold Cup conversation isn’t a long one. Michael Orozco helped his cause, as did Danny Williams.
Klinsmann also introduced some new faces in Ventura Alvarado and William Yarbrough, who could both definitely push themselves into the Gold Cup conversation after publicly declaring their loyalty to the United States.
As we draw closer to the Gold Cup, it is becoming more and more clear that there are going to be several players left out who may come as a surprise, or may have come as a surprise a year ago.
With that in mind, here is the March edition of the USMNT Gold Cup roster:
Projected USMNT Gold Cup Roster (March 2015 Edition)
(New additions in BOLD)
GOALKEEPERS
Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando, Bill Hamid
Outlook-Â Don’t look now but we have a new candidate in the conversation after months of stagnation at this position. Club Leon’s William Yarbrough earned his first national team cap and the Mexican-born goalkeeper has let it be known he plays to stick with the U.S. even though he isn’t cap-tied yet.
Will Yarbrough grab one of the Gold Cup roster spots? Don’t be surprised if he does. For now, we’ll keep Hamid as the No. 3, but with MLS teams playing games in July, Klinsmann could decide it’s better to have Hamid staying with D.C. United while Yarbrough joins the Gold Cup team.
Missed the Cut– William Yarbrough, Sean Johnson, Steve Clark, Cody Cropper
——————
DEFENDERS
Jermaine Jones, Matt Besler, John Brooks, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco, Fabian Johnson, Greg Garza, Timmy Chandler, Brek Shea
Outlook- If this list seems a bit heavy on central defenders, it’s because it is. There are five listed, and while four would normally be a good number, it’s very difficult to settle on just four. If Klinsmann does only take eight of these players, then Orozco has made things very interesting with his solid showing in the March friendlies.
Would Klinsmann really bring in Orozco over an Omar Gonzalez? That’s tough to see, but Klinsmann has pulled surprises before.
And what of Ventura Alvarado? If Jermaine Jones is healthy, Klinsmann is likely to bring, at most, two of Gonzalez, Orozco and Alvarado. It might take an injury to someone ahead of him in order for Alvarado to squeeze into the Gold Cup squad, though Klinsmann could be tempted to bring him in order to cap-tie him.
You will also note Geoff Cameron isn’t on this list. We list him with the midfielders, which might seem odd but the reality is he seems more likely to earn minutes in midfield than in the back any time soon.
Missed the Cut– Ventura Alvarado, Steve Birnbaum, Tim Ream, Matt Hedges, Perry Kitchen, Chris Schuler, Eric Lichaj, Robbie Rogers.
——————–
MIDFIELDERS
Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Mix Diskerud, Geoff Cameron, Danny Williams, DeAndre Yedlin, Graham Zusi
Outlook– The middle of the field is rounding into shape, with Diskerud, Williams and Cameron looking like the best bets to work with Bradley in the middle. Bedoya and Yedlin are the team’s wide options, while Fabian Johnson can work there too if he’s not needed in the back.
The pickings are pretty slim on the flanks, but Gyasi Zardes has been tried there as well and could be an option. Morales was deployed on the left flank last game, and while the results weren’t exactly great, it could be something Klinsmann wants to work on. For now though, we’ll keep Zusi in the mix.
One player who is doing very well in MLS and could be a good fit as an option the flanks is Harrison Shipp. He would be a better attacking threat than Morales, but he has yet to be called in by Klinsmann.
Is Miguel Ibarra done? Not even playing one minute in either European friendly should raise some alarm bells, but you wonder whether fitness became an issue for a player who was in preseason with Minnesota United.
One player we shouldn’t forget about is Joe Corona, who I could definitely see jumping back in and grabbing a roster spot.
Will Klinsmann really leave Beckerman behind? If he pulls a shocker like leaving Geoff Cameron home, Beckerman could squeeze his way back in. The main strike against him is his age. He’ll be 33 when the Gold Cup kicks off, and with Jermaine Jones already on the roster, Klinsmann could prefer to go with a younger option like Morales or even Wil Trapp.
Missed the Cut– Kyle Beckerman, Alfredo Morales, Harrison Shipp, Joe Corona, Miguel Ibarra, Wil Trapp, Lee Nguyen, Luis Gil, Joe Gyau, Teal Bunbury.
——————
FORWARDS
Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Gyasi Zardes
Outlook- This group appears to be pretty set. Tough to see anyone breaking back in at this point. Rubin has struggled for playing time recently with FC Utrecht and is more needed at the Under-20 World Cup. Chris Wondolowski is a possibility, but after a rough showing in the winter friendlies, it’s tough to see him being on the team.
And what if someone like Juan Agudelo has a strong next few months in MLS play? Could they unseat a player like Zardes? That is entirely possible.
Missed the Cut– Rubio Rubin, Chris Wondolowski, Juan Agudelo, Jordan Morris, Charlie Davies, Bobby Wood.
—–
What do you think of this group of 23 players? Who are you happy to see included in the squad? Who is missing that you feel should have made the cut?
Share your thoughts below.
We need youth forwards to develop understanding with USNT’s midfield.
Players like Rimando, Zusi and Wondo have no future with USNT and proven mediocre World’s elite.
Unnecessary to have that many center back options. 6 of them on the list
Since 3 of the 4 listed forwards are playing in MLS, it is hard to think that if one of them has a bad run while another MLS player (especially a younger one) scores a bunch of goals over the next several weeks that the player in bad form will be passed over in favor of the one scoring goals.
Separately, I looked at some statistical analysis of how long it takes for a team to “gell” in the sense that they stop the rapid improvement often seen at the beginning of a season. The aurthor’s claim that it took about 3 games for the team’s performance to level off, while it took 8 or 9 games for the defense to level off (there was a more noticable learning curve for teams with more new players than for one with low turnover.
The second point, I think means that the time to stop trying new defenders is now and the focus should be on getting games together for whichever individuals JK prefers. Since the US backs are pretty athletic and there is not that much to pick clear favorites on that basis. That leaves, I think, two qualities upon which to base those decisions. One is individual decision-making and ability to concentrate on the job of defending with no lapses, the second is the ability to communicate effectively with teammates. JK would probably add the ability of the outside backs to get forward. All those things taken together, I think mean that the back line will be Chandler and Shea as the outside backs and any 2 of Orosco, Besler and Jones in the center. (I think Gonzo and Brooks lose out on the ability to concentrate thing, while Ream suffers from too little time in camp with JK. As much as possible, those guys should get games together before the Gold Cup.
You had me until you said “(I think Gonzo and Brooks lose out on the ability to concentrate thing”.
There is no way Brooks is getting cut, the only way he will miss the GC is due to injury. Gonz, would need to crap the bed in these next 2 months to miss the GC.
I don’t think either Gonzo or Brooks will not be on the squad, I just think neither will not be a starter.
My main point is that JK needs to pick his preferred starters on defense now and get them games together before the GC.
That won’t happen until he can get both teams (America and Europe) together and that won’t happen until he selects the 30 or so players for the prelim roster.
Jozy Bacon
Johnson Duece Bedoya
Bradley
Greg Brooks Jones Chandler
Guzan
I can’t think the last time Deuce had a passing assist, you have him in a position that he has to do that, otherwise he is half a player for the position (10), Deuce belongs higher up. I like Jones as a 6 and Bradley as the 10. Garza lost some momentum vs Shea. I think the Mexico game is going to clear things up between those two.
Jones is superior as DM, as CB is terrible.
The defense will be the biggest question and concern with how JK will come out with that set up and lineup. Surely, Besler had a strong showing last year with the run up to qualifying and with the world cup. Would love to hear your thoughts on the back line.
I love that Julian Green is not even listed as a “missed the cut.”
And this is the guy Klinsmann selected instead of Donovan.
“And this is the guy Klinsmann selected instead of Donovan.”
incorrect.
Sadly, I suspect that Green is still on Klinsmann’s radar for the Gold Cup.
Is there any chance that Green was keen enough to negotiate a spot for the World Cup AND the Gold Cup? Hope not…
I think Danny Williams should be our next 6. Idk how that works for Mix, but Williams has some bite and our midfield needs that, esp with Jones at CB.
Agree 100%. Especially if he’s going to look mean as all get out during the national anthem.
Williams will be a regular in the future as a dedicated 6. I see him getting the call when we play vs teams that are overwhelming better than us and we need to play the counter game.
But first, the Jones situation has to be determined. I think Jones will continue to play in the midfield until after the GC or the second GC if we lose the first one.
Danny ( and Mix) will have to beat out Cameron. If Geoff is ever going to make a USMNT position his own it will be holding midfielder..
I would agree with your assessment on Cameron, problem is, he doesn’t play the position for club, so for him to be leading candidate over Williams and Mix would be on reputation at this time. JK already is not happy with Cameron’s play (club and NT) so let’s see how things play out in the next two months.
Louis,
JK has frequently said he does not see Cameron as a right back but he never said he was unhappy with Cameron’s play.
He already knows what he has in Geoff. Before these last two Euro friendlies JK issued this statement:
“Geoff is obviously in a good swing with Stoke City and the Premier League,” Klinsmann explained. “But I had a long conversations with him and explained that just now I would love [to] see other players coming in and proving to us how good they are.”
I don’t remember JK taking the time to explain why specific players are not called in very often so I take this to mean Cameron’s position, wherever that is, is secure with the USMNT.
GW,
Very but very seldom a coach will put down a player in front of the media. The fact that he left him out of these friendlies says loud and clear that he expects more from him. By now you should know to take his words with a grain of salt. Chances are he will make the final roster but I just don’t think he is a shoo-in as in the past.
Louis,
In this case you can probably take JK’s words at face value.
Did he say Geoff’s status had changed? No, he did not.
Did he say earlier in the year that he was going to look at the newer candidates before the older guys? Yes he did.
Is it not clear to everyone that these friendlies since the World Cup are experimental in nature?
It should be.
I saw no reason to bring Cameron to those two games. Brooks, Orozco, Williams and Alvarado, Ream, among others, needed to be looked at and saw time they might not have seen had Cameron been around.
His status in my view is essentially as secure as it ever was. He is JK’s first choice Swiss army knife.
However, JK has made it clear that everyones’s spot is always under challenge. And based on the sheer volume of potential candidates to replace him , I’d say you are right and that Cameron, who is not all that young anymore, needs to stay as sharp as he can.
Which is the whole point of competition isn’t it?
Will really depend on where Fabian is played and not so much as Diskerud. If Fabian is a defender (RB or LB) than Mix could be used in midfield. Additional question will be how much longer Dempsey stays in top form as the creator behind the striker(s).
Williams & Morales are likely the replacements for Beckerman (#6) and Diskerud the 2nd #8 playing beside/backing up Bradley.
Zelalem & Nagbe will influence this after this year.
I have two changes from the projected line up given in the article. I don’t think Yedlin has shown enough to make the squad. I see him like Shea was–athletic potential that has yet to be realized.Maybe in a couple of years he will be ready to break out like Shea seems to have done in the past couple of games, but right now I can think of several players I would prefer in his spot. Being a Galaxy fan, I don’t see much of Eastern MLS teams, so I want to see more of Nguyen, hopefully against Mexico. I don’t think he really has had much chance to show what he can contribute yet. If not him, then I would prefer Corona or Castillo to Yedlin. As long as Castillo has a good defender behind him, he can be very dangerous going forward. Corona has had injury problems so it’s a question of if he can regain his previous form. Finally, Rimando is a good MLS GK, but he is getting pretty old and he probably wouldn’t be able to contribute much in 2018. I liked the way Yarbrough looked and he knows most all of the Mexican players. I would like to see him as a backup to Guzan instead of Rimando.
The problem is, most Mexican players know him too.
I do not expect any of the U-20 or U-23 players making it to the Gold Cup squad. With the U-20 World Cup…Rubin, Zelalem, EPB, CCV are not to be considered. I believe that the U-23 team will have their own camp/matches this summer. Therefore Morris, Green, etc…should all be with that group to prepare for Olympic Qualifiers.
CB is an open field right now. Gonzalez & Besler have not been impressive as of late. Jones will need some time to get in game shape, so his form is TBD. That leaves the door open for any number of players (Orozco, Alvarado, Cameron, Birnbaum Opara, etc…). Another consideration to take into account is the formation. If JK wants to use the 5-3-2 he’s likely to take an additional CB.
Outside back will depend on Fabian. Shea, Chandler, Yedlin, & Garza….one would be dropped.
Midfield will be a bit of a dogfight. Cameron, Morales, Williams, & Diskerud will be fighting it out to partner with Bradley. I don’t see more than 2 making the cut unless we use the 5-3-2, than 3 will go. Fabian, Bedoya, Zusi, & Zardes will be challenging for 3 spots since Shea, Chandler & Yedlin can be used as backup wingers.
Strikers will be interesting. Dempsey, Jozy, Johannsson are locks if healthy. I see the 4th being Agudelo, but there is a number of players who could work their way into contention. Just not Wondo.
Right now, I think Zusi is in danger to losing his spot to one of the young ones.
Jones as a defender is absurd. Either move on or play him in a position where he isn’t liable to commit a game deciding mistake against the better concacaf teams.
US fans, myself a while back, have always pegged Jones as a potential red card, defensive mishap, etc liability but seriously when has he ever slipped up in an important game?! if there is one player in the US pool, besides Tim Howard or Michael Bradley, that I would trust in a final match to deliver it would be Jermaine Jones.
The argument of playing him ‘out of position’ is valid, although I think he could be our best CB given time, but the idea that he is more “liable to commit a game deciding mistake” over other options (Besler, Gonz, Cameron, Orozco, Brooks, Hedges, anyone else?) is absolute BS.
Minds you, since Jones been playing CB he has been beaten twice in the air.
No Joe Corona? What’s the guy have to do?
Earn more regular time at TJ by being consistently better than he has been.
He also needs to stay healthy. I happened to be watching the game where he suffered his last serious injury. He was easily the most dynamic player on his team, running at players, slicing through the defense, and creating chances. He was out a couple of months and has had trouble getting his regular spot back. Don’t know if it is because of his injury or because someone else stepped up and is playing well in his place. I was impressed enough by his play that I thought he was better than Diskerud and deserved to go to Brazil more than Mixx did.
Ives… sorry, but one of Besler, Jones, or Gonzales is not going to the gold cup (on the initial roster)… but keep in mind that there is also the mid-way substitution. so I actually think Alvarado, Yarbrough, Ibarra, and Rubin make the cut… to be substituted out at the midway point. Let them get their feet wet playing in group stage… then send them to U-23 (unless they did something miraculous).
How does the mid way substitution work?
If its the same as 2013 you can make changes between the group stage and knock out rounds.
Move Jones to MF. If the point is to win the Gold Cup then the CB project needs to be put on hold and he should play in the MF where he is still among our best.
I’m glad this is just Ives’ opinion and not the actual line-up. Rimando over Yarbrough? You’ve lost the plot, Ives.
Nciky was horsh++t vs Switzerland, largely because his distribution was Briana Scurry-esque.
But when it really matters he’s a gamer. And I notice that Switzerland did not score on him.
If you go just by the score, then you are correct. Rimaldo didn’t look good with his shaky distribution and his physical limitations is starting to be a glaring problem. Rimaldo is shorter than Bedoya, and Bedoya is listed at 5’10!
If being 5’9″ was a problem Nicky would have been retired.a long time ago. I mean he has always been short right?
5’9″ ? Beat them high
6’5″ ? Beat them low
Bad distribution and seemingly not communicating with your defenders is another story.
I’m sure he was shorter in grade school 🙂
He was able to compensate with his quickness but now that he is getting older and getting games outside of the Americas it brings out his limitations.
Come on, the defense left Yarbrough out to dry on that corner. Standing with their hands raised like idiotic schoolchildren who are only all to eager to tattle.
RimaNdo (despite many misspellings) is old. Even Twitchy has lost a step or two in his dotage, and we all love St. Twitchy.
If Klinsi is planning for the future then players like Rimando, Wondo, Davis, Beckerman, and Jones have no place in the squad.
I’ll take an early exit from the Gold Cup with a young squad over a huffing and puffing, lacklustre performance by the Pensioner Squad any day.
In my opinion when healthy, Jones is the best 8 we have in the team, yes, even better than MB.
Zardes has not done too well in MLS play or USMNT play. He does not seem to have the right timing or rhythm or whatever you call it. I would still go with more experienced players than the ones you are listing. So far the team looked pretty disjointed in Denmark as well as Switzerland. In my opinion there should be a basic number of players even for friendlies, maybe 16 players, not including the goalies, from the World Cup. Add maybe 7 new players. There needs to be playing experience even for the best new players, and that needs to be done with players who already know one another and have figured out their team members idiosyncrasies.
Has*
THis team had what it takes to win the gold cup final he just need the right formation and stay healthy
i like this roster but i would expect someone to play themselves in between April and July. My bet is Yarbrough over takes Hamid and maybe a RB emerges in the game vs Mexico; Kitchen, Alvarado maybe? Or maybe Yedlin keeps his spot as I would expect a U23 or two makes the roster; Gil, Trapp, Green, a striker could play themselves in.
I think Yedlin will be sent to the U23. My dark horse to sneak in is Bunbury, I didn’t like his game when he was playing as a forward, but if he can play like he did in the second half of last season, he has a chance. Why? because RW is a position of need. We have Bedoya and Zusi is barely getting healthy. This is Bunbury’s chance to make a play.
GOLD CUP Threats to the USA – Mexico and Costa Rica
So you field players use to THEIR style of play, like quick passing, dribbling into the 18, drawing fouls etc. The best players do not always mean the right payers. So players that SHOULD have been LOOKED at:
LIGA MX
1. Edgar Castillo at LWM (ATLAS) – Yedlin (should be on U-23)
2. Joe Corona at CAM (TIJUANA)
NASL
3. Miguel Ibarra at RWM (Minnesota)
MLS
4. Juan Agudelo FW (NE REV) – Aron Johannson (out against quick, physical South American style of play)
5. Lee Nyugen at CAM
Steve Birnbaum or Matt Hedges are better at CB than Jermaine Jones, who should be in the Midfield.
We have Bradley and Jones so we don’t need any more DM on the team.
Bizzy,
you mentioned a physical south american style of play… huh? please explain? perhaps you meant that they are not physical, but that they have a good possession game? or something to that effect? and are you just throwing random names out there? hedges? Birnbaum? On what planet do those guys get onto this gold cups squad?
Turkmenbashi, I meant being physical as in body-checks, stability with the ball at their feet, going in for one-on-ones (not necessarily fouls or malicious tackles) etc.
The physical and technical South American teams would be the likes of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and probably Brazil.
We beat Mexico by being American. We outrun them, outwork them, outmuscle them, beat them in the air on set pieces. What’s been giving Mexico fits with the USMNT is that we’re not overly impressed with their tiki-taka anymore and we counter and jam the ball right back down their throat and overwhelm them.
We are not going to beat Mexico – ever – by trying to beat them at their own game. When it comes to smallish, super-technical players, we are never – not tomorrow, not in ten years, not in twenty – going to have a more technical pool than Mexico does.
You can do what Bayern did, Get more physical and faster especially down the flanks, spread them out, and put in lots of crosses, which is why guys like Shea, Jozy, Yedlin, Zardes and Chandler ( if he can get sorted out ) will be important vs. Mexico and the like.
first of all you can’t play “America” style of soccer if your coach is German……
Secondly more than half of the players on the team are of foreign decent, so we use what we have to our advantage.
German-American style of play?
Klinsmann
Fabian Johnson
Danny williams
Jermaine Jones
Timmy Chandler
Mexican-American style of play?
Omar Gonzalez (parents Mexican)
Greg Garza (parents Mexican)
Michael Orozco (parents Mexican)
Norway?
Mix Diskerud – Norway (Father)
Columbia?
Alejandro Bedoya – (Parents Columbian)
The sport is evolving and so should our style of play. Ball control, vision, dribbling/passing out of tight corners, speed on the flanks, technical/tactical soccer……”outrun them, outwork them, out muscle them, beat them in the air on set pieces” those were the days our talent pool was very slim, when being in MLS meant you were a failure for not trying overseas. Those days are long gone.
Players in their league / football structure, LIGA MX, that are able to hold on to their positons and play full 90 mins will contribute more to the USMNT than players being tried in positions that don’t come naturally to them.
The 1994 WC team featuring REAL Americans like Alexi Lalas and playing what has since been seen as an American style of play were managed by that All American Serbian mercenary Bora Milutinovic.
I guess we should ultimately wait and see (can he stay consistent, can he stay healthy), but a dark horse pick for me is Ike Opara. He has been an absolute monster so far this season (short sample size, I know). I just love watching him play and think he has a shot to be one of the best, if not the best, central defenders in MLS.
Shea Brooks Opara Yedlin/Chandler isn’t a bad idea of a back line. JJ at LM, MB and Mix in the middlem Bedoya on the RM, Clint n Jozy up top. FJ as the sub, ideal for replacing multiple positions, due to need. run it
For Opara to have a chance, he would need to have a perfect season from this point on till GC selection.
Please let this be true! Also, feel free to leave Rimando off the list to give a spot to some younger talent. RSL is depleted enough, and it would be great to keep the full team together all summer for a change.
Shipp deployed on the flank? He needs to be in the middle and farther up the pitch with little defensive responsibilities to be effective.
Are we so sure that the Jones at CB experiment was/is geared towards the 2015 Gold Cup? I don’t have time to research this now… thought someone might readily have the answer at hand. I was under the impression that it was more of a long-term project, focussed more on hopefully utilizing his talent in the squad through the next World Cup.
As things stand (with KB, MD, DW, and even GC), it seems like JJ is likely still our strongest option to play in that ‘6’-ish role behind/aside Bradley.
Thoughts?
i’ve definitely wondered this as well. I would almost prefer JJ playing C(D)M in the Gold Cup at the least. 433 with MB, JJ and Mix in the mid, clint as CF (false 9isssshhhhh…) and Jozy LW (like when he was on NYRB) and whomever RW (FJ, Yedlin, Gyau, Bedoya, etc).
I’d like to see an offensive ‘3’ of JJ, MB, and Mix in the middle for a few halves.
How might that work itself out on defense, though, if FJ was playing left wing and Shea was playing left back (just for example)? Also, how would the left side of the offense ‘go’ with those two setup on the left with potentially so much space between them?
i think it was more of building flexibility in the roster than making a career extending decision for Jones. now that we know its an option we can flex between having Jones in the backline or the midfield, sub a cb for a forward and move jones back, etc..
comment board folks get all worked up about out of position players but it could really come in handy when we get a red card, injury, need to lock down a game or get a late equalizer and the only way to do that is play Bedoya in CDM or Jones at CB or Bradley as the 10..
IMO The move to switch JJ to CB was a move to accomplish 3 things:
1) Extend JJ’s National Team career.
2) Add experience to RCB pool (Gonzalez & Cameron have not been impressive)
3) Provide Options for younger players at CM (Williams/Morales/Diskerud/etc..)
However I don’t believe JJ will last in the 23 till the 18 WC. Maybe through the Super Copa, but by the Confed he’ll be overtaken by Gonzalez, Orozco, Alvarado, Birnbaum, or CCV.
IN:
Green, Corona, Will Y, Alvarado, Morales
OUT:
Zardes, Cameron, Hamid, Zuz, Gonzo
ill be ok with this, i would like to see a midfield of bradley, diskerud, and corona. i think it would be interesting
I don’t think you will get 50% right on your predictions.
I think A Morales will be there. He looked good in the Swiss game. People believe the formation that is put out on paper before the game too much. JK likes to do funny things with his formations. For example, yesterday A Morales was listed on the left-side but that doesnt mean he played as a winger. It was just like in the World Cup where if you guys remember Jermaine Jones was also listed on the left-side of the diamond. In reality it was a two man central-midfield pairing with A Morales and D Williams, just like it was in the World Cup with Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman.
Yesterday D Williams and A Morales did a good job of controlling the midfield until the red-card.
True if your going to have an attacking fullback like Fabian or Shea, then there going to need cover from a player like Morales. The way he handed Shaqiri was no doubt impressive.
possibly why our right side was being attacked slightly more. Bedoya helped on defense, but there was more of a chance Bedoya wouldn’t be back yet thus allowing Chandler to have difficulty covering. whereas, Morales never really strayed down the wing much, choosing to tuck in and “show” to the midfield to keep possession and play Shea down the wing, etc.
The reason the Swiss attached Bedoya’s side more was not because Bedoya was getting caught upfield, it was because (by the design) Bedoya was helping the inside. The Swiss saw this and switched the play to his side, most of the time Bedoya would recover, a few times he was too late and would cause our back 4 to shift to help Chandler with 2 attackers coming his way. In the second half Morales was starting to play the same way on the left. The big difference was Shea didn’t leave his post much so there was always coverage.
very true. i noticed this yesterday as well. it was almost like a 433 with Bedoya becoming a crossing RW at times. I’ve always liked asymmetrical tactual formations like this.
UBG, i replied before realizing it was you who commented. on second thought, i disagree completely with everything you said…. lol
It can’t be correct if a Bruin said it right? 😉
again, here i’d agree …. yet i can’t lol
I too don’t understand why people don’t see just how impressive Morales actually was in these past two games. He played himself into the squad (unless some miracle happens in Tejas)
Yup. Awful first five minutes against Denmark. Extremely impressive thereafter. Truthfully, looked like one of the best five guys on the field.
People had better warm to him, because he made the roster. He may have won a starting gig.
With Mix out he has the best hair. Now that Holden seems to be permanently gone, good hair really matters.
Didn’t think morales looked good at all. He plays on a second division German team for a reason. He is just not that good.
A second division side that is currently in first place and likely to go up.
Morales is a yellow card waiting to happen. His degree of physicality is too close to penalization. Yeah he muscled (cheap shotted) Shaqiri and took him out of his comfort zone but because it was a friendly is why he didn’t see yellow. (Jozy’s issues in this game not withstanding)….
What is it that JK sees in Garza? This kid gets physically dominated every time out there. His speed is also a question mark. He makes a number of mistakes that he is not able to recover from because he is not exactly a speedster.
Ibarra is an absolute lock… per Klinsmann’s tendency to attempt off the wall, head-scratching roster choices and repeat them to prove to the media and fans just how much of an unconventional genius he is- remember that Brad Davis went to and played in a World Cup…so did Chris Wondolowski, who was benched in a B-team Gold Cup in favor of more talented and capable Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, only to end up Wondoing a game-winning goal from six meters in a knockout match…
Ibarra can’t just go away quietly and become a WTF? call-up in retrospect. He’ll be given every chance to succeed and shove it to MLS about just how smart JK is and how he does not need to rely upon MLS for talent
Sure Green doesn’t have a track record to fall back on, but like Jozy and Shea to a certain degree. We shouldn’t right off a guy just because he’s in a difficult spot. Also there’s just a lack of dynamic or game changing type players in the team right now.
I mean Bedoya has 2 goals in 40 matches for the US and many people consider him as one of our best players at the moment.
When it comes to the USMNT, simply taking people on with confidence, coming back on defense, and playing simple balls – instead of forced ones, will grab you the title of “one of our best players at the moment.”
True that’s just where we are right now I suppose. Depressing to think Donovan and Dempsey might have been our Golden Generation and we didn’t even know it.
Well, maybe. Only nine teams have made the knockout rounds of the last two world cups (Brazil, chile, Uruguay, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, USA) that’s not terrible company.
Wasn’t Spain knocked out in Brazil?
Of course. So eight teams. That’s some pretty elite company.
That stat means nothing.
And getting to the knockout round is still setting the bar really low. It still has to do a lot with the seeding, not just the nation seeding, but the federation seeding (yes, they are kind of seeded) Even if you are not seeded in your group, being put in a weak group is still pretty good. if you can win the group (and their seed) you can have a pretty good path to the quarters and even semi’s.Unfortunately, because the way FIFA seeds the WC and the silly rule that you need to separate the federations teams from one another in the group stage, we have ALWAYS faced at least TWO Euro teams in the group stage and on two of those occasions the eventual WC winner. We are 3-9-8 against Euro teams,0-1-2 against Asia 1-1-1 against Africa and
1-1-0 against SAmerica
We won out group in 2010 and if we could have got past Ghana, a team we should have beaten more often, we would have faced Uruguay, a good team, but up to that point we had beaten them before.
When we measure out progress, look at the other factors: We have never won more than one game at the group stage (excluding the 1930 WC) and have only won 2 games in any modern WC. (2002) We have won only 4 games overall since 1990. We have a pretty poor record for the last 26 years and if we do not get a seed or our confed does not rise above the rankings of Africa, we face more of the same. Only when we can get a seed and more importantly get in a pot that does not face SA teams, do our chances rise in getting a group with one Euro team.
I’d be more concerned with who your crossing with in the Round of 16. The u.s. has had it easy in last world cups. Even this last one with Belgium who really wasn’t that good. Proof being they just got eliminated in the next round after the U.S. by someone else. Try being Mexico who’s had to contend with Argentina twice back to back and now the Netherlands this last time. Talk about brick walls. But the U.S. easy crossings with no name teams and no history none of the elite giving easy path to quarters but they haven’t done it. That’s why I laugh so much at this whole JK promising semi’s in 2018 without even knowing who you’ll cross in the Round of 16.
Our 2002 and 2010 teams have looked to be the best teams assembled at the World Cup
So your implying that a coach responsible for a multimillion program is making his choices because he’s an off the wall character, rather then a more obvious conventional approach like a combination of sports metrics, bio-metrics and player chemistry?
Also, “Ibarra can’t just go away quietly and become a WTF?”.
This is all very intriguing. Please elaborate.
i’ll tell you what…Castillo is still an interesting option, IMO. we need some good wide players and Castillo could be that guy. not to start, but to have on the team. tough to see him replacing anyone here, but i have to wonder how useful he could be. he’s been playing well for his club. maybe we’ll see him against Mexico.
i think it’s pretty funny that Green isn’t even listed here. i think with JK, Green is always in the conversation whether or not he is playing.
Agreed. If JK brings him in and plays him as a LW and not as LB, he can be dangerous.
100% agree. strictly using him as at LW.
Yeah. Always liked Castillo. He brings…something, though his lack of catch-up speed tended to get him fried as a left back.
With Julian Green not yet emerging and Joe Gyau hurt, nobody has really laid any kind of definitive claim to that left mid spot.Castillo’s a guy I would definitely consider. Strongly.
Another name I’d consider is Teal Bunbury. He really turned my head with the Revs at that spot in the playoffs, especially the way he was doing two-way work there. Like him a lot better as a winger than a forward.
The trouble with Bunbury and Nguyen is based on what I’ve seen this year, Nguyen hasn’t recovered his form after that groin injury yet. And isn’t TB still hurt?.
“he’s been playing well for his club. maybe we’ll see him against Mexico.”
not really he hasn’t, this season has been awful for Castillo and Atlas, several of the goals they have received this year came from his wing.
Castillo was a 90 minute player every week for Atlas as they finished 3rd in the Apertura 2014 and qualified for CL. while their CL campaign only yielded 3 points, he actually did a decent job.
as for saying the current Clausura season has been terrible, i disagree. they sit in 6th. not great, but not terrible. i do agree they have had defensive issues though..a -3 goal difference is bad.
point is, Castillo has performed well enough over a few seasons now that having him as a depth option for the wing is not a bad idea, IMO. i do not want him playing LB, but he brings an attacking quality and speed from a widget position that we simply do not have on the US right now.
*from a WIDE
no idea why i wrote “widget”
Castillo is terrific attacking player, no questions asked. We all know his defense is a problem, which is why he hasn’t been included in any camps since Garza overtook him at the spot.
Problem is, I only see Castillo making this team if Klinsmann either A) Decides to play a back line of 5, which Castillo would exceed at i suspect because he’s perfectly suited for a Wing Back role, or B) JK decides he’s a great impact option to have off the bench if we’re behind in the game, but that’s a whole roster spot based on hypotheticals.
He’s one of my favorite NATS, but i just don’t see it in the cards. But i hope I’m wrong.
Johannsson and Zusi just seem to always have a nagging injury recently and just haven’t been in there best form for awhile. I’m not sure who you replace them with however.
I can agree on Johannsson. However, Zusi was the worst player wearing a USMNT kit at the world cup. And by an incredibly large margin.
The worst player had 2 assists? Brad Davis and Wondo were better?
no, he wasn’t. hyperbole. Zusi had 2 assists. he was certainly in a funk after the WC, but so far this season he is in the top 5 “chances created” in all of MLS. so not terrible.
Zusi’s pretty good. He’s not Champions League quality, whereas I will argue until I’m blue in the face that Clint Dempsey and even Jozy Altidore, in the right situation, are, but Zusi would make a bottom-of-the-table EPL roster, be a lock as a starter in the Championship, and he’s durn good in MLS. But he’s a bottom-of-the-23 player on the USMNT right now…and I think as an outside mid he’ll be surpassed by the likes of Zardes and Darlington Nagbe, when Nagbe gets his citizenship in a few months. Nagbe’s much faster, much more sudden, and much more technical, and Zusi will just plain never have anything like Zardes’ athleticism.
Zusi seems to do quite well against CONCACAF-level competition, but his lack of speed or elite technical ability definitely seem to show up against top Euro or South American sides. People like to describe him as “America’s James Milner”…eh, maybe. Milner is about 20-30 pounds heavier and much stronger on the ball.
quozzel,
Nagbe and have to prove a lot before they beat out Zusi.who generally looks awful but often comes up big when it matters.
Against Switzerland Zardes showed promise but he also showed why he needs more experience before everyone can anoint him as the US soccer’s next great peroxide hope. Athleticism can only take you so far.
As for Nagbe, assuming he transitions well to international soccer, if you have him, Nguyen, Zardes and Gil coming through where do you play him?
Wide left.
We know he can play centrally because he does it in MLS…which speaks volumes to his technical ability and passing. He’s also a demon on the edge because of his speed. What that translates into for the USMNT is job security because Klinsmann demands so much tactical flexibility; he really is going for the “positionless soccer” that Germany played in the World Cup when they essentially lined up with six midfielders who were interchanging positions at will and were all over the field. Sometimes Jurgen wants a winger who can take people on, on the edge, and stretch a defense out with his speed. Sometimes he wants a shuttler who will tuck in and gunk up the middle.
Nagbe can do either – and he’s so polished and technical and clean in possession. Which means, he’s in the 23 the second his citizenship papers clear, and probably in the starting 11 not long after that.
There is no one in the US player pool like Nagbe. He would be invaluable to the US for the fouls he draws alone. The set pieces the US runs under JK are about the only thing that has impressed me about his reign. As long as you have someone on the field who can deliver a dangerous ball, you’re scoring goals with Nagbe in the US XI
Take off your Zusi-hater hat. If Zusi can get healthy then he should be starting, the team desperately needs his crosses from the wing. Oh and he may not have been perfect at the WC but he was clearly one of our top 5 most effective players for the first 60-70 minutes each game.
Leave out Geoff Cameron? Surely, JK, after harping on endlessly about the need for our players to play in Europe and challenge themselves at the highest level, wouldn’t leave out one of the few US players playing consistently in a top 5 league would he? That would be as crazy as leaving the best player in US history off the world cup squad because of a personal grudge.
Keep reading, slow. He’s there.
(I avoided a snarky reading comprehension comment. You’re welcome)
He was responding to the “If he pulls a shocker like leaving Geoff Cameron home, ” comment.
Should I also avoid a snarky reading comprehension comment?
You forgot the part where Klinsman says (while playing the position I need you to play)
Listed as a midfielder.
Read the article. Thanks.
+1
Cameron may not start, but he can play so many different positions, that he is invaluable in plugging holes in case of injury. I just can’t imagine him not making the roster if he’s healthy. Plus, I don’t think he’s ever p.o.’ed Klinsmann..
I’ve always wondered how long until his utility role will work against him; he’s basically viewed as an option/backup for a few positions but not one as a starter.
That’s because he is not the best option at any position but is good enough in a pinch to cover a lot of them.
I’m sure he’d rather be the best center half or the best holding midfielder.
On the other hand he does have job security and longevity.
agreed i guess i meant from Geoff’s perspective he surely wants to play but he might never really get his chance since he’s a jackknife. Im curious if he realizes this and how he feels on that subject. just all out of curiosity.
My feeling is that he is aiming to take over J Jones role as defensive mid. That seems to be where he is playing mostly at Stoke these days.