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Who should the USMNT start vs. Guatemala?

USMNT-Guatemala-1

Tuesday nightโ€™s showdown against Guatemala could have been a match which saw the U.S. Menโ€™s National Team earn a spot in the Hex, but now the game is seemingly a must-win after the team failed to earn any points in Guatemala City.

The USMNT will host the Guatemalans for a second time this month on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio (7 p.m., ESPN2/UniMas/Univision Deportes Network). The Americans currently sit in third in Group C with four points, two points behind second place Guatemala and three points behind Trinidad and Tobago.

Fridayโ€™s 2-0 loss has put the U.S. in a hole heading into the meeting at MAPFRE Stadium, and a few first-choice players will be unavailable to play after suffering injuries. Fabian Johnson and Matt Besler were sent back to their respective clubs following the first game due to injuries, and John Brooks is also out of the picture. Alejandro Bedoya, who remains with the team, is also a question mark for the next qualifier after apparently picking up an injury.

In their place, Klinsmann has called in a familiar face in Sporting Kansas City winger Graham Zusi and 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic.

What lineup will the U.S. coach use on Tuesday vs. Guatemala? Here’s one the USMNT could use:

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”-Dempseyโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“Altidoreโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“

Zardesโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”-Bradleyโ€”โ€”โ€”Beckermanโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”Nagbe

Castilloโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Gonzalezโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Cameronโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Yedlin

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“Guzanโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“

Some thoughts:

Klinsmann tinkered with playersโ€™ positions on Friday, and it proved to be unsuccessful, to say the very least.ย Tuesdayโ€™s game is essentially a must-win now that the U.S. is not in a spot to advance into the fifth and final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. With that in mind, Klinsmann may opt to use some familiar faces in the positions they have been playing in at their clubs.

DeAndre Yedlin, for example, should slot back into the right fullback position instead of playing on the right wing, while Geoff Cameron shifts over to play centerback.

Mix Diskerud, who Klinsmann tried to use as a defensive midfielder behind Michael Bradley, is likely to make way for someone much more suited for that role, like Kyle Beckerman. With no Jermaine Jones, the Real Salt Lake midfielder is the only true defensive midfielder on the roster with experience at the international level. Diskerud has been playing more of an attacking role with New York City FC to start the 2016 MLS season, and that was evident in Fridayโ€™s game.

With Beckerman doing most of the dirty work in the defensive end, Bradley should, in theory, have more room and time to move and create further up the field.

Klinsmann may likely opt to use a different attacking duo up front, bringing on Jozy Altidore for Bobby Wood, but the Dempsey-Wood duo did not do too badly, despite not scoring a goal on the road in the first qualifier of the year. However, Klinsmann trusts Altidore, and in a must-win situation, the Toronto FC forward is likely to get the nod over Wood.

Klinsmann is also expectedย to give Brad Guzan a shot in goal on Tuesday, as the head coach has stated his intention of rotating goalkeepers through the two games.ย Howard’s performance in the first leg was not exactly inspiring, as the soon-to-be Colorado Rapids goalkeeperย saw Guatemala forward Carlos Ruiz slipย a slow shot past him for the second goal of the game. That goal proved to be crucial, as it deflated the Americansโ€™ hopes of a comeback.

What do you think of this projected lineup? Anyone included/omitted that you are hoping is not? Would you stick with this formation or try something else?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The basic problem with the USMNT is that there is too much dribbling and not enough accurate passing. There is a reason why Bradley did not find playing time in Rome. There is a reason why Altidore did not score at Sunderland. There is a reason why there is no person on the team who scores; the team has to have enough defense to keep from losing. When there is defense, there will be trust that the midfield can go forward. These things are really obvious. Until the US team gets rid of its dead wood, no fire can be created among the players. The backline is needing to be much better prepared for what they are supposed to do. Until that happens, the midfield will constantly hang back and the forwards who are supposed to score, rarely get the ball. Dempsey is easily iced by the competition because the team know that D. needs to be cautaued to.

    Reply
  2. Okay, need to get on the road to Columbus in a couple hours, so I had to quickly come on here and post the lineup. Aaron @ SBI, Jurgen is waiting for this so please forward immediately:

    4-3-3

    Dempsey ————– Altidore —————– Wood

    —————- Nagbe———— Nguyen —————
    —————————- Bradley ————————-

    Castillo —— Gonzalez —— Cameron —– Yedlin

    ————————— Guzan —————————-

    My thoughts: We need to dominate possession tonight (like 80-20) and create 20-25 shots. A 3-nil win or even better is what we need right now; not just for the 3 points to have a shot at the Hex but to right the ship and show that Guatemala City was an aberration, not the norm. So we need:

    – Hungry attackers that will keep possession — in this roster, that’s Nagbe and Nguyen (not Zardes and Bedoya)
    – A hold-up 9 — for all his faults, Altidore has improved to the point where he’s the best in the pool at this (not Wood or Wondo or Dempsey)
    – A number 6 that helps create chances from a deep-lying position — that’s Bradley (not Mix or Beckerman)
    – Attacking FBs — that’s Castillo and Yedlin (not Orozco)
    – Experienced CBs that don’t need a true protector at the 6 and are threats on corners and set pieces — that’s Gonzalez and Cameron (not Orozco)
    – A keeper that’s actually had a run of games recently; that’s Guzan (not Howard)

    And I am all for cap-tying Pulisic, ESPECIALLY if we need a goal late. Proven pedigree or not, that kid will be so hungry to impress he will actually take people on every time he touches the ball.

    There. Settled.

    Reply
  3. I like Bradley, but he has struggled since WC 2014. When JK took over the team he did not use Bradley and it became quickly very obvious that the US was a worse team without him.

    He does so many of the little things that you want your teammate to do. He is nearly always available for a pass to bail his teammates out of pressure, he is capable of making great service to the forwards, he works harder than nearly anyone and he is the kind of player that teammates are glad to have on their team.

    That said, he is not a great tackler or one who puts great fear into opponents due to his nastiness, he is not a great dribbler in tight spaces, he tends to play safely first rather than attack first which makes him a less that potent attacking mid.

    I was hopeful that when he moved to Toronto that he would become more assertive attacking-wise, but it fairly quickly became clear that Giovinco would be the attacking force and Bradley would play to support him (that support is probably a reasonf why Giovinco has had such success at Toronto.)

    Reply
    • Klinsman has capped him over 50 times and he’s played in over 10 USMNT games every year since Klinsman took over including Klinsman’s first year with the team. I think all of the praise you give him in the second paragraph has been true at one point or another, but its hard to find those qualities exuded in awhile.

      I think you didn’t watch much of Toronto last year because Giovinco didn’t get a lot of help from Bradley and to be fair didn’t look for any.

      Reply
      • I did watch enough of Toronto to see that Bradley was not the force in attack many of wished he would become there. But, I think, it is unfair to say his support was not important to Gionvinco’s success. Bradley’s role, the one he seems to prefer in any case, was to sit in behind Gionvinco (and Altidore) and provide a bit of safety from behind so that when Gionvinco (or Altidore) took chances up top and failed he was there to help avoid the risk being caught so often in quick counters due to the loss of possession.

        Giovinco is a very talented dribbler and he is very attack-oriented which are wonderful traits to have, but no dribbler is successful all, or even most of the time, so that the player following along behind in support is important to the team’s success, if the dribbler’s loss of possession too often resulted in opportunities for the other team, either he or the coach would begin to limit those risky forays forward and lose the freedom to attack and “make something out of nothing”.

        You can argue that Bradley is too good to be relegated to that kind of support role, but it is the kind of positional good sense and reliability that he has displayed even when he is not having an easy time of it on the field. That mental awareness is something no (or at least very few) US players have and when he was out of the lineup early in JK’s tenure it showed. Beckerman is one of those who has that awareness, but he is not as talented as Bradley. Mix, for example, looks clueless out there and runs around a lot, but…. Dempsey has good sense in attacking, but seems to either be unable to know how support teammates reliably, or simply does not want to (unlikely, at least at a cognitive level). My experience coaching less talented players is that it is not so much “laziness” or lack of effort that is the issue, but rather that awareness or instinctual movement to find a good spot to help the team that was missing.

        All that said, I wish Bradley would become more assertive.

  4. Altidore (Wood)
    Dempsey Bedoya (Wood)
    Bradley Nagbe
    Beckerman
    Castilloโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Gonzalezโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Cameronโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Yedlin

    โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“Guzanโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“

    or
    Altidore Wood)
    Dempsey Wondo
    Bradley Nagbe
    Beckerman
    Castilloโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Gonzalezโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Cameronโ€”โ€“โ€“โ€“โ€“Yedlin
    Howard

    Both line-ups are sort of a 4-3-3, with two attackers sitting behind Altidore(or Wood) and Beckerman sitting in the back, as a defensive midfielder. Keeping the middle tight allows for Yedlin and Castillo to exploit the flanks. If Johnson is healthy (haven’t heard the latest reports) or Brooks, for that matter, then things change. If Altidore is still injured then use Wood. Wondolowski is a great scrap player, as is Dempsey. Sitting behind Altidore they can pick up the scraps. Let Bradley and Nagbe switch pivot up and down the middle, hopefully controlling it and keeping the center of the pitch compact. Nguyen could figure into this if the shape of the line-up changes.

    Zardes is an option later in the match, but his first touch needs some work and at this point, is a liability to me. Bedoya didn’t play his best game, but he has pace, and can play on either side. He should figure into the game at some point.

    Beckerman makes both my line-ups, and honestly I’m not the biggest fan of him. I didn’t think he could adjust to the international speed of the game. He’s more or less, proved me wrong, but if he doesn’t figure into the match, then put Cameron in and insert Besler (if healthy) or Birnbaum into the back four. Or one last line-up putting Bradley in Beckerman’s spot and inserting Nguyen in for him. Bradley has a great work rate and can break up the play and keep it calm and make transition out of the defensive third easier, and keep possession . Otherwise we’ll just clear it up the pitch just to have it come back at us.

    We can control the match, we have the talent, but we gotta keep the middle compact and keep our heads up, No falling asleep in this one. The last match looked like the team was suffering jet-lag or adjusting to a timezone change, …..weird.

    Reply
  5. What is a player going to say in public? That the coach sucks? That he has no clue about preparing a team system? I would love to gather the boys together and say “fellas, you have to perform at a certain level because if you dont, its not my fault. After all , guys , you are professionals” That would make me a great coach, I guess. meanwhile Orozco does not play.Yedlin is horrible at halfback. Why would you embarrass him by putting him there? He is barerly adequate at right back. Bradley is below average ball distributor so you can hide him as a defensive mid at best only. Gonzo is so cumbersome and has such bad ball distribution , he should not even be playing. Cameron plays fullback like a Mastodon but is OK as a defensive centerback , where he plays adequately. If Bedoya played left, at one time, he got moved out of that position for good reason. Thats what training is for. To see who plays best at what single position. Klinsman probably would have played himself at left wing if he were coaching himself because if you can play centerforward. you can play left wing. After all it it is total soccer, right? If Klinsman were coaching Klinsman, he would have quit the team because he was strictly a center forward.

    Reply
    • You have me confused now first you said it was all the coaches fault and now you are pointing out all the deficiencies of our players. I’m going to assume I misunderstood your point. Go USA!

      Reply
  6. You cant ask the new york knicks to play like Golden State. It cant happen. But you can set up a team to be effective within its limitations. NEVER put a player in a place where he is apt to fail. ALWAYS protect the guys playing for you.This is what a good coach does. You cant be what you are not as a player. The JK fantasy is bogus and a cop-out. Please , dont tell the players to suck it up. That just exposes the ignorance of so many regarding how the game is played.

    Reply
    • The only player that hasn’t had success in the position he played was Mix. Bradley has been playing the same position with Toronto, Bedoya has played on the left before, Yedlin had played in the midfield, Orozco and Gonzo have played soccer before although that goal kick defense would suggest otherwise. The coaching staff should take much of the blame, but these are professionals not U13s they need to hold themselves to certain level and if you look at their comments they themselves agree with that.

      Reply
    • I’d just ask this question. What is the position the player was in, that made people first take notice and say they deserve to be on the national team? I think if we just asked that, it’d clear a lot up. Honestly Fabian is really the only player talented enough to play multiple positions at a high level. No one else is so talented they have to be on the field or the best option in a number of places.

      Reply
      • Players play different positions all the time even for clubs, because of injury, fatigue, suspensions. I think Lletget has played 3 different positions of LAG this season and their only 5 games in and none of those were the LM position he played predominantly last year. The truth of the matter is yes Yedlin is not the good at RM, but neither is the next guy or the next guy or the next guy. Nagbe and Nguyen are not wide midfield players. Finlay is very streaky and he’s better when he plays with someone in the middle like Kamara to cross to or to draw away second defenders. So then people say call in a better squad, but really anyone not called in has just as many drawbacks is there someone at home that you can say is significantly better than Player A?

        MLS has diluted the product by expanding and it will only get worse over the next 5 years. I think that will eventually help, but its going to take time to set up academies and really give back to the soccer communities in those areas.

        Players have also made it harder because so many more have taken the opportunity to go to Europe that its no longer easy to judge one player against another. How do you compare the talent of a player in 3rd Tier Germany to a player in Norway, to a player on a bottom feeder MLS team, to a player that scores 15 goals in MLS but plays opposite a European star that sets them up for tap ins all the time.

        If you tried to play everyone in their “natural position” we’d end up playing a 3-2-1-2-1-1 and probably shouldn’t line up anyone within 15 yards of the sidelines.

      • Club situation is very different because you’re with your teammates every day building an understandings between players. However you really don’t have that in a national team camp and it’s clear guys just don’t look comfortable on the field. Players need to know there role in the team.

        If the team were playing well then fine, play your best 11 players and throw them on the field anywhere. However right now it’s clearly not.

  7. _____________Dempsey_______________

    Zardes_____________________Bedoya____

    _____Bradley______________Nagbe______
    _____________Beckerman_______________
    Castillo______________________Yedlin_____
    _______Gonzalez_____Cameron__________
    ______________Howard_________________

    Reply
  8. It seems to me that Bingham is the best goalie right now. Guzan is on a losing team and Howard should not have played the first game. His reactions were slow. At least one of those two goals would have been saved by Bingham. In general I get the feeling that the backline is really not compatible. They may be good individually, but as a group they are not what I perceive as the solution. Wondolowski would be a better defender than Castillo. The Guatemala goal from the corner kick should not have happened. Where were the defenders? They are supposed to stand in each corner next to the goal posts. Both Dempsey and Altidore are highly overrated.

    Reply
  9. Here’s what I’d like-
    Wondo
    Nguyen Nagbe Zusi
    Bradley Cameron
    Castillo Birnbaum Gonzo Yedlin
    Guzan

    Subs- Jozy/Wondo, Dempsey/Nagbe, Pulisic/Nguyenz

    Im not a huge Wondo fan, but when was the last time anyone said he looked lazy on the pitch(like the pundits said about Dempsey), and he’s just got that knack for being in the right place at the right time. I also believe he has the competitive edge we lacked on Friday. And even though he’s only got a few first team minutes for Dortmund, Pulisic looks like the real deal to me.

    Reply
  10. Don’t play Nagbe on the right. He has to be in center, either as a sub or starter. He drifts into middle when he gets played out wide or stays wide and never gets the ball.

    Assuming no injuries and different player pool lineup should be
    http://www.futhead.com/16/squads/11443657/
    Based on current pool vs Gua I like Bryans lineup. Don’t think Dempsey should start but best option so far imo

    Reply
  11. So many people suggesting for either Nguyen and/or Nagbe to start. I mean, I know we’re just fans and all, but having this many people in agreement HAS to mean something, right??

    Reply
  12. not a fan of the lineup in the article. given Bedoya’s injury, what i would love to see (but won’t), 4-1-2-3:

    —Wood———-Jozy——-Dempsey—
    ———-Nagbe———Lee—————-
    ——————Bradley———————
    Castillo—-Cameron–Omar——-Yedlin
    ——————–GK————————-

    and before someone says Dempsey isn’t a winger, not only has played wider for Seattle this year, i can only do so much with plain text. look for Castillo and Yedlin to provide width.

    Reply
    • We had this convo the other day. No way should Omar be involved. We don’t need 75 long balls played over the top, awful ones at that.

      Reply
    • i just want guys that are going to press and force Guatemala into mistakes. So many times Wood would press and Guatemala would just pass through it because Dempsey was walking back. We could just never really keep the pressure on them and overwhelm them as we should be able to.

      Reply
  13. Altidore and Dempsey on top. Zardes on the left, Nagbe on top of Bradley in the middle, and Bedoya on the right(Zusi if he can’t go). Then Castillo at left back, Cameron and Gonzo in the middle(Gonzo should have a good bounce back game, he isn’t as bad as he was on Friday), then Yedlin at right back, with a defensively responsible winger like Bedoya or Zusi he should be fine.

    Reply
  14. I’ve been a fan for over two decades. We need a purge.

    JK Out
    Dempsey Out
    Wondo Out
    Jones Out
    Jozy Out
    Beckerman Out

    Add Bradley, Bedoya and Wood to the u23’s and let the new kids figure it out.

    Reply
    • That would be putting your team playing the Copa America in June, using mostly the same team for the Olympics in Mid August and then having to win two qualifiers the first few days of September. Sounds good on paper, but wouldn’t be real great in reality, think about how poor most of the WC players did when they came back to MLS after Brazil was over, too much miles on the legs.

      And if we don’t make the Olympics you want to go with a bunch of kids who could be Honduras U23s as our full national team?

      Reply
      • We are quaking in our boots at the thought of Carlos Ruiz making it to Columbus in time for the match. Im willing to make a change now rather than allowing this lunacy to continue.

      • The only quaking anyone is feeling about Ruiz making it to Columbus is from the earth shaking under his feet.

  15. after the last game we clearly need to possess the ball and control the midfield. i’d like to see this
    —jozy—
    zardes/zusi—nguyen–nagbe—zusi/finlay
    ——-bradley——
    castillo — birnbaum — cameron — yedlin
    ——-howard——-

    zusi and zardes both have shown they will put in work tracking back, let Bradley sit where he is comfortable and lets see how nagbe and nguyen create. If jozy isn’t fit put wood up there. Get a 5 goal lead and cap tie pulisic.

    Reply
  16. Wondo
    Zusi – Nguyen – Wood
    Beckerman-Nagbe
    Castillo-Birnbaum-Cameron-Yedlin
    Guzan

    I know not exactly Wood’s ideal position, but let’s face it most of the time on Friday our wing players could push up and this would make it more of a 4-3-3 anyway. Give Wondo a shot he excels in this types of ugly games if it doesn’t work sub in Jozy or Dempsey at half. I’d be tempted to put Gonzo in at CB and push Cameron to Becks spot, but I don’t trust the back line without him. Bradley showed no desire to tackle or really defend anyone on Friday his set pieces were awful and the only passes he completed were backwards that’s not what I’m looking for in DM. And to be clear Nagbe is playing in front of Beckerman running into and attacking the space between Nguyen and the wings not playing DM.

    I think we’ll see what the author suggested above with the exception of someone for Altidore and I think Nguyen instead of Nagbe.

    Reply
  17. Regardless of the result tomorrow, it’s well past time to send Gulati’s Folly (JK) packing. That would give his successor a reasonable amount of time to prepare for both Copa Cent. & resumed WCQ in the fall.

    Reply
    • Totally agree if its not Wednesday its not until 2018 or qualifying fails. It gives the next coach a couple of warm ups and the Copa before the final two and now important qualifiers in September. CONCACAF has moved the Hex up it now starts in November instead of Feb. as in recent qualifications. So for those who suggest change at that time you’d have a new coach coming in with no warm up games and just two months on the job, coaching his first game in the Hex.

      Reply
  18. he should start whoever the #%*$ is ready to man up and play. you can’t put this lackluster start all on the coach. time to get a result and get back on track.

    Reply
    • Thank you. It’s time to kick a$$ and take names. I don’t care where you play, this is for a chance to represent your effing country in the World Cup, the premier sporting event in the world. If you can’t play your hardest for this, you shouldn’t be a professional athlete. Anyone playing should have total concentration for 90 minutes and push their bodies to the limit. And that, my friends, was the main difference between Guatemala and the US the last game.

      Reply
  19. We’ll never see it because too many guys would be in positions they play for their clubs but . . .

    ————-Wood—–Altidore/Dempsey

    —————-Nguyen

    ——–Nagbe——–Bedoya

    —————Bradley

    Castillo–Cameron–Omar—-Yedlin

    Reply
    • I wish people would read the article before they published their preferred lineup. One guy wants FJohnson to play, you want Bedoya, somebody I think called for Brooks, and so on. Brooks and F Johnson are back in Germany by now and Bedoya is also likely out. Please pay attention.

      Reply
      • This lineup doesn’t have FJ or Brooks, and the story lists Bedoya as a “question mark” (not as “definitely out”) because he “apparently” picked up an injury.

      • Excuse me Gary. I took the article to mean that Bedoya was questionable for the game because he apparently suffered an injury. Considering that “this is for a chance to represent your effing country in the World Cup, the premier sporting event in the world,” and knowing that one of Bedoya’s most redeeming traits is his tenacity and commitment, I thought Bedoya may be willing to “push [his] bod[y] to the limit.” I’ll be sure to pay more attention in the future before stating my preferred lineup.

  20. Anything less than a convincing win and Klinsmann should be dismissed immediately after the game. The program has come too far since 1990 to see results like we have seen in the past two years. We have never had a coach in the past this autocratic, inflexible and egocentric. A wishy-washy win should be grounds for dismissal, as should a tie. Should we lose on home soil, we probably won’t make the hex and we will be back in the dark ages of American soccer. If that happens, I would hope that the fans storm the field and rip Klinsmann limb from limb and throw his body parts into cages at the Columbus zoo.

    Reply
    • Everyone knows you were being sarcastic, but when you advocate dismemberment and feeding the coach to animals at a zoo, a sarcastic response of seeking mental help is appropriate.

      Reply
    • Anything less than a convincing win and Klinsmann should be dismissed immediately after the game.

      Sensible and reasonable take.

      Should we lose on home soil, we probably wonโ€™t make the hex and we will be back in the dark ages of American soccer.

      Sensibility showing signs of fading. Hyperbolic but still an understandable take.

      If that happens, I would hope that the fans storm the field and rip Klinsmann limb from limb and throw his body parts into cages at the Columbus zoo.

      Sensibility has eroded and medication has completely worn off. DLOA is absolutely right.

      Reply
      • Setting aside my colorful suggestions for the termination of Klinsmann, how is it hyperbole to suggest that we won’t make the hex with a loss and that the failure to make the hex would not set us back to the dark ages? Do the math. T&T is almost certain to win tomorrow, putting them on 10 points. If we lose again, Guatemala is on 9 and we are stuck on 4 with 2 games remaining. Even if we win both (which we may) the bed we can get to is 10. Guatemala is likely to dispatch SVG, leaving them at 12 and us unable to reach them. Then, all that needs to happen is for T&T to draw Guatemala, which we all know can be arranged.

        Sorry that you guys are all so tied to a guy with no coaching credentials to speak of. A guy who was fired after less than a season at Bayern. Sure, he took the Herman National team to the semis in 2006, but that was no major accomplishment coming at home and it being the German national team (the players have subsequently mocked Klinsmann in public as incompetent).

    • Haha exactly. William, You’re more than welcome to have which ever opinion but when drawn and quartering a coach over A GAME is mentioned (hopefully hyperbolically) then I am warranted to a hyperbolically sarcastic response. At no point did I say your opinion wasn’t valid (or invalid).

      Have a great day!!!!!

      You ARE somebody!!!!!!!

      Self hugs!!!!

      Reply
  21. Dempsey is lazy which hurts the field of play, momentum, and possession. Ignore his “mad-genius” type skills, his lack of work ethic is unbelievable at the international level. Lots of times when the USA has momentum….he let’s a silly foul happen when he doesn’t have to. That is so pick-up game-esque.

    Zardes is either a holding forward or on the field to defend. His first touch is atrocious so the holding aspect hurts him.

    The U-23 defenders looked good, Parker and Miazga.

    My line up:

    ————–Wood (Jozy)————-
    Nagbe(Zardes if we get ahead)———– Nguyen ————–Hyndman (Pulisic to cap tie)
    ——————-Bedoya (Fabian normally) ————————Bradley——–
    Castillo (Why didn’t we call up Garza here?)—— Birnbaum—— Cameron——- Yedlin
    ————–GK (omg, someone who can pass out of the back for god’s sake)—–===

    Reply
    • You forgot to mention that Dempsey dives more than all of Serie A and rolls around on the ground which is something that the US has never really done in the past. And most Americans are very proud of that.

      Reply
  22. How about Bradley in his best position – in front of the defense? How about a creator in front of him, like Nagbe or Nguyen? How about playing guys in positions where they can thrive? Is that asking too much? Mixx in front of the defense? Cameron at RB? Yedlin at RW? Orozco at CB, when his most natural position this year has been DNP? I am out of patience. JK has taken every benefit of every doubt and shredded it. He reveals new levels of “huh?” every time out.

    Reply
  23. I was about to complain about Bradley โ€” he’s been terrible since the World Cup, to be honest. But really, that’s mislaid blame. It’s Klinsmann. I have been a huge supporter of Jurgen, and I admired the more attractive soccer that the team started to play under his watch. But it has just fallen apart. It’s truly fascinating, but I think this team hates playing for him. I get what he was after with the Donovan exclusion, and at the time, I was all for it. (Or willing to entertain it.) That was his gambit. But he failed. The team did not evolve, and he may have killed the old identity, but no new identity has emerged.
    Klinsmann is done on Wednesday if the US doesn’t get a convincing result. And even if we do, I think he needs to step down.

    Reply
    • He’s the captain of the team, which meant something to guys like Boca, Reyna and even Dempsey, but it doesn’t appear to mean much to Bradley since it was given to him last year. His body language and indifferent defending not to mention his three to four shots he takes from 30 yards out while the forwards are making unmarked runs can all be blamed on JK. JK said to him hey you’ve played in 3 out of the top 4 leagues in the world, played with and against the top players in the world, go be our best player and run our offense. Bradley’s response seems to be “No I kind of suck and I really wish my dad was still hear so I’m going run around and not tackle and not get into any passing lanes and just pass the ball back to the CBs so my stats look good.”

      Klinsman’s time should be up, but to give Bradley a pass because Klinsman tried to give him more responsibility while piling on tons of praise and encouragement seems silly.

      Reply
      • Re: Bradley

        I’m beginning to suspect there are injury issues with Bradley that we don’t know about. Guy has played so hard so long it’s hard to believe motivation could be an issue. For me, his touch has not been the same since before the WC 2014. Can’t help but wonder if he never fully recovered from whatever injury required the foot surgery. Also, despite being just shy of 30, he has put ALOT of miles in over a career that started when he was 16? I think.

      • Jb: I brought up the miles issue last summer. With the exception of his injury in Costa Rica he played in almost every national team game for quite a few years. Despite playing in Europe he came in for almost every friendly schedule in the US. He’s never been a great tackler, but his speed did get him into passing lanes, now he does neither, which I think limits him as a DM if that’s the route he goes.

    • This is a very good summary. I too was excited about the beginning of the JK era. I was patient with the initial experimenting, and we were largely rewarded with a 2-3 yr dominance over Mexico, some 1st-ever friendly victories over European powers, and finally a decent showing at the world cup, getting out of a very difficult group. Since then, however, the results haven’t been there. And that makes all the little idiosyncrasies look less like the tinkering of a absent-minded genius, and more like the desperate scramble of a clueless coach who secretly lacks confidence in his players.

      US Soccer made a tremendous mistake in making Klinsmann technical director in addition to coach. These are separate positions for a reason. Having any one person do both negates any check-and-balance. Now we are stuck with the current regime for another two years, or we are stuck paying two head coaches at the same time (if JK is fired).

      Reply
    • I don’t believe that the old identity has died. It’s just been rebranded under JK. That Gold Cup final against Mexico could have easily been coached by BB. Bunkered down defending mixed in with timely counterattacks โ€“ that was his trademark.

      Reply
  24. Zardes in the midfield… I think we know that’s a futile exercise. I don’t understand why we would keep attempting that. Dude’s a forward. Play him there or don’t play him.
    Also, why not play Bradley at d-mid? He’s playing there (and well) for his club. Guat doesn’t really bring some attack that is going to cause much issue defensively. Bradley as the 6 or 8 is much better than Bradley the 10.
    Not everybody loves this, but I’d much prefer Zusi on the wing over Zardes because he has much better understanding of his defensive responsibilities… and a first touch that is usually pretty alright. With Castillo and Yedlin as the FBs, there will be some importance for the wingers to help a bit defensively.

    Reply
    • โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”Woodโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“
      โ€”-Zusiโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”Nguyenโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”-Finlayโ€”
      โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“Nagbeโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€“Bradleyโ€”โ€”
      โ€”Castilloโ€”Birnbaumโ€”โ€”Cameronโ€”โ€”โ€”Yedlinโ€”
      โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”-Guzanโ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”

      -Been awhile since I’ve seen a good full 90 minutes from Dempsey. Many times in the last match Wood was pressing alone, with Dempsey walking back.
      -Not sure if Jozy is ready for 90,
      -I thought Wood looked to Dempsey to often, he needs to take his shot in this one.
      -not an ideal line up but I think they should still do a job

      Reply
    • this isnt crazy at all, Zardes at anything but forward isnt good, he doesnt have the technical ability to link up with anyone, he is a downhill player.

      Last game he and Yedlin ended up on the same side, which shut down that side to any attack as 1 of the 2 would need to complete a pass and receive down that wing to get in the final 3rd.

      Reply
    • San Jose would tend to disagree with you Zardes dropping a brace on them two weeks ago while playing midfield. He’s played midfield in all 5 of Galaxy’s competitive matches this season, so it would be the absolute worst managing decision ever to not play him exactly where he plays for his club.

      Reply
      • Only after San Jose went down a man and Zardes was pushed forward in the second half, when he scored the 2 goals.

      • Now now if I’ve learned anything from SBI posters all that matters is were a player starts and it should always be wherever they play for their club because that is their natural position.

        I think Zardes has some struggles as winger as well, but anytime he starts at forward you see half the people complain he should be a wing because he has a terrible first touch or his finishing isn’t good enough. Perhaps, that’s more an indication he shouldn’t start at all.

    • While people like to bash Zardes here, they overlook some salient facts. He is faster than Nagbe, Ngyuen, Zusi, Bedoya and any other winger except maybe for F Johnson or Yedlin. He can get behind defenses, get to the back line and is adept at passing back to the middle of the field for strikers to run onto the ball. He has a very good work rate, plays hard on defense, and in his last game with the Galaxy showed the ability to make a good cross, making a perfect cross to Magee (not the only example I can point to, just the most recent). I have seen at least 90% of all the games Zardes has played and suspect some of his critics just haven’t seen enough of him.

      Reply
  25. Based on the players available I’d suggest going with something along the following for this must win game…..

    ——————————————-Wood——————————–
    —-Zardes———————Nguyen————————-Bedoya—-
    ——————–Nagbe——————–Bradley————————
    —Castillo———-Birnbaum———-Cameron—————Yedlin—
    ————————————-Guzan————————————-

    Subs: Finlay, Jozy, TBD

    Reply
  26. This looks like the best possible lineup available. Hopefully JK gives Cameron the start at CB that gives the backline some confidence going into the match. Also, Wood provides a solid attacking option off the bench.

    Reply
  27. Since I wasn’t able to watch the last match on beIN Sports, I’m more interested in seeing how the players carry themselves. With so much on the line, this match is going to reveal a lot about the locker room. If the players come out flat, play uninspired and fail to spark any performance befitting of wearing the national team kit then Klinsmann should be removed Wednesday morning.

    Should a change occur, I’m undecided if a names like Jason Kries, Caleb Porter or Peter Vermes are strong enough change agents to alter the course of this underwhelming player pool our current selection is within.

    Personally, I don’t care who is selected at this point. I guess I’m pretty apathetic at this point, but I’m just a fan – not a player. There’s no excuse for an uninspired performance at this point.

    Reply
    • We arguably should stop worrying about career coaches who might feel hemmed in and thus not willing to change things enough, etc., not to mention feel the temptation to prove their tactical genius. I’ve been saying for a while that USMNT is not a club, and national teams don’t play sophisticated tactics like club teams. But they have their own challenges. We need a former USMNT player who understands what the identity of the team used to be and could be, who understands CONCACAF, who would have the immediate respect of the pool, and who would not feel as much pressure because, hey, win or lose it would only be a couple-year gig anyway.

      There’s some pretty good coaches who first cut their teeth at the national team level.

      Reply
      • I think one of our biggest gripes with Klinsmann has been his failure to evolve the identity and style of play for the USMNT.

        I think it’s revisionist history to not recall the apathy and discontent a lot of fans were feeling after Bob Bradley (aka Bunker Bob) tenure. I absolutely loved that guy and I think he’s a great leader of men, but overwhelmingly people were calling for a style/substance change. This talk of identity of what we used to be is what we tried (and failed) to move away from, but there was a reason we were trying to evolve from it.

        We need a former USMNT player who understands what the identity of the team used to be and could be, who understands CONCACAF, who would have the immediate respect of the pool, and who would not feel as much pressure because, hey, win or lose it would only be a couple-year gig anyway.

        So…who?

      • I’d start an expedited interview process with Boca. He’s in the country and I think he would jump at it, if offered.

        Regarding identity, I think we have to first make sure we all mean the same things by the word. When I’m talking about it, I’m referring to our ability to pull together in, granted, a defensive approach, and create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. We don’t have a pool of players as skilled as the sides that get seeded for the finals. We probably won’t for a long time. We arguably aren’t too much more skilled than we’ve been for decades – the pool is somewhat wider, but not much deeper. Yet in the past few decades we have a heck of a track record of exceeding expectations.

        The last couple years, we have actually played below expectations, both in style and results, on multiple occasions. The total has been less than the sum of the parts. Some things we took for granted for years, like determination and grit, seem gone (unless provided by the German-born Jones).

        I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel like the USMNT anymore.

      • Paul, Berhalter and Kries would also fit your desire for forming Nat players. I am not sure Boca would have the correct coaching certifications at this point, I know Scheclotto was barred from coaching in Italy because of UEFA rules, but Concacaf I’m sure has a different set of rules. I’m not against Boca, he just took on a job as technical director for Atlanta FC so he may not be as interested as some think. Its also hard when he has played with some of the older players on the roster, will he be able to move them on or will he hold on to his former teammates past their usefulness. That’s a tough position for any first time coach to be in.

        As far style goes, that defensive gritty style was, as I’ve said a couple times this week, very dependent on Donovan and his pace and skill down the wings along with a ball winner like McBride. When in trouble loft it down field and let McBride knock it down to a countering Donovan to release the pressure. LD was able to either score himself or send in crosses to guys like Dempsey to run onto. With that ability to test the backline of the opponent that “bunkering” style can’t get the ball out of the back, see USA vs Mexico in October.

        Finally, I think there is a very solid group between ages 17 and 22 that can play more of an attractive style, although they haven’t had overwhelming results as individual teams if you slot U17s, U20s, and U23s together in 5 years the pieces come together quite well. That’s a big if though we thought the Bradley, Adu, Altidore, generation looked great during their youth performances too, but injury (Gyau, Gatt) poor club choices and ability ceilings (Zizzo and Sztela come to mind) brought those hopes to a premature end.

      • Good point about whatever certifications CONCACAF might require. I don’t know what those are.

        Berhalter might be a good fit. I’m not sure Kreis has enough USMNT experience. I would prefer a former player who has been through all stages of qualifying as a regular for the team. I know Kreis has some caps, but I don’t think you could call him a regular. The point is someone that could get even the veterans like Dempsey and Bradley to listen,

        The Germans have been doing this for a while – pull a former national team star with little to no experience, and out of the chute give him the Mannschaft. It can work (Beckenbauer, and Klinsmann for that matter), but it has to be a name that will garner immediate respect from current all-star pros. If it does work, that guy goes on to big-name teams. If it doesn’t, he slips away.

    • I have been thinking about this issue today. I wonder if Klinsmann is too rah, rah and not tough enough on the players. We have no idea what goes on in the locker room, but he should have put them on notice at half time and not waited too long to make changes. Sir Alex Ferguson was famous for his “hair dryer” and not even super stars were immune. I would have been in their faces and even challenging their manhood at half time and I am generally a mild mannered, easy going guy. They need to be reminded that they were playing for their country and the millions of people back home who were terribly disappointed in them.

      When watching the Germany vs. England game the other day I was really struck by Twellman’s commentary. What struck me was that he was going on about all these nuances of who played the #9 and all this stuff about tactics and it struck me that in watching hundreds of games over several different networks with dozens of color commentators from many different countries, only Americans like Twellman pay a lot of attention to this issue. I think Twellman pointed out, himself, that Germany played the last WC with 4 CB’s. And, of course, Spain won the WC with basically 6 midfielders and no strikers. In the Italy vs. France game the announcers mentioned that the Italian coach said that he wanted multiple players who played multiple positions. And with the death of Cruyff I was reminded that the whole point of total football is to have players who can play both defense and offense and switch from one to another in a moment’s notice. When I think about the great coaches/managers in all sports, the vast majority weren’t known for their tactics and, in fact, some like Lombardi in football and Wooden in basketball, pretty much ignored them. Successful coaches establish a good system and get their players to execute it as well as possible. In short, I think a lot of people are missing the big problem with Klinsmann. He is not getting the right players or the players aren’t doing the job well enough in executing. When you let Carlos Ruiz score that 2nd goal (and Omar used to play with him, for God’s sake) you have a serious failure. Their heads were up their a$$es instead of in the game. I read an article about a week ago about a very successful high school coach in the LA area who said he basically coaches/teaches them in practice, sets the bullet points for the team before a game and then let’s them play. This is not an unusual approach for managers. In short, I think the problem may be that Klinsmann is not holding the players accountable rather than his tactics or even where he plays his players. It’s not like many of these players haven’t already played a lot of different positions before. For example I read the other day a poster said that Bedoya played centrally for Nantes. Well, only the last 6 months; for the first 2 years at Nantes he played winger. Cameron has played dozens of games or more at both RB and CB and played about half a season at defensive mid. Dempsey has played more games at left wing than anywhere else, and so on.

      As for this roster, for about 3 years I have maintained that Mixx was over rated and Klinsmann needs to stop calling him in. While I think JK was correct in putting Yedlin on the wing 6 months or so ago, that was because he wasn’t playing for Sunderland and his defense was suspect. Now that he is playing regularly and doing well, he belongs back at RB. As i have written before, it was a big mistake to not bring Danny Williams in because he should be playing instead of Beckerman, although Beckerman should be okay for one game against Guatemala. But, moving forward, we need to stop playing Beckerman. If Guatemala bunkers as I suspect, then maybe we bring in Nguyen for Beckerman. Otherwise, I think the SBI projected lineup looks pretty good to me.

      Reply
      • Good read.

        They need to be reminded that they were playing for their country and the millions of people back home who were terribly disappointed in them.

        This is my exact sentiment. We fire Jurgen: then what? Tactics and player positions is certainly a valid criticism, but these are grown ass men. If they display any indication they need a manager to inspire their play or get them up for this game we have the wrong captain and wrong players.

        I remember feeling the exact same way shortly before Bradley was fired. I think there’s a lot of parrallels with the team looking flat, uninspired (manager fatigue) and player selection criticism.

      • I like Dempsey on the left. He doesn’t stay there, but from there floats and overloads the center. It works so long as he backed by a good, mobile defender.

        Cruyff was of course the captain (and field general) for Ajax and the Dutch when Michels instituted total football. Remember the Dutch team basically was Ajax, which meant they could take relatively sophisticated club tactics into international play.

      • I have been thinking about that performance a lot over the past couple days. and Jurgen’s tactics. At the end of the day, I have no idea. Sometimes they just look like a U-14 team with the stupid mistakes (and it goes all the way back to 2010 when they were giving up tons of goals to everyone). I don’t think it is a position thing either. Soccer is not that hard of a sport… its not baseball with the statistical craziness, or basketball where there is a 7Ft. dude and he just can’t play point guard… More or less everyone not named messi or crouch is between 5’9″ and 6’3/4″ and could theoretically play anywhere. Now experience has something to do with it, but at the end of the day Soccer is kind of like hockey… you just have to have a feel for it… and that is what I failed to see with our players. Oroszco and Gonzo just didn’t have a feel for the game as they let Ruiz run behind them… Ruiz, of course has a perfect feel for it and for when guys aren’t paying attention to him.

        and that is what I see… despite Jurgen’s best efforts, I see guys who just don’t have a feel for soccer. Dempsey has it (and because of that will be able to play until he is 40), Howard used to have it, Landon had it, Bradley got it for a moment when he was still playing in Rome, but its gone now (as is his passing accuracy), Wood has it, Cameron seems to, Yedlin might be getting that feel, but Mix… nope, zardes, nope, Altidore… jury is out, but I’m leaning to nope, and the result is disjointed possession with no purpose, and lots of bad luck because guys are stretching. Whenever I watch the US guys play with my Italian family, we are always throwing things at the TV when the US has possession because they have no feeling for when to press, when not to… when to beat your man, when to boot it forward, and when to hold possession (Gonzo, Orozco, I’m looking at you right now)… and this is still a much improved US team in many respects. We were all impressed with their passing ability, which is much better than it used to be under Bradley… but what to do with it? Aside from 4-5 unbelievable scoring chances (which should all have been scored Im looking at you Wood, Be-choka, and dempsey) there was no sustained pressure because there is no judgment on possession vs. go for goal… its always 100 miles an hour. and then a brain fart. When I watch good teams play, they can sustain pressure on a defense for 10 minutes at a time, sometimes an entire half… then eventually the goal goes in. I have seen spain sustain pressure for 75 minutes before going ahead. The US players don’t have enough feel… maybe patience… to do that. and that is what I took away from this game.

      • Tukmen: Agree with almost everything you said. I think its just easier to bash Klinsman (and Bradley before him) and to a lesser extent the players. Basically, if its the coaches fault we can fix that with one change well two because I lot of people want Gulatti gone too. The players, it only takes 2 or 3 guys and boom we are going again. But to develop the understanding you are talking about could take a really long time and people aren’t willing to put up with that. As US soccer fans we now can see the promise land so to speak from our successes over the past 15 years and we don’t want to go back to obscurity, we want the best athletes in America to be soccer players and games to be on network tv not cable channels that no one gets. I have hope for the next generation as some of them as individuals play very attractive soccer, but I fear as MLS continues to dilute and expand its product and bring in older foreign stars in order to make money that another group will be left with the bunker counter option or nothing else.

  28. no mention of Lee Nguyen – that is weird considering how well he and Nagbe linked up in a prior friendly. Plus, he is better at direct kicks and service to the forwards than Zardes. Guatemala did not out run us, they outplayed us. Need play makers to get ball behind 10 defenders

    Reply
    • AMEN. Nguyen needs to be in the startling lineup somewhere: though i’d prefer to see him in the central attacking role, i definitely think he’s an upgrade over Bedoya, Zusi, Zardes etc at outside mid.

      Reply
      • To be fair that’s the only season he’s scored a lot of goals and he’s 29 so he’s had some chances. Unless you’re counting his 12 goals for Hoang Anh Gia Lai as a lot of goals in the Vietnamese League 1. He has 55 career professional goals and 20 of them came in 2014, only 7 last year.

    • I too am a believer in Lee and think he should start over Bradley at AM. I just don’t get the endless loyalty for Bradley? He has been nothing but average at best for over a year. He should be done as a starter and would be if he was playing for anybody else but JK.

      The projected lineup is a formula for loss #2 since Bradley will not create anything

      Reply
    • We are waste time to discuss this topic, JK has his own way to line up players. The way we see was and will never in-line with him at all. Also, he never listen fans or experts voices. I still hope whatever his line up is the Win in Columbus will help us go back the WC track. God bless USMNT

      Reply
  29. Let’s face it Wondo has been able to score more goals in MLS than any other US player over the last 6 years. He is probably now on the down-side of his career, but he is still tied for the lead in MLS goals this year among US elegible players. Only Wood has a better, recent scoring record than Wondo (you can argue about B-2 relative to MLS, but it is not much different).

    Neither Bradley nor JK gave Wondo 90 minute games (and when JK did, he scored). It is a travesty that the genius coaches have not seen fit to give Wondo the time he has earned.

    Reply
    • Dennis, the genius coaches haven’t given more time to your man crush Wondo because they know (as almost everyone else in the world knows) that while he may be a great goal scorer in MLS he has been very poor at the international level. I responded to one of your previous posts (Pulisic & Zusi joining the team) to show you exactly why Wondo is not good enough to be with the USMNT. Wondo is another player who performs for his club but cannot at the international level.

      Reply
      • While generally I agree with you that Wondo isn’t exactly international quality, he can can be useful in these types of games for two reasons. First, you can argue that Guatemala doesn’t have better talent than the average MLS side, meaning this is the level of competition he can produce against. Second, it is undeniable the passion he plays with and his intensity. Both of those things were sorely missing in the previous game from the U.S. I’d rather have someone on the field playing with that passion than a disinterested Dempsey. I’d be fine with Wondo starting in this game, if for nothing else to send a message to the rest of the team.

      • I see what you are saying but we need 3 points right now. Guatemala started a FC Dallas right back that isn’t even making there bench at center back. Maybe this is just the kind of match Wondo would thrive in.

      • That can’t possibly be true you can’t start a RB as a CB and a defender in midfield and win, you must only play players in their club position and only if they start most of their teams games. These Guatemala coaches are clowns.

        But I’d still give Wondo a shot.

      • You can count the number of 90 minute games Wondo has had for the US on 2 fingers. To say he has not been given a fair chance is an understatement.

    • This is exactly the kind of opponent Wondo should start against. He may not be the top international talent we have, but he can do what he does best against Guatemala — score goals.

      Reply
    • Wondo is basically a poacher. He’s not the kind of player who will get behind defenses or score from distance. While Dempsey doesn’t have great speed, both he and Jozy have shown a better ability from scoring from outside the box, something we will need since I’m sure they will be bunkering in. Also, I suspect Dempsey is better in the air than Wondo. I can’t recall Wondo as being adept in the air while Dempsey has been, which is also important in a game where the defense, which is not very big, is packing it in.

      Reply
      • Actually if you watch Wondo,in a game, he is constantly moving as the ball moves to take up a better position to receive the ball and score. Most of that effort goes unrewarded, but when someone spots him or the ball simply finds him in a good spot it pays off. You are right that he is not a player who sits up front and waits for long balls to counter off, or a player who can pick up the ball 30 yards out and beat 3 or 4 defenders to have a go at goal. But what he does is more effective and under-appreciated by most observers.

        Mike Magee is another player who does that, that is a reason Robbie Keane thought Magee should have been seriously considered for the 2014 US WC team.

    • Exactly. In my opinion I think that Bradley and klinsman have no idea how to play wondo. Wondo needs a good midfield or passes to score. The games he has not scored in let’s admit the mid was playing terrible. he is really good at putting the ball in a dangerous area for the keeper to not block it. Which is why he kills it in the mls. Most of his goals are from assist. Although he can score every once in a while from distance or by himself. He is not that player that can just get in the game instantly and wow the crowd with fancy skills or good pace. He is going to come in barely touch the ball make couple passes let the midfield do most of the work. Then when he gets himself in a good position and a decent cross its a goal. His world cup goal miss was a perfect example of why he needs to play a full 90 min match. I can tell wondo was still warming up. He doesn’t miss those that bad. If he would have played the full game and got a couple shots at goal he would have drained that puppy in.

      Reply
  30. Guessing Jurgen’s lineups, because he plays so many players out of position, is ultimately an effort in futility.

    Reply
    • Hard to say, right? He looks lazy and downright awful for loooooong periods of time, but then comes up with something amazing out of nowhere. I go back and forth but, this time, I am thinking he is the type to use that loss and motivation and step it up tomorrow. I would like to see him start again, but I hear you.

      Reply
    • Agreed. Dempsey showed signs of disappearing in last year’s Gold Cup but still could put some goals in. If he can’t score any goals, the rest of his game has no redeeming qualities and he is useless on the pitch.

      Reply
      • “put in some goals” in the gold Cup. Well, yeah, more than anyone else in the tournament. He had a bad game, but he is still our best striker

      • Dempsey has always had very lazy tendencies. When he is playing poorly they will drive you nuts (they do me…). He needs to be more than just a scorer who drops his head in frustration when he blows it for this team to succeed.

  31. “With that in mind, Klinsmann may opt to use some familiar faces in the positions they have been playing in at their clubs.” That would be nice but we have close to 5 years of experience with JK that suggests otherwise.

    Reply
      • Since we’re talking about people starting out of their usual position, maybe we can start an equipment manager as coach?

    • Yeah, pretty much. I am all for experimenting to a degree (playing players in positions you feel best versus where their club plays them as well as calling up particular players (or not calling up players that many would like to see). But, when you consistently underperform due to that experimentation, something needs to change. Granted, the players themselves can’t be left off the hook either, but I feel like a system where everyone is comfortable allows them to play with more freedom, which in turn plays to their strengths.

      In any case, I would like to see something of the following given our current crop to be selected:

      ————Wood———-Dempsey————-
      ——————–Nguyen————————-
      Nagbe————————————-Zardes
      ——————–Bradley————————
      Castillo—–Gonzo——Cameron——Yedlin
      ———————-Guzan————————

      Subs: Pulisic (LW), Altidore (FW), and Bedoya/Finaly (CM/RW)

      I think Zardes is better on the right in order to track back more for Yedlin, which should allow him some freedom to bomb down the right hand side into attacking areas. While I am not thrilled to put Nagbe out on the left wing (pulling a JK), I think his creativity will allow him to have some solid combination play with the likes of Wood/Nguyen. It is more of a “get the best players on the field” type of situation there, while the others are in positions that they have either played before with some frequency or currently play with their club teams. Also, we need to be marking Ruiz much better than last game. It looked like we just allowed them the freedom to constantly win aerial challenges near midfield and entering into our defensive half. If we run a high line and ensure Cameron and Gonzo are marking tightly to Guatemala’s forwards, they will never get the easy possession they had (just my opinion).

      Either way, let’s get the 3 points, regardless of player selection.

      Reply
      • I like this lineup, the only change I would make is bringing bedoya for zardas …I don’t think zardes is ready for the international level to be quite honest …I’m not sure why he keep getting called in…. he’s got absolutely no quality on the ball …. he’s a track runner …he’s a Waterdown Eddie Johnson.

      • @2ยข same xi i landed at. Lee played well at LM in January – id like to see him over there with Nagbe central.

      • @killerinstinct: I like Zardes, but I understand your point. His technical skill needs to get much better, but his size, speed, and tracking back ability are all positives. I feel like he is underperforming for the USMNT in comparison to the Galaxy. Maybe due to speed of play, a lack of confidence, or just a slump of sorts. While I think we have up and coming players that will be far more useful in the future, I think he is pretty solid for the moment, very similar to that of Bedoya. Almost interchangeable at this point.

        @beto: Yeah, it could be either Nagbe or Nguyen switching between the wing and through the middle. So long as we get them both on the field.

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