By: COLIN REESE
Here is World Soccer Source’s Pre-Gold Cup USMNT Best XI (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Right Back: DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham)
Center Back: Geoff Cameron (Stoke City)
Center Back: Ventura Alvarado (América)
Left Back: Greg Garza (Tijuana)
Right Midfielder: MIX Diskerud (NYC FC)
Center Midfielder: Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
Left Midfielder: Joe Corona (Tijuana)
Right Forward: Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution)
Center Forward: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC)
Left Forward: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)
Roster Explanation:
Brad Guzan has been ready and qualified to be the USA’s Number 1 for years, and he’s proven that he can play over Tim Howard with no drop in the level of the U.S. National Team’s goalkeeper. William Yarbrough of León is ready to be the USA’s Number 1, but Guzan is much more experienced and ahead of him. Yarbrough looks better than Nick Rimando.
A Defensive Back Four of DeAndre Yedlin, Geoff Cameron, Ventura Alvarado, and Greg Garza is a big upgrade for the United States.
Yedlin, Alvarado, and Garza have already played well together, and Cameron is a better center back than Omar Gonzalez or Matt Besler.
Cameron plays in a better league, and he’s more technical, more athletic, and more skilled defensively.
Alvarado is a young center back that starts for Club América, and he checks all the boxes for a quality international center back.
Yedlin and Garza are the kind of modern two-way outside backs that the United States needs. Both are attacking threats, and both are underrated defensively. Yedlin plays in the EPL, and Garza plays in Liga MX for Tijuana.
A midfield made up of Mix Diskerud, Michael Bradley, and Joe Corona from right to left makes so much sense. All three of these players allow the United States to keep possession, attack, and take the game to the opposition.
Bradley is an excellent defender and tireless runner, in addition to his technical ability and passing skill.
Diskerud has become formidable defensively. He aggressively looks to win back possession, and he tackles well.
Corona is known for his creativity and technical ability, and he has also shown a willingness to close down opponents and high press the opposition. Corona is crafty and quick with the ball at his feet, and he plays dangerous first time balls that open up games.
Diskerud, Bradley, and Corona make the American midfield technical and dynamic, and there is enough defending and running between those three to win back possession. Having all three playing together is key to upping the overall technical ability and creativity of the American midfield.
While there is room to be concerned about the lack of two defensive midfielders where a Number 6 or midfield destroyer plays deeper than Bradley who would play as a Number 8, team defense and high pressing is the name of the game.
With these three midfielders, and the three forwards or attackers discussed below, the United States should have plenty of team defense.
Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey are a dangerous strike partnership, and Juan Agudelo has to be included in the starting line-up.
Given the versatility, movement, dynamism, and creativity of Agudelo’s style of play, there is no problem for him to play nominally out right while Altidore is listed as the center forward.
A swirling trifecta of Agudelo, Altidore, and Dempsey is exactly the type of quick, dangerous, and skilled attack that the United States needs to continue to close the gap with world soccer’s elites.
This line-up is based on using technical ability and high pressing to beat opponents. The 4-3-3 formation is more nominal in actuality than three lines of outfield players maintaining a square formation on the field. Constant passing and movement make the formation ever changing, but certain players like Bradley and Altidore have more fixed positions than others in the Front Six.