There may or may not be a U.S. Men’s National Team camp in January, but plenty of American players have made a case to be on the national team in 2016. For the first time in a long time, you can say that there are more deserving American players for a national team call-up than there are spots, and this isn’t going as far as to say that the player pool is full of world-class players.
Sebastian Lletget, Kellyn Acosta, Ethan Finlay, and Andrew Farrell lead the ranks of American players that deserve a call-up. Other players like Darlington Nagbe, Charlie Davies, Chris Klute, Rubio Rubin, and Juan Agudelo have already been invited to camps or given caps.
Leading the team as usual will be Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Tim Howard. Veterans like Geoff Cameron and Brad Guzan will also be among the first names on the list, and it’s time to recall Maurice Edu who plays as a defensive midfielder or center back. The National Team could really use another experienced central defender and central midfielder. In fact, a strong argument could be made that Edu-Cameron is the best American center back pairing at the moment, but where should Edu be listed on the roster: as a defender or as a midfielder?
This writer and this site has harped on the absence of a logical call-up system by Jürgen Klinsmann where the 23-man roster is selected by picking a first team and then the substitutes for each starter. This obvious system ensures that the roster isn’t too heavy or too light at certain positions, which has been a trademark of Klinsmann. If you read Toni Kroos’s recent comments about Klinsmann’s coaching and development abilities, then you can add his name to the list which includes Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller. The fact that the three most respected and complete current German footballers have major problems with Klinsmann’s coaching acumen speaks volumes.
Make no mistake about it. There is a problem with Klinsmann’s rosters and lineups, and pointing out better player options isn’t the same as saying that the American player pool is full of world-class talents. The talent out there is certainly capable of improving the overall play of the United States, and this doesn’t include tossing in some of the really inexperienced but undeniable talents such as Bradford Jamieson IV. If you wanted to really take a chance on a player that might need some more club games before deserving a call-up, then that would be the American player to choose.
So, who should the U.S. Men’s National Team call up in 2016?
-Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers is the easiest position for the U.S. to fill. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan makes two goalkeepers, and only the third goalkeeper is needed. This writer backs Clint Irwin of the Colorado Rapids, but there are many other worthy options such as Zach Steffen, Luís Robles, and Bill Hamid amongst others. Irwin is arguably more fundamentally-sound while also being capable of making quick reflex saves with his hands and feet. Steffen is the real deal though.
-Defenders
Klinsmann has a history of not calling up two players for every position in the Back Four, and it’s not clear why this is the case. Four center backs, two right backs, and two left backs is absolutely required here with the exception that Edu plays center back and defensive midfielder just like Cameron.
Looking at center backs, Maurice Edu and Geoff Cameron should be on the list with John Brooks on there as well as a left center back. Although Matt Miazga has received more praise this season than Andrew Farrell, I would argue that Farrell is more vital to the team. Farrell is very hard to beat in a foot race, and his skill on the ball and 1v1 defending are well-documented. Miazga is a good defender already, but Farrell is harder to beat with speed or skill. Farrell gives the team skill on the ball, speed, strength, positional sense, and lockdown 1v1 defending. Miazga is a taller and less quick player.
You could also say that Matt Besler or John Brooks is a toss up. There are no clear answers yet until the defenders are systematically tested as opposed to just switching up the partnerships all the time. Is Edu and Cameron better than Cameron-Besler or Farrell-Cameron? I have no idea.
As far as outside backs go, DeAndre Yedlin and Eric Lichaj have to be the right backs on the roster. There’s not enough evidence yet to suggest that anyone also should be here except for Fabian Johnson who plays better as a wing.
Left back continues to be a problem spot for the U.S. National Team. Jorge Villafaña stood out this year in MLS, and now he plays for the well-known Liga MX side Santos Laguna.
For the other left back, Chris Klute deserves a real chance. The U.S. cannot continue to have left backs that get beaten for pace and brutalized by good opposition, and Klute has world-class speed along with two-footed technical ability and strong defending. Klute has proven to be a true outside back in the sense that he is a fast, two-way player that attacks well and defends well. It’s worth noting that Klute is truly fast by any standard, rather than just being faster than other professional players.
Here is the list of defenders supported above listed in an organized fashion:
Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution, John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), Chris Klute (Portland Timbers)
-Midfielders
Who should be the eight midfielders? I like Michael Bradley as a defensive midfielder, and for the second defensive midfielder I would choose Kellyn Acosta who also plays as a box-to-box midfielder. Both Bradley and Acosta play both holding or defensive midfielder positions.
Next I would select center midfielders. Dillon Powers and Darlington Nagbe are the other two center midfielders besides Bradley and Acosta that are the most complete and capable of international play. Nagbe’s transition to a central midfielder from an attacking midfielder or wing or second striker allow him to have the ball at his feet more and his speed is useful in recovering the ball in the midfield.
Powers is similar to Nagbe in that he can play either as a central midfielder or attacking midfielder, but Nagbe has an extra gear in the speed and creativity department. Powers is the type of skilled central midfielder that the National Team has been missing, and omitting him would be a mistake for a National Team with a weak and unskilled midfield.
As for attacking midfielders and wings, Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, and Fabian Johnson stand out, and Finlay and Johnson are keeping out Kelyn Rowe who plays as a wing or attacking midfielder (and who deserves to be on the National Team).
Feilhaber’s creativity and passing ability are well-known, and his work rate and engine have drastically increased over the past three seasons. His dead ball ability and chance creation are big pluses as well.
Lletget is a more technically-skilled and creative player than Finlay, but Finlay is a real talent that brings speed and the ability to score goals and set up goals. Finlay would also help the team as a second striker or outside forward. Lletget and Finlay would improve the attacking skill of the United States without a doubt.
-Forwards
Clint Dempsey has shown no real signs of slowing down or dropping in skill or form. Along with Dempsey, it seems wise to select Juan Agudelo and Rubio Rubin before Jozy Altidore. Whether Altidore has been given enough service or not, Agudelo and Rubin deserve enough games to show what they can do.
The fourth forward on the list should be Charlie Davies who brings so much athleticism and activity to the final third, and Davies is a proven goalscorer who scores with his feet and head. Altidore shouldn’t be written off or forgotten about, but Agudelo and Rubin are more skillful and more aggressive.
The idea that the center forward has to be super strong and super physical is really a prehistoric soccer mentality, especially when Agudelo and Rubin are pretty physical anyway.
Who World Soccer Source thinks should be on the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 23-man roster in 2016 (at least for now):
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Clint Irwin
Defenders: Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Lichaj, Jorge Villafaña, Chris Klute
Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Kellyn Acosta, Dillon Powers, Darlington Nagbe, Benny Feilhaber, Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay, Fabian Johnson
Forwards: Clint Dempsey, Juan Agudelo, Rubio Rubin, Charlie Davies