Landon Donovan (10) and Clint Dempsey (8). (Photo: MexSport)
The following American soccer players are ranked subjectively. If a player is ranked higher than another player, then the higher ranked player isn’t necessary a better player skill-wise.
Given the difficulty of ranking players who play different positions and given the difficulty of ranking younger players who don’t have as much experience as older or more experienced players, ranking the best American soccer players with any sort of scientific system is impossible to do.
Soccer is a sport where a single play can showcase the superiority of one player over another, and soccer is also a sport where just one excellent touch on the ball can separate one player from another.
Some players like Freddy Adu get no minutes on the club level, but any time they have put on the United States jersey they have shown how their skill-level and ability to perform well and compete against quality international competition is well-above most of the players in the American player pool.
Currently, there has been an influx of better American soccer players who are younger and less-experienced than many of the players who are highly-regarded Major League Soccer players or regulars on Jürgen Klinsmann’s United States Men’s National Team.
Nevertheless, new players like Shane O’Neill, Benji Joya, Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell have displayed superior skill to many of the players that the American soccer media rates higher due to Jürgen Klinsmann’s use of them in World Cup qualifiers.
In short, the new crop of younger internationally-inexperienced American soccer players are better than most of the players in the American player pool with the exception of players such as Clint Dempsey, Giuseppe Rossi, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Geoff Cameron, Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Benny Feilhaber.
The Best American Soccer Players (November 2013)
1. Clint DEMPSEY* (Seattle Sounders)
2. Giuseppe ROSSI (Fiorentina)
3. Michael BRADLEY* (Roma)
4. Jozy ALTIDORE* (Sunderland)
5. Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy)
6. Aron JÓHANNSSON* (AZ Alkmaar)
7. Benny FEILHABER* (Sporting Kansas City)
8. Mix DISKERUD* (Rosenborg)
9. Joe Benny CORONA* (Tijuana)
10. Freddy ADU* (E.C. Bahia)
11. Benji JOYA* (Santos Laguna)
12. Geoff CAMERON* (Stoke City)
13. Jermaine JONES (Schalke)
14. Fabian JOHNSON (Hoffenheim)
15. Brad GUZAN* (Aston Villa)
16. Tim HOWARD* (Everton)
17. Juan AGUDELO* (New England Revolution/Stoke City)
18. Terrence BOYD* (Rapid Wien)
19. Julian GREEN (Bayern Munich II)
20. Paul ARRIOLA (Tijuana)
21. Mario RODRIGUEZ (Borussia Mönchengladbach U-23)
22. Alonso HERNANDEZ (Monterrey)
23. José VILLARREAL (LA Galaxy)
24. Shane O’NEILL* (Colorado Rapids)
25. John Anthony BROOKS* (Hertha Berlin)
26. Herculez GOMEZ (Tijuana)
27. Eddie JOHNSON (Seattle Sounders)
28. DeAndre YEDLIN* (Seattle Sounders)
28. Chris KLUTE* (Colorado Rapids)
28. Andrew FARRELL* (New England Revolution)
31. Junior FLORES (Borussia Dortmund)
32. Gyasi ZARDES (LA Galaxy)
33. Jared JEFFREY* (DC United)
34. Dax McCARTY (New York Red Bulls)
35. Jonathan SPECTOR (Birmingham City)
36. Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE (Toronto FC)
37. Michael OROZCO (Puebla)
38. Kellyn ACOSTA* (FC Dallas)
39. Kofi SARKODIE* (Houston Dynamo)
40. Perry KITCHEN* (DC United)
* An asterisk indicates players that the United States should try its best to fit onto the 2014 World Cup roster.
Jürgen Klinsmann and the United States Men’s National Team have four complete first strikers going into the 2014 World Cup.
Jozy Altidore is the number one striker option right now, but Aron Jóhannsson is equally as skilled from a technical standpoint, if not more so. Additionally, Juan Agudelo and Terrence Boyd are very technically-gifted, fast, tall, and aggressive first strikers who are ready to face high-caliber international competition at the World Cup.
While Eddie Johnson and Herculez Gomez are quality options who are also international-quality strikers, Altidore, Jóhannsson, Agudelo, and Boyd are the best four American first strikers according to World Soccer Source.
The competition at the World Cup is daunting. Teams like Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, France (if they qualify), and others are stocked full of world-class players, but the United States can take comfort in the fact that Altidore, Jóhannsson, Agudelo, and Boyd are capable first strikers who can score on elite national teams. Every one of those American strikers is technically-advanced and fast, and every one stands above 6 feet.
The Best USMNT XI has yet to be determined, but taking the four strikers listed above to the World Cup gives the United States the firepower to score, if those strikers receive quality service and final balls.
Four USMNT Strikers for the 2o14 World Cup in Brazil:
Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland)
Jozy Altidore is a beast of a first striker who has cultivated a more polished set of technical skills inside of a strong, tall, and athletic physique. Altidore brings two-footed skill, size, speed, and a growing ability to do real damage against better opponents.
Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar)
Aron Jóhannsson is a textbook for footwork, touch, ball striking techniques, finishing, and movement off the ball. Quick, fast, and aggressive in his pursuit of the back of the net, Jóhannsson is a clinical striker who plays with elegance and imagination.
Juan AGUDELO (New England Revolution/Stoke City)
Of all the American strikers, Juan Agudelo is the most inventive risk taker who doesn’t hesitate to attempt to outfox and best defenders and goalkeepers. The United States cannot leave a striker with his invention and technical ability off the World Cup roster, especially given the fact that he also brings excellent speed and strength inside of a 6’2” frame. Agudelo is known for his creativity and refined technical-ability, but Agudelo is a big and athletic striker who will make World Cup defenders expend a ton of energy containing and marking him. Agudelo is a gifted goal-scorer who doesn’t need any extra motivation to aggressively attack the goal with skill, and Agudelo looks to create space for himself to score, which helps to open up games that have stalemated.
Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien)
Of all the American strikers, Terrence Boyd is the most aggressive of the bunch, and he plays with no respect for his opponents. Agudelo and Jóhannsson may or may not be more technically-skilled than Boyd, but Boyd is a very technically-skilled striker who is the tallest and fastest of the bunch. Boyd plays with real fire, and the United States will need a complete striker like Boyd if it wants to have strikers who can really compete against top national teams and score on them. Boyd has everything: skill with both feet and his head, good finishing, speed, quickness, a tall frame, and excellent movement off the ball.
Outlook:
When the 2014 World Cup rolls around, Jürgen Klinsmann and the USMNT would be wise to put Altidore, Jóhannsson, Agudelo, and Boyd on the roster as the four strikers. Other names have been tossed around in the American media as the best American strikers, but all four of the strikers listed above are complete strikers who can score against even the best national teams. While none of these strikers is an unstoppable goal machine, each of them is unfazed by elite defenders for the most part.
Other American Strikers to Watch:
Mario RODRIGUEZ
Herculez GOMEZ
Eddie JOHNSON
Gyasi ZARDES
José VILLARREAL (second striker)
Alonso HERNANDEZ (second striker or attacking midfielder)
Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)
The United States Men’s National Team and Jürgen Klinsmann have plenty of outside back options available to them with the 2014 World Cup coming up next summer.
Due to the fact that Jonathan Spector and Eric Lichaj are proven-performers at the international level and the club level in England, it remains a mystery why Klinsmann has insisted on stubbornly declaring that Brad Evans and DaMarcus Beasley are his best right back and left back options respectively, especially since both players are less-proven and playing out of position.
There’s a widespread belief that both players have done well against CONCACAF competition and deserve recognition for holding their own at positions that neither player are naturally suited to play, but there is also widespread concern that Klinsmann is leaving the United States’ defense vulnerable out wide.
Any realistic examination of the types of attackers that the United States will face in the 2014 World Cup reveals the real danger of starting two players at outside back who are not really outside backs.
Klinsmann has a wealth of options at outside back, and many of his best options are players who are experienced outside backs with international experience. Additionally, there is the issue of the group of new MLS players who have demonstrated that they have the tools to be international-caliber outside backs.
The real mystery is why Klinsmann feels that using Evans and Beasley out of position is a better option than starting professional outside backs.
The coach of the United States Men’s National Team has been refusing to use outside backs that are paid to play the position at the club level for a living.
Even excluding new MLS outside backs like Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell, who are actually professional outside backs, Klinsmann has decided that both Jonathan Spector and Eric Lichaj don’t deserve any call ups to the national team, despite the fact that both players have a documented history of performing well for the United States and a wealth of experience in the English Premier League.
Klinsmann’s outside back selections have been a topic of discussion and debate for a long time now, and even if Klinsmann wants to start Evans and Beasley, there is no explanation for not putting Spector and Lichaj on the roster to fill the other two outside back roster spots.
Anyway that one chooses to look at this coaching situation, there is no way to counter the argument that Klinsmann has not put four natural outside backs on his rosters.
While Klinsmann can support the argument that Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell, and Kofi Sarkodie are inexperienced at the international level, he can’t support his stance that Spector and Lichaj are somehow less qualified to start as the outside backs than Evans and Beasley.
Spector in particular has performed well against Spain, Brazil, and a whole list of other top national teams, and Spector is under 30 years old. Lichaj too has performed well for the United States, even if he doesn’t have the same experience against elite national teams.
If Klinsmann views Fabian Johnson as more of a winger now as opposed to an outside back, Timothy Chandler, Fabian Johnson, Eric Lichaj, and Jonathan Spector are still all professional outside backs who have proven that they have the speed and skill along with the defensive skills to be the United States’ outside backs.
The track record of Spector, Johnson, Chandler, and Lichaj along with Klinsmann’s insistence on not making them his four outside backs really calls into question Klinsmann’s decision-making.
Consistently calling up the outside backs listed above was really only the first step that Klinsmann had to make in selecting his outside backs because he also needed to use some of the friendlies over the last few months to get a good look at the new outside backs like Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell.
At this point, there is no real evidence that Brad Evans and DaMarcus Beasley are more equipped to deal with better attackers than Spector, Lichaj, Chandler, Johnson, Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell because Evans and Beasley have only held their own against fairly weak competition.
Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell may be inexperienced but each of them has the technical and defensive skills along with the athleticism to stand a better chance of performing against the better competition in the World Cup. All three outside backs are skilled on the ball with both feet and extremely fast, and Klute and Farrell in particular have demonstrated very good defensive fundamentals and instincts.
Given the amount of playing time that Klute, Yedlin, and Farrell have seen as well as the quality of their performances for an entire season, all three of these outside backs have earned the chance to prove that they can outplay Evans and Beasley as outside backs.
Despite the fact that Chandler has cast doubts on how interested he is in really playing for the United States, certainly Spector, Lichaj, and Johnson should have all been a fixture on the U.S. rosters over the last two years.
Without a lot of games before next summer’s World Cup, there is a real possibility that Klinsmann will simply insist on freezing Spector, Lichaj, Klute, Yedlin, Farrell, and Sarkodie out of the United States Men’s National Team.
If this is the case, then the United States may very well not even put proven-players like Spector and Lichaj on the World Cup roster as outside back options, which essentially means that Klinsmann will be banking on using make-shift substitutes should his already make-shift outside backs be injured or suspended.
Klinsmann’s roster selections at outside back have been a problem, and from an American perspective, player selection at outside back is a major cause for concern going into the 2014 World Cup.
Geoff Cameron (20) will likely start at center back. (Photo: USA Today Sports)
In the United States’ final World Cup qualifier for the 2014 World Cup, for which it has already qualified, coach Jürgen Klinsmann has sent four players back to their club teams either due to injury or simply because he is going to rotate some of his other players into the starting line-up.
Against Panama, Klinsmann’s primary intention appears to evaluate or give playing time to some of the players who he already considers part of his best group of players but who aren’t starters. Klinsmann could either go with the 4-1-3-2 formation again, or he could revert back to the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Either way, one of the biggest questions is whether both Jozy Altidore and Aron Jóhannsson will start for the USMNT.
Both Jermaine Jones and Landon Donovan were released back to their club teams due to injury, but Matt Besler was sent back to his club team because Klinsmann is going to start Clarence Goodson in his place at center back instead.
Likewise, Tim Howard was sent back to Everton to allow Brad Guzan to receive some well-deserved minutes, and Guzan has already demonstrated on the club and international level that he has what it takes to be the starting keeper for the United States. While Howard is still the first-choice goalkeeper, Klinsmann needs to give Guzan some more playing time with the United States because he is roughly at the same level or higher than Howard, and the United States will need Guzan in the World Cup.
With these roster changes in mind, it would appear that the United States will likely start Brad Guzan in goal, Brad Evans at right back, Geoff Cameron and Clarence Goodson at center back, and DaMarcus Beasley or Edgar Castillo at left back.
Michael Orozco could possibly start at right back or possibly at center back, if Klinsmann wants to use Cameron as a defensive midfielder, but with Jermaine Jones and Matt Besler gone, Goodson and Cameron will probably start at center back with Kyle Beckerman at the defensive midfielder position.
There is also a possibility that Orozco could start at right back, but Klinsmann will likely start Evans, Cameron, Goodson, and Beasley as the defensive back four with Beckerman right in front of them as a midfield destroyer.
Panama’s speed and technical play could be a problem for players like Beckerman and Goodson, so Cameron might be without enough defensive support around him down the center of the field.
Given the lack of quality possession from the United States against Jamaica, Klinsmann could start Kljestan and Beckerman as a two-man defensive midfield, but the coach of the United States could just as easily simply instruct one of the other midfielders to provide Beckerman with some defensive support deeper in the midfield. There is also the possibility that Diskerud could line up next to Beckerman as the player who links Beckerman to the more attack-minded players.
In the United States Men’s National Team’s last game against Jamaica, the United States played without much conviction or intensity, and this, and not the 4-1-3-2 formation change was the likely culprit for the U.S.’ poor passing and general play.
The absence of Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey from the midfield resulted in a lack of quality possession and good passing, and even with Landon Donvon playing, Jozy Altidore, Aron Jóhannasson, and Mix Diskerud were constantly dropping deep to show for the ball, which diminished the ability of the United States to have Diskerud playing final balls for Altidore and Jóhannsson.
There was a disconnect in the American midfield against Jamaica, but with Beckerman presumably sitting back deeper against Panama than Jones did against Jamaica, Diskerud should be able to collect the ball from Beckerman and combine with Alejandro Bedoya and Graham Zusi or Sacha Kljestan in order to attempt to feed Altidore and Jóhannsson a steady stream of passes in the final third.
All in all, Klinsmann could use a 4-2-3-1 where Jóhannsson lines up out wide merely on paper, or Klinsmann could use the 4-1-3-2 formation again given the fact that Beckerman hangs back much deeper when playing for the United States than Jones tends to do.
The United States will likely start both Altidore and Jóhannsson again, which would mean that the likely Starting XI will be as follows:
Despite the line-up prediction above, the United States could decide to give Terrence Boyd a start up top, but it’s important that Diskerud, Altidore, and Jóhannsson build some chemistry.
World Soccer Source doesn’t feel that Beckerman or Goodson have the athleticism to keep up with the quick and skilled attackers that the United States will see at the World Cup, so this game against Panama should be used to see how Orozcco does at center back and how Cameron can do playing as the lone defensive midfielder.
For this writer, there’s no real point in giving Goodson or Beckerman minutes against Panama, even though they will both likely start. Goodson and Beckerman are fundamentally-sound players, but they lack the combination of skill and athleticism that the United States will need in the 2014 World Cup.
But, working within the constraints of the roster, this writer would like to see a 4-1-2-1-2 Starting XI as follows:
Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Michael Bradley may not be an elite box-to-box midfielder, but he is an elite defensive midfielder because of his combination of excellent defending, refined passing, and athleticism.
One of the keys to the United States Men’s National Team’s success in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be Michael Bradley’s technical skill, defending, and athleticism as a defensive midfielder, but the USMNT also needs a viable substitute with his skill, athleticism, and defending because, should he ever be injured or suspended, the United States will be in trouble.
Michael Bradley’s smooth one-to-two touch passing and his excellent technical ability with both feet cause many Americans to view him as an elite box-to-box midfielder like Arturo Vidal, Paulinho, Ramires, or Kevin-Prince Boateng, but Bradley is really a prototypical defensive midfielder only because he lacks the higher-level of technical-artistry and scoring-ability that the other midfielders listed bring.
Bradley is a fantastic midfielder, even by international standards, but using him as the same type of box-to-box midfielder as those listed above weakens the ability of the United States to defend the attacks of top national teams.
The United States Men’s National Team isn’t at the point yet where it has a player who can play the role of the defensive midfielder like Bradley can, and using another player there leaves the American center backs vulnerable.
To beat the best national teams, the USMNT needs Bradley playing as a defensive midfielder because this is an important position that maximizes his talents and gifts.
Delivering final balls and scoring goals needs to be primarily left to midfielders like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, and Benny Feilhaber because Bradley cannot attack like they can and they can’t defend like he can. This sort of division of labor and combination of players of different skill-sets allows the United States to compete when it faces top national teams.
Players like Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mario Balotelli need to not only be defended by a strong defensive back four but they also need to be defended by someone like Bradley because no other defensive midfielder in the American player pool, when used alone, stands a chance at somewhat containing their path from the midfield through the center of the American defense.
That is the real reason that Bradley needs to be utilized as a true defensive midfielder.
Calmness on the ball and elegant passing create the illusion that Bradley should be used in a more advanced role or given more freedom to make many attacking forays, but he should be started in a deeper role where he can maximize his tireless running, his defending, and his passing.
As a defensive midfielder right in front of the defensive back four, Bradley has more touches on the ball and plays a bigger role in games, and playing deep allows Bradley to pick and chose when to go forward and when to stay back to provide defensive coverage.
Skilled passing isn’t just needed in the final third, but it’s also needed deep in the midfield where Bradley can help to control the passing in the United States’ defensive third and where he can serve as a passing outlet for the defense.
Without Bradley roaming in front of the American Back Four, the United States cannot establish quality possession and develop a good passing rhythm because the top national teams will merely hound the American defenders and force them into giving away possession.
Winning back possession, supporting the defense, and orchestrating the passing of the USMNT from the back of the midfield is one of the most important roles in the starting line-up, and these skills complement the attacking skills of Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
Starting Bradley as a midfield destroyer isn’t a misuse of Bradley’s skills, but rather it maximizes his combination of technical skill, defending, and tireless running.
A technically-skilled defensive midfielder is a true weapon for any national team, and Bradley is a technically-skilled defensive midfielder who also brings an imposing combination of size, athleticism, endurance, and intensity.
The United States Men’s National Team needs Michael Bradley starting right in front of the American Back Four, even if he has a defensive midfield partner like Geoff Cameron, but Bradley shouldn’t be used as the player who connects the defensive midfielders to Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, and Jozy Altidore; a playmaker is needed to connect Bradley to those three attackers.
Jürgen Klinsmann seems to think that Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan negate the need for a playmaker, but the United States needs to start a playmaker, so that Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan can play their natural positions, as none of these players are true playmakers.
A true playmaker is one of the keys to beating the top national teams, and no team ever wins the World Cup or the Champions League without a playmaker.
Providing excellent defending and quality passing as a defensive midfielder is an art form, and being classified as a defensive midfielder doesn’t mean that Bradley isn’t a smooth passer who is skilled on the ball.
For the United States Men’s National Team to close the gap with top national teams, it will need technically-skilled players at every position instead of thinking that any skilled player like Dempsey, Donovan, or Bradley is some sort of playmaker.
Michael Bradley is a defensive midfielder, and many Americans need to stop considering that position as one that is beneath a player with excellent technical ability because, in fact, the defensive midfielder touches the ball the most.
Mix Diskerud is a creative attacking midfielder and true playmaker who has oddly been described as some sort of box-to-box midfielder like Michael Bradley who forms the more attacking half of a two-man defensive midfield.
Even Michael Bradley is a defensive midfielder who uses his ability to run tirelessly to showcase his excellent technical ability and defending, but Bradley is still a defensive midfielder.
Diskerud, on the other hand, is a playmaker who has a different skill-set and playing style than Bradley, but some in the American soccer media and some in the American fan base continue to view Diskerud as a sort of box-to-box midfielder who should be used as a defensive midfield partner for a midfield destroyer.
Starting line-ups should be based on building the formation around the best players at the coach’s disposal, as opposed to just forcing a player like Diskerud to slot into a role that Bradley played. A different roster requires changes to be made to the Starting XI and sometimes to the formation used.
Diskerud is best used as a central attacking midfielder playing directly behind one or two strikers where he can use his vision, his technical ability, and his passing to set up goals and orchestrate the attack. As a playmaker, he is certainly capable of scoring, but using Diskerud like Brazil uses Paulinho or Ramires is really forcing a square peg into a round hole.
While Bradley’s running and his technical ability certainly make using him as a box-to-box midfielder possible, Diskerud doesn’t bring the same amount of recovery defense and strong tackling that Bradley brings.
Wherever Diskerud is lining up on paper, his playing style and strength is as a creative midfielder who helps to facilitate smooth passing in the midfield and who constantly looks to set up goals. He has a strong track record of performing well for the United States, and he has a tendency to improve the passing and attacking threat of the United States, which was most recently seen in the United States’ win over Mexico in World Cup qualifying.
As the coach of the United States Men’s National Team, Jürgen Klinsmann should be starting Diskerud as a playmaker, especially if Diskerud is the only playmaker called up to a given roster.
Some United States rosters include Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud, but if Klinsmann is calling up only one or the other than whichever one is called up needs to start.
Diskerud has demonstrated whenever he plays for the USMNT that he provides a level of creativity and passing ability that Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan don’t have. All of those players are excellent technically, but none of them has the same vision or ability to play final balls.
If Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore, and Jóhannsson are likely starters for the United States, then Diskerud needs to be deployed as a playmaker whenever he is on the roster, unless Klinsmann elects to use a different playmaker.
As a player, Diskerud isn’t some sort of substitute for Bradley, but rather he is a playmaker who brings a different skill-set to the national team and whose game is built around creative one-to-two touch passing that unlocks defenses. Diskerud also poses more of a scoring threat than Bradley, which makes it important to play him in a more advanced role.
Diskerud is one of the only international-caliber American playmakers in the player pool along with the likes of Benny Feilhaber, Joe Benny Corona, Freddy Adu, and Benji Joya, and if Diskerud is the only one on any given roster, then a Front Six made up of Bradley, Donovan, Diskerud, Dempsey, Altidore, and Jóhannsson would be the best way to effectively use Diskerud to bring out the most in the other players listed in the Front Six.
The United States Men’s National Team and Jürgen Klinsmann should go ahead and start Aron Jóhannsson and Jozy Altidore as two center forwards because they give the United States two skilled goal-scorers to disrupt the opposition’s defenses.
Starting Altidore and Jóhannsson shouldn’t just be something that is tried in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but it should now be something that forces Klinsmann to change his 4-2-3-1 formation.
In addition to having some history and chemistry from playing together for AZ Alkmaar, Altidore and Jóhannsson give the USMNT center forwards who are international-caliber goal-scorers who can score on anyone.
Whereas Altidore took a while to refine his technical ability to a level that matched his athleticism and incredible physique to create a striker that was essentially complete, Jóhannsson has always been the type of striker that is described as clinical in regards to his technical ability.
Standing 6 feet tall with great speed and quickness, Jóhannsson is an aggressive striker who has textbook technical ability with both feet. He doesn’t hesitate to shoot when the opportunity presents itself, and he is an accurate shooter with the full arsenal of ball-striking techniques.
The advantage of using two quality strikers is that it forces the opposition’s defense to mark both strikers closely, as both are threats to score or slip behind the backline. If the United States begins to start Altidore and Jóhannsson plus Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan on a regular basis, then the United States is fielding four players who can combine with one another and force the opposition to keep a close eye on all of them.
Combination play amongst these players can certainly produce lots of chances on goal and many goals, but the insertion of a true playmaker to orchestrate the attack and play final balls to these attacking players would be a major upgrade for the USMNT.
Just as Altidore demonstrated for two years with AZ Alkmaar and against Bosnia and Herzogovina that he was a striker to be taken seriously by elite competition, so too has Jóhannsson demonstrated a visibly aggressive elegance to his game as a striker that results in goals. Jóhannsson also has the goal-scoring rate to back up this description of his play.
The United States has a lot of options at its disposal for starting line-ups in the games leading up to next year’s World Cup, but the use of two strikers of Altidore’s and Jóhannsson’s level plus Dempsey and Donovan floating around behind them in the attack is a way for the United States to use offense as a form of defense. Constant waves of attacks and shots on goals disrupts the ability of the opposition to develop any possession or rhythm to its play.
Four defenders plus a defensive midfielder and obviously a goalkeeper is plenty of players who are tasked with providing most of the defense, but the attack-minded players can play defense in their own way, which is pressuring the opposing defense into making mistakes and giving away possession.
While two defensive midfielders is a common strategy and a logical formation option, the United States should make it a priority to start attacking threats like Altidore, Jóhannsson, Dempsey, and Donovan at the same time.
If Jürgen Klinsmann were to also start a playmaker such as Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, or Benny Feilhaber to orchestrate the attacking play of the other attackers listed, then the United States would be raising the quality of its play to a new level.
What would a Front Six with two strikers look like? It would look like the Front Six below:
Mix Diskerud (Photo: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports)
At the time of this article, Jürgen Klinsmann has only selected 20 players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica and Panama, so there is a possibility that more players will be called into camp.
Predicting Jürgen Klinsmann’s United States Starting XI for any particular game is problematic because he changes his line-ups so frequently, and he frequently deviates from what he hints that he’s going to do.
Nevertheless, looking at this United States Men’s National Team roster with all of its injuries and the absence of new faces, at the very least, Klinsmann will likely start Brad Evans at right back with DaMarcus Beasley at left back.
Other than Evans and Beasley, the other starters are more difficult to predict because Klinsmann is without regular starters such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Fabian Johnson.
As Omar Gonzalez has pulled out of the camp due to injury, one has to guess whether Geoff Cameron will start at center back with Matt Besler, or if Klinsmann wants to start Cameron with Jermaine Jones as the defensive midfield pairing since Michael Orozco just replaced Gonzalez on the roster.
The inclusion of Orozco makes it possible that Klinsmann may start a Back Four of Evans, Orozco, Besler, and Beasley with Cameron and Jones as the defensive midfielders. If this is the case, then the remaining four spots in the Front Six could go to Landon Donovan, Mix Diskerud, Aron Jóhannsson, and Jozy Altidore, but this leaves two players that Klinsmann rates highly on the bench: Alejandro Bedoya and Graham Zusi.
On the other hand, Klinsmann could just as easily start Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler at center back with Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman as defensive midfielders.
In the formation outlined above, Jóhannsson would be lining up as an attacking midfielder out left, at least on paper, even though Jóhannsson would likely play as a center forward partner for Altidore.
Given Jóhannsson’s current form and his overall skill-level and scoring ability, Klinsmann has to strongly be considering him for a starting spot, which would mean that Klinsmann’s standard 4-2-3-1 formation would turn into a 4-1-3-2 where Cameron plays the midfield destroyer role and Jones plays in a more advanced position alongside Donovan and possibly Diskerud.
It’s important to remember that Klinsmann could start any number of players in his Front Six, and no one knows who will start in the Front Six aside from Donovan and Jones.
Cameron, Diskerud, Kljestan, Bedoya, Beckerman, Jóhannsson, Zusi, and Altidore are all in the running for four roster spots, and Klinsmann has not indicated who he plans on starting.
Diskerud is basically the only playmaker on the roster, but even Diskerud may not start if Klinsmann views Donovan as a playmaker who doesn’t make it necessary to start Diskerud.
The Starting XI will be heavily affected by who Klinsmann wants to start at center back with Matt Besler because if he doesn’t start Cameron at center back, then Cameron will likely start as a defensive midfielder with Jones.
From there, Klinsmann could start Bedoya, Diskerud, and Donovan as the line of three attacking midfielders, or he could start Zusi or Jóhannsson in the line of three.
Too many variables are in play to truly have a real sense of which players Klinsmann will start, but the real storyline is the omission of so many new players at a time when the United States has already qualified for the World Cup.
With Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Fabian Johnson, and John Anthony Brooks all injured (at least at the time of this article), Klinsmann cannot get a good idea of how players will perform when the likes of Bradley, Dempsey, and Donovan are all playing at the same time.
Given the lack of new faces, there’s not much Klinsmann can learn from this game, if he can’t test out players like Jóhannsson, Diskerud, and Altidore with Dempsey, Bradley, and Donovan. At the most, Klinsmann can see how Diskerud can provide service for Altidore, Jóhannsson, and Donovan, but he can’t see how all of his best players fit together.
The United States should have taken this opportunity to look at new outside backs like Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, and Andrew Farrell along with some of the U-20 players who played for Tab Ramos in the U-20 World Cup such as Benji Joya, José Villarreal, Alonso Hernandez, Mario Rodriguez, and Shane O’Neill. From the U-20 ranks, Joya and O’Neill are certainly stand out players that the United States could use in the World Cup because they strengthen the United States in areas where it is weak.
Not testing out at least a few players from the new crop of talented young Americans against CONCACAF competition as seasoning to start getting ready for the World Cup was a mistake on Klinsmann’s part.
The level of CONCACAF is below the level of competition in the World Cup, but beginning to incorporate the new players into the USMNT was something Klinsmann should have used these games for.
The starting line-up that Klinsmann will field is anyone’s guess, but perhaps he will go with the following line-up:
As opposed to the line-up mentioned above, which may prove to be much different than the one that Klinsmann uses, this writer would like to see the USMNT test out Diskerud with Jóhannsson and Altidore.
Since Besler has frequently started at center back under Klinsmann, this writer would also like to see Cameron and Orozco started at center back since they bring a nice combination of technical ability, athleticism, and strong defending.
With Brooks out injured, the United States needs to see how Orozco performs compared to Gonzalez and Besler, in order to begin to iron out the best four center backs for the World Cup.
It remains to be seen just how good Edgar Castillo is at left back, but he has played well at the club level and in several games for the United States against opponents like Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The United States has way too many players in the pool to realistically think that Beasley is the best left back the United States has. With Chris Klute snubbed from this roster, Klinsmann should give Castillo the start and see how he does.
Given the fact that Besler is left-footed, fast, and good on the ball, giving Besler a run out at left back might be a good chance to see if his left foot, his defending, and his speed can serve the U.S. well at left back. Carlos Bocanegra was used as a center back and as a left back because of his left foot, and without any real outside backs on this roster who are left-footed, Klinsmann could test Besler’s ability to play left back.
World Soccer Source proposes starting the following line-up in a (4-1-2-1-2) formation:
With the United States Men’s National Team already qualified for the 2014 World Cup, Jürgen Klinsmann selected 20 players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, and he will presumably call up three more players in order to have a 23-man roster.
It will be interesting to see which three players Klinsmann calls up in the coming days, but this most recent roster is again without any of the new, young American talents who would appear to have the tools to strengthen the United States at various positions.
Below is the United States Men’s National Team roster selected by Jürgen Klinsmann:
GOALKEEPERS: Tim HOWARD (Everton), Brad GUZAN (Aston Villa), Nick RIMANDO (Real Salt Lake)
CENTER BACKS: Geoff CAMERON (Stoke City), Matt BESLER (Sporting Kansas City), Omar GONZALEZ (LA Galaxy)
FORWARDS: Jozy ALTIDORE (Sunderland), Aron JÓHANNSSON (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence BOYD (Rapid Wien), Eddie JOHNSON (Seattle Sounders), Landon DONOVAN (LA Galaxy)
INJURED: Clint DEMPSEY (Seattle Sounders), Michael BRADLEY (Roma), Fabian JOHNSON (Hoffenheim), John Anthony BROOKS (Hertha Berlin)
Below is U.S. Soccer’s official roster announcement:
A close examination of the roster reveals that it contains no natural outside backs, and that it contains only two center backs and two defensive midfielders with Geoff Cameron increasing those numbers to three center backs and three defensive midfielders.
Cameron normally plays out of position at right back for Stoke City, but Klinsmann has favored using Brad Evans at right back over DeAndre Yedlin, Andrew Farrell, Jonathan Spector, and Eric Lichaj – all of whom have never been called up or used by Klinsmann.
Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Fabian Johnson, and John Anthony Brooks are all out injured (at this time), but Klinsmann has selected a strong group of forwards including Jozy Altidore, Aron Jóhannsson, Terrence Boyd, Eddie Johnson, and Landon Donovan, who is the only one of the forwards who isn’t a first striker.
Until Klinsmann calls up the final three players up to the national team to take the roster to 23 players, not too many conclusions can be made about the amount of players selected for each position, but the pattern of not using natural outside backs and the pattern of not incorporating new talent into the USMNT continues to be disconcerting.
One of the major flaws with the roster and Klinsmann’s coaching is that Klinsmann continues to say that he’s trying to strengthen his best group of players, but his starting line-ups are frequently characterized by inserting Geoff Cameron at a different position almost every game, which negatively affects the ability of the national team to build chemistry.
Predicting the USMNT’s Starting XIs under Klinsmann has proved to be more difficult than predicting his rosters, and the real problem with predicting the starting line-up for the upcoming games is whether or not he will start Bedoya or Zusi and who he will start up top.
Predicting the Back Four seems easy enough, unless Klinsmann wants to test out Cameron with Besler as a center back pairing. The likely Back Four is Evans, Gonzalez, Besler, and Beasley.
Based on the 20 players who have been called up to the national team so far (with Dempsey, Bradley, and F. Johnson injured) as well as Klinsmann’s tendencies, Klinsmann’s likely starting line-up may be as follows:
It’s very possible that both Jóhannsson and Altidore will start for the United States, which would either mean that one less defensive midfielder starts or that Jóhannsson lines up as an attacking midfielder, just on paper.
More answers about the line-up options will come when the final three roster spots are handed out, and these three roster spots could drastically change the likely Starting XI or not affect it at all.
Michael Bradley (Photo: Garrett Ellwood / Colorado Rapids)
Should the USMNT start just one defensive midfielder?
Like Bob Bradley, Jürgen Klinsmann has always started two or more defensive midfielders on the United States Men’s National Team. Even with Michael Bradley’s and Jermaine Jones’ abilities to go forward and participate in the attack, using just one defensive midfielder means that the starting line-up would have five field players with more defensive responsibilities and five field players with more attacking responsibilities.
Despite the goals that Bosnia and Herzegovina scored on the United States, both John Anthony Brooks and Geoff Cameron showed good skill on the ball, good defensive fundamentals and instincts, and good mobility and athleticism.
With two athletic and technically-skilled center backs plus a defensive midfielder, is it really necessary to use a second defensive midfielder?
Setting aside Michael Bradley’s current ankle injury, starting Cameron and Brooks at center back with Bradley in front of them could allow the United States to be defensively strong down the middle with room for Aron Jóhannsson to start up top with Jozy Altidore.
Jermaine Jones’ roster spot (when Bradley is healthy) should go to Jóhannsson. What would this entail? This would entail starting Michael Bradley behind a line of three attacking midfielders like Landon Donovan, Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona or Benny Feilhaber, and Clint Dempsey with Altidore and Jóhannsson as strikers.
Behind this Front Six, this writer believes that the United States needs to use either DeAndre Yedlin or Andrew Farrell at right back with Chris Klute at left back, but the other option would be for Klinsmann to put them on the roster and start Jonathan Spector at right back with Eric Lichaj at left back.
Starting a Back Four made up of Spector, Cameron, Brooks, and Lichaj makes sense (when they are all healthy), and then the new outside backs like Yedlin and Klute could be on the roster as substitutes with Farrell listed as a center back.
Since Michael Bradley wouldn’t be the only defensive midfielder on the roster, another defensive midfielder could be substituted in place of one of the attacking players, if the United States wanted to use a two-man defensive midfield.
This one defensive midfielder set-up allows the United States to have a more potent attack while having strong defending down the center of the field and out wide, and this system would look like this:
Tim Howard/Brad Guzan; Jonathan Spector, Geoff Cameron, John Anthony Brooks, Eric Lichaj; Michael Bradley; Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey; Jozy Altidore, Aron Jóhannsson.
This is a strong and balanced line-up with a potent attack and stronger defense that Klinsmann has been using with the United States Men’s National Team, but World Soccer Source prefers a different Starting XI.
World Soccer Source favors using the following Starting XI:
If one defensive midfielder isn’t enough, a substitute can be made, but using just one defensive midfielder opens up a line-up spot for Aron Jóhannsson to partner with Jozy Altidore up top.
Even if some prefer only putting Yedlin, Farrell, Klute, and O’Neill on the roster to use as substitutes, Klinsmann could certainly start a Back Four consisting of Spector, Cameron, Brooks, and Lichaj.
That Back Four with Bradley, Donovan, Feilhaber, Dempsey, Altidore, and Jóhannsson is certainly a viable and strong USMNT Starting XI.
