Player Profile: Chris Klute

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Chris Klute (arms raised). (Photo: USA Today SPORTS)
Chris Klute (arms raised). (Photo: USA Today SPORTS)

 

Chris Klute, even as a new name on the American soccer scene, is often over-simplified as a player whose game is primarily based on speed, but Klute uses his electrifying speed to make both his attacking and defending more effective.

They say that you can’t teach speed, which is true, but thinking of Chris Klute as just a great athlete who brings world-class speed to the left back position overlooks his technical ability, his skill at breaking down opposition defenses with attacking forays and crosses, and also his ability to run down attackers and execute well-timed tackles.

Defensively, Klute does many things very well. He steers attackers out wide where they are somewhat cornered out along the sideline, but he also dispossesses attackers well whether it’s by slidetackling or stripping attackers of the ball on his feet.

The Colorado Rapids’ left back is also strong in the air. Klute times his headers well, and he has an outstanding vertical leap, which allows him to clear out balls played over the top or played into the box.

One additional thing that Klute excels at defensively is stopping attacks by the opposition by tracking back with such speed that he forces the opposition to slow down and regroup because his presence forces the opposition to stop and look to work the ball around, which allows Klute’s teammates to get into position as they make their recovery runs.

In short, Klute’s speed and recovery defense slows down and stops the attacking sequences and advances of the opposition.

Despite the fact that Klute is too often only praised for his speed, it is important to really emphasize just how fast he is and how smooth of a runner that he is.

This ability to run effortlessly for entire games with such speed is a real weapon to neutralize elite opponents who bring a devastating combination of skill and speed.

His speed also is a huge disruptive force for the opposition’s midfield and defense. A player of Klute’s speed blazing along the sideline or cutting in toward the middle of the field forces more defenders to participate in marking him, which of course means that his teammates are left unmarked.

All of these qualities outlined above signal a real chance for the United States Men’s National Team to really use the outside back positions to not only defend well against quick and skillful opponents but also to attack opponents and break down their defensive formations.

All of the best national teams in the world rely on outside backs to provide width to their attack and speed along the flanks defensively, and Chris Klute allows the United States to begin to do this more so than it did in the past.

The main problem for any defender is people like to write them off if they are beaten or if they make a mistake, but all defenders at any level of the game are beaten with combination play, balls played in between defenders, or balls played over the top.

Mistakes happen because defenders are essentially backpedaling as attackers are running at them full speed, and people should learn to accept the reality that defenders will make mistakes and their teammates are supposed to cover for them.

Expecting Chris Klute or any other defender to never make a mistake or to never be beaten is unfair and unrealistic, as even the best outside backs in the world such as Marcelo, Daniel Alves, and Jodi Alba are frequently beaten. Good defenders frequently win the ball back when they are beaten, and Chris Klute also does this.

It’s time for the United States Men’s National Team to incorporate and use a left back like Chris Klute who gives the U.S. the type of outside back that much better soccer nations use to both attack from wide positions and to defend attackers out wide.

Many people will call it risky, but it’s a risk worth taking. Beating top national teams and closing the gap with them requires using players with the physical gifts and skills to be able to compete and win when the talent goes up.

Chris Klute is inexperienced as an international soccer player, but there comes a time when a national team coach has to look at the players at his disposal and play the ones who have shown the capability of competing and impressing at the international level.

Rather than saying that Chris Klute is just one of the best options the United States Men’s National Team has at a position that lacks depth, people should recognize the qualities that Klute brings that can’t be taught.

Klute does a number of things well such as tackling, relentlessly running the sidelines, using both feet, and playing quality crosses into the box to specific targets, but anything that Klute needs to work on can be taught and improved with practice.

In general, a coach can’t teach a player to use their speed to break down opponents and chase down opponents on defense, and more importantly, you can’t teach someone to aggressively run at defenders at full speed over and over again. You also can’t teach someone to be able to time slidetackles so that they are clean and graceful, even if they are hard tackles.

Chris Klute is definitely a left back who brings qualities to the table that the USMNT needs, and he can be coached to strengthen any areas of his game that need improvement.

 

Read more about Chris Klute and how he can fit in with the United States Men’s National Team by clicking the links below:

 

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/chris-klute-best-us-left-back/

https://www.worldsoccersource.com/post-gold-cup-usmnt-xi/

 

Post Gold Cup USMNT XI

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Despite a Gold Cup Final that did contain a lot of long balls and not a great deal of excitement, Jürgen Klinsmann likely has come closer to playing the style of proactive, one-to-two touch soccer where the attack starts from the defenders.

Without going into too many of the players who haven’t played in any friendlies with the full national team, the USMNT now is in a better position that it was before the start of the Gold Cup.

Why?

The Gold Cup displayed how Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud brought a certain creative and more advanced style of passing that was somewhat missing from the United States Men’s National Team as a whole before the Gold Cup.

While certainly Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey can play creative and quick-passing soccer that is more often seen outside of the United States, there was a missing piece to a midfield that was built around Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron playing as a defensive midfield tandem with Clint Dempsey playing as a second striker without any player to connect the three.

Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud provide this missing link, and Klinsmann now realizes that Landon Donovan is too good to exclude from his rosters and line-ups.

Any discussion of a Best USMNT XI requires one to draw a distinction between who based on their participation in full national team games should be in the starting line-up and who needs to be incorporated.

The way to include the best of the proven players and the best of the newer players is to start the more proven players and use several roster spots for players who have given strong indications based on their skill level and performances at the club or youth levels that they have something to contribute to the success of the national team.

This writer wrote an article entitled, “A Better USMNT Front Six Emerges,” and that article outlined which players should start in front of the defensive back four. That article can be found by clicking here.

That article advocated for using a 4-2-3-1 formation with the Front Six being Geoff Cameron and Michael Bradley behind (from right to left) Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Clint Dempsey with Jozy Altidore as the lone striker.

An argument could be made that Mix Diskerud should also be used at the central attacking midfielder role, and he is also a good choice to fill that role. Obviously, anyone who follows American soccer closely knows that someone like Benny Feilhaber has proved effective in this role, but based on their play in the Gold Cup, Corona and Diskerud are excellent choices to play a playmaking role in between Dempsey and Donovan and behind Altidore.

The real question is the defensive back four. Who should Jürgen Klinsmann use there? There are many indicators that at right back and left back that DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute are needed now, but at center back Klinsmann does have several options.

Matt Besler continues to surpass this writer’s expectations. While some of the younger MLS center backs like Shane O’Neill or Andrew Farrell (who has been used out of position at right back by the New England Revolution) might prove to be better, using Besler as the left center back is a reasonable and wise choice, particularly because he brings speed and good technical ability to the center of the defense, and he continues to use his weaker right foot more and more.

Klinsmann appears to be sold on Matt Besler, but Klinsmann also appears to be trying to decide who his center back partner should be. Remember that this is assuming that Klinsmann will only use center backs that have been playing for the national team (as opposed to some of the promising younger options), but this writer believes that Klinsmann might be a little more open to trying other outside backs, excluding DaMarcus Beasley who is performing well at left back.

Incorporating Chris Klute into the USMNT at left back will require first that Klute is selected to participate in a friendly or in a camp before World Cup qualifying, so Beasley is likely the prudent choice from Klinsmann’s perspective among the people who have actually been playing for the United States.

Read more on Chris Klute by clicking HERE.

Right Back is a different situation because Michael Parkhurst has done well there, but he doesn’t make as many attacking forays on the right side as Beasley does on the left side.

Since Parkhurst appeared to possess enough speed and quickness to do well as a right back, using Parkhurst at his natural position of center back might give Besler a faster and more technically-skilled partner than Clarence Goodson who is not quite quick enough and prone to hitting way too many 50 yard long balls just in the general vicinity of the U.S.’ striker.

Another center back option or even a right back option is Michael Orozco Fiscal who brings technical skill, speed, quickness, strong heading ability, and good defensive instincts and skills.

Looking at all of these positions, a first step for Jürgen Klinsmann and the USMNT could be to start this XI below:

 

Tim HOWARD; Michael OROZCO, Michael PARKHURST, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY, Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE.

 

There is another option, which some might describe as a more risky or experimental starting line-up, but it includes almost all of the same players as those above. This more adventurous Starting XI advocates using two young two-way outside backs from MLS: Chris Klute at left back and DeAndre Yedlin at right back. Below is the Starting XI that attempts to give the USMNT better defending and attacking out wide:

 

Tim HOWARD; DeAndre YEDLIN, Michael OROZCO, Matt BESLER, Chris KLUTE; Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE.

 

This second starting line-up would be the first step in using the players who have shown a real ability to perform on the international level with two outside backs who have the ability to improve the effectiveness of the United States out wide from a defensive and from an attacking standpoint.

 

Better USMNT Front 6 Emerges

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Taking into account the World Cup qualifying games before the Gold Cup in addition to the Gold Cup itself, a new so-called “Front Six” has emerged that can have the USMNT playing better and more balanced soccer that provides effective defense, better possession of the ball, and a more potent attack.

In addition to the players discussed below as a better Front Six than what Jürgen Klinsmann had been using before the 2013 Gold Cup, there are additional players in the pool who are already proven or who have shown real promise to be effective alternates or different options in the USMNT’s Front Six.

In light of the last few months, the Front Six proposed below would likely have the United States playing better in World Cup qualifying and in general, despite sitting at the top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table:

 

Geoff CAMERON, Michael BRADLEY; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Jozy ALTIDORE

 

This group of five midfielders and a striker is stronger than previous line-ups that Klinsmann has used, and it’s likely stronger than any Front Six the United States Men’s National Team has ever used.

Although Michael Bradley is a defensive midfielder, he has developed into more than a midfield destroyer who patrols directly in front of the defensive back four. Bradley plays this role very well, but as Geoff Cameron is so willing and able to play that role, the United States has two defensive midfielders who are strong defensively and comfortable with the ball at their feet.

Bradley has steadily evolved into a central midfielder who likes to be more involved in the attack going forward, and using him with Cameron allows the overall passing and defensive strength behind the attacking midfielders to be much more effective than in the past.

Turning now to Jermaine Jones, it should be made very clear that Jermaine Jones is an elite professional soccer player who is a Champions League and Bundesliga starter, and his technical skill-level is world-class, despite being associated with strong tackles and picking up cards.

Jermaine Jones is an elite athlete who is a product of the German youth system, which is far superior to the United States’ developmental system. Any honest discussion of Jermaine Jones must acknowledge the reality that he is a product of being born and raised in Germany in a superior soccer environment to that which most of the other American players grew up in. Jones is both German and American at the same time, and to some extent he has suffered from not being considered German enough or American enough by Americans and Germans.

Certainly Jones and Bradley can learn to have a better understanding of which player is going up and when and which player is hanging back and when. When Cameron partnered with Bradley as a defensive midfield tandem, the roles looked to be more defined by a clearer understanding that Cameron would play the more defensive role while still participating heavily in the passing of the American midfield.

In fact, this exact style of using one more defensive, defensive midfielder and one box-to-box defensive midfielder is exactly what the Brazilian national team does. The Brazilian system of using a number five as a midfield destroyer and a number eight as a box-to-box midfielder is one of the standard tactics the Seleção employs, and in the recent Confederations Cup, Luiz Gustavo was playing as the cabeça de área (midfield destroyer) while Paulinho was playing as the volante (box-to-box midfielder; also a general term for a defensive midfielder).

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the United States Men’s National Team to model its midfield formation on some of Brazil’s standard tactics.

Focusing on the attacking midfielders, starting Clint Dempsey on one side of the field with the freedom to roam and starting Landon Donovan on the only side of the field with the freedom to roam is a tried and proven tactical approach for the USMNT. But, when the United States just used four midfielders with two defensive midfielders in addition to Dempsey and Donovan out wide, the United States never achieved real success or quality passing.

The absence of a playmaker has hurt Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore because there was a vital creative force missing from the middle of the attack. Like it or not, the United States achieved its real success in major tournaments when Benny Feilhaber was subbed in to fulfill a sort of floating playmaker role.

Given Joe Benny Corona’s recent display of his qualities as a goal-scoring playmaker, starting Corona in between Dempsey and Bradley with Altidore as the lone striker offers the USMNT the ability to really have a midfield and attack that produces more effective and more attractive soccer, which should lead to better and more consistent wins.

Joe Benny Corona has marked his territory on this United States Men’s National Team like a lizard doing push-ups.

Despite the fact that Corona has finally won over the majority of the American soccer media and the American fan base, the United States does have other playmakers like Mix Diskerud, Freddy Adu, and Benny Feilhaber who are qualified to fill this role.

After the Gold Cup is over, the United States Men’s National Team and Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to start a Front Six made up of Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore.

This formation and group of starters is the next step for the United States, and it allows the United States to maintain possession, defend well in the midfield, create more scoring chances, and score more goals.  Using this Front Six should be a no-brainer, and it should produce the highest caliber of soccer ever seen from the United States.

 

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Panama?

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Joe Benny Corona (Photo: Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports)
Joe Benny Corona (Photo: Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports)

 

Suspended or not, Jürgen Klinsmann will be picking the USMNT’s Starting XI, and he will discuss what substitutions he wants made in certain scenarios.

Klinsmann’s USMNT Starting XI against Panama is anyone’s guess, but one reality about the United States’s Gold Cup roster is that many of the best players Klinsmann had at his disposal were snubbed from this roster.

Turning to the roster than Klinsmann does have, it is imperative that Klinsmann start Nick Rimando, Michael Parkhurst, DaMarcus Beasley, Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud, Joe Benny Corona, Landon Donovan, and Eddie Johnson. The other three starting line-up spots are debatable.

Given Panama’s skill and athleticism, the USMNT should fill the final three roster spots with Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back with Michael Orozco Fiscal starting as a combination of a midfield destroyer and a third center back.

In the semifinal, Joe Benny Corona, Mix Diskerud, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco, and Brek Shea all started on the bench.

A strong argument could be made that all of those players should be starters in the Gold Cup final.

Of the four defenders making up the back line, Klinsmann will likely start Michael Parkhurst at right back, Matt Besler at left center back, and DaMarcus Beasley at left back. Based on previous USMNT XIs in the Gold Cup, the second center back to partner with Matt Besler could be one of three players: Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, or Michael Orozco Fiscal.

Although extremely unlikely, Klinsmann could elect to use three center backs and two wingbacks; it is technically possible.

Some of the U.S. coach’s starting line-up selections have caught people off guard, and who knows what sort of formation Klinsmann will elect to use against Panama?

Unless the German coach of the United States gives some sort of hint about whom he is going to start at center back, the USMNT will likely use a defensive back four with Omar Gonzalez or Clarence Goodson partnering with Besler.

Panama’s striker, Blas Perez, will cause the United States’ defense problems, and Kyle Beckerman will lack the athleticism to prevent him from going at the center of the American defense.

Therefore, starting Michael Orozco and Matt Besler might be the best center back pairing the U.S. can use against a skilled and athletic Panamanian side, who will be fired up to win.

If Klinsmann is going to start Kyle Beckerman as a midfield destroyer in front of the back four, then the USMNT will need agile and skilled center backs to keep up with Panama’s guile and athleticism.

Turning to the midfield and assuming that Kyle Beckerman is starting, the assumption has to be that Joe Benny Corona will return to the starting lineup to play behind Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, even if Donovan is listed as a central attacking midfielder or a winger on the official line-up.

As in other games in the Gold Cup, a decision has to be made about the final two roster spots in the midfield. Should the USMNT start Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud just behind Corona, or should some other formation be used?

Klinsmann has been picking Holden or Diskerud to partner with Beckerman, but he has also started both of them together without Beckerman. In one game, he started both Diskerud and Holden, but he left Corona on the bench.

Since this is a final that the United States and Klinsmann desperately want to win, the wise decision would be to start Holden, Diskerud, Corona, Donovan, and Johnson.

This writer believes that Beckerman’s lack of speed and quickness will be a liability against Blas Perez, but it’s very unlikely that Klinsmann doesn’t give Beckerman the start as the midfield destroyer lining up directly in front of the back four.

 

World Soccer Source believes the best Starting XI that the USMNT can use in the final is this line-up below:

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Michael OROZCO; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

 

Despite this writer’s opinion, Klinsmann will likely start Kyle Beckerman, who this writer believes will work out if both Holden and Diskerud start just in front of Beckerman and if Gonzalez or Orozco or both are starting at center back.

José Torres has had a strong tournament, but Klinsmann has been strategically resting Holden, Diskerud, and Corona throughout the tournament, which seems to indicate that he might be planning on starting all three in the final.

 

With the two caveats that Torres and Goodson might start in place of Gonzalez and Holden or Diskerud, World Soccer Source believes that Klinsmann will likely field the following Starting XI below:

RIMANDO; PARKHURST, GONZALEZ, BESLER, BEASLEY; BECKERMAN, HOLDEN; CORONA, DISKERUD, DONOVAN; JOHNSON.

 

On a hypothetical note, as Klinsmann has been known to not use his full strength line-ups when he said he would and as he has mysteriously omitted certain players from starting line-ups for no clear reason, there is a very, very remote possibility that Klinsmann could elect to use a line-up made up of a new combination of proven Gold Cup performers.

The reason for this deviation from previous line-ups would be to neutralize any game plan that Panama intends to employ in order to target certain players to attack or to focus on defensively with more than one marker.

In the line-up below, if Panama focused on double-marking Donovan, then Holden, Diskerud, Corona, or Johnson would always be open.

Additionally, in the line-up below, with Besler moved to left back the USMNT would have a better left-footed defender than Beasley patrolling the U.S.’ left side of the field, plus Besler is also fast enough to play left back.

If Besler were used as a left back to provide speed and strong defense out wide, then the center of the midfield would be somewhat overloaded with players who excel at maintaining possession by passing and moving and using one-to-two touch passing to break down defenses with quick, incisive passes.

On the off chance that Klinsmann elected to really alter his usual Gold Cup tactics and formations, an example of an unlikely Starting XI would be the one below:

 

RIMANDO; PARKHURST, OROZCO, GONZALEZ, BESLER; BECKERMAN; HOLDEN, DISKERUD; CORONA; JOHNSON, DONOVAN.

 

Best U.S. Soccer Players (August 2013)

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Clint Dempsey (left) and Jozy Altidore (right). (Photo: AP)
Clint Dempsey (left) and Jozy Altidore (right). (Photo: AP)

 

WORLD SOCCER SOURCE’S NEWEST LIST OF THE BEST AMERICAN SOCCER PLAYERS RIGHT NOW:

 

THE BEST AMERICAN SOCCER PLAYERS (AUGUST 2013)

 

1.) Clint DEMPSEY

2.) Michael BRADLEY

3.) Jozy ALTIDORE

4.) Landon DONOVAN

5.) Geoff CAMERON

 

6.) Tim HOWARD

7.) Jermaine JONES

8.) Joe Benny CORONA

9.) Benny FEILHABER

10.) Freddy ADU 

 

11.) Benji JOYA

12.) Mix DISKERUD

13.) Stuart HOLDEN

14.)  Juan AGUDELO 

15.) Terrence BOYD

 

16.) Eddie JOHNSON

17.) Chris KLUTE

18.) DeAndre YEDLIN

19.) Brek SHEA

20.) Andrew FARRELL

 

21.) Shane O’NEILL

22.) Jonathan SPECTOR

23.) Perry KITCHEN

24.) Joe GYAU

25.) Tony TAYLOR

 

26.) Mario RODRIGUEZ

27.) José VILLARREAL

28.) Alonso HERNANDEZ

29.) Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE

30.) Maurice EDU

 

31.) Brad GUZAN

32.) Michael OROZCO FISCAL

33.) Kofi SARKODIE

34.) Eric LICHAJ

35.) Paul ARRIOLA 

 

36.) Teal BUNBURY

37.) Lamar NEAGLE

38.) Quincy AMARIKWA

39.) George JOHN

40.) Amobi OKUGO

 

Reaction: USMNT 3 – 1 Honduras

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The United States celebrating after scoring against Honduras. (Photo: LARRY W. SMITH/EPA)
The United States celebrating after scoring against Honduras. (Photo: LARRY W. SMITH/EPA)

 

Evaluating the USMNT’s progress during the Gold Cup presents some challenges mainly due to the changing starting line-ups and the differing skill level of various opponents.

Before defeating Honduras 3-1, the United States Men’s National Team defeated El Salvador 5-1, and Honduras is a much stronger opponent.

Jürgen Klinsmann knew that Honduras was stronger than El Salvador, but based on his line-up, some of the player selections weren’t consistent with this reality.

An important and improved starting line-up change that Klinsmann made was the use of Eddie Johnson at first-striker over Chris Wondolowski. Johnson’s combination of skill and speed were on full-display on his well-taken goal that showed cool finishing, impressive athleticism, direct-to-goal play, and excellent movement off the ball to get open.

While the USMNT used a better striker in Eddie Johnson, the U.S. didn’t start the best playmaker on the roster, Joe Benny Corona.

Surprisingly, Corona was not started against Honduras, but perhaps it was Klinsmann’s plan to use him later in the game if needed.

Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler have been the central back pairing of choice during recent World Cup qualifiers, and yet, Gonzalez didn’t play one minute of the Gold Cup semifinal against Honduras, despite being called up to the roster after the group stage and missing the quarterfinal game so that he could participate in a club game.

Additionally, Mix Diskerud didn’t start against Honduras despite also having one of the breakout performances of the Gold Cup for the United States.

Despite not starting Diskerud or Corona against Honduras, Klinsmann likely values the creativity and overall skill-set that Corona and Diskerud bring to the team more so they he did in the past.

In addition to the attacking play, scoring, and creativity, Corona provided a lot of tenacious and valuable defense to the USMNT, so it was surprising to see Corona not starting.

In hindsight, the coach of the United States either felt that it was important to give Diskerud and Corona some rest or he simply wanted to give important playing time and experience to both Bedoya and Holden.

Jürgen Klinsmann is a coach who is difficult to predict, but he has substituted well in this Gold Cup, even if some of his starting line-ups haven’t looked to include some of his best options.

Against Honduras, Joe Benny Corona, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Brek Shea, and Mix Diskerud all didn’t start, but they were available if Klinsmann needed them.

Clearly the coaching staff of the USMNT was confident in their Starting XI selections to face Honduras, and they ended up being correct in their belief that the 11 players that were selected to start had the tools to beat Honduras.

Looking back at the U.S.’ victory over Honduras, one can see from the overall possession and the shots on goal that Honduras proved to be a much tougher opponent than El Salvador and others.

Many members of the American soccer media as well as many USMNT fans view critiques of the United States’ play and tactics as inappropriate when the United States wins, but the purpose of critiquing Jürgen Klinsmann is to advocate for producing the best soccer possible out of the United States Men’s National Team.

Based on the Honduras game, the exclusion of Joe Benny Corona from the starting line-up is giving Corona one less game to continue to build chemistry with players like Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud (who didn’t start), and Eddie Johnson.

While Alejandro Bedoya did well to set up two goals and to put lots of pressure on the defensive back four of Honduras, a playmaker like Corona is a player who clearly has an ability to create goals and score goals, which is on a level above that of Bedoya. The United States beat Honduras, but Klinsmann missed an opportunity to have Corona playing final balls for Eddie Johnson for an entire game.

The quality of the two goals that Corona scored in this Gold Cup were the types of goals that aren’t very common from the United States Men’s National team, and those goals combined with the smooth passing and creativity of Corona make him a superior player to Bedoya.

The USMNT needs playmakers in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, and Corona is a skilled goal-scoring playmaker.

The purpose of the Gold Cup for the United States is of course to win it, but the other purpose is to see which players can be incorporated into the so-called “A Team” that participates in qualifiers and friendlies against strong international opponents.

When Clarence Goodson was repeatedly torched by Sebastian Giovinco of Italy in February of 2012, that was a reminder that the U.S. needs quicker center backs to shore up the defense. Therefore, excluding Michael Orozco from this game as a center back wasted an opportunity to get a look at Orozco starting with Matt Besler against one of the better CONCACAF opponents.

Frankly, Orozco and Besler are quicker and more-skilled than Goodson and Gonzalez, although Besler is somewhat one-footed.

The primary improvement for the United States during the Gold Cup is that the United States is passing the ball better in the Gold Cup with players like Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden, Michael Orozco, Mix Diskerud, Joe Benny Corona, and Michael Parkhurst playing, but, with the differing starting line-ups used, it’s unclear what the best Starting XI is from this current group of 23 players.

 

Orozco at Midfield Destroyer vs. Honduras?

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The USMNT should start Michael Orozco Fiscal over Kyle Beckerman as the midfield destroyer against Honduras to give the U.S. superior speed and technical ability in front of the defensive back four.

Orozco is a faster and quicker player than Beckerman, and he is a better defender who has the athleticism to better time his challenges and keep up with quicker and more elusive opponents.

Whereas Beckerman always seems to be chugging along at a labored jog, Orozco is a quick defender who has a visibly higher technical skill-set than the other center backs on the Gold Cup roster.

At 27 years old, Orozco has been playing for years at the highest level in Mexico, and his skill-level and quickness as a defender have been highly regarded by the U.S. Soccer set-up for years.

While there was a time that Orozco was the subject of ridicule by American soccer fans, no one ever questioned his skill on the ball or the improved agility that he brought to the American defense compared to other center back options except for Geoff Cameron.

With Orozco’s speed and skill on the ball and Klinsmann’s likely preference to start Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back, using Orozco as the midfield destroyer allows the USMNT to start both Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud in more advanced roles relieving them of having to constantly track back on defense or playing deeper than they naturally play.

The only tactical problem with using Holden and Diskerud together in place of Beckerman was that both players had to focus more on playing defense deeper in the midfield, as opposed to focusing on their strong suit which is using their passing and technical ability in a more attacking role.

By starting Orozco as a midfield destroyer over Beckerman, the United States can have Stuart Holden, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, and Landon Donovan combining together to break down Honduras as a unit of skilled attacking midfielders, while Orozco covers for them deeper in the midfield.

Using Orozco deep in the midfield and pushing Holden and Diskerud forward to play closer to Corona and Donovan allows both Holden and Diskerud to concentrate on playing more final balls for Eddie Johnson.

If Beckerman is susceptible to being beaten with speed or quick combination passing by Honduras, why not use Orozco as a defensive midfielder since he clearly has the skill on the ball, the heading ability, the speed, and the defensive skills to protect the American center backs from either counter attacks or just quality attacking play from Honduras?

It is very likely that Beckerman will be unable to keep up with Honduras, so why not start Orozco in his place?

While this suggestion may seem experimental or risky, Orozco has demonstrated than he passes well out of the back with both feet and he has the speed and defensive skills to fulfill the role of the midfield destroyer.

Any passing or defending that Beckerman can do, Orozco can do better.

Orozco plays in a better league, and his superior athleticism, defending, and skill on the ball are documented with ample video evidence from this Gold Cup and previous USMNT games.

While Beckerman is a MLS veteran, Michael Orozco Fiscal is a Liga MX player who is an aggressive and intense player who is always fired up to play. Below are Orozco’s club and international playing record:

http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/84160/michael-orozco?cc=5901

This mentality combined with his ability to receive and release balls quicker  than Beckerman, in addition to his athletic gifts outline above, make him the only option Jürgen Klinsmann has at his disposal to compensate for Beckerman’s lack of speed and quickness.

With Orozco floating between the realm of the center backs and the realm of the midfield destroyer, the United States has a capable gatekeeper to support the defensive back four in order to allow Holden, Diskerud, and Corona to focus on possession, attacking, and scoring.

Honduras should be better than El Salvador, and El Salvador was only down by one goal to the United States until the 60th minute. Additionally, Beckerman’s lack of quickness was particularly on display when he was left for dead in the penalty box by Rodolfo Zelaya of El Salvador.

Starting Michael Orozco Fiscal as a midfield destroyer would certainly catch Honduras off guard and help to shore up the USMNT’s defense.

USMNT XI Proposal with Michael Orozco as a midfield destroyer (4-1-2-1-2):

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Michael OROZCO FISCAL; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

 

 

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Honduras?

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JOE BENNY CORONA (6). (Photo: Steve Conner/Icon SMI)
JOE BENNY CORONA (6). (Photo: Steve Conner/Icon SMI)

 

Stuart Holden did not play a single minute of the USMNT’s goleada over El Salvador, which was presumably due to the fact that the previous match was the first time he played the full 90 minutes in several years.

With the Gold Cup semifinal against Honduras on the horizon, one would think that United States Men’s National Team coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, would start or at least play Holden in that game.

Whether or not Klinsmann starts both Holden and Diskerud is anyone’s guess.

As Kyle Beckerman is a Klinsmann favorite and the only defensive midfielder on the roster, the presumption is that Klinsmann will start Beckerman again. It will be interesting to see what Klinsmann decides to do with Mix Diskerud, Stuart Holden, Joe Benny Corona, José Torres, and Brek Shea vying for three spots.

It would be shocking if Klinsmann didn’t start Kyle Beckerman, Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Eddie Johnson as four of his Front Six. That leaves two spots open that likely would go to Diskerud and Holden as Donovan and Corona can both line up on the left or right with presumably Holden lining up next to Beckerman with Diskerud in a more advanced role.

Brek Shea might be somewhat unlikely to start due to his continued return to full health and fitness, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Torres start again, which would likely force Klinsmann to pick either Holden or Diskerud for the bench.

The semifinal against Honduras marks the addition of Omar Gonzalez to the roster presumably as a starting center back partner for Matt Besler, but then again, Eddie Johnson didn’t start against El Salvador at striker, despite being called away from his club team in order to represent the United States. Therefore, maybe Klinsmann doesn’t start Gonzalez.

The most likely back four that the coach of the United States will field for the start of the semifinal against Honduras is Michael Parkhurst at right back, Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back, and DaMarcus Beasley at left back.

 

With all of this in mind, who will Jürgen Klinsmann likely start?

 

Klinsmann could likely start this XI below (but perhaps with José Torres taking either Holden’s or Diskerud’s spot):

 

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Kyle BECKERMAN; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

 

The USMNT XI that Klinsmann will use is certainly a tactically sound and reasonable line-up with three small caveats: 1.) Michael Orozco might just be a better center back than both Gonzalez and Besler; 2.) Orozco could likely fulfill Beckerman’s midfield destroyer role better than Beckerman; 3.) Starting Brek Shea might put Honduras on their heels from the beginning of the game.

The concern with Beckerman is of course speed, agility, quickness, the ability to not mistime tackles, and of course the fact that Gonzalez and Besler have always been protected by some two-man combination of Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, and Maurice Edu.

Beckerman cannot protect the gap between Besler and Gonzalez like those four defensive midfielders can.

Therefore, starting Michael Orozco allows the U.S. to have a player who alternates between playing as a midfield destroyer and a third center back for the entire game.

As a coach Jürgen Klinsmann has progressed in the balance and tactical acumen of his formations, but his player selection and ability to judge talent soon enough is still lacking.

During the Gold Cup, Klinsmann has improved as a coach because he’s been using balanced line-ups that balance defensive coverage with attacking ability.

The line-up proposed above as something that Klinsmann might use against Honduras is balanced and essentially uses almost all of the best options that Klinsmann has on his roster at every position, however flawed that roster itself is.

It will be interesting to see if Klinsmann goes with Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud in place of Kyle Beckerman, or if he plays some combination of the three.

If Klinsmann starts Clarence Goodson instead of Omar Gonzalez and Michael Orozco, then there can be a legitimate critique that Klinsmann didn’t select the best partner for Matt Besler.

Then again, Gonzalez and Orozco as the center back tandem might prove to pay dividends.

There are three major foreseeable problems for the USMNT against Honduras.

First, Beckerman might be exposed as too slow to keep up with Honduras. Secondly, Klinsmann could start Chris Wondolowski over Eddie Johnson at striker. Thirdly, Michael Orozco might start on the bench as opposed to bringing speed and skill to either the center of the defense or to the midfield destroyer role.

Looking just at the players who the United States Men’s National Team has to choose from on the Gold Cup roster, the U.S. just might be at full strength without Chris Wondolowski, Kyle Beckerman, or Clarence Goodson starting.

If Orozco is quick, strong on defense, and passes the ball well with both feet, then why does Beckerman need to start as the midfield destroyer, if Klinsmann could start Orozco just behind Holden and Diskerud?

 

Despite what Klinsmann might decide to do, World Soccer Source believes a strong starting line-up would be the following one below:

Nick RIMANDO; Michael PARKHURST, Omar GONZALEZ, Matt BESLER, DaMarcus BEASLEY; Michael OROZCO; Stuart HOLDEN, Mix DISKERUD; Joe Benny CORONA; Eddie JOHNSON, Landon DONOVAN.

 

USMNT Player Ratings vs. El Salvador

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Eddie Johnson (Photo: MexSport)
Eddie Johnson (Photo: MexSport)

 

RATINGS GUIDE:

0=Multiple own goals, no display of any skill, and a red card

5= Average performance for a professional player. No big mistakes. Nothing special.

10=Zidane against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup

 

GOALKEEPER: Nick RIMANDO – 7.0

The U.S. goalkeeper gets a rating of 7 largely for his fantastic kick save that saved a certain goal at a time when the game could have been even. Rimando had a number of other saves, but getting overexcited about the quality of the saves in a way downplays his goalkeeping abilities, which have always been solid. 5 is an average rating, and 7 shows the difficulty and importance of the kick save, which kept the U.S. in the lead.

 

RIGHT BACK: Michael PARKHURST – 6.0

Parkhurst is a center back playing right back, and rather than just defending well out wide, Parkhurst has proven to know how and when to participate in the attack. His passing and crosses from out wide in the attack are good, and against El Salvador, he made a good foray into the box and his solid shot on target was saved by Portillo’s shin. Parkhurst is a veteran, and 6 is an above average score that was given due to his quality participation in the attack.

 

CENTER BACK: Clarence GOODSON – 5.5

Goodson receives a rating of just above average due to his goal, which was somewhat of a sitter, but it still required Goodson to react to a deflection through a Salvadoran defender’s legs and finish the point blank goal. Otherwise, it was impossible not to think of how much more skilled and faster Michael Orozco was, and he was sitting on the bench.

 

CENTER BACK: Matt BESLER – 6.0

Besler has a tendency to not be really noticeable in games, and that sort of indicates a lack of major mistakes, which is good for a center back. Besler will have to use his right foot more if he wants to compete with the new, younger center backs who are coming up through the American player pool. Besler looked bad on Zelaya’s run into the penalty box, but El Salvador only scored off a penalty kick, as opposed to Besler ever being guilty of making any mistakes.

 

LEFT BACK: DaMarcus BEASLEY – 6.0

Beasley conceded a penalty kick, but he probably didn’t have a choice. Beasley could have let Zelaya dribble past him and have an open shot on goal or Beasley could have tried to get away with an obstruction. Beasley did his best to stop Zelaya without tackling him or hacking him in the box. Beasley was involved and effective in the attack, but there was nothing to give him a score of 7, which is considered a high score around the world. Receiving a rating of 7 or above requires something special.

 

MIDFIELD DESTROYER: Kyle BECKERMAN – 6.5

Beckerman’s shots on goal combined with several of his passes releasing his teammates downfield give him a rating of 6.5, but Beckerman is always a player who is a victim of a lack of quickness. Due to a lack of athleticism, Beckerman didn’t show the imposing midfield destroyer presence to receive a score of 7 or higher. Beckerman was poor on the play leading up to Zelaya’s penalty kick.

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Mix DISKERUD – 7.0

Diskerud is really an attacking midfielder by any definition, and his superior athleticism to Beckerman’s forced him into a role of providing coverage for Beckerman’s lack of speed. Diskerud score in this game, and players like Diskerud are the sort of quick passing and creative players that Jürgen Klinsmann froze out of his World Cup qualifying and previous rosters for the most part. Diskerud was a vital component of the United States’ domination of possession and improved passing. For his ability to play a higher caliber of soccer like Donovan and Corona play plus his goal, Diskerud receives a 7 for providing dynamic passing and defensive support for Beckerman.

 

RIGHT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: Joe Benny CORONA – 7.5

For Corona’s well-taken and self-created goal plus his major involvement in the facilitation of one-to-two touch soccer during this game, Corona earns a higher score than Diskerud. Corona scored in traffic from around the top of the penalty box, and that goal showed a coolness in front of the goal and an advanced ability to score goals that required 1v1 skill. Corona continues to show a willingness and an ability to put defensive pressure on the opposition and win the ball back.

 

SECOND STRIKER: Landon DONOVAN – 7.0

Landon Donovan is a seasoned veteran blessed with speed and skill, and Donovan is well-known to be a good player. While Donovan played very well against El Salvador, he also played really aggressively, but Donovan should run riot on teams below the world’s elite national teams.

 

LEFT ATTACKING MIDFIELDER: José TORRES – 6.0

Torres’ has improved over the last year, and his performances throughout the Gold Cup show a player who has learned how to make more of an impact in international games with his passing and his technical ability. Torres is still a one-footed soccer player, which is really on display when Corona, Diskerud, and Donovan are playing, but Torres has improved his ability to affect the outcome of international games in the U.S. jersey.

 

FIRST-STRIKER: Chris WONDOLOWSKI – 5.5

Wondolowski’s passing was quite good against El Salvador, and for this reason, he receives a rating of 5.5, which is just above average. Eddie Johnson is just much better and more athletic than Wondolowski.

 

Substitutes:

FIRST-STRIKER: Eddie Johnson – 7.0

Eddie Johnson scored a ruthless and mean-spirited trampoline header on his first touch of the game. The header was hit almost as hard as a punt. While Johnson used to not attack defenders aggressively enough, he is a technically-smooth and phenomenal athlete for any level of soccer. When he harnesses all of his gifts, Johnson is a useful weapon against any national team. Despite the opposition, Johnson’s headed pass off Rimando’s punt to set up Landon Donovan for a goal was something that not many soccer players can do. It would appear that Klinsmann’s strategy was to unleash an athletic prodigy and a skilled striker on El Salvador when they were tired and soaked with sweat.

 

LEFT WINGER: Brek SHEA – 6.0

Regardless of what people want to say, Shea is a very talented, athletic, and tall winger. Five years ago, the USMNT didn’t have wing players like Brek Shea. Without more inside information, it’s clear that Shea is still recovering from his injury, but Shea showed why players like him bring a degree of skill and athleticism combined with a willingness to attack that the U.S. needs. Shea’s touches were good, and his service into Eddie Johnson showed a real ability to provide plays that can win games. Shea’s service and his attacking earned him an above average rating.

 

CENTER BACK: Michael OROZCO FISCAL – 6.0

Orozco receives a 6 for showing quickly how his skill-level and athleticism is well-above that of Clarence Goodson. The U.S. could have used Orozco when Zelaya pillaged the penalty box and proceeded to score a statement Panenka. Orozco once again showed why he is a superior center back to Goodson.

 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

 

 

Joe Benny Corona, Goal-Scoring Playmaker

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JOE BENNY CORONA (6). (Photo: Steve Conner/Icon SMI)
JOE BENNY CORONA (6). (Photo: Steve Conner/Icon SMI)

 

Joe Benny Corona’s position is misunderstood by the American soccer media.

Whether Corona is lining up out left, out right, or in the center, there is so much movement off the ball that his position is really just a position put on paper or on a diagram for the purpose of simplifying the line-up for readers or TV viewers to see.

American soccer writers often describe Corona as a winger because he has been started out right on paper for some of the USMNT’s Gold Cup games, but a winger is really a player who uses speed out wide to storm down the sideline to play crosses in or to cut inside toward the penalty box to shoot or pass.

The way Corona plays is like how many skilled attacking players play: pass and move with one to two touches.

Corona is really a goal-scoring playmaker that can line-up anywhere in the attack except as a first-striker.

In Spanish, Joe Benny Corona’s playmaking position is called an enganche, which means “hitch” or “hook,” and this position is responsible for hooking or linking the midfield to the striker or strikers.

An enganche is really just a playmaker, as opposed to specifically meaning a goal-scoring playmaker.

When Corona lines up out right, he isn’t really playing as a winger as he is moving all over the field with the ebb and flow of the game, and the role of running the sidelines is really the responsibility of the outside backs who should overlap Corona when he is playing out right or left.

When these overlapping runs come, Corona’s role is to move toward the center of the field to allow the outside back to receive a wall pass back from Corona, which Corona would play down the sideline into the path of the outside back.

Some American soccer writers can continue to contend that Corona is playing as a winger, but Klinsmann knows that Corona isn’t really playing as a winger even if he says Corona is playing out on the wing. This is merely a convenient way of saying that Corona is lining up out right to allow Mix Diskerud or Stuart Holden to play more in the center during the Gold Cup.

Corona is really playing as a mezz’ala, which is a well-known position for fans of Italian soccer.

There isn’t really a name for mezz’ala in English, which is the position name in Italian that Clarence Seedorf played out wide in a line of three attacking midfielders at Milan. Whereas, the trequartista is in the center behind the strikers, the mezz’ala is really a midfielder playing out left or right that isn’t an out-and-out winger.

Additionally, Andrés Iniesta has often played this position for Barcelona in Spain, but the name of the position of course isn’t referred to by its Italian name. Barcelona sometimes uses Cesc Fàbregas, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta as a line of three attacking midfielders with Sergio Busquets behind them, and the position that Fàbregas and Iniesta play in that set-up is really what Corona is playing when he is out left or right.

This absence of a good name for attacking midfielders out wide who aren’t wingers is the crux of the problem that causes many USMNT fans and writers some confusion. The confusion is what to call Corona’s position.

The name isn’t really that important, as the important thing is the way that Corona improves the U.S.’ passing as well as linking the midfield to the strikers.

Wherever Corona, Diskerud, and Holden are playing, they are passing and moving all over the field, but in this Gold Cup, Diskerud and Holden have been tasked with the role of playing more as box-to-box midfielders (where Michael Bradley usually plays) to either partner with Kyle Beckerman or to start together to share Beckerman’s defensive duties.

Joe Benny Corona is needed to link the midfield to the attack, no matter who is starting deeper in the midfield.

With Corona on the field in the upcoming game against El Salvador, the USMNT has a player who can connect some combination of Beckerman, Holden, and Diskerud to Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson, but it should be noted that Diskerud and Holden are really more attacking midfielders than box-to-box midfielders.

For the USMNT’s purposes in the Gold Cup , Corona has to start because he fulfills a goal-scoring playmaking role that Diskerud and Holden aren’t being tasked with playing in this tournament.

Corona shouldn’t be thought of as a player who is down the pecking order from Holden, but Corona should be thought of as a creative attacking midfielder with a unique playmaking skill-set (superior to Stuart Holden’s) that this United States’ Gold Cup roster (and the World Cup qualifying roster) needs to play up to its full potential.

After the Gold Cup, Joe Benny Corona should play a bigger role with the full national team where he can help to improve the passing, the attacking, and the amount and quality of final balls. To top it off, Corona knows how to score as well.