Brazilian Tactics for the USMNT

 

Neymar's left-footed golaço past Iker Casillas. (Photo: AP Photo)
Neymar’s left-footed golaço past Iker Casillas. (Photo: AP Photo)

 

Supposedly, the United States Soccer Federation has been studying Brazilian soccer for years, and looking at some of the young MLS players and younger American products, maybe the USSF and MLS are placing a higher premium on technically-skilled players than they used to.

Nevertheless, Brazil’s Confederations Cup formations and starting line-ups are a good case study for the USMNT, even if the USMNT doesn’t have players who are as skilled as the very best Brazilian players.

The Seleção is the model that U.S. Soccer should look to study and emulate.

Brazilian soccer is based on skill and allowing the players the freedom to express themselves with the ball, which is Brazil’s main weapon against opponents, but Brazilian soccer is not without defense, tactics, or strategy.

Brazilian players are allowed the freedom to be more creative with the ball than other national teams, and Brazilians don’t base their attack on merely sending in a steady stream of crosses into the box without a clear target. The premium on working the ball around mostly on the ground is so high that many of the passes that the Brazilian national team executes in its own final third are very risqué by other national teams’ standards.

After a series of games intended to find his best formation and combination of players, Felipão found a strong and balanced Seleção XI right before the 2013 Confederations Cup started.

Traditionally, Brazil uses a 4-2-2-2 formation, but the Confederations Cup formation was more akin to a 4-2-3-1 where the right attacking midfielder and left attacking midfielders were really almost forwards.

There was nothing new or revolutionary about Felipão’s tactics, but they were well-designed and perfectly implemented. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Brazil mostly used this XI below:

Julio Cesar; Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred.

 

The Seleção almost always exclusively uses two center backs, who have the technical ability and speed of a defensive midfielder, and outside backs that provide width to the attack while always defending the flanks with speed and skill.

In front of the defense, Brazil normally uses two defensive midfielders: one who is more of a midfield destroyer (Luiz Gustavo) and another who is a box-to-box midfielder (Paulinho).

These two players were one of the keys for Brazil’s success because they brought needed defensive skills to a midfield that allowed Brazil to win the ball back without sacrificing technical ability. They also ran without tiring.

There is some important background information about Brazil’s use of defensive midfielders.

It’s fairly well-known that Brazil uses a system of normally two defensive midfielders. One of them plays deeper and doesn’t really go forward, and this midfield destroyer is called a cabeça de área or a volante de contenção. In addition to this player who is associated with the number 5, there is also a more box-to-box midfielder who is associated with the number 8 and called a “volante.” “Volante” is a general term for any defensive midfielder, and it means “steering wheel.”

In front of these two defensive midfielders, Felipão used a line of three attacking midfielders where Oscar was the playmaker (meia-armador) in the middle and Neymar and Hulk were really almost forwards just lining up out left and right on paper.

Likewise, Jürgen Klinsmann has begun to at least iron out a tactical formation. Recently, Klinsmann starting using a 4-2-3-1 formation where two different kinds of defensive midfielders lined up behind three attacking midfielders and a striker. At times, Klinsmann used two strikers during the Gold Cup.

Klinsmann’s switch to the 4-2-3-1 formation was a deviation from his previous use of three defensive midfielders, but Klinsmann has still never fielded three highly-skilled attacking midfielders like Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Clint Dempsey at the same time.

In the Gold Cup, a midfield destroyer was used next to an attacking midfielder (Stuart Holden or Mix Diskerud), who was impersonating a box-to-box midfielder, who both lined up behind a line of three attacking midfielders, and this formation and its tactics are covered in detail in other recent World Soccer Source articles.

This formation is somewhat similar to what Felipão used during the Confederations Cup.

Klinsmann is well-aware of how Brazil plays and surely studied their tactics during the Confederations Cup closely, but looking at how Brazil played and why it worked is something that Americans and non-Americans might be wise to do.

This Brazilian midfield formation outlined above is something that Klinsmann has used with the USMNT, but many of Klinsmann’s right and left midfielders in World Cup qualifiers have been players who are either married to the sideline or just looking to play crosses or both.

Klinsmann has used Geoff Cameron as a midfield destroyer with Michael Bradley as a box-to-box midfielder, and in Gold Cup games without Bradley or Cameron, Klinsmann has used Joe Benny Corona as a playmaker flanked by attacking midfielders on the right and left with a striker up top.

The system that Brazil used is a perfect example for the USMNT to study and implement, even if it isn’t as good as the Brazilian version.

Certainly, the USMNT can use a similar set-up to Brazil, which other national teams and clubs also use, even if the overall skill level of all the players is nowhere near Brazil’s.

Tactically, the balance of that Brazilian squad was perfect.

The team was difficult to beat with speed or skill down the middle, and the flanks were patrolled by outside backs, who posed a two-way threat.

Additionally, when the outside backs attacked, the defensive midfielders dropped back to fill the hole left by the outside backs.

Finally, with a playmaker like Oscar combining with Neymar, Hulk, and Fred, the attacking threat was too much for Spain who were humiliated by Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final.

For all the stereotypes of Brazil not defending, Brazil’s 2013 Confederations Cup squad showed not only good team defense through pressing, but they also displayed outstanding individual defenders in the line of two defensive midfielders and in the defensive back four.

This system is essentially what Jürgen Klinsmann is trying to implement with the United States Men’s National Team, and frankly some of his player selections do not seem to have the physical gifts and skills to fulfill their required roles.

To Klinsmann’s credit, in the Gold Cup, he did use a formation that was similar to Brazil’s, but now it’s time to put the higher-level players together in a balanced starting line-up.

The USMNT hasn’t yet used outside backs or center backs like Brazil uses, and given how obvious it is to start Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore as the Front Six, Klinsmann will have to start using faster and more skilled center backs who are flanked by modern outside backs who pose an attacking threat and who defend out wide.

While Brazil uses Daniel Alves at right back and Marcelo at left back, Jürgen Klinsmann refuses to use any of the new MLS outside backs like Chris Klute, DeAndre Yedlin, or Andrew Farrell who at least attempt to play with the same aggressive attacking style down the sideline and who can defend skillful and quick attackers.

At center back, Klinsmann has never fielded two players who combine athleticism, technical ability, and the defensive skills of quick, strong, and talented defensive midfielders like Geoff Cameron.

The Brazilian way is one way for the United States to start improving its level of play, but Jürgen Klinsmann will have to field the players with the right tools because the Brazilian way is rooted in having technically-gifted players at every position, even the most defensive positions.

 

New Progress in USMNT Tactics

 

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

 

Jürgen Klinsmann has certainly improved his tactical approach to games, and he now should be ready to field a team with better passing and a stronger attack.

The formations and tactics used in the Gold Cup differed from the formations and tactics used in World Cup qualifying.

As of right now, Klinsmann is currently using a defensive back four, a midfield destroyer, and box-to-box midfielder, a line of three attacking midfielders, and a striker. The only problem with this set-up is that the player who is supposed to be a central attacking midfielder has been Landon Donovan, a second striker.

Now that the Gold Cup is over, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore will be incorporated into the Starting XI with Landon Donovan, but Klinsmann has to decide if he wants to start Jermaine Jones or Geoff Cameron next to Bradley. Additionally, there is a spot open for a central attacking midfielder.

Instead of starting Landon Donovan as the central attacking midfielder or using Clint Dempsey as a second striker in place of a central attacking midfielder, Klinsmann would be wise to start Donovan out right, Dempsey out left, and Joe Benny Corona in the middle as the central attacking midfielder.

This gives the USMNT two attacking midfielders in Donovan and Dempsey who are free to roam wherever they see fit without ironing out an exact positional name for them. Klinsmann should just put them down in the Starting XI as a right midfielder and as a left midfielder and just let them roam as they naturally roam.

Given Corona’s superior playmaking abilities to both Donovan and Dempsey who are really second strikers/wingers, Corona should be started in order to free up Dempsey and Donovan to make runs, attack the goal, provide support for Altidore, apply pressure on the opposing team’s defenders and midfielders, and just do what they naturally do.

Corona is a goal-scoring playmaker, and he is fully capable of simultaneously looking to play a constant stream of final balls to Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore, in addition to looking to score himself. Corona can play off all three of these players and do whatever the game dictates.

Starting Corona as a playmaker frees up the confusion between Donovan and Dempsey about whether they need to primarily look to make runs into the final third or if they need to be responsible for providing service to Altidore.

Donovan, Corona, and Dempsey in a line of three attacking midfielders foster a style of one-to-two touch soccer based off passing and moving and combing with your teammates as much as possible. Furthermore, this system allows Altidore to not need to drop back into the midfield to get the ball, and it also gives the USMNT four strong attacking threats that will force the opposition to take all of them seriously, rather than focusing their defense on containing one or two of them.

This use of four attacking players actually corresponds with Klinsmann’s vision of high pressure team defense because having four attackers like Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore provides the United States with a group of players who have the speed, skill, and intelligence to know how to pressure the opposing defenders and midfielders into making mistakes in their own half or final third.

The two players that Klinsmann selects to play behind the four more attack-minded players and the defensive back four is something that Klinsmann will have to decide.

Michael Bradley is a lock as a starter, and his style of play has evolved into playing a box-to-box midfielder role more so than as a midfield destroyer. Jermaine Jones plays a similar style to Bradley, which has caused some miscommunication between the two players.

Both players seemed to want to go forward as much as possible, and frequently Bradley realized that he would have to play a deeper more defensive role than he wanted to because Jones wasn’t going to do it.

It’s worth mentioning that Bradley and Jones are not as effective in the attack as true box-to-box midfielders such as Paulinho or Arturo Vidal, so both of them can be fairly described as defensive midfielders.

While there is nothing wrong with two defensive midfielders with box-to-box abilities, a high level of overall athleticism, and an advanced technical ability, there does need to be an understanding that only one of the two can make forays at a time.

This similarity between Bradley’s and Jones’ style of play makes Geoff Cameron’s strong showing as a midfield destroyer very appealing. Cameron enjoyed patrolling the back and fulfilling a lot of the defensive responsibilities because he had a lot of touches on the ball, which allowed him to be heavily involved in the passing to the extent that he looked to play final balls from a deep position.

Cameron truly seemed to embrace the role of covering a lot of the ground in the back and being heavily involved in the midfield passing of the United States because he didn’t feel that his ability to impact the attack was hampered by his midfield destroyer role.

If anything, Cameron was playing more of an attacking role than when he played center back or even right back because at right back he was confined to only attacking and patrolling along the right sideline. As a midfield destroyer, Cameron was able to cover the entire width of the field and combine with his teammates and mix it up defensively with the opposition.

One more defensive option for Klinsmann and the United States, should the game call for it, would be to use a diamond midfield formation with Cameron as the midfield destroyer, Jones and Bradley as box-to-box midfielders lining up in front of Cameron, Corona as the tip of the diamond as the playmaker, and Dempsey and Altidore as the second and first strikers, respectively.

The United States Men’s National Team sits in a better position right now than it did after the most recent set of World Cup qualifying games because Klinsmann seems to have found a new balance of attacking and defensive midfielders. The defensive back four is a big question mark, but the Front Six and the general tactics of the national team shouldn’t be.

Cameron and Bradley provide excellent passing and defensive coverage and Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore provide a strong attacking threat and a good balance of differing skill-sets that can work together to form a cohesive and efficient team.

 

USMNT: 23 for Brazil (August 2013)

The World Soccer Source 23-Man USMNT 2014 World Cup Roster Proposal 

(August 2013 Edition)

 

COMMENT:

This 23-man USMNT Roster Proposal is less conservative than other projections and predictions that you will find from other writers and websites.

The purpose of not just going with the current group of Jürgen Klinsmann regulars who are doing a good job at staying on top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table is not to purposely propose a group of inexperienced and young players for the sake of creating controversy.

On the contrary, the purpose is that this group of players below represents a sincere attempt to not just survive the group stage but to give young, talented, and athletic players the chance to try and raise the level of play of the USMNT.

For example, Gyasi Zardes and Mario Rodriguez are on the list over Eddie Johnson, which will seem almost comical to many people.

The reason that this writer selected Zardes and Rodriguez, despite the excellent combination of skill and overall athleticism of Johnson, is that this writer believes that these two young and internationally inexperienced players, if they happen to play for whatever reason over starters like Juan Agudelo or Terrence Boyd, will relentlessly attack the goal no matter the opponent more so than Johnson will.

It’s important to remember that Rodriguez is highly-regarded by Tab Ramos, and Rodriguez plays in Germany. Additionally, Zardes is widely-considered an extremely talented striker in MLS circles, and Zardes seemed to have no problem playing against Real Madrid yesterday who were fielding a strong line-up, including Casemiro at the defensive midfielder role.

 

Here is the roster proposal:

 

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad GUZAN, Tim HOWARD, Nick RIMANDO.

CENTER BACKS (4): Gale AGBOSSOUMONDE, Andrew FARRELL, Shane O’NEILL, Michael OROZCO FISCAL.

OUTSIDE BACKS (3): Chris KLUTE, Kofi SARKODIE, DeAndre YEDLIN.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS (3): Michael BRADLEY, Geoff CAMERON, Benji JOYA.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS (5): Freddy ADU, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY, Mix DISKERUD, Benny FEILHABER.

FORWARDS (5): Juan AGUDELO, Jozy ALTIDORE, Terrence BOYD, Mario RODRIGUEZ, Gyasi ZARDES.

 

NOTES:

-There are 7 defenders as opposed to 8 because Geoff Cameron plays center back as well as both outside back positions.

-Michael Orozco, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Farrell, Shane O’Neill can all play as outside backs and as defensive midfielders.

-Geoff Cameron is as much of a center back as he is a defensive midfielder.

-Benji Joya is a box-to-box midfielder listed with the defensive midfielders.

-Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber are on this roster proposal. Both of these players are highly-valued by World Soccer Source for their proven-ability and record of performing and making a positive impact at the international level regardless of the opponent. Many Americans and non-Americans consider these two players to be inconsistent and lazy playmakers with a poor attitude, but World Soccer Source considers them to be invaluable midfielders for the USMNT due to their ability to bring creative and quality passing and attacking play to a national team that lacks these qualities.

 

USMNT Starting XI Proposal (4-1-2-1-2): Howard; Yedlin, O’Neill, Farrell, Klute; Cameron; Bradley, Joya; Corona; Agudelo, Dempsey.

 

ROSTER ALTERNATES:

FORWARDS: Teal BUNBURY, Alonso HERNANDEZ, Eddie JOHNSON, Tony TAYLOR, José VILLARREAL.

MIDFIELDERS: Landon DONOVAN, Junior FLORES, Luis GIL, Joe GYAU, Jeremy HALL, Perry KITCHEN, Dax MCCARTY, Brek SHEA.

DEFENDERS: Matt BESLER, Omar GONZALEZ, Fabian JOHNSON, Eric LICHAJ, Michael PARKHURST, Jonathan SPECTOR, Caleb STANKO.

GOALKEEPERS: Cody CROPPER, Tally HALL, Bill HAMID, Clint IRWIN, Sean JOHNSON, Dan KENNEDY, Luis ROBLES.

 

 

USMNT Back Four Options

 

Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)
Chris Klute (right) might be the best American left back. (Photo: Eamon Queeny / The Columbus Dispatch)

 

Recently, World Soccer Source examined a Front Six option that Jürgen Klinsmann could start for the USMNT to maximize what he learned from World Cup qualifying and the Gold Cup, but the defensive Back Four is still a big question mark.

In the Front Six, this writer advocated that the USMNT start Geoff Cameron as a midfield destroyer with Michael Bradley as more of the box-to-box variety of defensive midfielder with a line of three attacking midfielders in front of them: Landon Donovan, Joe Benny Corona, and Clint Dempsey.

To read that article and more about the logic of the Front Six click  HERE.

Combining that Front Six with either Tim Howard or Brad Guzan in goal, the best defensive back four is an area that is very much a pressing issue. The popular opinion seems to be that Matt Besler is a lock at one of the center back spots, and that is certainly what Jürgen Klinsmann believes.

The entire defensive back four is still a big question mark because there are new outside backs on the scene who look as though they offer a package of skills and physical gifts that the United States Men’s National Team has never had. These outside backs are Chris Klute and DeAndre Yedlin, but it’s important to note that Andrew Farrell falls into this category too as he has been used as right back by the New England Revolution instead of his natural position of center back.

Therefore, the Back Four of the USMNT is nothing but questions. Is Matt Besler a lock as a starter? If so, who should partner with him at center back? Should it be Omar Gonzalez or should it be Michael Orozco Fiscal? Furthermore, is it possible that two completely different center backs are the best center back tandem for the U.S.?

One route that the United States could take would be to start Matt Besler at center back with either Omar Gonzalez or Michael Orozco, but give DeAndre Yedlin and Chris Klute a chance to start with them as the outside backs. This approach would keep the center back situation somewhat stable, but it would shake things up at the outside back spots.

Actually letting Chris Klute play against Bosnia-Herzegovina would be a bold move for Klinsmann, if he even puts him on the roster, but it would offer the U.S. the opportunity to really see a gifted and athletic left back storming up and down the left sideline.

DeAndre Yedlin has received much more media attention that Klute, but Klute is likely a more polished defender. Yedlin is a very promising right back who is skilled at attacking and defending, and using him against Bosnia-Herzegovina would be an excellent opportunity for Klinsmann to see two young and talented outside backs who are both exceptionally fast facing off against international competition for the full national team.

No one knows what the best defensive back four for the USMNT is, and the only way to really know is to play outside backs like Yedlin and Klute and see what happens. Anything the U.S. can do to make its defense more equipped to deal with fast and skilled attackers is necessary.

There are several defenders that need to be tested and evaluated by Klinsmann. At center back, Klinsmann needs to see how Shane O’Neill can do with the full national team, and it would be useful to see Andrew Farrell playing his preferred position of center back.

Looking at these two players in regards to their defensive qualities, their comfort on the ball, and their high-level of athleticism, it is possible that Shane O’Neill and Andrew Farrell might prove to be a better center back tandem than Matt Besler plus Omar Gonzalez or Michael Orozco.

If Andrew Farrell can play as an outside back and as a center back, one idea of a list of eight defenders would be Andrew Farrell, DeAndre Yedlin, Chris Klute, Fabian Johnson, Michael Orozco, Shane O’Neill, Omar Gonzalez, and Matt Besler. It’s important to note that Geoff Cameron would be listed as a midfielder, even though he obviously excels as a defender as well.

This list presents the USMNT with the opportunity to start a back four of DeAndre Yedlin, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and Chris Klute, but it also allows for a number of other combinations of center backs and outside backs. For example, Michael Orozco can start as a right back, and Fabian Johnson could start at left back.

Given the group of players listed above, the United States could start any number of defensive back fours. One option would be to start Yedlin, Orozco, Besler, and Klute. Another option would be to start Orozco, Gonzalez, Besler, and Johnson. The youngest and most experimental option would be to start Yedlin, Farrell, O’Neill, and Klute.

These are back fours to consider, and using one of them behind Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore would offer Klinsmann the opportunity to learn more about what his best combination of players is, and there might be more than one. This system allows Cameron and Bradley to cover for Chris Klute and DeAndre Yedlin when they make attacking forays.

Really progressing as a national team will require some new faces to be allowed to play, in order to truly test out more of the American player pool.

While a Front Six made up of Cameron, Bradley, Donovan, Corona, Dempsey, and Altidore is a tactically sound and proven group of players, the best defensive back four for the U.S. is unknown.

Maybe starting Yedlin and Klute will improve the USMNT, and maybe Andrew Farrell deserves a shot to play his natural position of center back or perhaps start at right back over Yedlin.

It’s time to see if there is room to improve the defensive back four of the United States.

 

Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Panama?

 

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.

 

Reaction: USMNT 3 – 1 Honduras

 

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?

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.

 

 

USMNT Player Ratings vs. El Salvador

 

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:

 

 

USMNT: Risk, Failure, and Success

 

Benji Joya (8). (Photo: MexSport)
Benji Joya (8). (Photo: MexSport)

 

The best athlete in the history of American sports said over and over again that failure was the key to his success. That athlete was Michael Jordan.

American soccer has more potential for success right now than at any time in the entire history of soccer in the United States. The key to success is actually fielding unproven players at the international level who have demonstrated the potential ability and the athleticism to be competitive with elite soccer nations.

A vast majority of the coaches in the United States including Jürgen Klinsmann are afraid to risk losing by playing starting line-ups made up of several internationally unproven players in meaningful games, but there is a way to accomplish this without jeopardizing qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

The solution is quite simple: use a Starting XI made up of proven players and fill the remaining roster spots with new but talented players in addition to players who are too good to exclude.

 

After the Gold Cup, the USMNT could start the follow starting line-up without taking any more risks than usual:

Tim Howard; Jonathan Spector, Maurice Edu, Geoff Cameron, Eric Lichaj; Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones; Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Clint Dempsey; Jozy Altidore.

 

The Starting XI listed above isn’t really a risky line-up by any means, as all of those players have ample experience playing international soccer at a respectable level.

If the whole world considers the United States Men’s National Team to be a team with just a few technically-skilled players, then why not use friendlies to field new players who have demonstrated the ability to offer an improvement over many of the players Jürgen Klinsmann has been using?

The sort of undertaking described above is considered risky by many, but couldn’t it also be considered risky not to attempt to strengthen areas where the USMNT is weak?

Beginning to improve the caliber of players fielded by the United States isn’t a question of teaching experienced players to play differently, but it is a question of actually starting promising players who could do very poorly in their first game or games.

On the other hand, maybe they’d do well.

The first step in this process is easy because the first step is deciding which players among the players that Klinsmann has been starting in World Cup qualifying absolutely have to start, and this list of names is short.

Tim Howard or Brad Guzan have to start. Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey have to start, but who else absolutely has to start? Maybe Landon Donovan has to start too.

Looking at that list, that list includes five names for four starting spots leaving seven Starting XI spots up for grabs. Starting line-up space for seven open spots leaves the door open for a lot of possibilities.

Looking at right back, DeAndre Yedlin of the Seattle Sounders seems like a risk worth taking, given his performances in MLS and in the U-20 World Cup, not to mention the two-way threat he poses. Yedlin has speed that’s close to Chris Klute’s speed, and using them as the outside backs would certainly improve the U.S.’ ability to attack and defend out wide.

Moving to center back, Geoff Cameron has demonstrated that he has a level of athleticism and skill, not to mention size, that has never really been given a chance to partner with a center back of similar qualities.

Why can’t Gale Agbossoumonde, Andrew Farrell, or Shane O’Neill be given a shot to start with Cameron? What’s the real argument against that?

Is there any proof that Omar Gonzalez or Matt Besler can outplay Agbossoumonde, Farrell, or O’Neill in an international game when they are partnered with Cameron? Those are all good MLS players, so trying them out should be something that the USMNT’s coaching staff and American soccer writers are interested in seeing.

None of those three players have been given the chance to show how they can perform compared to Besler and Gonzalez, but Besler was started against Mexico in Estadio Azteca in a World Cup qualifier with essentially no significant international experience. Besler and Gonzalez have done well, but have they really proven that they are the best?

At left back, Chris Klute hasn’t been given the chance to show how he can do compared to DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson. Beasley and Johnson aren’t even really left backs. Klute actually is a two-way left back, and he’s a very fast and skilled two-way left back who uses both feet.

If Americans really want to see better soccer, where’s the backing for at least using a friendly to field a backline of Yedlin, Agbossoumonde, Cameron, and Klute with Howard as the goalkeeper? Certainly, the United States has never fielded a back four with that degree of speed and technical ability.

There doesn’t appear to be any real risk, particularly in a friendly. The U.S. might lose, but the U.S. might lose anyway. Klinsmann’s World Cup qualifying rosters and line-ups have been completely make-shift and experimental anyway.

All of the players listed above are players who are garnering attention from the American soccer media and American soccer fans. None of those players are soccer players taken off the street; those are all well-known professional players.

One of the arguments that Klinsmann’s methods have been working is the USMNT’s victory over Italy.

The U.S. played Italy in a friendly, only to have Mario Balotelli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and Daniele De Rossi not start. The USMNT can’t really say that it beat Italy convincingly, if Balotelli wasn’t playing. Cesare Prandelli and Italy clearly felt like they didn’t need to use their best players against the U.S. because, if Italy lost, everyone would know Italy didn’t use its best players.

Certainly, Clint Dempsey played well against Italy, but Americans already knew that Dempsey could perform well against elite opponents.

Rather than not taking any risks in friendlies, the USMNT would be better served to see how much potential it could show if a bunch of young, athletic, and skilled defenders were allowed to play with a slightly older Geoff Cameron who too hasn’t really been given a fair chance to play with an adequate center back partner.

Assuming Michael Bradley is playing as a defensive midfielder and Landon Donovan is out on the right wing, why not start Freddy Adu or Joe Corona as a central attacking midfielder with Clint Dempsey out left? This group of players has been used before with success, at least with Adu playing with Dempsey and Donovan. Whereas, Corona hasn’t really been given the chance to play with Dempsey yet.

With the players mentioned above, there are only a few line-up choices left to make for the purpose of this experiment.

Does the U.S. use another defensive midfielder or perhaps a box-to-box midfielder with Bradley, or should the U.S. start two forwards? If the USMNT plays another midfielder with Bradley, is there any reason not to let Benji Joya start with Bradley?

Furthermore, who should the U.S. start at striker?

Jozy Altidore has improved greatly over the past two seasons in Holland, and the players listed above provide him with the service he needs to score goals.

On the other hand, if Altidore has already proven himself by scoring so many goals in Holland as well as showing that he can score for the U.S. when provided with service, shouldn’t the USMNT see how Juan Agudelo or Terrence Boyd can play with the players listed above?

Lots of questions. Few answers.

It’s time to start answering some of those questions, and the way to answer those questions is to start the following Starting XI:

Howard; Yedlin, Agbossoumonde/Farrell/O’Neill, Cameron, Klute; Bradley, Joya/Holden; Donovan, Adu/Corona/Feilhaber, Dempsey; Agudelo/Boyd.

 

WHO SHOULD THE USMNT START VS. COSTA RICA?

 

Landon Donovan (left), Herculez Gomez (center), and Joe Corona (right) have all earned the start against Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Landon Donovan (left), Herculez Gomez (center), and Joe Corona (right) have all earned the start against Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

 

As Eric Wynalda remarked while commentating for Fox during the USA versus Cuba game, nobody knows what Jürgen Klinsmann is thinking or going to do.

 

Klinsmann made a statement where he said that Costa Rica presented the first real test for the USMNT, and that’s an accurate statement.

 

In all fairness to Cuba, Cuba showed how skilled and athletic players can score on the U.S. at any time, and José Ciprian showed this with an outstanding side-volleyed golazo against the United States Men’s National Team.

 

Looking at the defenders, the midfielders, and the forwards or forward, Klinsmann has a variety of options at his disposal, and despite some of his bizarre formations before the Gold Cup, Klinsmann has been fielding Gold Cup starting line-ups that make sense.

 

Additionally, Klinsmann is making the correct substitutions when he sees a need to correct something.

 

Overlooking some of his roster omissions like Perry Kitchen, Klinsmann has been fielding starting line-ups that tactically make sense, and one constant has been the inclusion of Kyle Beckerman in the starting line-up, as he is the only midfield destroyer on the roster.

 

Furthermore, Beckerman isn’t a more dynamic defensive midfielder like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, or Geoff Cameron.

 

All three of these defensive midfielders have the athleticism to play as midfield destroyers while still picking their opportunities to go forward.

 

On the other hand, Beckerman doesn’t have the endurance or speed to run as much or as fast as Jones, Bradley, and Cameron, which forces Beckerman to conserve his energy by always playing very deep.

 

Even when Bradley, Jones, and Cameron play as the midfield destroyer, they certainly cover much more territory, even when they restrict themselves to just patrolling the very back of the midfield

 

Unless Klinsmann elects to start Mix Diskerud and Stuart Holden together in order to allow two people to fulfill the extreme running endurance that other American defensive midfielders can deliver on their own, then Beckerman will be starting as a midfield destroyer with Holden, Diskerud, or both supporting him.

 

Compared to Holden and Diskerud who are really more attacking midfielders, Cameron, Bradley, and Jones are like apex predators who can run endlessly and deliver the running necessary to play as a midfield destroyer for the full 90 minutes.

 

While Klinsmann has been using Bradley, Jones, and Cameron in two-man tandems, all three of those players can run the entire game in order to play defense as well as being some of the main protagonists in the passing play of the USMNT’s midfield.

 

Looking at who Klinsmann will start and who Klinsmann should start, it seems obvious that Nick Rimando will be starting in goal with DaMarcus Beasley playing as a left back.

 

Beasley as a right back with Edgar Castillo as a left back would be a real curveball, so it seems likely that Klinsmann will start Michael Parkhurst at right back with DaMarcus Beasley at left back.

 

At center back, Michael Orozco Fiscal is playing very well, and he looks to be more skilled and quicker than both Clarence Goodson and Oguchi Onyewu.

 

Klinsmann will likely start Orozco with Goodson, but it would be interesting to see if Klinsmann decided that he needed Parkhurst and Orozco as the center backs against a Costa Rican side that is quite frankly much better than Belize or Cuba.

 

In all likelihood, Klinsmann’s back four will be Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, and Beasley, but a back four of Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, and Beasley might just be a better option as the competition in the Gold Cup goes up.

 

In front of the defensive back four, Klinsmann will likely start Beckerman, and it will be interesting to see if he elects to start a diamond midfield formation of Beckerman playing as a destroyer with Holden and Diskerud just in front of him as essentially attacking midfielders playing like a tandem of box-to-box midfielders.

 

This set-up would protect Beckerman from being too exposed to being beaten by quicker opponents as often, and it would allow the American midfield to have two midfielders in Holden and Diskerud who can maintain possession and pose a real threat going forward.

 

In the diamond midfield formation, Corona could play as the tip of the diamond as a central attacking midfielder, trequartista, enganche, meia-armador, or any other synonymous term one wishes to use to describe the playmaker playing behind the strikers.

 

Landon Donovan and Herculez Gomez could likely start in front of the diamond midfield formation with Donovan as the second striker, or perhaps Klinsmann will elect to use a different formation all together.

 

Therefore, the coach of the USMNT has many options against Costa Rica.

 

He can start Beckerman with Holden or Diskerud deeper in the midfield with a line of three attacking midfielders in front of them, or he could elect to use the diamond formation discussed above.

 

Below are three options that Klinsmann might employ, but it should be noted that Klinsmann probably has several others up his sleeve:

 

Rimando; Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, Beasley; Beckerman, Holden; Corona, Diskerud, Donovan; Gomez

 

Rimando; Parkhurst, Onyewu, Orozco, Beasley; Beckerman; Holden, Diskerud; Corona; Gomez, Donovan.

 

Rimando; Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, Beasley; Beckerman, Diskerud; Corona, Holden, Donovan; Gomez.

 

World Soccer Source would like to see an entirely different option than the three proposed above.

 

The World Soccer Source option eliminates Beckerman from the starting line-up and tasks Diskerud and Holden with sharing the work load to fulfill the defensive duties of Beckerman, while bringing more athleticism and more creative and dynamic midfield play that is both able to keep possession and unlock the Costa Rican defense from a deeper role or when one of the pair advances forward more to attack.

 

Shea had an off-game against Cuba, but the talent, speed, size, and the willingness to attack are strong qualities in Shea’s game.

 

World Soccer Source is willing to write off a performance as bad as Shea’s against Cuba as just a bad outing characterized by reluctant play, crosses sailed over the goal and out of bounds, and some hesitancy to control one cross-field pass soon enough, which Eric Wynalda discussed during Fox’s broadcast.

 

Shea started to improve a little bit toward the end of the first half, and World Soccer Source supports using a weapon like Shea against the strongest opponent the USMNT has faced in this tournament so far, even if Shea had a bad game against Cuba. When he’s on his game Shea disrupts defenses and poses a threat to opponents.

 

Therefore, World Soccer Source proposes using the following Starting XI against Costa Rica:

Rimando; Beltran, Parkhurst, Orozco, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Shea; Gomez.

 

On a final note, it’s unclear whether Klinsmann views Chris Wondolowski’s recent string of goals as a reason to start him over Gomez, or if he views Wondolowski’s nose for goal as a good option to save for the final 20 minutes of the game, as Eric Wynalda suggested on the air for Fox during the U.S.’ game against Cuba.