Who Should the USMNT Start vs. Mexico?

 

 

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

Jürgen Klinsmann finds himself in a difficult situation as Michael Bradley is injured for the United States Men’s National Team’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Mexico, especially since Klinsmann has relied on a combination of Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey to fulfill playmaking responsibilities for the United States Men’s National Team, as opposed to using a true playmaker.

For all of Klinsmann’s talk about this not being the time to experiment, the defensive back four that Klinsmann used against Costa Rica was a makeshift back four including Michael Orozco, who was blamed for the loss, besides not being responsible for a single Costa Rican goal.

The game was lost in the midfield, and Costa Rica was one goal away from victimizing the United States with a goleada.

With Michael Bradley injured and Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, and Jozy Altidore suspended, Klinsmann replaced those four players with Joe Benny Corona, Clarence Goodson, José Torres, and Brad Davis.

There’s no way for an objective observer to look at the replacements called in and not be concerned. While Joe Benny Corona has proved his skill and worth against top competition in the Copa Libertadores and against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brad Davis, Clarence Goodson, and José Torres never really have.

The United States needed a right back, a defensive midfielder, a talented first striker, and a playmaker to face Mexico, and Klinsmann was incapable of making the selections that were necessary with the exception of Joe Benny Corona.

Once again, Klinsmann will be using a makeshift Starting XI where the outside backs will likely be scrambling, and the center backs likely won’t be agile enough to keep up with Chicharito, Oribe Peralta, and Giovanni Dos Santos, among others.

As Klinsmann called up Clarence Goodson, it’s very possible that he will start with Omar Gonzalez at center back, but maybe, just maybe, Klinsmann elects to start Orozco at center back to keep up with Mexico’s speed and skill on the ball.

Looking objectively, Goodson and Gonzalez do not really have the agility, skill, or overall speed to keep up with Mexico’s attackers.

If Chicharito, Peralta, Dos Santos, and Reyna or Aquino all start for Mexico, then the American defense is in trouble, if Klinsmann uses Orozco, Gonzalez, Goodson, and Beasley as his back four.

Circumstances dictated that Jürgen Klinsmann should have called in a dynamic defensive midfielder to play in place of Michael Bradley, and Kyle Beckerman definitely does not have the physical gifts to keep up with Mexico’s attackers without fouling them.

If Jermaine Jones elects to constantly push up, then Beckerman will be forced to hold off superior Mexican players who can beat him with speed, quickness, skill, or all three.

Nevertheless, Klinsmann’s likely strategy is to start Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman in front of a back four of Michael Orozco, Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, and Fabian Johnson.

Klinsmann could go with something else, but his past history, his recent roster replacements, and his comments to the press seem to make a deviation from the formation described above unlikely.

There is an argument to be made that since Clarence Goodson wasn’t on the original roster (presumably because Geoff Cameron, John Anthony Brooks, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, and Michael Orozco were), then Orozco is more likely to feature at center back with Omar Gonzalez.

Either way, divining Klinsmann’s Starting XIs is total guesswork.

In front of the players prognosticated above, the USMNT is sure to use Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and either Eddie Johnson or Aron Jóhannsson.

With Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud on the roster, Klinsmann could start Diskerud alongside Jermaine Jones, or he could start him in between Donovan and Dempsey as a central attacking midfielder, which would then mean that Fabian Johnson would be started at left back.

Another option is for Klinsmann to use the following Front Six: Jones, Diskerud; Donovan, Corona, Dempsey; Jóhannsson or Eddie Johnson. This option would relegate Beckerman to the bench and Fabian Johnson to left back.

There is really no way to predict whether Klinsmann will start Diskerud or Corona or both in some capacity, nor is there any way to accurately predict his Starting XI, given all of the problems against Costa Rica, the roster additions, and the need to neutralize a talented and motivated Mexican national team.

Nevertheless, looking at the roster, it appears that Klinsmann plans on starting the following Starting XI:

Tim HOWARD; Michael PARKHURST or Michael OROZCO, Omar GONZALEZ, Clarence GOODSON or Michael OROZCO, Fabian JOHNSON; Jermaine JONES, Kyle BECKERMAN; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA or Mix DISKERUD, Clint DEMPSEY; Aron JÓHANNSSON or Eddie JOHNSON.

World Soccer Source believes that Mexico poses a major threat to the United States and that major changes are needed to beat Mexico.

Possession was a problem against Costa Rica, and the United States needs to use a faster and more skilled defensive back four to face Mexico.

Starting Fabian Johnson at right back and Edgar Castillo at left back may be the best the United States can do with this roster.

Using Michael Parkhurst and Michael Orozco at center back gives the United States defenders with the skill, positional sense, and quickness to do a better job of containing Mexico’s attackers.

Both Mix Diskerud and Joe Benny Corona need to be started to allow Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey to have teammates who can maintain possession and play on their level.

The 4-6-0 formation used against Costa Rica was a bad idea, and the USMNT would be smart to start a talented and in-form European goal-scorer like Aron Jóhannsson.

Jóhannsson should create plenty of scoring opportunities for himself, and he should put himself in good positions in order to receive final balls from Jones, Diskerud, Donovan, Corona, and Dempsey.

World Soccer Source would like to see the Starting XI below:

Tim HOWARD; Fabian JOHNSON, Michael PARKHURST, Michael OROZCO, Edgar CASTILLO; Jermaine JONES, Mix DISKERUD; Landon DONOVAN, Joe Benny CORONA, Clint DEMPSEY; Aron JÓHANNSSON.

 

Neymar Silences His Critics Again

 

Neymar scores a golaço again. (Foto: Jefferson Bernardes / Vipcomm)
Neymar scores a golaço again. (Foto: Jefferson Bernardes / Vipcomm)

 

Two Confederations Cup games and two volleyed golaços from Neymar.

 

Even more spectacular than Neymar’s left-footed volleyed goal was the display of 1v2 dribbling through the Mexican defense to the left of the goal along the endline.

 

Neymar beat two Mexican defenders with an outrageous nutmeg that one rarely sees executed against international caliber defenders like Mexico’s, and this audacious display of skill allowed Neymar to break through the defense and assist Jô for Brazil’s second goal.

 

Neymar is often labeled a diver or a showman or both, but once again, Neymar showed how his magic and trickery are effective at producing results.

 

Commentators, writers, and fans frequently question how Neymar will be able to perform in Europe, as if Brazil isn’t a competitive soccer environment, but Neymar has shown two games in a row in a major FIFA tournament, the Confederations Cup, how he is able to play at the same level in international tournaments as he has played in Brazil.

 

There were a variety of riveting highlights and tricks from Neymar in Brazil’s win over Mexico, but Neymar was also the author of the first goal and the assist on the second goal.

 

With his crucial involvement in the victory over Mexico and just like his role in the win over Japan before, Neymar cannot continue to be labeled as merely a YouTube sensation or an unproven player who hasn’t proven himself against strong competition.

 

With the eyes of the world watching him in a major international tournament, Neymar was effective and electrifying again.

 

Italy Defeats Mexico 2-1, Balotelli and Pirlo Score

 

Andrea Pirlo scoring a free kick golazo during his 100th cap for Italy. (Photo: Reuters)
Andrea Pirlo scoring a free kick golazo during his 100th cap for Italy. (Photo: Reuters)

 

Before Andrea Pirlo opened the scoring for Italy and the game with a free kick golazo, Mario Balotelli was very active and aggressive at antagonizing the Mexican defense, which put Italy in the driver’s seat.

 

Mexico didn’t take Pirlo’s free kick lying down, as Mexico’s second striker and pseudo-enganche, Giovani dos Santos, pounced on Andrea Barzagli’s miscontrol outside of Italy’s penalty box, and Barzagli ultimately clipped Dos Santos’ heel conceding a penalty kick.

 

With Mexico down one to zero, Chicharito kept his cool on his penalty kick and outfoxed Italian goalkeeper, Gigi Buffon, to tie the game up at one goal.

 

Balotelli broke the deadlock in the 78th minute by shielding Mexico’s center back, Maza (Francisco Javier Rodriguez), off the ball, and then Balotelli used his quickness to spin around Maza and power the game-winning goal into the back of the net. Balotelli’s goal came off some creativity and quick thinking by Emanuele Giaccherini who deftly volleyed the ball with the outside of his foot over the Mexican defense.

 

Many Italian fans complained about the inclusion of Giaccherini in the starting line-up in place of Italy’s (presumably) still injured young prodigy, Stephan El Shaarawy, but Giaccherini was lively and dangerous in the attack.

 

Leonardo Bonucci was a surprising omission from the Italian starting line-up. Will Italian coach, Cesare Prandelli, use a five-man defense in the next game and start Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, and Giorgio Chiellini as three center backs with Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio as terzini fluidificanti (wing backs)?

 

Turning to Mexico’s line-up and tactics, the Mexican media and Mexican fans are in panic mode, but Mexico played Italy close. While Italy displayed superior passing against Mexico, Mexico only lost due to a single play by one of world soccer’s best talents, Mario Balotelli. Overall, Mexico is a skilled squad at every position, except for Mexico’s lack a playmaker to connect the midfield to Chicharito and Giovani Dos Santos.

 

Italy is a better team than Mexico, but then again, Italy is better than most national teams. Italy is capable of beating Spain, Brazil, or Germany, so Mexico’s inability to stop Balotelli from finally scoring doesn’t make Mexico’s defense weak. Mexico’s next game should answer some questions about which Mexican players deserve to start and what Mexico’s best line-up is.

 

There’s a strong argument to be made that some of Mexico’s best players such as Diego Reyes (center back) and Jorge Torres Nilo (left back) deserved the start, but beating an Italian side where the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, and Claudio Marchisio were playing behind Mario Balotelli was always going to be a tall order for Mexico.

 

Italy had too much skill and big game pedigree at every position, and despite Barzagli’s miscontrol and clumsy clip of Dos Santos’ heels, the Italian defense at full strength is difficult for any national team to break down.

 

Italy’s pair of outside backs Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio both stamped their imprint on the game against Mexico, and the play of Abate and De Sciglio was part of a performance by Italy where Italy was effective and strong at every position.

 

Both Balotelli and Pirlo were equally influential in this game, and a passer like Pirlo playing balls to a technical and athletic prodigy like Balotelli was too much for Mexico.

 

Pirlo made his 100th cap for Italy a memorable one with his goal, but there’s no shame in losing to an Italian team that plays as a unit with elite players at every position. Mexico played Italy very close the entire game, and Giovani Dos Santos and Chicharito showed flashes of excellent attacking play.

 

No team is totally immune to an Andrea Pirlo free kick or a Mario Balotelli goal.

 

It will be interesting to see how much better Italy can play with Stephan El Shaarawy partnering with Balotelli, and Balotelli has started things off well by opening up his goal tally in the Confederations Cup in the first game.

 

After receiving a yellow card for ripping off his shirt after his game-winning goal, Balotelli will have to be careful not to pick up a second yellow in the next game.

 

With Balotelli leading the attack, Italy can beat any opponent at any time.