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Jürgen Klinsmann needs to ditch his three defensive midfielder formation once and for all for the benefit of the United States Men’s National Team. Three defensive midfielders playing at once weakens the United States’ passing ability, and it inhibits the United States’ ability to create goal-scoring chances.

Change for the United States Men’s National Team means removing Danny Williams, Graham Zusi, José Torres, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson, and Carlos Bocanegra from the roster permanently, and this voice of opinion for change comes from a recognition based on evidence of the difference between certain American professional soccer players and other American soccer players who have international quality.

The kind of change proposed above is not a denial of the talent of the players mentioned above, but it is a opinion stating that the players listed above are not the most talented and most physically-gifted players that the United States Men’s National team has at its disposal.

Removing the players listed above from the United States’ roster opens up seven roster spots for better, more athletic, and sometimes younger American soccer players such as Joe Corona, Benny Feilhaber, Freddy Adu, Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo, Zach Loyd, Eric Lichaj, Perry Kitchen, and Dax McCarty.

While the list of better players numbers more than seven, players from this group have a legitimate claim to be deserving of a roster spot given the poor level of passing and just the overall ability of the United States under Jürgen Klinsmann.

Excluding Perry Kitchen, all eight of the players mentioned in the paragraph above have proven that they have the ability to compete against top competition at the club or international level, and there is plenty of video evidence of this.

Certainly, Benny Feilhaber, Freddy Adu, Juan Agudelo, Terrence Boyd, Eric Lichaj, and Joe Corona have proven that they can play well against high-level competition either in club soccer or in international play.

There is less video evidence of players like Perry Kitchen, Dax McCarty, and Zach Loyd being able to play international soccer, but Zach Loyd’s and Dax McCarty’s ability to play international soccer was on display in the United States’ 2011 friendly against Chile, which is a very strong South American opponent that provides an excellent barometer of skill.

Starting at the tip of the iceberg and before even discussing any other changes, Benny Feilhaber needs to be given Danny Williams starting line-up spot in the next World Cup qualifier, and that change (before even proposing any other changes) gives the United States Men’s National Team two defensive midfielders (Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones), two attacking midfielders (Clint Dempsey and Benny Feilhaber), and two strikers (Eddie Johnson and Jozy Altidore).

That line-up and that combination of players gives the United States defensive bite in the midfield along with skill, athleticism, and passing ability, and it gives the United States two attacking midfielders playing behind two talented and athletic strikers.

Merely removing Danny Williams from the starting line-up and possibly the roster, is not enough change to increase the overall level of play that the United States Men’s National Team will need to play Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, and Panama; Klinsmann needs to make more changes and put both Terrence Boyd and Juan Agudelo on the roster for the next World Cup qualifier and start them.

Any person is entitled to voice their opinion about which strikers should start for the United States Men’s National Team, but there can be no denying that both Juan Agudelo and Terrence Boyd have the skill, athleticism, experience, and fearlessness to make a difference at the international level by attacking the opposition with all the requisite tools.

As possession in the midfield has been a problem under Jürgen Klinsmann and under other coaches of the United States, an attacking midfielder like Joe Corona deserves a roster spot due to his skill, style of play, club record, and displays with the United States at the Under-23 and senior level. It is true that Corona only had a brief cameo for the United States Men’s National Team against Guatemala, but it is equally true that one can just see how certain players are better than others.

What this writer saw from Corona in various club and international games was a player with a fluid two-footed ability to pass, dribble, and shoot. Additionally, Corona moves well without the ball and attacks the goal with purpose. The United States is just not at the level as a soccer nation where it can exclude players with smooth technical ability combined with the quickness and club resume that Corona has.

Mentioning Freddy Adu as a legitimate option for the United States Men’s National Team is something that many American soccer fans and American soccer writers find hilarious, but the joke is on them.

It also turns out most of these people have no real understanding of the technical ability of players from around the world who play international soccer. Even Grant Wahl has openly laughed about Freddy Adu with Alexi Lalas on a Sports Illustrated podcast in 2012, after having praised Adu to the skies almost a year earlier following the United States Men’s National Team’s defeat to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup Final.

There are those who criticize mentioning Adu’s performance against Mexico because they view it as a single episode and a limited sample of Adu’s ability, but that was a game where the stakes were high with an enormous amount of media attention. Adu’s ability displayed that day is a legitimate piece of evidence to use, not to mention the fact that he was once signed by Benfica; these are both proof of Adu’s abilities.

As is the case with Joe Corona, the United States Men’s National Team is simply not good enough to not need Freddy Adu, and the evidence has been in the poor passing and weak performances under Jürgen Klinsmann.

When the United States played Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup Final, neither Hugo Sanchez nor Pablo Ramirez were laughing at Freddy Adu as they commentated the game. On the contrary, both of these commentators praised Adu. Pablo Ramirez and Hugo Sanchez are certainly soccer experts, and Hugo Sanchez was a Real Madrid scoring legend. Both announcers would have certainly criticized Adu if he had played poorly, and there is plenty of other evidence of Adu’s ability. At a certain point, when a player like Adu always plays well for the United States, the critics need to stop laughing and advocate for players like Adu.

Change is hard, and change involves risk. But, many of the changes advocated here are changes without much risk, as they are supported by video evidence that anyone can examine on his or her own. Other countries play their best players, and the United States needs to do the same.

If Honduras’ bicycle kick goal was not evidence enough, the United States’ CONCACAF opponents have excellent skill and athleticism, and they are playing to win like there is no tomorrow, as are many of the United States’ best players.

It is time that Jürgen Klinsmann rethinks his approach and accepts the need for changes in player selection, tactics, and formation.

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© Colin Reese