By: COLIN REESE
Brad Guzan, DeAndre Yedlin, Ventura Alvarado, John Brooks, Greg Garza, Geoff Cameron, Michael Bradley, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, Juan Agudelo, and Clint Dempsey is the Best USMNT XI in a Diamond 4-4-2 formation for the 2015 Gold Cup, and below is the best 23-man roster USMNT fans can hope to see this summer.
The 23-man roster is made up of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders, and four forwards, and the group below allows for several different formations and tactical schemes.
Much of this roster consists of proven and very experienced players. Such players include Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron, Brad Guzan, and Michael Orozco.
Other players like Juan Agudelo, Mix Diskerud, Joe Corona, Alejandro Bedoya, Fabian Johnson, Ventura Alvarado, DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks, Greg Garza, and William Yarbrough are too good to really contest.
So, in essence, this roster only contains several players that are debatable, and these players are Dillon Powers, Brek Shea, Gyasi Zardes, Perry Kitchen, and Clint Irwin.
Powers has been very impressive in MLS for several seasons, and he plays every position in the midfield. He’s technical and fast, and he defends and attacks. He has the vision and skill to set up goals, and he can score goals himself.
Zardes has shown well in MLS and for the U.S., and Shea has been converted into a left back, which seems to best exploit his skill set.
Irwin is easily one of the very best goalkeepers in MLS, and frankly a level above Bill Hamid or Sean Johnson. Nick Rimando is more experienced, but nothing about Irwin’s play suggest that he isn’t ready to be the USA’s third goalkeeper.
Kitchen has been a consistently good performer in MLS, and he put in a good showing against Mexico on April 15, when he came into the game late and had no problem adjusting to the speed of play or playing well as a midfield destroyer.
Plenty of other players are qualified to make this roster, but except the five players singled out, this group of U.S. internationals should all be easily recognizable as highly-qualified players by USMNT fans.
Benny Feilhaber was excluded due to the fact that Jürgen Klinsmann has shown no intention of making him part of the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Here is the best 23-man USMNT roster for the 2015 Gold Cup:
Goalkeepers (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), William Yarbrough (Club Leon), Clint Irwin (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Michael Orozco (Puebla), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham), Greg Garza (Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Brek Shea (Orlando SC)
Midfielders (8): Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Perry Kitchen (DC United), Mix Diskerud (NYC FC), Joe Corona (Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Dillon Powers (Colorado Rapids)
Forwards (4): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Gyasi Zardes (L.A. Galaxy)
Deeper Positional Breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Guzan Yarbrough Irwin
Center Backs: Jones Cameron Alvarado Orozco Brooks
Outside Backs: Yedlin Garza Johnson Shea
Center Backs/Outside Backs: Cameron Orozco Alvarado
Center Backs/Defensive Midfielders: Jones Cameron Edu
Defensive Midfielders: Bradley Jones Cameron Edu
Center Midfielders: Bradley Jones Edu Diskerud Powers
Center Midfielders/Attacking Midfielders: Diskerud Powers
Attacking Midfielders: Diskerud Corona Bedoya Powers
Attacking Midfielders/Forwards: Dempsey Corona Bedoya
Wings: Johnson Shea Corona Bedoya Yedlin
Strikers: Altidore Agudelo Zardes
The Best USA XI (Diamond 4-4-2): Guzan; Yedlin, Alvarado, Brooks, Garza; Cameron; Bradley, Diskerud; Corona; Agudelo, Dempsey.