When the U.S. Men's National Team takes the field at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday night, they will be facing arch-rival Mexico with a squad that will look far different from what most would consider an A team.
There is no Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo or Jozy Altidore, which means Jurgen Klinsmann will have to rely on some new faces to try and help the USA earn a result in Mexico City, a place the United States has never won a match.
The Americans will have some stars, such as Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, but they are likely to feature some starters who don't have many appearances. How those newcomers respond will determine whether the Americans have a chance, or whether Mexico wins in a blowout.
In case you missed who was called up, here are the players who will be available for the USA on Wednesday.
Who will Klinsmann turn to on Wednesday night? Here is one lineup we could see face Mexico at Azteca:
(UPDATED) PROJECTED USMNT ROSTER vs. MEXICO
——Donovan————–Boyd————–Gomez——–
———————Torres———Jones———————-
—————————Beckerman————————–
Johnson———–Edu————-Cameron——-Beitashour
—————————Howard—————————–
==========
Here are some thoughts:
The one change here from the original lineup we posted is Maurice Edu starting at centerback ahead of Michael Orozco Fiscal. Multiple reports from Mexico suggest that Edu is set to play centerback alongside Geoff Cameron. That's definitely an intriguing move by Jurgen Klinsmann, but it may be a good move from a long-term perspective because of the glut of central midfielders and dearth of quality centerbacks in the pool.
Beasley isn't a traditional forward, but can play wide in a 4-3-3 and has done so in the past. Klinsmann could very well go with Brek Shea in that left forward role, but you would imagine Klinsmann goes with an experienced player in a sold-out Azteca.
Orozco Fiscal hasn't been in the mix in a while, but he has played against Mexico before and isn't likely to be fazed by the atmosphere at Azteca. Matt Besler has been playing very well for Sporting Kansas City but it's tough to see Besler starting against Mexico in his first call-up.
Why no Maurice Edu? If he were in mid-season form then he would be a good bet to start, but since he hasn't been playing and awaiting a move away from Glasgow Rangers, it seems unlikely he starts. Beckerman and Torres are in season and Jones is about to start the Bundesliga season. (UPDATED- Klinsmann looks set to try Edu at centerback).
With only one natural right back on the roster, Steven Beitashour looks destined to start vs. Mexico. Seems like a crazy first cap, but it should be noted he started in the MLS All-Star Game against Chelsea and played well. He has been a standout for San Jose all season and should get the nod unless Klinsmann tries someone like Fabian Johnson or Edgar Castillo at right back.
Chris Wondolowski has enjoyed an outstanding season in MLS, but I see Terrence Boyd getting the call in this one. He's off to a good start with Rapid Vienna and is a good physical presence as the target forward in the 4-3-3. Even if Wondolowski doesn't start, he is a safe bet to see playing time in Mexico City.
—————–
What do you think of our projected lineup? Who would you plug into the lineup that we left out? Who was included in our projected lineup that you don't think should see the field?
Share your thoughts below.
Vamos Gringos!
Clearly Alan Gordon needs to start.
AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Almost kept a straight face!
whats funny is that when i brought up the page there was an ad from the website latin american cupids dot something or other, with some scantily clad latin honeys to the left of the story. anyway, it looked like gringo’s eyes were popping out cause he was seeing the ad too.
It doesn’t matter. With these c team call ups we r losing at least 3-0. Cannot beat Mexicos A team, Smog, altitude and heat with the US C team.
108 games with Pachuca 3 goals 5 assist – Torres is not an offensive center midfielder!
This game will show the heart of the players on the pitch. Hope they all play out of their skill levels and put up a valiant fight. I realize the odds but it is only one game. Anything can happen.
I think it is great that an MLS player who has been playing out of his head made the roster. I am RSL but believe it bodes well for the league even if there is list of excuses a mile long as to why he made the team. Congrats to Gordon and good luck.
Klinsmann’s preferred starting unit with the current group:
————Howard
Beitashour-Orozco-Cameron-Johnson
—-Williams-Jones-Edu
——–Donovan-Torres
————Gomez
I love the MLS so amoungst the haters (all fans of MLS and the rest of the world), this is an awesome test roster
—————–Donovan—-Gomez—————–
————-Shea—-jjones—-jtorres—-beckerman—
—–fjohnson—–steven Beithasour—-cameron— besler
———————howard—————-
You’ve got a lot of players out of position.
4-4-2 Formation
Starters
Forwards: Donovan Boyd
Midfielders:Beckerman, Williams, Jones Beasley
Defenders: Cameron,Beetlejuice, Castillo, Johnson
GK: Howard
Subs: Gomez, Wondo
Edu , Torres
Orozco, Besler
If holding a lead in final 10 min: Donovan to midfield Gordon as sole fwd!
Howard, Johnson, Orozco, Cameron, Beltashour,
Beasley, Torres, Jones, Williams,
Donovan & Altidore
Its important some the players experience playing in the Aztec (it’s like 10 USNT Caps). In case, we’ve problem in the midfield, we could drop Donovan to midfield, bring Boyd or Gomez in second half. Maybe, use Williams as rightback.
Gomez Donovan Wondo
Beasley Torres Shea
Johnson Cameron Besler Beithasour
with Donovan working back in to the midfield OFTEN
Shea cutting inside with Beitha overlapping
Beasley hanging deep with Johnson overlapping
Wondo and Gomez getting diagonal in front of the net
but…but… he is latin, so he must be more offensive minded….
I can did that
————-Gomez———–
Beasley or Shea————Donovan
——-Jones——-Torres——-
————–Edu————-
Johnson—————-Beithasour
——-Besler—–Cameron——
————Howard————
This is what I’d like to see, but I feel like we’ll see at least one player out of position (Edu to far forward, Torres somewhere weird, Cameron or Orozco at RB?)
I imagine Boyd will see at least a half. JK wouldn’t take him out of his rhythm in the club season just to sit on the bench in Mexico.
You know what, I’m really excited for this game. We’re really going to see what Torres (a favorite of mine), Jones, Boyd, Beckerman, and Cameron can do. And furthermore, we get to see how Johnson does in the cauldron that is Azteca. I hope all the players I mentioned go 80+
Clearly people haven’t gotten the memo as well as these writers. Klinsman was playing today as his first choice back 4:
Fiscal——Edu—–Cam——–Johnson
here is the starting 11 I predict we will see.
————–Howard————-
Fiscal—–Edu——-Cam————Johnson
————Jones———torres———-
Zusi————Donovan————Beasley
—————–Gomez——————-
No Altidore on the roster.
I like the line up, but I would start Danny Williams over beckerman.
Remember when Kevin Davies got that one cap for England?
I think we’ll see:
Gomez-Boyd-LD
Torres-Jones-Williams or Beckerman
FJ-Edu-Cameron-Orozco Fiscal or Williams
TH
I do not want to see OF as a right fullback
JK has left himself short of fullbacks in each of the last two camps, now. Hmm….
I would like to see a 4-4-2 of some kind
Maurice Edu preparing to start against Mexico in an unfamiliar center back role
The want-away Rangers midfielder looks set to partner Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron at center back against Mexico on Wednesday
Would you really? Beckerman has shortcomings, but if paired with Jones or Edu I think it covers his deficiencies. I guess it’s more than I’ve been so underwhelmed any time Danny Williams played. I literally can’t think of a time where I was happy he was playing, where I remember at least SOME Beckerman moments.
Classic over-reliance on statistics. Example: Luka Modric. Modric played 32 Premier League games in the 2010/11 season, scoring 3 goals and making two assists. He was noted for his offensive output, and awarded the player of the year award.
In 2010/11, Rafael van der Vaart had 13 goals and 9 assists. Pavlyuchenko had 10 goals and 4 assists. Peter Crouch scored 4 goals and 9 assists.
Why was Modric lauded for role as offensive center midfielder? He had the highest average number of passes per game for Spurs, with 62.5, at an accuracy rate of 87%. He also hit an average of 2.7 key passes per game.
The second and third to last assists aren’t counted, but it is the attack-minded vision of these killer passes that supplied most of the above goals.
Torres holds the offensive key to Pachuca, but if you aren’t watching the games, you wouldn’t know that because Wikipedia doesn’t have the best stats for his position.
I like the SBI projection, but I think we see a 4-4-2 at some point during the match with Donovan and Beasley in more traditional winger roles and I think that happens at the expense of Beckerman. The only question is does that become a second half look or does the match start that way?
It’d be nice to see the USA rain on El Tri’s Olympic homecoming
Mexican blowout coming! I thought Klinsy was done playing around and was going to actually go for a result!
Brilliant argument.
…..owned.
The fact that Klinsmann has selected a useless tool like Shea, as well as an over-the-hill Beasley…while snubbing Benny and Adu has caused me to lose faith at this point.
Not only will we lose this game … big…. I am worried about us not even qualifying at all. We are not progressing while Mexico is growing in leaps and bounds
Getting hyped for this game, hoping that the guys who were man enough to accept Klinsmann’s invitation to do battle in Mexico City will at the very least be able to keep the game competitive. Would be great if they could end up with a win. Whatever the case, I like all these guys and have no doubt they will all play with heart and, win or lose, they all deserve a lot of respect for accepting the invitation when several others did not.
With our back-line so questionable, I see Klinsmann going with two strong defensive holding midfielders and starting experience over youth. Edu is fearless and, despite his unsettled club situation, made the trip and no way in heck is he not going to get the honor of starting. With the great Fabian Johnson on the left wing we need to balance out the right wing with the great Landon Donovan. I would like to see two gutsy experienced pros at the top who have years of experience scoring goals–yep, Wondo and Herc. I don’t see Boyd starting. Too much pressure for the kid and he will see play in second half. Left wing is difficult to call, but if Beasley is looking sharp in practice the old pro would get the nod over Shea or Castillo, who also is a good left winger.
———Wondolowski—Gomez———-
Beasley—————————–Donovan
———–Beckerman—Jones————
Johnson—-Edu—-Cameron—-Beitashour
—————–Howard—————–
Edu will start at center back next to Cameron. Orozco-Fiscal will play right back. Here is what I expect, based on news out of training sessions:
Howard
Orozco-Edu-Cameron-Williams
Zusi-Jones-Beckerman-Shea
Boyd-Donovan
I’m actually fine with that. Hit them on the counter with long balls. Donovan can still fly, and Boyd is a battering ram. You never know. Hoping for the best.
Npt a bad analogy.
Jk wants to get Wondo going and one way to do that might be to take advantage of the fact that he and Gordon are teamates.
Route One football in Azteca late in the game. Something to watch for.
Shea- possibly great
DMB – once great
Benny – once possibly great, now mediocre
Adu – always ,never delivers, can’t even dominate in MLS.
where do you get your info from
We might score a goal, but we are giving up at least 3.
Well said!
–Gordon—Wondo—
–Shea–Torres–Zusi–
—–Beckerman—–
-OF–Castillo–Williams–Beit
—-Rimando—–
PLAY BALL!
What I could seen Klinsy trot out (not who I would call upon). A 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation with 3 holding mids. All outside D-mids, O-mids, and center backs are slotted on the side of the field of their preferred foot. I don’t like the slotting of Williams or Torres on the outside, but Klinsy has a propensity for doing things I don’t like so this could prove to be something that actually happens.
———–Gomez———–
—Beasley——-Donovan—
-Torres—Jones—Williams-
Johnson-Edu–Cameron-Beitha
———-Howard———–
Boyd got taken out of the game on Saturday with ankle problems per yanks abroad, I don’t know if he’ll play much in this game.
Darwin nailed it.
Torres is also a joy to watch. A wonderful passer of the ball.
Here’s hoping JK plays him a bit more centrally. Out on the left wing (or at left back), Torres is not able to play to his strengths.
We’re gonna get slaughtered.
Every single Liga MX player should be on the field.
Troll much?
For the US, Williams is almost always playing out of position. At Hoffenheim he often plays CDM or CM. In his natural position, I’d rate him well above Beckerman – and I’m a Beckerman fan. One of the problems with integrating so many new guys for this game is that there is insufficient time to develop any squad chemistry. Win, lose, or draw, I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces under duress.
I like Torres, however, in Klinnsmann’s previous line-ups there was no one to the left of Torres. Torres is better centrally. When he tries to go down the flank he doesn’t have the speed to beat people and often loses the ball. I would actualy like to see Corona given a chance. Although Torres is a little better at possession, Corona is more flexible. He can take people on and he can also score goals. As far as the defense, I would like to see Danny Williams start either at CB or RB. We are thin with this roster. Williams has experience playing both positions in the Bundesliga.
@ Thomas
I think you are right, we are going to see a crop of MX players in the first half, I think is going with same line up a 4-5-1 or a look alike 4-3-3
———-Boyd———–
-Beasley–Donovan–Gomez
——-Torres—Jones——–
Castillo-Orozco–Cameron–Williams
———-Howard———–
Sub. Castillo/Johnson, Beasley/Shea, Gomez/wondo
Torres/Beck, Donovan/Zusi, Williams/Beit. Jones/Edu
I’d probably still go with Johnson over Castillo because most of us as well as the coaching staff feel that Johnson is our legitimate LB for the future. Therefore, to get him reps in that environment would be huge.
I’m not as down on Castillo as everyone else is, I think he’s a solid backup and did fine when he came in at the last second for Johnson during that Canada friendly.
But outside of LB, I’m in agreement with you – Azteca is a unique and difficult environment to play in, and feeding guys to the wolves like Besler.
My lineup based on my preference is:
==Beasley=========Gomez=============Donovan=
===Torres========Jones===========Williams==
Johnson===Orozco Fiscal==Cameron==Beitashour
=================Howard=====================
That logic makes sense. You should be an assistant coach for JK.
I like that we are developing a pool of talent with high level professional experience at a number of positions.
I’d like to see – Swap Williams for Orozco (he has RB experience with Hoffenheim) and replace Williams with Fabian Johnson (our LB in the past few games).
OR… swap Williams for Beckerman, and drop Johnson in a LB.
If the central defenders can hold together, both German-Americans give us an attacking threat on each side.
Mexico will be suffering from a Olympic size hangover, US with a 2-1 shocker.
This is what I’m hoping/expecting to see, with Beas being the only variable and Orozco seemingly started at right back. Still afraid JK may go with three DMs though to cover for defense (Beckerman, Jones, Torres).
If Yanks Abroad is right and Boyd has an ankle issue, you can push Herc up top and re-jigger mid a bit. Maybe bring in D Will.
You man 2-0 we gotta keep the tradition!
I don’t like Edu at Cb. Why not play Williams there, he has experience in the Bundesliga at that position? Edu doesn’t have any experience at CB and he isn’t that good at passing out of the back.
how i see it going down..
………Boyd…..Gomez……….
..Beasley……………Donovan..
………Jones..Beckerman……..
.Johnson………….Beitashour..
……..Fiscal..Cameron……….
………….Howard…………..
subs:
Castillo – will play to give Johnson some time at LM
Torres – we will see
Edu – will play for a shot at CB in for Fiscal
Shea – we will see
Zuzi/Corona – we will see
Wondo – scores the lone US goal in the final seconds of the game…
good point.. i still think Edu could be a good CB, especially paired with someone like Bocanegra who has very different strengths but maybe this is Williams’ game to show his CB ability that the US needs
All of these proposed lineups need a true #6. It will be Beckerman!
Castillo and Orozco blow
Edu played CB at the olympics
I doubt I’ll even watch it.
I think we will see a 4-3-2-1. If the formation is the Christmas Tree, than I suspect Boyd as the angel on top of the tree. Donovan and Gomez in the high position of the ornaments made by the children, followed by the string of popcorn in Torres-Beckerman-Jones with Beckerman sagging down towards the bottom of the tree. At the base of the tree is grandma’s hand-me-down ornaments, Johnson-Cameron-Edu-Williams. And of course the trunk of the tree is Howard.
———————-McInerney————-
Eddie Johnson—Pontius—–Agudelo
Brad Davis——–Adu
——————Larentowitz————-
Dunnivant—Gonzalez—John—Lichaj
——————–Hamid—————–
Most reports out of training have an Edu-Cam CB pairing, so I’d like to see this:
———— Howard ———–
Beit — Edu — Cam — Johnson
———– Beckerman ———
——Jones ——– Torres —
Donovan —– Boyd —— Gomez
I’m thinking I might be thankful I have a game tomorrow night…
And I see now that Ives updated his projected lineup, so you can disregard mine (which is exactly the same…).
Agreed. I too, am a fan of Beckerman and more importantly he is familiar with the several formations the JK is experimenting with.
One of the most important tasks of the head coach is selecting an executing a suitable formation.
We all saw the debacle of the U-23′s at Olympic qualifying when Porter brought in a 3-3-4 (or 4-3-3) but failed to coach the midfield and backline how to execute it, resulting in holes that the opponent’s coaches noted and exploited. Having the right players to execute the formation is paramount to success. If you see players “out of position”, it’s for a purpose. Most likely these players are more familiar with a particular formation. Edu in the backline was tried before with some success, but he will have to tame his urges to go forward and to provide cover, especially with the speedy and technical midfielders and forwards that Mexico possesses.
I expect JK to experiment, unfortunately most here want a result. I think this is secondary to JK. He will be looking to how effective his choices are in executing his offense. If it is unorthodox, lets hope execution is adequate with the newbies.
And finally; this is NOT the Mexico “A” team, yes it has the familiar, BUT, there are more than a few newbies here too.
This is the lineup I would enjoy seeing even though it will not happen:
Shea…….Gomez……Donovan
…..Torres…..Zusi………
…………Edu…………..
Johnson.Besler.Cameron.Beita.
……….Howard………….
I could handle Beckerman in the CDM role too,
The reason Zusi fits here is because he rotates well into the back in a 3-3-4 at SKC.
Fabian Johnson could rotate out with Castillo.
Torres could make way for Donovan in midfield if need for another attacker like Wondo or Boyd.
Besler and Cameron would surprise as a tandem. Besler is as solid as they come and a true left footer, and Cameron’s versatility and aggressiveness would be backed up greatly by a partner at CB in Besler.
Shea gets back on the field in the correct position.
Herculez continues to rip up Mexico.
Happy Day.
Shea tends to disappear against good talent. If he gets on the field..lets see this time
DMB – always fast, not always good, rarely great. The parade has passed him by
Benny – surrounded by one of the worst teams in MLS. How can he ever look good? Put Donovan on that team and he’d be mediocre. Benny needs more chances but dont think Klinsmann likes him much
Adu – best player in a US kit at last Gold Cup. Klinsmann doesnt like him and he will never call him. He can break down a defense with his passing. Work with him…don’t shun him
Beckerman – Jergen has a man crush on him. He’s not all that
Or just throw Besler in since he is the truest CB on the team.
LOL
Yes, this.
Zusi in at 60
if i ever saw this line up on the field i would shoot myself in the face.
B0NER
The USWNT
Unfortunately, we’re gonna see Orozco on the right. Mark it down.
The edu cam backline makes me nervous. Both great athletes/talents, but with edu pretty unfamiliar with the role, and without boca keeping the line organized, i worry about through balls and being on the wrong side of close off-sides calls… i think mexico will expose them
Thats true, I just read that and he also played in a friendly against Poland back in 2010. Does anyone recall how he did?
Without any clear centerbacks on this roster, I have to wonder why Chad Marshall didn’t get a call up. He’s a solid coordinator, and was part of the team that went down to Azteca in a well-played rebound game after the Gold Cup in 2009.
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To beat the Mexicans you will need to put 9 guys behind the ball, stuff the midfield, close out any passing lanes and force them to use the wings to cross the ball.
This is their weak point (wings/crossing the ball) and despite LaVolpe’s evolution of their game to make it more European, they still tend to return to their old ways of going through the middle. Before LaVolpe, wingers were unheard of in the Mexican game. Now you have guys like Guardado and Barrera who are pretty decent.
If we can force them to play the long ball (our strengths), that will frustrate them and the game will be manageable and we could bring in Gordon with about 5 mins remaining to do what he has been doing all season.
+1 for the win.
Switch Torres for Beckerman and Boyd for Wondo and you got a deal.
sometimes having players out of position open up new options for future games. Maybe this game will shakeup our development, we have been a bit stale as of late.
Yeah, there aren’t that many Ronaldinho type of scoring #10 midfielders anymore. CMs tend to lie deeper, have more defensive and ball winning responsibilities and mostly begin the attack rather than join and finish it. That being said, I still think the jury is out on Torres and his USMNT performances have been decidedly mixed. He occasionally makes that nice, clever diagonal through ball to spring a teammate, but also has shown the tendency to disappear, miss defensive responsibilities and get overpowered. This will be a good test for him.
Depends on who scores first. If Us opens the scoring the Mexicans could get rattled and this could get very interesting. If they go down early and are forced to chase it will get ugly.
Either way the squad that JK has picked will learn tons from this fixture, so it’s not a total loss.
Benny and Adu are nowhere near their best playing, I think you are thinking more with your heart than with your brain.
Maybe not 100% percent relevant, but just read this over on US Soccer:
“What Mexico read well is that how the global game has evolved over the last couple years… that they need to have a style and have a player that buys into it 100 percent and works as hard as he can. Based on those elements and their preferred system, they automized sequences and where and how the players moved and they’ve doubled and tripled their position… (players). Certain players that are normally on the team aren’t there, but the players that are there play exactly the same roles. I think they have matched what was going on globally. If you want to be in the top 10 in the world, you have to adjust to this type of style.” JK
I think that this is a quote to remember as we continue into qualifying. Until we’re meeting these criteria, any major result can be attributed as much to exceptional individuals and luck as to having a strong national program. This is why we’ll see a 3-3-4 for a long stretches of the game tomorrow, (even though we’re still currently better suited to 4-4-2) this is why Chandler is still in the mix, and this is why it’s good to see new faces, even in a lion’s den like Estadia Azteca. When you think about this quote as being JK’s mantra, a lot of his choices since taking over make perfect sense.
Agreed. I’d like to see what DW can do in CDM.
Rivalries often times come down to the “mental” game. If it was all about tactical and technical prowess Mexico would beat us every time. Mexico clearly enjoys a technical superiority and they are now winning the mental game.
I for one am excited to see how a young, untested us side with no mental baggage from this rivalry will fair. And as PD stated, at the very least we will vet some much needed depth
Yeah, I was at that Poland game, in Chi-town. From what I remember he did fine, but I suppose that wasn’t quite Mexico in Azteca. I’d be alright with Edu getting some minutes at CB, even if its just so he can cover there in a pinch down the road.
isn’t this why people hated Bradley? Bunker down and hope for the best
i watched Torres get subbed off at halftime last weekend for Nery Castillo. anyone comparing Torres to Modric is dreaming. Torres is not good…
i can haz too!
ahahaha, brilliant!
I like it!
i’m guessing, based on reading varies quotes from the US players/coaches, i think it’ll be one of the following three formations:
Gomez – Boyd
Beasley – Corona(Torres) – Jones – LD
Johnson – Edu – Cameron – ?
or:
Gomez – Boyd – LD
Torres – Jones – Corona
Johnson – Edu – Cameron – ?
or:
Beasley – Gomez – LD
Torres – Jones – Corona
Johnson – Edu – Cameron – ?
Mexico has some world class players thats why they’re playing so well. We have one loss in the last 9 games including wins in Slovenia and Italy. Not bad. So don’t assume Mexico will dominate us every game.
Also, if American networks like Univision/Telemundo gave a couple of hundred million every year to MLS like Mexico League gets, our youth development would be better.
way to completely, and i mean COMPLETELY, miss the point Darwin was making. reading comprehension fail of epic proportions.
dude. wow. im hoping you meant to switch torres and beckerman and beithasour and besler…
beasley and shea playing 2/3 mid spots in a 4-3-3! HAHAHAHA
come on man…
while i’ll say Shea does not deserve it any more than Adu, Feilhaber doesn’t even play the wing. so apples and oranges. as for Beasley, the guy is one of our most in form wingers right now. he plays in mexico. it makes PERFECT sense for him to be there. anyone who says otherwise is being thick.
CB’s look good at least
this is what i see happening. maybe boyd for beasley (sliding gomez out wide) and maybe corona for williams.
thanks for the useful, non-trolling comment…
I forgot about Zusi. I think I’d rather have him in there than Torres.
that’s a terrible idea
Yes, that would be the strategy if you are trying to get a result but this is a friendly so Klinsi should take risks in playing free flowing, open soccer, and exposing the young blood to hostile environs. Also, I doubt Klinsi wants give away his strategy in this friendly but safeguard it until when we visit them in the next qualifying phase.
agreed on the route one call. would like to see Gordon late with his physical approach, knocking dudes around and throwing his body all over the place
did you look @ the roster before you posted ?
as usual you bring the perspective, thanks TomG
problem with Paco playing higher up the field is he will see less time on the ball and more physical fouling, especially hard fouls from behind. Paco likes time on the ball and isn’t much for the physical conatct either, especially as he tires, and once he tires his game tails pretty quickly
I’m pulling for him to be the player so many think he is, but having watched Pachuca for years now JUST to watch him play, I don’t know. Still think his best role is off the bench when the USA has a lead and wish Benny would get some freakin’ run at the advanced midfield position which he demonstrated for years to be effective at for the USMNT
anyway, however and whenever he is played out there I’m rooting for him!!!
Great great call! Heart will be measured big time in this one
Torres going 80+??? It would be something to see paco go 80+ and impact the game late…I just don’t know if he has that stamina, but we’ll see. Hope he can
explain how Benny is mediocre? I hope you watch lots of Revs games…I do. That team has problems but he does not, and he is in excellent shape, best I’ve ever seen him in
Benny has played the wing a LLOT for the USMNT…Klinsmann doesn’t like him tho, so he’s out
+1
it’s not “hope for the best”, it’s play to your strengths…that’s different
forcing Mexico wide is a tried and true tactic IF Bornstein is not manning a flank
1. he does not play on the wing for the USMNT in the same way Shea or Beasley do. He plays in a box midfield. Major difference.
2. JK doesn’t rate him because he hasn’t been doing anything amazing.
And I’m a big Feilhaber fan. But, for me, he needs to step it up even more.
your formatting is stunning. Puts everyone else’s to shame.
This game cries out for a 3-5-1.
hmmmm. well, with The Beast Jermaine Jones as d-mid, I can give your Torres for more Latin flavor. I love Boyd, and would not be unhappy if he starts, but still think we need as much experience as possible out there in the early stages.
agreed, the comment really sucks
makes me nervous too, generally am not into these kind of experiments, such as Torres at LB. Could be that Klinsmann is only giving Edu some practice time at CB in case of a huge emergency on Wednesday and otherwise will play him at DM.
actually, that was my first thought when I saw the roster Sunday, with only six defenders. and
I heard that…
Love the analogies, not so sure about the selection. I think I’d kind of like to see two attacking midfielders in the “2″ rather than Gomez. The question is “Who?”. Zusi maybe?
Fight on, US C Team, Fight On! Go USMNT/Trojans!
duh i get the point he’s making but he’s wrong. Torres is not that good. Pachuca is not that good. keep watchin’, you’ll figger it out eventually. some people are slower than others. i’d love him to prove me wrong…
Benny’s played inside AND outside, and a lot outside, for the USMNT bryan
I don’t know if this necessarily means Gordon is in the mix for 2014 but Gordon and Wondo have been doing well together lately.
That is why it’s Gordon as opposed to another wide body like Bruin. JK really seems to like Wondo. He wants to get him going and maybe this will get one of those two on the score sheet.
Fiscal’s first cap for the US was as a fullback, I forget which side.
I haven’t seen the Rev’s lately but when he pulls on a USMNT shirt he is worth about 20-30- minutes at most and then he is done. Whether that is because the other guys figure him out or he is not in shape I don’t know.
At this point I don’t see him being fit enough to play for JK.
I saw his debut with the USMNT and I thought he and Mikey would be our midfield pair for years. Then Benny just slowly started to fall apart. He has come back some but he has never gotten back his 2007-2009 form. He was a good sub in the World Cup though. I like Benny but he is almost as infuriating and disappointing as the immortal Adudinho.
If he is in as good shape as you say maybe he gets a call but he has a mountain to climb to get back in the picture.
Benny has played on the wing a lot for the US but has never looked particularly comfortable out there. He is not a winger.
it’s part of it
By rattled you mean like 2-0 in the Gold cup or the 1-0 vs Japan?
It seems you have not been paying attention. This group does not get rattled like the Mexico of old.
Ummm no. The MLS chooses to use cheap foreign players to the detriment of youth development. MLS has to institute a cap on foreign players like Mexico does, or there will never be any significant youth development. Why would they?
By the time they’re in MLS its a little late for development. It needs to happen from ages 8-18. Academy programs are fairly new but they need to be expanded. MLS needs residency programs which are very expensive.
While Beckermann and Torres really play differnet roles, I think that neither is quite up to the athletic nature of international play. Beckermnann is a pretty smart, competitive, defensive tactical kid of player, but he gives up too much in strength ans speed. Torres is clever with the ball, keeps possession well and makes some great passes, but in the 50-50 balls, he loses too often to bogger stronger faster opponents. Each does well with the athleticism they have, but in my mind are a bit short of athleticism, or the exceptional soccer talent needed to make up for that shortcoming.
Must be late:
kind not kid
and not ans
bigger not bogger
I think players are made from ages 10 to 17, before MLS or Academy teams select them. Sure at around 16 getting better tactically is important and that is what happens with Academy and MLS teams. I have been involved in youth soccer for over 25 years and it is pretty clear that the talent in the US has grown more or less continually over that time. I think there is more room for individual skill improvement, but it is no longer true that the best U-18 teams in the US are simply those with the best athletes. For example, 50 yards and a cloud of dust no longer describes what passes for soccer at the college level.
In the US, there are now a lot of parents who played soccer and have an idea of what soccer is, that was not true 30 years ago. The present US players are now 2nd or 3rd generation in their families and kids start learning from their parents, not MLS or Academies, or even the local soccer club. It is no longer only the hispanics and recent immigrants who teach their children soccer.