We are in a bind, right now. Would you make changes if you were the coach for Costa Rica/Mexico? Can you even? Cherundolo and Donovan are out. Personally, I think Klinsmann's best bet is to stick with pretty much the same, and hope that it pays off. This is his fault for not integrating the defensive line sooner. In other words, in my eyes he has already decided to go with Gonzalez... He should stick with it to help him and Cameron get use to it even if he should have been trying to get the two getting games together well before now. That said, the big change that I would make would be to drop Jones from the starting line-up and insert a more creative, attacking midfielder. For the record, Jones and Bradley always play poorly together. Also, I would name a larger camp since we will be able to have more time for the players to play together. These guys have got to start getting use to each other; plus, I would call in my best Mexican based players. My 30 man Roster: (3) GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Sean Johnson (5) FULLBACKS: Timmy Chandler, Michael Parkhurst, Fabian Johnson, Edgar Castillo, Eric Lichaj (5) DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, Michael Orozco (9) MIDFIELDERS: Maurice Edu, Danny Williams, Alfredo Morales, Graham Zusi, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, Jose Francisco Torres, Joe Corona (8) FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson, Herculez Gomez, Clint Dempsey, Terrence Boyd, Josh Gatt, Juan Agudelo, DaMarcus Beasley Starting XI v Costa Rica: ---------------Johnson------Dempsey------Altidore---------------- ----------------------Bradley----------Zusi-------------------------- ---------------------------------Edu---------------------------------- Johnson-----------------------------------------------------Chandler --------------------Gonzalez------------Cameron-------------------- ---------------------------------Howard------------------------------- Bench: Guzan, Bocanegra, Parkhurst, Williams, Jones, Kljestan, Gomez Starting XI v Mexico --------------------Johnson-----Dempsey------Gomez---------------- ----------------------------Torres----------Bradley--------------------- -------------------------------------Edu---------------------------------- Option1: LB: Johnson; RB: Chandler Option 2: LB: Castillo; RB: Johnson (if Chandler is poor again) ------------------------Gonzalez------------Cameron-------------------- -------------------------------------Howard------------------------------- Bench: Guzan, Bocanegra, Parkhurst, Jones, Williams, Corona, Altidore
Stick with the same? No. JK said it'd be a completely different team anyway. Zusi starting? No way. Jozy out wide? No way. No width in your formations? Big mistake. EJ is still not a winger. Posted this is another thread but this is what I do if Shea breaks in and gets at least a few sub appearances which it seems he will and if Landon returns. If Landon continues his vacation, there's no need to start Zusi who is overrated by BS and offers no width/creativity, especially when Cameron plays RB for Stoke often and we can move Chandler to the wing, where he would offer width, crossing and twice the pace Zusi would.
With the already capped players - 4-3-3 ------------------Altidore-------------------- --------Dempsey----------Gomez----------- --------------------Bradley------------------- ------------Jones-------------Kljestan------- F.Johnson---Boca------Cameron-----Chandler or 4-4-2 - --------------------Altidore-------------------- --------------------Dempsey------------------- Shea-------------------------------------Gomez ----------Bradley----------Jones---------------- ----------------SAME BACKLINE-------------- ps. Folks are blasting the coaching staff for starting/playing Gonzo over Boca - and properly so - but how about dumping Gomez for Zusi? That decision deserved an "F" of its own.
If we move Cameron to DM I think I would rather Besler over Boca, he compliments Gonzo better since he has decent pace is a good passer, plus he and Gonzo looked good together and have at least played a game together. If Landon is not back I would actually go with Zusi, he has looked decent starting with the A squad for the most part, we don't have any good right wingers really, if he is not impressing take him out for Gatt. Unless Shea gets into good form for Stoke, Eddie is the left winger, and he has done a pretty good job there imo.
I know that Omar and Geoff both made mistakes, but I don't know that you want to bench them because of it. I'd rather they suffer some growing pains right now than in the wold cup.
Besler is not as physically imposing as Omar, but he would have not been caught ball watching on the two Honduran goals. I believe he will get a shot against Costa Rica.
Why does Shea deserve so much confidence in him? Kljestan is a funny choice after his poor showing in Honduras.
At least, unlike Eddie Johnson, he'll be playing the natural for him position. I have no illusion of him being another Gareth Bale ... at least, not for a while. Likewise, Kljestan should play a natural for him position.
If we need better width and you want to make a change, move Fabian Johnson to left mid and Cameron to left back. Pair Besler and Gonzalez at CB. Keep Jones, Williams, and Bradley as your CMs. Sub in Zusi or Feilhaber for Jones if you need more offense in the second half. Keep Jozy as the #9, and Dempsey on the right wing, with Chandler providing width as a right wing-back. The most important "change" that needs to happen is having offensive weapons on the bench.
I'm back with my "crazy lineups", everyone have a good laugh. But I'm serious about this lineup, even though it will never happen, and no one will agree with it. If we want to finally see some real soccer, this is the group. I might be missing some people, and if Donovan decided to play, he would be in there somewhere, but even though a lot of people are out of position, the players have the traits to be good where they are placed, and these guys would be able to play a quality and attractive game that is proactive and dominates the ball. -----------------Howard----------------- Zusi-----Jones-----Bradley-----Beasley ---------------Kljestan------------------- ---------Feilhaber-----Torres----------- Corona-------Dempsey--------Diskerud
I like your line-up... For clarification, my line-up is an interchangeable between a 4-3-3, and a 4-1-2-1-2 with Dempsey playing as a free-role striker. For that, we would need two forwards with speed to create those openings for him. For your line-up, Shea needs to gets minutes at Stoke to be considered a legitimate starter, Donovan would need to return. The sad fact is that we don't really have any wingers right now.
Did I say he would even make the bench? the fact is that we need to call in the same group of players as much as possible to help build team chemistry.
He's been called up a few times already which means that Klinsmann must rate him highly as a prospect for the future.
What is the US personnel that can interchange between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 diamond? This team doesn't have the players to play a diamond, for the life of me I don't understand why it even gets suggested around here. I wouldn't be averse to having Boca step in... but Donovan probably isn't going to be ready and I have no idea where Shea will be at, so I say 4-3-3. If the RB doesn't have a disaster along with Bradley, I think it's a win. That's what made the difference in Honduras IMO, and Omar getting lost a couple times.
Well, most 4-3-3 are almost like a 4-5-1, but for Klinsmann, I see the center forward being the one who drops back and the other two forwards being the ones who press the opponent's backline which is more of a diamond formation.
2 forwards for home games please. 3 dmid formation isn't necessary. Gatt and Shea please. Width width. Get the ball wide and cross. Would be nice to have more than 2 shots a game.
I suspect JK's comments about the team being different means that their effrt and performance will be different, not that the specific players will change very much. I agree that the back 4 should stay the same. Klinsi made his choice and made this bed. Time to stick with it and see the transition through. Don't panic. If Donovan is ready to play, you have to call him in. Donovan for EJ, or at least Donovan off the bench. Edu for Williams.
I'd go with a 4-3-3: I'm sure people will complain about Goodson, but Cameron doesn't play CB at Stoke and it shows when he plays it for the US.
The thing is not that I don't think that we couldn't possibly find a better formation/line-up to work with our pool, but I think it is one of those things that we have already made our bed, and now, we have to sleep in it. I cannot see our formation changing from: ------------Left Forward-------------Right Forward--------------- ------------------------Shadow Forward---------------------------- --------------------------------------Creative Midfielder----------- -----------Two-way Midfielder-------------------------------------- Left Wing Back---------------------------------------Right Wing Back ---------------------------Holding Midfielder------------------------ ----------------Left Center Back-------Right Center Back----------- --------------------------------Goalkeeper-----------------------------