Picking the Midfielders on Need vs Best Available

In the Honduras game, there were a number of problems, but there was one which has been a problem for the US for a while now: The lack of wing play.

JK has been selecting forwards and center-mids to play on the wings instead of selecting wingers to play as wingers. I understand why. The US has few wingers that can compete with the available center-mids on their overall quality as players, so we select lots of CMs and either play them out of position on the wings, or play with no width with 3 holding mids and one CAM. Ever since the end of the brief Davies era, when Donovan and Dempsey too the wide midfield roles (both playing at those positions for their clubs as well), we have seen a steady stream of players who earn their money in the center of the pitch being cast out wide for the US, normally to disappointing results.

Looking at the US depth at CM (counting CDMs and CAMS)...
Bradley
Jones
Edu
Holden
Williams
Zusi
Kljestian
Feilhaber
Torres

it is hard to think of too many wingers who seem like they should deserve to start over the top 4 CMs. However, wouldn't even a weaker winger be better prepared to play the wings than an out of place CM? Obviously there is a limit, but are there no wingers in the US pool that can do a better job than what we saw against Honduras or in the previous round of qualifying?

That's the Latin style of play ... works very well with the likes of Pirlo, Xavi, Maradona, Totti, Pele.

Doesn't work well with three holding midfielders of moderate offensive talent.

The US has to rely on what athleticism it has and it has more of that than pure skill.

I'd be surprised if Beasley or Pontius couldn't perform better on the wing than an out of position CM like Kljestan. Castillo at LB and Fabian at LM would hurt us a little at LB, but having Johnson available as an attacker would likely more than make up for it at.

Beezer is not a Jk type of guy. Which is a shame because he is quietly playing
some of the best ball in his life. Beez will crack a beer. Then another. He can press high, lead the counter, send in a very nice cross, very nice set piece delivery and he shows up to finsh. If you can stomach
The worst first touch in human history the you've got a very nice player

RobsterCraw is the best username on this website.

I have nothing worthwhile to add to this thread aside from that.

RunDMB was called in to camp1 (Mexico) missed camp2 while settling in P was recalled to camp3 (Honduras, Ecuador) and played and recalled to camp4 (France, Slovenia) and also played. He most recently got a vet role at Azteca. He was on the notification list for A&B, Guatemala but was on IR.

he has gotten a lot of calls for someone who is not a "JK guy".

And gotten very little playing time for someone who is.

So, Beasley is the missing link? Ha.

It's so simple, but the coaching staff can't figure it out.

Our give aways in the defensive third and half versus Honduras were numerous...this is JK's influence. Play the ball out of the back to your midfield who then switches field finds a wide overlapping player and serve it in, so JK can finish...only it isn't 1990 anymore... and we aren't good enough to rely on possession play.
In this regard...
Dolo's absence is huge. Here's a guy who has made himself a local legend in the Bundesliga, captains Hanover and continues to play an up tempo game at 35. I think he's more important than Boca at this point. But he's just gone under the knife for arthroscopic knee surgery...it will be months before he's ready to play.
Chandler is not nearly as complete a player as Cherondolo.
I don't know if it's a confusing tactical preparation, an inability to get the German-American guys fired up to play for the red, white and blue, an inability to mesh the given players to a style of play that fits the collective mindset, but JK has strung his ass out to dry after Honduras.

He wouldn't fix all the team's problems. But he'd be better out wide than Kljestan and has more big-game experience than all but maybe five guys in the entire pool.

I think Kljestan's a good player. I just don't think he's a winger. And we need another winger a lot more than we need another CM.

I don't know if that's true, certainly an exaggeration at least. Chandler is a fantastic defensive player with the ability to go forward in one of the world's best leagues. I don't think he's far off Dolo, especially this year. Before the injury he's been off point.

Give Chandler time to gel and move forward.

Chandler is mediocre defensively. What he does have is good pace up the flank, which Klinsmann and Vasquez decided to clear for him a la Michael Jordan. It's just that Suarez called Klinsi's bluff and moved his attackers to the US right side, forcing Timmy to defend the entire sideline against two men, each of whom was quite comfortable in that weather.

When Chandler did go forward, his crosses weren't accurate enough for Altidore, Dempsey and E. Johnson. And there went the game plan.

I believe he only had 1 cross in the entire game.

No Joe Corona? I think he can possibly be a better option than Zusi.

I think Donovan (obviously), Shea, Gatt, Pontius, or Fabian Johnson (moved up with someone filling in at LB) could all do the job better than any of our center mids and offer the team something different that it is missing. Even Chandler could be moved up with someone else filling in at RB in a pinch. Unfortunately, Shea and Pontius are injured. Donovan is meditating in a tree somewhere. We aren't incredibly deep at outside back, so TC and FJ are used there. I'm not sure why he didn't call Gatt; you can't tell me he wouldn't have been useful at least as a sub.

EDIT: Also, given our lack of options for this past game, Feilhaber could've been useful out wide. He's at least played there before (I think even in the World Cup) and has shown himself to be competent.

I believe Corona is more of a center mid, but I would've liked to see him called as a creative spark that we were lacking.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c.-united-is-looking-forward/article/2520767

But, by all accounts, he is back.

Shea is fine too, albeit not in game shape as of now.

I know he isn't a winger that's why I'd like to see
him in the attacking midfielder role, and tbh I
would rather see him start over Jones. A midfield
with Mikey and Jones just doesn't click and we
have been seeing it since the Bob Bradley days.

I was impressed in the 5 min Corona got against
Guatemala where he made that nice pass to
Dempsey in the final third but dived. Klinsmann
called him a very special talent last week and said he will definitely be back, that is encouraging to hear but If he doesn't get any PT in next months WCQ's I think he will definitely
get a shot in the Gold Cup.

I don't know why people are so surprised with Chandler. He's a good option to have, but he works at a club that is no better, and posibly weaker, than the Xolos of Tijuana. Just by that, you shouldn't be hoping for someone better than Castillo.

I feel like Chandler plays AGAINST better competition on average although I like Castillo's game. Might be interesting to play them together on that side, with perhaps Chandler at left mid. They certainly would have the wheels to cover for each other. Anyway, I really believe Chandler's performance against Honduras was nowhere near indicative of what vee vill see in the future.

My point is that both are good players, but a couple of notches below Cherundolo and Johnson. Chandler has more room to grow, though, since he's only 22 (Castillo is 26).

lol

Cherundolo has no room to grow... he's been 5'6" forever.