To the Howard/Ochoa hug thing, I would add the Chicharito/Donovan hug/pat, the Klinsmann/Chepo hug and plenty hand shakes.
How did you get a picture of Bruce coming down to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning? He looks so happy.
Are you suggesting we build a team around him? He is not good enough. Plain and simple. Either he comes to be part of the rest of the team or he doesn't play. For an average Mexican League player, he has been afforded more than ample opportunity to prove himself worthy. He just isn't.
We don't have to build a team around Torres. But I think it is pretty clear that his best position is as an 8 and that we shouldn't be using him as a 10 or a wide player. We have better options at those two positions.
The positive is that now, bunkering properly, in a Chelsea-like fashion, is an option. The more cards in his deck the coach has, the better the chances of making it far in a tournament.
imo, we have better options at all three positions although no real outstanding choices for the 10. I see Torres as a situational player - some matches/opponents/venues will be better for him than others. I like Torres but he wouldn't be a choice for me as a starter anywhere on the pitch at Kingston.
I don't even think he's best utilized as an 8. He can play there, but he offers very little going forward from there. His best position is seemingly as a deep-lying playmaker in the mold of Pirlo, spraying around passes that calm the game down, switch the point of attack, and dictate the pace of the play. The other position I actually liked him in was what he was playing against Scotland, Brazil, and Canada. Hear me out here. Instead of moving into the attack from the left flank, he would normally just drift across the middle third of the field, and combine with all the other players in the midfield. He helped create overloads all over the midfield, and this allowed Bradley and Jones to play quick give-and-go's with him and burst past Scotland's midfielders, with Donovan and Boyd waiting just past. It suited Torres' natural tendency because he was playing quick, short passes, but it helped the USA offensively quite a bit. This was less effective against Brazil mainly due to the USA not having as much of the ball and Maurice Edu being a complete wreck going. Against Canada it wasn't any better because Clint Dempsey was coming deep for the ball, neither Bradley or Jones got forward enough, Donovan was pinned to the flanks, Torres wasn't ever going to charge forward, and Gomez was left isolated, so there was very little penetration or numbers in the attack. I'm not asking for this to necessarily be used again, but I thought the idea was actually very smart. It could work if Torres moved forward more instead of just sitting in the midfield. Torres is a talented guy, but the way he uses it is not really the way the USA needs right now. We don't need a Pirlo. We need an Iniesta.
Honestly I think Mike Bradley is a better option at the 8. I think Torres has utility as a special-purpose 8 in certain matches that suit him. But not as an everyday player.
Torres is just a mediocre player. Not a national team level. He can play multiple positions and none of them well.
No, not saying that just trying to say how his skill set rarely meshes with his teammates. On other teams he might start every game. On this US team the coach has to carefully pick the opponent and role. I can see some great players from other teams struggling on this US team as well (and no I'm not saying Torres is great).
Yes, but a 'Great' player is one that you will design and make the majority of the team work with to maximize their talents, unless his name is Riquelme and we are Argentina and we can make a great team otherwise.
This protected role makes a lot of sense for Torres. Klinsmann's defensive style and natural inclination to play Bradley and Jones further upfield would complement this use of Torres.
If Dononvan is healthy and hasn't lost anything he will be part of the team. I expect something more like this. Altidore Boyd Dempsey Donovan Williams Bradley Johnson Cameron ? Licha This leaves Beasley, Shea and Jones as the wide mid backups, hopefully others come into the mix. I also would rather see Jones play the Beckerman role, but it seems this isn't going to happen.
The problem I have there is that Torres would then become the presence in front of the backline. He's not a destroyer/defensive type, so our backline becomes more exposed. It's a nice thought to have him deep in front of our backline with Jones and Bradley the 8's and Donovan and Dempsey higher up, but it's too risky defensively. I personally think that Kyle Beckerman may be the best option at this point. He can defend very well, but he also understands the finer nuances of playing the ball from deep and starting counter attacks. He knows how to shield his body and the appropriate touches to take, the way to move the ball to create those subtle bits of time on the ball that can turn out to be crucial. SPA2TACU5 has posted plenty of slides showing Maurice Edu's lack of understanding in this department. Moreover, we can keep Bradley and/or Jones further forward. If the opponent is playing without a threat between our lines of defense and midfield, then I'll be more comfortable with Torres there, but again, that's situational. Seems like all Torres will ever be at this point. If he ever uses his skills to become a more direct attacking threat then he'd probably become one of the most dangerous players on our team.
At this point I would start Bradley and Jones in central midfield (not sure which would be the 8, however). Torres is part of the group after those two. I don't think Torres should be in the starting lineup as a wide player or a 10. There are better alternatives, even when some of our usual starters are missing.
I view Torres' defensive work as more of a problem in a system with only 1 CM, like say Bob Bradley's initial setup against Slovenia at the World Cup. I think in Klinsmann's system with Bradley and Jones covering the entire field that Torres is less likely to get exposed.
But Torres is literally right infront of the backline. He's the guy who'll be marking the 10. That's not good.
Against tougher opposition, Klinsmann will have the team bunkered in so Torres should have plenty of help. And against easier opposition, I would expect Torres to be able to handle it. It's not a perfect solution obviously. An alternative could be to play the best natural #6 in the US player pool, Jermaine Jones, in the role.
It's possible, but I just don't think it's a good idea with our defense as unstable as it is right now. That said, this is coming from the guy who proposed putting our shiny new left back Fabian Johnson in the midfield, so I can understand the principle
Agree, if hypothetically plopped into the Spain, Mexico, or Argentina first team, (NOT saying he is on that level) I do not think he would stand out as a weakness because he would surrounded by good players playing the same game he is playing. He would almost always have a passing option that he knows would trap the ball cleanly. Half the passes he make with Pachuca would be risky with the USMNT. I see what JK likes in him. He has great touch, is poised, and holds and distributes the ball well. He is certainly a player we would want if we are going to play a possession game. But that is still not who we are. I like him and would love for us to be a type of team that can utilize his talent, but for now it is a square peg- round hole scenario too often. If we keep using him, he does need to be more proactive in seeking out the game instead of waiting for it to come to him.
If Pirlo is the analog that's not how a system with a deep distributor would have to work. In the old Milan days say the ball is on the right, Gattuso is pressing the guy with the ball, Cafu has the wide runner, Pirlo is providing help inside, and Ambrosini slides inside to cover the #6 role. Pirlo was also allowed more freedom to roam than his two CM partners, who always had to make sure they were covering for him.
But the movement of a clever number ten, and there are at least a few in CONCACAF, might trouble a Pirlo/Torres type. We also have to think about wide midfielders cutting into that space from te flank, or simply drifting into the hole and waiting for the ball. It's just a tad too sketchy for this backline right now.
I'd like to see Torres in the role of distributor in a setting like this: ------defense----- ----Mike---JJ---- LD--Torres--Deuce -------striker------
It's a strange Pirlo/Torres talk. Torres isn't Pirlo. Pirlo routinely makes 40-50 yard long passes. Never seen Torres being able to do anything like that.