Will it be the offense or will it be the defense? This Stoppage Time Soccer piece thinks it could be offense, which in turn would put more pressure on the defense. USMNT: Offense, Not Defense Could Be a Problem in 2014 World Cup
That article does a really poor job of articulating its point. Our central defense is far and away the biggest issue.
Central midfield chemistry, that is to say the work of Bradley and Jones. Central defense is merely mediocre. Central midfield is the difference maker. Can Jones and Bradley work together consistently? It's been up and down; each has obliquely or directly stated a preference for partnering with someone else.
Lack of talent across the board. The levels of fitness and strength are phenomenal, but there's just not enough talent.
Lack of a 10 in midfield to link defense and offense. We have a lot of pistons, no spark plug. Howard would look for Donovan every chance in the old days, even at Everton, but I'm not sure that's still on.
For all the talk about how athletically superior our players are against other teams and how that's something we can rely on, we are outclassed in most athletic measures in this group, top to bottom. Really, we have been for the last cycle or more. I think that will be a problem that goes unnoticed and is one of those old assumptions that will die hard, but one day people will realize that we no longer have this advantage on the global scale. Just wanted to bring this up amidst the obvious points of having less talented players. Everyone knows that.
Here I thought it was keeping. On a serious note tho. While CB is a big problem the backline as whole is. If Beasley starts at LB were in trouble. While Evans got too much ish for his performances at RB, we are in trouble if he is starting at the WC. The ideal backline of: Fabian Besler Cameron Chandler most likely will not be seen.
This year it's a little harder to find a clear issue. That's good since we had a lot of very clear issues for a while. On paper, the quality of the outside backs is an issue. On paper, the time our center backs have spent together is an issue. However, on the whole we've done well in defense. I would say that our one big weakness is Bradley-dependency. So far, our worst games have been with him out of the lineup. Belgium was w/o Bradley Costa Rica was w/o Bradley Ukraine was w/o Bradley The worst games with Bradley were Honduras, Scotland and Austria. They were all away games with tight scores.
People have been going around claiming we have athletic players? The US team works hard and covers more ground than most but that's just about it. In terms of soccer athleticism the pool has always been behind the top 15 or so nations.
Central Defense. Confidence we can score goals even if the goals have to come from midfield but worried about the defense against genuine world class players.
Yeah, we have athletes who aren't terribly skilled. We have an endless pool of players who are as fit, fast, and strong as world class teams. We don't have players who are skilled. Jozy is the perfect example. He's big and strong and fit, there's little he could do to improve that. He doesn't play soccer well because he just isn't good enough at playing with the ball.
1. Defensive coordination. The back 4 has been shuffled and rotated a lot during JK's tenure. Key starting backs from 2011-2012 are no longer playing (Boca, Cherundolo) or may be moved to midfield (F.Johnson). Key starting backs from 2013 haven't played for the team in 2014 (Evans, Beasley). One key starter from 2013 is in poor form (Gonzo). JK has a month of training to pull together what will be a back-4 with very, very little experience together. That does not bode well when the pressure is on and the brains and legs are tired. 2. Service and combination play to the forward (in which a single striker has usually been JK's preference). When Jozy had good service in 2013, he scored 8 US goals. When Jozy was lost on an island in 2012, he struggled and the US attack struggled. Which will it be in 2014? 3. Bradley's partner. Will it be the highly experienced, but at times ill-fitting Jones? We've all seen this pairing sputter. Or would a lesser talent be a better match? How does JK maximize the effectiveness of what looks like the US's best field player, MB90?
Do we really though? This is exactly what I'm talking about. This whole narrative that we have big, fast, strong players is mostly nonsense in the current era. It may or may not have been true a decade or two ago but it is certainly no longer true with the advances in training methods worldwide and general athletic advancement of most nations in the top 25 or 30. Maybe there are few who see it, but count me in that group. Additionally, our on the ball skills are underrated, it is the speed of execution that is lacking. Speed of thought, speed of execution.
Definitely. It has been bandied about not only on these boards but by other teams in the media for years..mostly by people who like to recycle the same rhetoric and stereotypes over and over again but that looks to me like the majority, or at least the very vocal minority.
As far as positionally, our biggest problem is far and away our CBs. Our strikers, albeit "out of form" (which is hugely overrated in the first place, statistically speaking) are quite talented. Same with our midfield. Our CBs, even on their good days, should make everyone very, very nervous.
It's like I mentioned on another thread after watching LA vs Real Madrid. While the Madrid players were no faster there was a huge gap in turning ability and agility. Those guys flew to the ball. 'Fast and strong' are not primary soccer athletic traits. Jozy is one of the more skilled players in the pool. He is not a true center forward however. Horrible fit for Sunderland's needs.
Nous and how to apply it in matches. We may have the talent pool but that means nothing when countries that have a good enough pool with players who know to apply tactical and technical knowledge. How much more evidence does one need? We really don't have many sound defenders(no CB's) that can play from the back without the constant worry of losing possession AND giving up a goal to boot. Don't know how to beat high pressure against quality teams. In the midfield and attack, beside the notable exceptions, the speed of thought and quality decision making just isn't there. The evidence is undeniable when the average pro not from America is either polished or finishing their polish between 16-20 years old or sooner and at a major club and producing by age 24 or sooner. You may think what I'm about to say is laughable but it could be a very real reality if USSF doesn't get their house in order. The Latin American countries in CONCACAF and others like Jamaica could become formidable sides that will make it very difficult for us to qualify for what most consider an easy WC qualification process to not making the WC at all. Best believe, the next cycle will be a war and the teams I mentioned will make the USMNT and Mexico sweat to qualify. Until we can weed out the hobbyist coaches at the youth level, recruit and develop players with higher ceilings and push the 10-18 year olds harder to not only to keep playing soccer, but to also realize their potential as soon as possible, the USMNT teams will always be living pipe dreams of winning the WC with actual results of group and quarterfinal round exits.
Biggest issue is obviously our back line. Our left back options aren't great and our right back options are up in the air. Thank god for Tim Howard.
US strikers barely score in the World Cup. We always rely on our midfielders. Or just pray for an Own-Goal.
Despite his goal scoring, I don't see Wondo going to the World Cup. I see JK bringing Jozy, Iceman and Boyd. EJ as well if he brings 4 but I figure he brings in another defender/midfielder and leaves off a striker.