Who will be the back four vs Costa Rica

Here are the possibilities +Maurice Edu (caps/goals)

DEFENDERS (6): Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake - 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City - 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City/England - 6/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy - 1/0), Clarence Goodson (Brondby/Denmark - 5/0), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes - 0/0)


Is It's going to be interesting. . .

1. Not sure why Tim Chandler is not here, I am sure we will find out.
2. Fabian Johnson and Steve Cherundolo are recovering from injuries.
3. Long term Captain and team leader Carlos Bocanegra is not getting time at his club.
4. Costa Rica's forward pairing are probably the best in the Hex Brian Ruiz/Alvaro Saborio
5. Most have speculated that JK waited too long to address the CB pairing (plenty of places to discuss this, however).
6. This, our first home game in the Hex, is pretty much in the "Must Win" category. It is against an
opponent we should defeat, given our aspirations toward qualifying.
7. And yes, we also are going to go with a new goalkeeper, Brad Guzan (who thank goodness has been playing "lights out" for Aston Villa.)

So, I guess, what are the best options?

If it were me . . .

Cameron . . . Edu . . . .Goodson . . .Morrow

I thought Omar appeared suspect in Honduras.

It's not going to be pretty. We already have issues with width- we are going to be REALLY narrow in these next two games.

anyone know why not Sean Franklin, to me he is more consistent then Omar and contribuits a lot to the attack

We are thinking alike. Though I'd go with Beasley at LB. Or we could very well see a 3-5-2 with Cameron and Beasley as the wingbacks and 3/4th of Edu/Goodson/Besler/Gonzo as the 3 in the back.

-----------------Guzan----------------
-----Good/Gonzo---Edu---Besler---------
Cameron---------------------------Beasley
-------------Jones----Bradley-----------
------------------Dempsey----------------
------------Gomez-------Altidore---------

I think Ives is on to something with his speculation about Beasley in the back.
If I had to venture a guess I would say

Cameron-Gonzo-Edu-Beasley

That's pretty radical. This game could be a disaster or a revelation. Can't wait till Friday! This qualifying round is some kind of rollercoaster.

Hopefully Costa Rica plays Roy Miller, who's worse than anyone we've called in.

If the US wins this game it will be on guts. The backline is worse than I could have imagined. This is a backline consistent with a players strike. Ugh.

No, on Beasley. We've been sorely lacking a LW, Beas has been playing it for his club. That's the width and attach minded player we need in midfield. I'd go with Morrow--Gonzalez--Edu--Cameron.

A better fit would be Brek Shea. Size, speed and youth. He could play the same role that Fabian plays by pushing up into the midfield and actually taking defenders on with the ball (plus overlapping). Beasley's age and injuries have slowed his acceleration. Brek can still motor up and down....

Shea can't play LB. He still isn't cutting sharply really on his left foot. At least it looked that way the last time I saw him.

I wouldn't over think it. Just play Morrow there. He actually plays there with his club ans is strong and fast and isn't coming off any injuries.

I didn't know the gameday line-ups were out already.

In an otherwise solid debut for Stoke, Brek was tentative and poor defending as a left mid. I know its not apples to apples but it doesn't make me confident that he would be decent defending as a left back.

Hopefully they put the three actually capped defenders with Morrow on the left. The attack part of the game might very well be better than our defense lol

Do they need to be? The lineup has to come from this roster.

I see a plenty capable back-four amongst that roster. Even if they all made me nervous I don't think JK had a lot of other obvious options. Christ, most of our European based defenders either seem to be injured or pulling splinters out of their butts.

This sounds like a 3-in-the-back lineup. Beasley can wing it on the left. Cameron can do that on the right.

Defense might be Goodson/Edu---Gonzalez---Besler.

But JK will probably play Geoff on the right and ... hmmm ....

Edit : Beasley's not called up, duh ... Shea may have to play as a left wingback, Cameron as the right.

But it's not too late to fire Klinsmann and Perez.

Then you are just more optimistic than I am. The confluence of injuries and splinters is worse than I thought it would be and I have trouble finding a back four that looks remotely like a WCQ lineup from this roster.

Could be that's just me.

Doesn't mean they can't do well enough, but I think that fighting spirit may be the best weapon this group has going for it, so jk should maximize that.

Ok, that makes sense to me. I had taken your post as another "OH GAWD, why didn't JK call in X, 'cause we'd be rock solid with X out there", with X being some Euro bench-rider or some other MLS superman. I think we'll need some of that fighting spirit for this one, but it's also nice that every one of those call-ups has been getting buttloads of playing time at their respective clubs.

I don't see a back three out of this lineup. A lot of these defenders have probably never played in that formation in all of their careers and Klinsi has yet to use it with the national team.

I'm sorry?

LB: Morrow
CB: Gonzalez
CB: Edu
RB: Cameron

Not need for 3 man backline experiments. Beasley would make an interesting attacking midfielder. That's the position I saw him play with Puebla.

Shea needs to be getting minutes at club level to be in the discussion.

This is probably what we'll see. It should be good enough.

What's more, I don't think any of the midfielders play with a back three, either, and that's equally important from the perspective of defensive shape.

This is a tough situation, one compounded by Bocanegra's absence. I think Cameron and Edu somewhere in the backline are a must. I'd rather to see Morrow over Beasley at Left Back.

After that, I still haven't processed this roster...

This was my thinking as well.