Depth Chart

[dfb547490]

With all the talk of rosters and such, it might be helpful to come up with a 3-deep depth chart for each position.

I'll actually do 3--first in the 4-4-2 diamond setup favored by Arena (and that I think Bradley will return to once we have our full complement of players; then in the 4-4-2 with 2 DMs that Bradley used vs Denmark and Mexico; and finally in the 3-4-1-2 alignment that I would like to see us adopt.

Guys who are injured or who will be at the U-20s this summer (and thus unavailable for the GC/CA) are in parentheses and an extra man is on the depth chart at their positions.

(Also, the 3-deep is for each actual man on the field; so I've listed 6 guys at positions where 2 play and 9 at positions where 3 play.)


In our standard diamond 4-4-2:

GK
Howard
Hahnemann
Cannon

RB
Cherundolo
Spector
Albright

LB
(Bornstein)
Spector
Dunivant
Burciaga

CB (2)
Gooch
Bocanegra
(Gibbs)
Conrad
Spector
Demerit
Boswell

DM
Mastro
Clark
(Bradley)
Spector

RM
Dempsey
Mapp
Gaven

LM
(Convey)
Beasley
Mapp
(Adu)
Davis

AM
Donovan
(Adu)
Mapp
Noonan

F (2)
Cooper
Ching
Twellman
EJ
Rolfe
Jaqua


Next, in Bradley's dual-DM 4-4-2:

GK, RB, CB, LB, RM, LM
See above

C/DM (2)
Clark
Mastro
(Bradley)
Feilhaber
Kljestan
Beckerman
Mulrooney

F (2)
Donovan
Cooper
Ching
Twellman


Finally, in my preferred 3-4-1-2:

GK
See above

CB (3)
See above, plus
Marshall
Parkhurst
Califf

DM
See diamond 4-4-2

CM (2-way)
Dempsey
Kljestan
Feilhaber

LW
Beasley
(Convey)
(Bornstein)
Mapp
Pearce

RW
Cherundolo
Mullan
(Bornstein)
Wynne

AM/Withdrawn F
Donovan
Mapp
(Adu)
Noonan

F (2)
See diamond 4-4-2



Bottom line?? I have exactly 44 guys listed here. Throw in 4th and 5th keepers (one of the 2 tournaments, can't remember which, lets you bring 3 GKs), and you don't quite have your pool of guys for the summer but you have maybe 35-38 of them.

[Maximum Optimal]

Good list. The one young player I think you are overlooking is Szetela. I rate him above Bradley and Kljestan. Time will tell.

[bltleo]

I was wondering why Casey KELLER is not in your list?

I think Keller is good goalkeeper....in last game against Bremen he showed his safe reflex...Klose "tested" and he could have scored a goal, but Keller showed his excellent performance...

why Keller is not in your list?

[Adam Zebrowski]

szetela looked really good in the u-20 tourney, and he's a two way mid or d-mid...don't see him as holding mid...

as to keller, well, howard is the guy for the next cycle, and give him the playing time now, so he's ready...

chris seitz, the u-20 keeper is the next top flight keeper, whens the over under on his departure to europe...

great u-20 in canada, the beijing olympics and he's gone for the autumn of 2008?? that means ONE year in mls..

[FCmagic01]

Charlie Davies? Striker for Hammarby. Jerimiah White might also be brought it as a Striker/Winger.

[tpack37]

Probably want Heath Pearce somewhere in there at Left Back

[mcnaulty21]

I was wondering why Casey KELLER is not in your list?

why Keller is not in your list?

Kasey Keller is going to be 41 in 2010, we need to move on (as sad as it is).

[Tonerl]

szetela looked really good in the u-20 tourney, and he's a two way mid or d-mid...don't see him as holding mid...

What is that supposed to mean? A two-way mid or d-mid but not a holding mid? Huh?

[bltleo]

Kasey Keller is going to be 41 in 2010, we need to move on (as sad as it is).

well, goalkeeper can be older than players....look at our Lehmann..he was born in 1969...he is also old man:)...and he is still in German NT..
so why not Keller?...he could make his peak in world cup 2010 and close his career...what would be better for Keller than finish his career after next world cup?...with 41 he can be still as goalkeeper....I think he is great goalkeeper...I hope your coach will take him to world cup - as GK 2 at least....

[dfb547490]

Probably want Heath Pearce somewhere in there at Left Back

No, I don't. There's some potential for him as a LW in the 3-4-1-2 but I don't like him at all as a straight LB.

Davies I believe will be on our 2010 WC team but he's what, a month out of college ball?? Give him a year or so and he'll be on the depth chart.

[Adam Zebrowski]

i don't see szetela being reyna, that's my vision of holding mid, less defense, more a link forward...

szetela has more bite, closer to the d-mid, but i think he's got more attacking potential. becoming more a 2 way guy...

perhaps this clears up my use of terminology

[mcnaulty21]

well, goalkeeper can be older than players....look at our Lehmann..he was born in 1969...he is also old man:)...and he is still in German NT..
so why not Keller?...he could make his peak in world cup 2010 and close his career...what would be better for Keller than finish his career after next world cup?...with 41 he can be still as goalkeeper....I think he is great goalkeeper...I hope your coach will take him to world cup - as GK 2 at least....

I agree that he is still great, but I think that we will have better options in 4 years. Howard will be 31, and he's playing fantastic in the Prem and did a hell of a job against Mexico. Matt Reis will be 35 and is in good form. Then we have a good amount of young 'keepers (Pickens [24] and Perkins [25]). I just think that Keller will be overtaken in the next 4 years.

[Tonerl]

i don't see szetela being reyna, that's my vision of holding mid, less defense, more a link forward...

szetela has more bite, closer to the d-mid, but i think he's got more attacking potential. becoming more a 2 way guy...

perhaps this clears up my use of terminology

I'll go with it.

[Dr.Phil]

In your 3-5-2
Dempsey is not a CM he would play a RW

Forgot Pearce in the LB he still fighting Bornstien for the #1 job

I think Feilhaber is higher then Bradley

[dfb547490]

Dempsey is a RM in the Bradley/Arena 4-4-2, but his best position is CM in a 3-5-2 (as he played with the Revs). Where exactly is he playing for Fulham??

[Dr.Phil]

RM but he does not play the defense to have him at CM he would be more of an AM

[olephill2]

Dempsey is a RM in the Bradley/Arena 4-4-2, but his best position is CM in a 3-5-2 (as he played with the Revs).

With New England in their 3-5-2, I believe Dempsey was playing as a CAM...here was their formation for most of the games I saw them play (don't get picky with me on player choices...this is just as I remember):

------Twellman-------Noonan-------
--------------DEMPSEY-------------
Franchino-------------------Ralston
---------Joseph----Dorman---------
John-------Parkhurst--------Heaps--
------------REIS--------------------

Dempsey played as a central attacking midfielder for New England. I think they might've used him up top a bit when Noonan was hurt in 2006 as well, and he may have been featured at right mid in 2005 when Jose Cancela was in better form and could manage at CAM.

[Dr.Phil]

Ok that is a AM where his defense responsibilities are not much

CM is more of a "box to box" player requiring more defense
Ex' Reyna and Feilhaber,

[Winds350]

With New England in their 3-5-2, I believe Dempsey was playing as a CAM...here was their formation for most of the games I saw them play (don't get picky with me on player choices...this is just as I remember):

------Twellman-------Noonan-------
--------------DEMPSEY-------------
Franchino-------------------Ralston
---------Joseph----Dorman---------
John-------Parkhurst--------Heaps--
------------REIS--------------------

Dempsey played as a central attacking midfielder for New England. I think they might've used him up top a bit when Noonan was hurt in 2006 as well, and he may have been featured at right mid in 2005 when Jose Cancela was in better form and could manage at CAM.

Actually, I can't recall a single game where Dempsey played RM for the Rev's, even when Ralston wasn't available. Maybe 2004, once or twice. When they had that flowing attack going at the start of the 2005 season, the central midfield was Joseph, Dempsey, and Cancela. Cancela was the CAM with Dempsey playing deeper and having more defensive responsibilities.

He played as a clear AM when the central midfield was Joseph, Hernandez, and Dempsey (late 05, 06 after the 3-4-3 experiment). When Dorman was in instead of Hernandez, Dempsey and Dorman would swap a bit.

In Camp Cupcake, Dempsey was playing something of an inside right, where his defensive responsibilities were to track back centrally to provide cover for Donovan. If you watch the WC06 games, you can see that he didn't have a very good idea of how to cover wide for Cherundolo. He is much better defensively in a central position.

For a 3-5-2, the wide mids have a much more critical defensive role than the central mids.

[Dr.Phil]

Each time I saw him I remember him playing in front of Joseph and Dorman

But on the NT Dempsey will not be a CM that will go to someone like Bradley, Clark, or Feilhaber

If we are sticking with the box mid I would like to see the younger players named above to improve so they can get into the attack kind of like Pirlo or Hagreaves and not just be DM

Right now were are not there and we need as much cover as possible