U.S. coach to move Donovan?

[AiRandy415]

Overlooked in the wake of the U.S. team's recent loss to Brazil was Bob Bradley's deployment of Landon Donovan on the right flank, a position Donovan has not played very frequently in the past. Long regarded as the U.S. team's top attacking threat, Donovan's shifting to a right midfield role could signal a significant change in the national team's long term plans for one of its best players. If you're thinking that the move was just a temporary one, think again. Donovan could wind up making a permanent national team move to the right flank because there is someone else who has shown an ability to perform better than him at forward. What position are we talking about exactly? The second forward position. Who is the player standing in Donovan's way now? Clint Dempsey.

Is Dempsey a better option than Donovan?

[Kevin8833]

Is Dempsey a better option than Donovan?
Yes Dempsey proves time and time again he can put the ball in the back of the net against top quality teams, frankly he is the only player on our team who has proven so.

[sidefootsitter]

Who is the player standing in Donovan's way now? Clint Dempsey. No. Landon Donovan.

[izha]

No. Landon Donovan.

No. Mike Bradley. As Mike Bradley is a must on the field there is no room for the dedicated right mid, so either LD or Dempsey will be pushed outside.

[sidefootsitter]

You can - and perhaps should - play Mikey as a sole destroyer in a diamond.

Or you can play both Donovan and Dempsey on top and find another right wing from the White, Wolff, Alvarez, Mapp, Zizzo, Gaven group.

[Kevin8833]

I say utilize our twin d-mids or use Bradley as a sole destroyer and switch to a 3 man back to give us more possesion and dictate the game while adding more options going forward, I do think we could have a solid enough 3 man back but that is my opinion. It could be something like this.

----------------------Howard------------------

-----------Spector---Bocanegra---Bornstein----

------------------Clark---Bradley---------------

Feilhaber--------------------------------Convey

---------------Donovan-------Beasley----------

----------------------Dempsey-----------------

or:

----------------------Howard------------------

-----------Spector---Bocanegra---Bornstein----

----------------------Bradley------------------

Donovan---------Feilhaber---Adu--------Beasley

----------------Dempsey---Altidore-------------

or: (My preference)

----------------------Howard------------------

-----------Spector---Bocanegra---Bornstein----

---------------Feilhaber-----Bradley------------

Donovan--------------------------------Beasley

----------------------Adu----------------------

--------------Dempsey---Altidore---------------

[sidefootsitter]

Bornstein?

Is this one of those Copa America C-rosters?

[Kevin8833]

Bornstein?

Is this one of those Copa America C-rosters?
You're kidding me right? Bornstein is the first choice left back. I would put Gibbs but he is injured and we don't even know if he will return to his old form.

[izha]

You can - and perhaps should - play Mikey as a sole destroyer in a diamond.

Or you can play both Donovan and Dempsey on top and find another right wing from the White, Wolff, Alvarez, Mapp, Zizzo, Gaven group.


Is Mike better than Clark? Name one thing that he does better than Clark. Is Mike better than Mastroeni? What happens when Altidore gets on the field? Who is out? Benny, Dempsey, Donovan?

[izha]

or: (My preference)

----------------------Howard------------------

-----------Spector---Bocanegra---Bornstein----

---------------Feilhaber-----Bradley------------

Donovan--------------------------------Beasley

----------------------Adu----------------------

--------------Dempsey---Altidore---------------

Great! Let's play with three defenders ( out of which just one is a center), if it guarantees Mike's place on the field. Now anybody can score four goals on us.

[Kevin8833]

Great! Let's play with three defenders ( out of which just one is a center), if it guarantees Mike's place on the field. Now anybody can score four goals on us. Well you could slot Gibbs or Demerit in for Bornstein if you want more central defenders and Spector plays some CB, but our back is not the problem as bad as the Gooch and Boca pairing has been our problem has been not scoring goals, we haven't been giving up many and I fully believe we have the players to run a 3 man back, this really improves our team overall, we do not have players like Zidane, Riqulme, Totti, etc. a 5 man midfield is the best way for us to hold possesion, win the midfield, and dictate the pace of the game. The only way do that is either 3-5-2 or 4-5-1 and we all saw what happens with the 4-5-1 in Germany, we hold possession decently but do nothing with it because of the lone forward, and again we do not have an Henry, Ronaldo, Klose, or anyone of those likes. 3-5-2 suits the players we have best in my opinion you can think what you want but I have full confidence we can have a very steady back playing 3 in the backline which allows us much more options in midfield and up top.

[Tonerl]

Well you could slot Gibbs or Demerit in for Bornstein if you want more central defenders and Spector plays some CB, but our back is not the problem as bad as the Gooch and Boca pairing has been our problem has been not scoring goals, we haven't been giving up many and I fully believe we have the players to run a 3 man back, this really improves our team overall, we do not have players like Zidane, Riqulme, Totti, etc. a 5 man midfield is the best way for us to hold possesion, win the midfield, and dictate the pace of the game. The only way do that is either 3-5-2 or 4-5-1 and we all saw what happens with the 4-5-1 in Germany, we hold possession decently but do nothing with it because of the lone forward, and again we do not have an Henry, Ronaldo, Klose, or anyone of those likes. 3-5-2 suits the players we have best in my opinion you can think what you want but I have full confidence we can have a very steady back playing 3 in the backline which allows us much more options in midfield and up top.

Really? 13 in 5 matches isn't many?

As for the other thing, you can maybe get away with playing a fullback in MLS in a 3 back, but at international level, you need three central defenders, and two of them had better be able to mark.

And the formation was not to blame for Germany. The tactics, players, in-game adjustments, and a thousand other things are. There is nothing wrong with a 4-5-1 in and of itself.

[shinzui]

Would anyone mind telling me what the last 10 posts had to do with Landon Donovan playing right wing?

[Kevin8833]

Really? 13 in 5 matches isn't many?

As for the other thing, you can maybe get away with playing a fullback in MLS in a 3 back, but at international level, you need three central defenders, and two of them had better be able to mark.

And the formation was not to blame for Germany. The tactics, players, in-game adjustments, and a thousand other things are. There is nothing wrong with a 4-5-1 in and of itself. Well 8 of those 13 are in 2 games against Brazil and Argentina you know, so that is only 5 goals in 3 games besides that which really isn't that bad, and I would say scoring 4 goals in 5 games is much more of a problem wouldn't you? Also, Brazil is the only game we have scored more than one goal in in the past 5 games, only 2 of those 5 goals have been in the run of play(Dempsey vs. Brazil, and Clark vs. Columbia). These are some stats to back up finishing is much more of a concern for us than is conceding goals. And I disagree about having to have 3 CB's Simek and Spector could surely play CB at the international level, and I really think Bornstein is, Argentina played 3 in the back without much height, I know we are not Argentina but it is an example of it working. However if you do want 3 CB's playing you could have something along the lines of Demerit, Bocanegra, and Gibbs which would be very good or someone like Conrad or Spector could play as well.

[Kevin8833]

Would anyone mind telling me what the last 10 posts had to do with Landon Donovan playing right wing?
By the way I agree with moving Donovan wide right, Dempsey proves he can score against top opponents when up top, and it gives Donovan more space to exploit his pace and skill level out wide and also he tracks back to defend well which helps.

[Dr.Phil]

LD is a better striker then Dempsey.

[asdf2]

LD is a better striker then Dempsey.


LD is a better player than Dempsey. Sorry, I like Dempsey too, but LD is still by far our best player though I wish that weren't true.

[atorres4]

from striker to a creator midfielder to the right wing...whats next...defender?? geez.

Im sorry..to me donovan has always been a striker..withdrawn striker. why do we keep changing him?

A few months ago..people were complaining he sucked at right midfield?

Even in 2002 and 2006..at the world cup...people here said he didnt belong anywhere in the midfield...he belonged up top so he could take people on: one on one blah blah blah.

Am i the only person who thinks his a striker?

[Dr.Phil]

LD is a better player than Dempsey. Sorry, I like Dempsey too, but LD is still by far our best player though I wish that weren't true.

So u agree?

[Sakatei]

So now Donovan is our best Sec. Striker, AMF, CAMF, and RMF. He is probably our best Striker. It would not suprise me if he was our best LMF. Based on his new role I guess he is now one of our better CMF.

I guess it is good that we have depth at RB. But LB, hmmm..