Opportunities for Stress-Testing

[Maximum Optimal]

If we in fact end up playing England, Spain and Argentina in May and June, we will have some golden opportunities to do a bit of testing and finetuning to find out what works and what doesn't against some very strong opposition.

Here is a list of things I'd like to see tried:
1) At least one game of Altidore-EJ at forward.
2) One game each for Bradley, Clark, Edu at central mid.
3) Move away from the empty bucket by pairing one of the above with either Feilhaber or Donovan at central mid. Let's see if this is too lightweight a midfield defensively against strong competition. This is the time to find out.
4) Give Adu at least two games as left attacking mid, with Demps at right attacking mid.
5) One game of Parkhurst-Onyewu in central defense.
6) One game each for Spector, Bornstein, Pearce at left back.

[olephill2]

I'm for all of these. But you know that (3) is never going to happen. Bob Bradley has only waivered once from the 4-4-2 "empty bucket" and that was for one half of one match, against Ecuador.

I'd also like to see Jay DeMerit get another look as well, with the A-team.

[sidefootsitter]

The second half was Ecuador was in the Empty Bucket.

The first half was in a Diamond, with Donovan at the tip thereof and Benny on the opposite end.

What I'd like to see is :

A) Aggressive play from fullbacks. If Bob has 'Dolo and Pearce, let those guys play up and down the line as the formation requires.

B) Two-way performance from deep mids, if fullbacks stay back more conservatively.

C) A big man/small man forward pairing - I actually want to see Ching and Donovan again.

D) Transition - I want the US to go from own penalty box to the opponent's box in under 10 seconds (you see this done in Europe in under 8 regularly).

E) Something besides Gooch-Boca in the middle, if only for a half. Namely, I want someone else for Boca.

F) Adu, Dempsey, Nguyen as the playmakers behind the two strikers in a diamond.

G) Mapp on either flank or behind the sole striker.

H) 3-5-2.

I'll wait for the young Euros based players until after the Olympics (presuming Peter can qualify them).

[ugaaccountant]

I'd say start your best healthy xi the first game. If someone sucks replace him but enough with the experimenting. Just give your best players the opportunity to play together.

[IndividualEleven]

Assuming BB sticks with same tactics and formation I would like to see in these top-level games:

1. Stick with Dempsey Altidore forward line

2. Kenny Cooper get a rollout as his game fits the tactics

3. Spector get extensive time including at central midfield

4. Adu get more time at left mid and right mid

[olephill2]

Assuming BB sticks with same tactics and formation I would like to see in these top-level games:

1. Stick with Dempsey Altidore forward line

2. Kenny Cooper get a rollout as his game fits the tactics

3. Spector get extensive time including at central midfield

4. Adu get more time at left mid and right mid
Why would we put Spector in the central midfield when we already have an abundance of youthful depth at the position, given that one of the areas where we're lacking depth is at fullback?

I don't want to drag this thread off topic, but I still contend that, given the emergence of someone completely out of left field, Jonathan Spector will be our starter at LB on day 1 at the 2010 World Cup.

[IndividualEleven]

Why would we put Spector in the central midfield when we already have an abundance of youthful depth at the position, given that one of the areas where we're lacking depth is at fullback?

I don't want to drag this thread off topic, but I still contend that, given the emergence of someone completely out of left field, Jonathan Spector will be our starter at LB on day 1 at the 2010 World Cup.

In terms of skill set, so far only Edu has looked to have the goods. Clark has been solid. Feilhaber and Bradley have been lacking defensively.

[sidefootsitter]

Why would we put Spector in the central midfield when we already have an abundance of youthful depth at the position, given that one of the areas where we're lacking depth is at fullback?... Because he is probably more adept tactically than his MLS based competition and a better passer going forward.

And he should be able to play behind Mikey.

[passtheblizz]

Spector always played center mid for the youth national teams he was on...

[6 ft. Leprechaun]

Spector always played center mid for the youth national teams he was on...

Actually, I was under the impression that he was a forward at most youth levels until one tournament they were short in the CB area and they moved him back there. He played very well and was spotted by Man U scouts as a CB. Defense has been where he's played since then (YNT's, MNT's, and EPL teams; with the exception of CM occasionally with West Ham).

[IndividualEleven]

Yeah. Spec is a converted forward.

[appoo]

Spector always played center mid for the youth national teams he was on...

center back. The story is that the U17s were touring England, playing youth club teams and stuff. At one point, after a few injuries, the coaches decided to play Spector at Center back, and that just happened to the for the match against the youth of Man Utd's youth. Well apparently he kicked ass, because shortly there after Utd offered him a spot in their academy as a center back, and Spector starred in the U17 WC as a centerback, and he even won Utd's youth player of the year award as a centerback.

And with the way our centerback situation is, if Spector can start getting minutes at CB for West Ham, I want to see Bob do the same over the course of these matches. We need an alpha dog CB and maybe that could be Spector.

Also disgaree that Spector would be better tactically at CM than any of the MLS CMs. He's never played the position before at any level, and because of that I don't see how he could have any kind of tactical awareness at that position.

[leppercut]

If we in fact end up playing England, Spain and Argentina in May and June, we will have some golden opportunities to do a bit of testing and finetuning to find out what works and what doesn't against some very strong opposition.

Here is a list of things I'd like to see tried:
1) At least one game of Altidore-EJ at forward.
2) One game each for Bradley, Clark, Edu at central mid.
3) Move away from the empty bucket by pairing one of the above with either Feilhaber or Donovan at central mid. Let's see if this is too lightweight a midfield defensively against strong competition. This is the time to find out.
4) Give Adu at least two games as left attacking mid, with Demps at right attacking mid.
5) One game of Parkhurst-Onyewu in central defense.
6) One game each for Spector, Bornstein, Pearce at left back.

I would like to see 1,4,5 ,6
2,3 are probably not going to happen.

I would like to see instead of 3-5-2 a 5-3-2 even though they are "about" the same.

And my christmas wishlist no 1

McHead playing the game against England.

[IndividualEleven]

center back. The story is that the U17s were touring England, playing youth club teams and stuff. At one point, after a few injuries, the coaches decided to play Spector at Center back, and that just happened to the for the match against the youth of Man Utd's youth. Well apparently he kicked ass, because shortly there after Utd offered him a spot in their academy as a center back, and Spector starred in the U17 WC as a centerback, and he even won Utd's youth player of the year award as a centerback.

And with the way our centerback situation is, if Spector can start getting minutes at CB for West Ham, I want to see Bob do the same over the course of these matches. We need an alpha dog CB and maybe that could be Spector.

Also disgaree that Spector would be better tactically at CM than any of the MLS CMs. He's never played the position before at any level, and because of that I don't see how he could have any kind of tactical awareness at that position.

He's played cm for West Ham in league matches this season.

[lmorin]

Donovan is the key. Every game in which Donovan gets the ball a lot, the US does well. Ok, so it's an overstatement. But, with him on the flank, half his skill set and opportunities (that which occurs on the left side of the field) are lost. He needs to play behind Altidore, giving LD the opportunity to run from deeper areas, as well as make his pinpoint passes to Altidore or Dempsey who should be on the right flank.

The US has not played much of an empty bucket for a while, considering MBradley, Clark and Edu are box-to-box midfielders. The only times these guys are stuck as defensive midfielders is when the rest of the team doesn't contribute to short pass control of the ball out of the back. I think the coaches know a lot about the central midfield players. They really don't need to experiment.

The really big questions, in my view, are left midfield (in the absence of Beasley and a decent Convey), a second right midfielder (although Adu could fit for either, actually), decent quality and stability at the left back. I want to see Bornstein and Pearce again. I'd also like to see Spector there, considering he spent most of his time with ManU playing out of the left back position.

[Adam Zebrowski]

if we have the 3 friendlies, i suspect, it's far more fine tuning, than experimenting...

you want to get chemistry going, and not experiment too much...

so basically, the A team, would play 67% of the time...

then we look at maybe 5 or 6 2nd teamers, and give them significant playing time...

hypothetically...feilhaber and bradley are the expected starters in the wcq...

edu would get playing time adding up to 90 minutes...

same for clark...

mix and match that aspect of midfield...

outside backs...well, you don't play cherundolo after a long bundesliga season, so who's #2....again 90 minutes in the 3 matches...

left back...well, i would give bornstein, spector, pearce each a match...then decide...

altidore, dempsey, adu, donovan, ching??, johnson...i can see all getting enough time...

central defense...onyewu and bocanegra clear starters there, but who gets the 3rd slot....conrad, parkhurst, demerit....i'd give each a half...

don't think you want to go to guys you don't expect to play in the wcq june matches....

[Mr Martin]

What roles on the Nat's can these summer friendlies really help define as this next WC qualification cycle begins? Strikers, right mid, and central mids.

1. Strikers: Altidore looks to be the future and must get serious minutes; no brainer. So, who are the best partners for him up top? THAT is a key question that these challenging friendlies can help figure out. While Dempsey has done fine up top after an extended run there, I prefer Donovan's speed and mobility next to Altidore. Also, it would be interesting to see how Altidore and EJ partner. So, those are the things I want to see: Altidore + Donovan, and Altidore + Johnson. Adu is, of course, another talent here, but I think he will continue to play the super sub role through 2010, rather than become a starter. It is a valuable role and Adu should get some minutes in every game. But I don't view him as an immeadiate priority for "stress testing". And, there simply is no point in "testing" Dempsey up top this summer. He is a decent, known quantity there, but far from ideal.

2. Right mid: This is somewhat of a mirror image issue with the strikers, because of Donovan and Dempsey. Just like in #1 above, we have seen that Donovan is fine as a right mid; he can get the job done there. But my gut tells me that Dempsey is a more interesting prospect there, taking people on in space and making late runs behind the defense. I want to see Dempsey get an extended run out at right midfield. If he performs well there, he can own the role through 2010. Testing some of the young guns at right midfield can be done in the Olympics. Now is the time for Dempsey show there.

3. Central midfield: The key to most teams is the central midfield, and the US is in the middle of a major rebuilding project with the 4 young guys taking over for the aging/injured/retired previous generation. Clark strikes me as a fine role-playing depth guy, but I think the 2010 starters will be coming from the trio of Bradley, Fielhaber and Edu. So, play those three 90% of the time in some rotation and let's see how they do and what pairings look best. I don't have a favorite in this horse race, just a keen desire for all three to compete and improve. Go get 'em, boys!

I think we can get some legitimate answers for these three roles. I don't think we will get good answers for any of the other issues.

4. Until Beasley returns and shows he is back 100% from his injury, left midfield will be a crap shoot among a bunch of too young, or too flawed 3d Tier professional players.

5. Left back will also remain an open spot right up to 2010. The battle between Pearce and Bornstein won't get resolved this summer, or next summer -- neither has stand-out ability and each has flaws. Spector is an option at left back, but in the long run I'd rather see him replace Bocanegra. Try all three in the friendlies, but don't expect anything to get resolved.

6. Same goes for center back, where I would like to see DeMerit, Spector, and Parkhurst get time next to Onyewu. But Boca will certainly also play, and except for Spector's potential as probably the most skillful of the group, none of these guys is a standout center back and none will be able to prove anything definative in the summer friendlies.

So, my priorities, within the current system/context are #'s 1, 2, and 3. I'm not holding my breath on #'s 4, 5, and 6.

**********
Now, in an alternate universe in which Bob Bradley showed a willingness to experiment with his system more, I would also be very interested in trying a 3-5-2. I think the US depth is in central positions rather than wing positions, so I would like to try a system that depends less on wide players. But that simply isn't realistic right now.

[Maximum Optimal]

I think the coaches know a lot about the central midfield players. They really don't need to experiment.



The reason I want to see some experimentation there is that whenever we have two of Bradley/Clark/Edu in central midfield, we have very little offensive rhythm. I think one of those guys needs to be paired up with someone who is a better offensive player.

[sidefootsitter]

I want to see the US try to get more than 3 shots on goal.

[ussoccerFan12358]

I'd like to see Feilhaber-Bradley in midfield, they've proven the best potential wise and now-wise and need to get some chemistry before qualifying. This should be a top priority along with:

2. Sorting out the Dempsey/DOnovan debate concerning where to play them.

3. Finding more int'l quality forwards.

4. Finding a LW for the start of qualifying.

5. Letting Pearce and Bornstein compete for the start in qualifying.

6. Seeing Parkhurst and Spector get significant minutes in central defence, but not together necessarily.

7. Depth at RB, could be Spector, but I'd like to see Simek as well.