Re: Usa 3 5 2? [R] Great article outlining how, if you want to play 3 in the back, you have to commit to 3 attackers as well: http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/06/21/portugal-7-0-north-korea/#more-3641 So a 3-4-3/5-2-3/W-W would be balanced and work. A 3-5-2 really works only if you're matched up with another 3-5-2 (or some other wingback-less formation).
-------Altidore-----Buddle--------- --Dempsey----------------Donovan -----------Bradley-------------- -------------------Edu------------- --Boca---DeMerit---Gooch---Dolo I like Edu in front of the back line again. He's done the best job of organizing the defensive midfield thus far. Demerit has been a rock so I'd shade Edu towards Gooch's side of the center backfield. I think Bradley is our best attacking option at CM, so I'd like to see him get up into the box to provide support on crosses from Donovan and and play balls through the middle up to our strikers. Subs: fairly similar to what we did last game. Bring on Holden for Onyewu and slide Dempsey further up top or into a more centrally attacking role; drop Edu into the back four as necessary. Later, if need be, bring on Goodson for one of the CMs and slide Holden into the middle.
Re: Usa 3 5 2? [R] This is the closest thing to a 3-5-2 that you might see Bradley START with at this cup: Altidore Dempsey Beasley Bradley Edu Donovan Boca Gooch DeMerit Dolo Howard It's also the only 3-5-2-ish system that makes any sense given our personnel. Once you make the decision to use a defensive-oriented fullback on one side (Boca), and an offensive-oriented fullback on the other (Dolo), then you automatically have an unbalanced attack out of the back because Dolo will tend to get forward far more often than Boca. The 3-5-2-ish-ness can then come in depending on the ASSIGNMENTS given to your wide mids. For example, if you tell Donovan and Beasley to behave like normal wingers in a 4-4-2, that is, you give them the freedom to move into the middle and take shots where appropriate, then you're playing a regular 4-4-2. However, if you were to tell Beasley to STAY WIDE at all times- that he should use his speed to protect the flank defensively, and offensively, he must stay wide and use his speed to stretch the field and provide crosses into the box, then you are basically giving him the same role that Cherundolo plays on the right. You then give Donovan free reign to cut into the middle both offensively and defensively as needed. At that point, you're playing something very close to a 3-5-2. The 3-5-2 (or the hybrid above) is actually a conservative approach you would employ when you are worried about the speed of the opposing wingers. Given Boca's lack of speed, it might worth considering IF Beasley is in really, really great form. The other advantage is that they could shift easily from the above to the 4-4-2/4-2-2-2 we normally employ, in game, on the fly, by simply having Beasley and Donovan switch sides. But there are 3 things we should NEVER do unless it's a complete emergency: 1. Use a short, speedy, attacking fullback (Dolo) as a CB. 2. Use a midfielder with no real professional experience as a defender as a CB. 3. Waste the talents of either of our best attacking players (Donovan or Dempsey) as wingbacks.
we go with the same 11 who started the 2nd half... those are the guyswho performed... BUDDLE...isn't it clear GOMEZ is preferred over him.. neither start... jozy dempsey feilhaber MB EDU donovan boca gooch demerit dolo howard alergian players to be concerned are belhadj and ziani.. ziani running at usa defense getting fouled... belhadj getting forward, so i'd look at having donovan on his side... 60 minutes and usa needs a goal...take off feilhaber bring on gomez... 60 minute mark USA up, take off feilhaber bring on buddle, dempsey back to mid... 70 minute USA clark for edu... 80 minute, usa needs a goal, holden for onyewu and 3 in the back again...
Benny sealed his fate in my eyes with his lack of effort (e.g. Timmy yelling at Benny for failing to give effort on defensive end and pressure the ball). Benny was very lazy and didn't offer any spectacular play, which justified his laziness. If we go with Dempsey up top, give me Holden wide right and LD wide left.
feilhaber, lack of effort...??? timmy was screaming at edu too about stuff... feilhaber has skill..you guys listen to lalas, the meister hacker of all time... feilhaber can actually do something with the ball... you need ALL the skill you can get out there on the pitch... you want effort LIKE NEW ZEALAND effort.. usa goes HOME with that sort of effor, and 1 shot on goal..
I don't think there's any guarantee that we start the same 2nd half players. We played much better as a team and pushed players forward in the 2nd half. If we play that same way, lineup/formation doesn't really matter too much regardless of people's preferences.
jozy up top is a given... i'd push dempsey up there too.. edu MB and donovan so the other mid... holden OR feilhaber..both will see time, depends on who's the sub same backline... gomez OFF the bench is a mortal lock, when and if usa goes 3 forwards buddle has NEVER faced this sort of pressure before, so starting him i'd NOT do... clark late d sub when usa is ahead, just don't get a wreckless red there
Yes. It was pretty obvious. I agree BF has skill, that's why it's so frustrating to see him half-assing it out there. He needed to get more involved; he was nearly invisible out there. It doesn't do much good if your skill guys are uninvolved. Sure, I'll take NZ's efforts with US' skill. If each of our guys plays balls out from the opening whistle, I like our chances.
There's no way I'm reading this entire thread and I really don't think that playing a 3-5-2 is a smart move against Algeria. We are actually in a good place against Algeria. Algeria is going to attack, attack, attack. My plan would be to defend, defend, defend and hit them on the counter right from the start. Not having Findley in this game actually sucks balls for us. What I would do is the Christmas tree and counter-attack the hell out of Algeria... **********************Altidore ***************Dempsey ****** Donovan ******** Beasley ********* Edu ******* Bradley Bocanegra ****** Onyewu ****** Demerit ***** Cherundolo I'd put in Edu to lock down the center of the midfield. I'd start Beasley for two reasons, he's fast on the break and he's a good defending midfielder. He can help cover for the slower Bocanegra out wide and quickly close down players in the middle if required.
Michael Bradley is a center midfielder. I'm sure he can play other positions but I don't think we'll see him on the outside of Maurice Edu. That's the tricky part about getting all of our best players on the pitch at the same time. If we want Maurice and Bradley on at the same time they'll either be playing side by side in midfield or one in front of the other, likely Bradley pushed up. ---------Altidore-------------------- -------------Dempsey--------------- Beasley-----------------Donovan ----------Bradley---- Edu----------- Boca--Onyweu---DeMerrit--Cherundolo
My thoughts... I didn't read through it all, but I read some of it. I think we played something like this in 2nd half of the Slovenia match. I could see BB trying this again. I would call it a 4132 on D and a 3124 on offense. I think Dolo was pushing up the sides on offense more then Edu up the middle. US probably wont push so many forward at the start but this formation certainly is flexible. Defense -------------------Howard-------------------- -----------Demerit-------Gooch-------------- --Dolo---------------------------------Boca-- ---------------------Edu--------------------- --Donovan-------Bradley---------Benny------- -----------Altidore------------Demps--------- Offense -------------------Howard-------------------- ------Demerit--------------Gooch--------Boca-- -------------------Edu---------------------------- ---Dolo----------------------------Benny------- -Donovan------Bradley-------------Demps----- ----------------------Altidore---------------------
You realize until we equalized that we were essentially playing a 3-4-3? Jozy wasn't alone up top he was just more of a center forward. Jozy has never done well as the lone striker up top... he doesn't have the motor. The Jozy/Demps pairing failed against Turkey... you go with Buddle up top to give Algeria's center halves 2 physical forwards to deal with... which opens up space for Demps and Donovan to do their thing.
That's about half true. Most of the second half Jozy was alone with Dempsey playing more withdrawn at first, before joining him rather quickly when possible. Donovan and Feilhaber got up there quickly, creating something similar to a 4 3 3, but for the most part Jozy was alone up top. Having said that, his motor is an issue. He turned it on in the second half in a way that we have only seen spurts of throughout the tournament and recent friendlies. So yes he can play up top pretty much alone, but will he bring it?
No Demps was almos always on the same side as Donovan. On defense we were a basic 4 4 2, with two bands of four behind the ball. On offense we were much more creative. Edu was really the only holding midfielder. Besides that it was extrememly dynamic with at times LD up as a 4 33 winger. At times he was with up front with Altidore with Dempsey more withdrawn. He was often a CAM with Feilhaber across from him and he was sometimes was as you depicted. On the second goal, he was back in the deep midfield sending a long ball to Altidore with Bradley making the run and Dempsey back... It was just crazy dynamic. I loved it. The way I see it, it was their usual 4 2 2 2, Edu holding and with the rest doing a lot of interchanging
[LINEUP-4-4-2]Altidore, Gomez, Dempsey, Edu, Bradley, Donovan, Boca, Gooch, DeMerit, Dolo, Howard[/LINEUP-4-4-2]
I would love the US play: Howard dolo JD Gooch C'los LD Benny MikeB Duece Herc Jozy however, moving LD up fornt with Holden or Beaz as the other winger would be great, and I doubt Bob will start Benny. Finally, could see Buddle instead of Herc to bang on Algeria's back line. Either way we start with 4-4-2.
If we play without a destroyer, we will get crushed, just like in the first half against Slovenia. I can't remember the last time we played well against a decent team without a legit DMid. (In other words, either Edu or Clark MUST play. I prefer Edu.)
I personally think his two goals on crosses, his ability to slide in the back for Gooch and his ability to reinforce our center D as a destroyer that has leaked two goals, has cemented his slot with Bradley. I could be wrong, but I would be quite surprised if he doesn't start.
agreed, But besides the "goal" edu did not have a good half. but i'd still take him over clark. Also the last minutes of playing center back might have given edu some confidence to mix it up a little more.
i think edu should start as well. imagine, if we don't go through, how loud the cries of not consistently starting a partner for MB may be....