Agree with this completely. Was on board with this formation for Friday's game, but maybe just not enough time to practice it. We have decent depth at CB, assuming Bruce will ever play the young guys. Not just the three you mentioned, but also Miazga and even CCV is now a Championship regular. Both need looks before the WC. Also think the packed midfield is a good idea. Would love to see an open competition for those two midfield spots behind CP. The issue could be that it turns too defensively, as our team tends to get very, very passive when playing a better team. That said, even if they do start dropping, the CP/Wood/Jozy trio could provide some decent counter attacking potential.
I do not think we have good enough midfielders to play with what boils down to three up top against most WC level teams. I think in that case we will have to choose between one of Altidore and Wood. Hopefully, leaving CP up top with the chosen striker and not moving him to the wing.
I have no idea if Willians is any better, haven't seen him in about a year but I'll tell you this, Williams is faster, stronger and has a better shot on goal ratio than Bradley. I don't know if he can run a marathon like Bradley or if he is a better passer.
Now that the odd-makers have us at 93% chance to make it to the WC, I would like USSF to go after this guy Jordi Siebatcheu, he has been in BS radar for a couple of years, the kid can play both CF and RW, If we can get him aboard, then you can play with one CF and 3 behind him something like this: Wood Kenny-Puli-Jordi There is enough firepower to keep the opponents honest. And behind those 3 you can play with 2 CMs McKennie-Bradley
It sounds like we agree that we need five in the MF. The open question is whether to have four in the back with traditional midfielders on the wings or three in the back with wingbacks who are able to defend effectively as well as threaten in the attack. Part of why I prefer 352 is our personnel. We have solid wingback options in Yedlin and FJ. That's a huge plus. Also, CP is not a luxury withdrawn forward. He has shown very solid defensive skills at BVB when he's been asked to play wingback and he has been willing to come deep for the MNT and do solid defensive work for us as well. My preference for the 352 is that the Jozy/Wood combination is a very challenging dual mode threat that will soften high pressing defenses. Jozy's size and ability to flick on to Wood means that the opposing CB's need both strength and speed. I worry that they would be too easy to defend if it's just one of them leading to opponents setting up their defensive line deep on our side of the field and stifling us.
There's a massive difference between having two guys who can create and score goals (CP + a single striker) and three (CP + Jozy and Wood). Literally, a +50% difference. We're not stacked with world-class talent, so Bruce will have to make trade-offs with any lineup or game strategy. I think the Panama match showed the US does have a few options even with our current personnel limitations.
Williams has already played for the NT, and didn't look at all like an upgrade. There's a reason even Klinsmann, so in love with Germericans, stopped calling him. He's a Premier League player now, but the same way Gooch was a Premier League player with Sunderland: sub role in a team that will be lucky not to be in the Championship next season.
Miazga should have been called already. Same about Hyndman, when he was actually playing. And time to bring in Horvath, no point in having just geriatrics as keepers.
I don't think he is a bench warmer, he came from the Champions as one of the better players. Your reference of him is way outdated. I'm not saying he is better than player 'X' , all I'm saying his promotion to the Premier warrants an invite and re-evaluation.
And to be fair he has only had three games before breaking his foot I believe, 1 start, two subs, so at least getting minutes and they led the league during those three games! (I know, fluky early lead, but as ridiculous BS stats go, it is too tasty to pass up!)
Well, we may not have time to test Williams again until next year. He won't be called for Camp Cupcake, of course, so it'll have to be the late March friendlies. Time is running out for him.
I wish people would set aside - at this stage - the guys with injuries that make them questionable for full fitness. Broken bones take time. Brooks' deep thigh injury/muscle injury, whatever it is, will take months and that means more months to get back to 100%. the last thing we need is another Johansson in Brazil situation where Jozy goes down and his replacement turns out to have problems as well. Do we really want to gamble on Howard's groin or get Guzan as ready as he can possibly be? I prefer the latter.
I'd rather take both of them, thank em for their years of service, and move on with Horvath, Hamid, and whomever else proves capable. Neither is very good at this point. If we roll into Russia with the same squad, or even a squad remotely similar to this current version, we are a very quick 3 and out.
I don't understand the Guzan hate right now at all. There's not a better GK in our pool currently, imo.
People expect the next Tim Howard. They don't understand how good Tim Howard was with Everton and how it will be difficult to replace that.
guzan better long range shot stopper. better PK goal keeper. possibly should be better at balls whipped in for the cross. Howard, no doubt 1 v. 1 was top #5 in the world. He got low and big! Ask many mothers in Colorado, apparently. Howard also had a competitive tenacity which drove him to the top. He made one or two big mistakes at the wrong time for SAF and that was that. People forget that for 2 years many felt Howard was the ManU GK for the next decade. He had one year where for most he was the best GK in the Prem.
In MLS, Guzan has 81.6% save percentage (12 games), compared to 65.5% for Howard (23 games). Rimando has a 66.3% (26 games), Melia 78.4% (31 games), Hamid 74.2% (24 games) and Sean Johnson 70.5% (30 games). Objectively, Howard and Rimando are right now a bit sub-par. Guzan has looked nice but it's only 12 games. We'll see. https://www.mlssoccer.com/stats/sea...tats_hub_build_filter_form&sort=desc&order=GP
Yeah, not saying Guzan is prime Howard but Guzan is the best we have currently. Guzan's not great with floaters or crosses, then again neither is Horvath. I've seen probably 10 of his games with Atlanta since they're broadcast here(Charlotte, NC) and he's been better than Howard and Hamid from the games I've seen. Obviously just my opinion.
Hi, you must be new here. Let’s take a moment to show you around. We have some lovely Altidore and Bradley threads. No one remembers to mention a superior alternative while trashing the spine of our team. Oh look, here’s one from 2007 about Landon Donovan! Oh goodness, they said Johann Smith was better than he was! He was on the books at Bolton for 30 minutes so the fox football phone in guys were certain he was better. Can I interest you in a 2010 era Bornstein conversation? The guy who played a mistake free World Cup for us is also somehow the most hated player in us history.