Here's what I would like to see as the 23 to start bringing along. GK Tim Howard CB Oguchi Onyewu CB Carlos Bocanegra RB Steve Cherundolo LB Bobby Convey (I know, I know) MF DaMarcus Beasley MF Ricardo Clark MF Kyle Beckerman AM Landon Donovan AM Freddy Adu CF Kenny Cooper Subs: Brad Guzan (GK), Matt Reis (GK), Nick Garcia (D), Jonathan Bornstein (D), Chad Marshall (D), Jonathan Spector (D), Arturo Alvarez (MF), Clint Dempsey (MF), Eddie Gaven (MF), Jozy Altidore (F), Eddie Johnson (F), Taylor Twellman (F) Also warranting consideration: Justin Mapp (MF)
-----------------Cooper------------------------ -----------------------Dempsey---------------- ------------------------------------------------ -----Beasley----------------------Donovan------ ------------------------------------------------ ----------------Feilhaber------------------------ -----------------------Clark--------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ---Bornstein--------------------------Dolo------- ----------------Boca----Conrad------------------ --------------------Howard----------------------- Cooper the only forward besides Donovan to score the Nats this year. Dempsey played well against Arsenal and Liverpool and did so from a central position. Clark better than Mastro. Gooch not playing his best ball right now.
I've seen Dolo play there for Hannover, they lost 5-1. my dream team against Argentina: -----------Cooper------------ ----------------------------- ------Donovan-Dempsey------ ----------------------------- --Beasley--------Feilhaber---- ------------Clark------------- -Bornstein--------Cherundolo- ---Bocanegra--Onyewu------- ----------Howard------------ From the Top: I want Cooper for his holding skills plus his heading plus his ability to combine and function out wide, he also puts in an honest shift on defense which is a big plus. Donovan is withdrawn and free to roam and hopefully on defense he will be able to pressure Argentina's deep midfielders to keep the attack from starting. Dempsey operates better a little more inside and from here you'll see his deep runs into the box that cause so much havoc. Beasley is playing two way from the left, slightly narrower than usual although he has done this for City. On breaks, because of his great pace, he'll be the first to push up with the front runners and hopefully we can get some 4 v 4's and a lot of 4 v 5's. Benny is two way but a little more reserved than DaMarcus. He's the outlet in the middle and final third, he'll cut in as Dolo overlaps and provide options centrally and hopefully he'll put in a few throughballs while moving right to left, Beasley I'm looking for you to get on the end of these. Clark is the outlet for backpasses, he needs to be used more than desperation longballs/crosses because he'll create better chances by switching the attack or moving into space and sucking in the defense. He has to worry about counters and Messi/Tevez, to a lesser extent so do Feilhaber and Beasley. Bornstein has to play like he can. That means a great mental and technical game at pace on the move and sitting in spaces in the Argie defense. I don't think there is another defender in the US that moves into space and out of pressure as well as he does. If he plays well the US has a fighting chance at keeping the ball and holding it in Argentina's end. The problem is that on defense he'll be going against Messi quite a lot so he'll need support from Beasley and Clark. Cherundolo needs to avoid the big mistake and fly up and down the wing when he can. His crossing could be key but his defense will most certainly be. As a team the US needs to attack almost at the corners. Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, and sometimes Cooper need to be pulling out wide infront of, or if opportunity strikes behind, Argentina's widest defenders. We need to pull Heinze, Burdisso, Colochini, Cambiasso, and Mascherano wide, or whoever plays their positions. On the right I want to see Cooper, Dempsey/Donovan, and Feilhaber combining with Dolo coming up fast on the outside. If we can't work it forward from there we need to be patient because out on the left someone is open and we can't afford to waste possession in Argentina's half.
Those starters are possible, though more defense is needed. So, Mastroeni gets the start vs ARG. Are any of the players you listed with the exception of Tevez/Messi (who will be hard to handle and are probably the top striking duo in the world) going to be at the CA? Heinze and Mascherano? Oy.
I was thinking about Freeman as well, but I think he has a ways to go yet. He could factor in for 2010 though.
Good point. A lot of these lineups include Gibbs, but I worry about whether he'll still have "it" after coming back from major injuries. His speed has always been one of his greatest assets, in my opinion (one that we have not historically had in the back, save Hejduk), and I am concerned that Cory won't be able to come all the way back when he comes back, if you know what I mean.
ching? you must have considered armas too. probably would be a dream come true to see agoos come out of retirement. and at coach?? definitely steve sampson.
....Which is exactly what I was preaching about "steady eddie" before the world cup. We all know how that one turned out.
You called it. Savvy and positioning can make up for lost pace and quickness in a domestic league, but at the international level, these deficiencies get exposed. Let's hope Gibbsy still has the legs when he returns, but let's not count on him quite yet.