His first goal was brilliant. He played back-to-goal quite well. However, his other attempts at 1 v 1 made him look more like EJ than Drogba.
The term defensive midfielder is so overplayed. Reyna was not a true DM but until Mastro came along he pretty much played that position. I think the way Feilhaber plays is very similar to Reyna, where as could technically play any place in the central midfield. Even though it did not work so well in Copa I do like Feilhaber and Clark but by 2010 it will probably be Bradley full time w/ Clark and Feilhaber battling for the other CM spot behind Donovan/Adu/Dempsey.
I was just happy to see an American team where the attacking players actually played defense after losing possesion. They forced the Brazilian defenders to make crisp passes to clear the ball rather than just let them glide into the midfield like the senior team did all though Copa America.
But you already have 3 AM and a striker up there, the formation would be easy to counter if Benny made a run and got the ball stolen away it would leave Clark alone to mop up the mess. With 3 AM up there it would be better to have 2 destroyers like Clark and Bradley/Mastro. ---------ST------------ Beaz----LD----Dempsey ---Mastro--Bradley---
Watched the latter part of the Galaxy last night and Donovan did vy well attacking from the right side during the run of play and had a really nice low cross into Cobi who finished well. Granted this was the Rapids he was playing against but this could be something to explore - Donovan on the right.
I was at the game and all though Landon did a good job of trying to set people up he dint have a shot on goal. He would get the ball beat one player and instead of going to goal he would stop look up and cross to find someone else. This is good but only Cobi was able to put away his cross. I think LD is more dangerous in the middle where he can set people up and shoot.
Isn't that the point though? For someone to attack the right side, break down defenses, get a ball into the box for a forward or someone crashing in from the MF to score with? As opposed to taking a ton of shots themselves? In any case, I'd like the team as a whole to be more dangerous rather than focus on one person. Too often, we have had one or two players that are dangerous and all the opponent has to do is take them out of the game and our attack suffers greatly. If putting LD on the right means that we have more quality scoring chances in and around the box, then it's an experiment worth testing.
I don't quite get the insistence on DMB in either the 4-3-3 or Christmas Tree formations. I get it in the 4-4-2 Arena/Bradely type system where your fullbacks have a lot of going forward responsibilities. In that case having someone like DMB who is motor and defense is quite useful. But in both of those formations the game is more about wingers who can break down defenses with dribbling. You may or may not like DMB, but you have to acknowledge that is NOT his game. A rogers/Mapp type player who can actually beat a defender with something other than just speed would be far far preferrable.
This is a nit to pick, but in lieu of you getting scolded by Nutmeg , I'll attempt go easy on you here. Since the run-up to France '98, Reyna has almost always been paired with a more defensive-minded central midfielder. First it the d-mid was supposed to be Harkes, then the Mais/Deering combo. Even before then, when Tab Ramos was actually healthy, there was concern on how/if they could be used together, usually due to defensive considerations. For much of the Arena era, Reyna's foil was Armas and/or Maestroeni, much to the consternation of many observers, who felt that Reyna didn't bring enough offense to merit having a pure d-mid paired with him. Only in few, rare instances, usually against overmatched opposition, would Arena pair Reyna with a non-hardman two-way mid like O'Brien or a more attacking option. I can think of a couple of these off the top of my head (8/17/2005 home WQC vs. T&T and the 5/19/2002 pre-WC friendly vs. Netherlands). Other rare exceptions include throwing Reyna out wide such as vs. Mexico in the '02 WC. I agree that Feilhaber reminds me of Reyna when they play, usually given the "smoothness" with which they operate when on the ball. And similar to the tortured discussion about how best to play Reyna on the USMNT, there is a still-interesting discussion going on the YA Board trying to figure out the best place for Benny on the field vis-a-vis where he'll end up playing next year. Does he need a ball-winning tiger behind him? Does he have the offensive chops and consistency for a team to rely on him as their a-mid? Can he play enough d and avoid enough give aways to be paired with an someone equally or more offensive-minded? While I think he's begun to give hints at where he is best suited, he's still very young and still developing/maturing, and the jury is still out on these questions. But I think he definitely brings skills and abilities to the table that no other central mid currently possesses.
Rogers took on about 2-3 defenders on this one in MLS (from video highlights on MLSnet .com from New England game): http://ww2.mlsnet.com/media/player/...w_id=9331&catCode=top_plays&type=v_free&_mp=1
Well, Donovan's Donovan, even if you want him to be a different player, and if he insists in passing, then he's more useful on the wing where his passing is still superb and he has fewer chances to head towards goal (while a more aggressive player like Dempsey or Adu occupys the OM position).
It's Arsenal's and the WC'06 French 4-4-1-1 where two wings have to do a ton of work on both ends. FIFA took the video of those games off when the site was redesigned (the WC compilation clips stayed on however). As to differences between the U-20 and the Senior squads right now, Rongen is playing a textbook soccer. It's not necessarily a brilliant invention by Thomas (and give credit to Dave Dir too) but what's impressive about this U-20 team is its cohesiveness within the well-known system. For example, Beltran does his Berti Vogts ... I mean, Wim Suurbier, impressions at just the right time. Zizzo races up and down the wing like Franck Ribery and Jozy Altidore plays the lone striker like an experienced professional. Bradley's schemes are a mismash of a traditional 4-4-2 "empty bucket" and who knows what else. He plays with two forwards, even though he doesn't have one worthwhile body to put in there. He trots out a newbie fullback, who falls asleep 3-4 times a game at the least opportune moment. Worst of all, his team backpasses like a crappily coached MLS team, often losing the entire offensive rhythm. Rongen, quite to the contrary, realzied that the Yanks advantage is speed and he is more than happy to push the ball forward. If Altidore gets the ball, it sticks to his foot and he doesn't backpass it 20 yards to his defensive midfielder but to a streaking wing, who needed this time to get forward from his defensive position. That should be a required viewing for so many MLS teams. However, Bradley probably can't match the same 4-4-1-1 on the senior level due to the differences in talent involved. He had exhibited some creativity with a pseudo 4-6-0 but, in a meaningful away game, should probably play Donovan as the sole striker, as Landon will run at defenders and could certainly play the last defender's shoulder. SFS's "away at a serious foe" line-up, more 4-5-1 than 4-3-3: ---------------Donovan------------- Beasley---------------------Dempsey ---------------Feilhaber-------------- -------Bradley-----------Clark--------- --------4-in-the-back-w/out-Bornstein- If you need points at home, you take out a defensive mid (Clark) and play with two forwards, the second one being Brian Ching. The Ching-Donovan combo worked pretty well vs. Ecuador in the second half.
No, Arsenal and France play mutations of Total Football, which is precisely what Rongen has stated the U20's are working more than once. Donovan as a #9?!?!?!?!? Wow... now THAT'S drunk! I hope you remembered to drink a glass of water before you passed out on the front lawn.
my way of seeying things for the future Goalkeeper Tim Howard Sub Chris Seitz , Tally Hall DEFENSE Cherundolo , Onyewu , Bocanegra , Cory Gibbs Subs Bornstein , Spector , Simek , MIDFIELDERS Beasly , Adu , Donovan , Zizzo Subs Dempsey , Bradley , Kamani , Lee Nguyen , Convey , Szetela Forwards Altidore , Zimmerman Subs Ferrari , Cooper , Johnson
And "total futbol" just copied from Hugo Meisl (Ernst Happel knew his countrymen) Donovan can play it like Henry, seeking a passing lane beween the centerhalf and the fullback. These days, water is pretty much the only thing I can drink. Oh, vey ...
There also is an arguemnt that having an O-Mid and D-Mid minded pairing is too constrictive. I am part of the camp that feels these designations are too rigid and what the US needs most in 2 center mids that are true 2-way midfielders. Meaning they are box to box type guys that each possess the abilty to push up in attack and push back and defend seemlessly. It requres a strong chemsirty between the two because unlike rigid defined roles these mids would rely more on reading each other and the flow of thematch to make calculated decisions. It requires eleveated soccer brains and all around skill. I think Bradely is perfect for a role like this, he can defend when needed, has poise and ability to contribute to attcks and can read the game remarkable well for such a young player. Feilhaber i think is also that type of player, but i would like to see better defensive insticts from him individually and collectively. Clark is another guy that i think gets unfairly labeld a D-mid. Sure he is strong in that regard but he also if a decent threat in attack..i would actually call him a 2 way mid that gets pigeon-holed as a d-mid because of the system we play. Maybe i am in the minority but i hate the inflexability of defined midfeild positions. Instead of having two mids that are good at all facits of the game we want to limit each to an attack and defend role. Its makes for a very predictable side and one that can't adjust and flex with the game being played in front of them.