We will definitely see six subs in both matches. With the majority at half-time giving the bench needed PT with the USMNT. Am also concerned about Goodson at CB. But Boca is pulling his weight as a LB with St Etienne now, so he belongs starting there. Makes sense? Gooch has gotten no PT with Milan. That's not good for Gooch or the USMNT. Dolo is also a shoe-in as starter, doing nicely with Hannover after how many seasons? Lichaj sort of is neck to neck with Spector for the RB slot, despite Spector being the vet. Pearce? Yeah I know he's been good at RB for Dallas but Dallas probably won't get into the playoffs. Parkhurst? I'm a Revs fan but he's been struggling mightily with his Scandinavian club, playing CD rather than outside, recent shoulder injury, make him an odd choice. I guess Demerit wasn't available? Feilhaber is playing in the second division in Denmark now, so he's a sub. Holden is playing CM for Bolton and seems to have recovered from his fracture. But without Donovan, he becomes RM. Dempsey is a lock for LM, despite his lack of speed. Bedoya just scored for Orebro and is a 90 minute man. He'll of course be a sub here. LM Shea has been promising since he turned pro. Bradley paired with Edu to start is in the cards. Mo is doing very well at CM with Rangers. Jones will be a sub. And there is no reason for BB to use two DMs (his son is not a DM). I don't think Altidore will be a lone striker. He will be paired with born-again Johnson. Jozy's doing OK with Villareal so far. Johnson's getting some garbage minutes at Fulham. BB's favorite Findley is not on the roster becuase RSL is playoff-bound. There is no reason for BB to be defensive, he'll more or less go all out. Guzan might get the game against Poland?
I love these two XI's, and I'd love to see something like this. Identical players and would play out very similarly, even if nominally set up slightly differently. My personal tweek would be a 4-1-4-1 Spain-lite like this: Howard Cherundolo-Bocanegra-Onyewu-Lichaj Edu Holden--Bradley--Jones--Dempsey Altidore Don't be fooled by Jones' career as a defensive mid in the Bundesliga. For the USA he'd instantly become our most complete central mid. The guy can score and he is very mobile and assertive.
i think the key is really seeing HOW jones does actually play.. is he gonna be the d-mid stud, or can he have more offensive role... i'd test him with edu one half and MB an other half... dempsey a jozy up top.. holden and feilhaber in midfield... lichaj at left back is a must...dolo. gooch, boca with him
Bob plays 4-4-2, end of story. If you want to guess who he will play, you start with a 4-4-2 and you end with a 4-4-2. Not 3-5-2. Not 4-1-4-1. Not Christmas Tree. Not the Diamond.
I've run this up the flagpole before, and got no response. And, it'll never happen. But.... I think the Dono/Demps role suits Mikey better than the central one does. Mikey is a pretty good scoring midfielder. In that central role, he gets very few chances. BB's system generates gobs of scoring opps for the Dono/Dempsey role. No one is super enamored of Mikey's play as a more purely d-mid .... he doesn't follow runs for one thing. Lastly, this would put the two guys in roles that are more like what they play w/ their club. So, if it were me, I'd go ---------Eddie------Jozy ---Demps-------------------Mikey -----------Edu----Holden-- ----x----x-------x-------x Another thing about this ...... it boggles my mind that Eddie is so unwilling to shoot, or try to get a shot from around the box. But, he's pretty good at hold up play, I could see Eddie getting a lot of balls to Demps, Mikey, Holden, & Edu around the top of the box. All of those guys are reasonably threatening shooting from 20 yards. Just to head off a red-herring, before it jumps into the boat....No, Mikey isn't a "wing" player, or a "wide mid." But, we all know by now that in BB's system, the Dono/Demps doesn't really play like a wing player or wide player. Lastly, given that I've got Johnson starting, I'd be fine with Shea starting at either the Dono/Demps spot, or forward & take Johnson out of the starting line up. An underlying assumption for is that Demps, Holden, Bradley and maybe Shea? are the only guys on this roster who could reasonably play the Dono/Demps role.
Goalkeepers: Artur Boruc (ACF Fiorentina, ITA), Przemysław Tytoń (Roda JC Kerkrade, NED) Defenders: Łukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund, GER), Kamil Glik (US Città di Palermo, ITA), Michał Żewłakow (MKE Ankaragücü, TUR) Midfielders: Rafał Murawski (FC Rubin Kazań, RUS), Bartosz Salamon (Foggia Calcio, ITA), Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund, GER), Adam Matuszczyk (1. FC Köln, GER), Ludovic Obraniak (Lille OSC, FRA), Radosław Majewski (Nottingham Forest FC, ENG) Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, GER), Ireneusz Jeleń (AJ Auxerre, FRA) This is Polands Team, I would say 70% full strength
We used a 4-5-1 A LOT this past cycle until the USA / Egypt game. That's when we discovered the Altidore-Davies combo was dangerous up front, and we could move Donovan to a wide position permanently. People bitched about that 4-5-1 as well, which looked like this against Mexico and El Salvador: ---------Ching-------- Beasley----Donovan----Dempsey --------Bradley--Kljestan------ Pearce---Boca---Onyewu---Hejduk
Colombia's list: GK: David Ospina – Nice (France) B Bréiner Castillo, Medellín (Colombia) C Faryd Mondragón – Köln (Germany) A CB: Aquivaldo Mosquera – América (Mexico) B Mario Yepes – AC Milan (Italy) A Iván Ramiro Córdoba – Inter (Italy) A RB: Camilo Zúñiga – Napoli (Italy) A Luis Amaranto Perea – Atlético Madrid (Spain) (also CB) A LB: Pablo Armero – Udinese (Italy) B Juan David Valencia – Medellín (Colombia) (also LM) C DM: Jhon Valencia – Once Caldas (Colombia) (also CM) B John Javier Restrepo – Medellín (Colombia) A RM: Juan Guillermo Cuadrado – Udinese (Italy) (also RB) C Víctor Ibarbo – Atl. Nacional (Colombia) (also RWM) C LM: Jhon Viáfara – La Equidad (Colombia) (also CM) A AM: Giovanni Moreno – Racing (Argentina) (also SS) B ST: Radamel Falcao García – Porto (Portugal) A Adrián Ramos – Hertha (Germany) (also LWM, LF) A Teófilo Gutiérrez – Trabzonspor (Turkey) C Darwin Quintero – Santos Laguna (Mexico) (also RWM, RF) B Favored formations: 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-2-3. Attack tends to be wide, they may concede the midfield and favor the sides for rapid attacks. Possession about 50-60% vs. CONMEBOL rivals (mildly possession oriented). Personal evaluation: 70% strength. Key players missing: Cristian Zapata (CB), Abel Aguilar (DM), Freddy Guarin (CM, RM), Dayro Moreno (AM, SS), Hugo Rodallega (ST, LWM, LF), Jackson Martinez (ST).
Of course, that's the position he needs to LEARN how to play better. It is critical for us over the next cycle that he can.
Here's something to think about: Is Howard-Boca-Gooch-Demerit-Dolo-Edu-Jones-Bradley-Holden-Donovan-Demspey our best XI right now? That's 6 midfielders... but 6 of the best we've ever had... all on the field at once... thoughts? I understand no Donovan and defense shake-up as well, but just imagine If Edu/Jones/Bradley/Holden/Dempsey are all on the field together... I'd be excited. That's a midfield with some pace, power, passing, precision shooting, punishing and verve. Wish we could have seen those 6 together at the WC , but injuries and loss of form conspired against it... Just need a true winger, and a slick Arteta type passer.... and we're almost fully dynamic in the midfield.
---------Howard--------- Dolo-Gooch-Goodson-Boca -----Bradley-Jones------- Holden----------Feilhaber ---------Demps---------- ----------Jozy----------- ...with Holden, Feilhaber, and Dempsey switching positions from time to time to keep 'em guessing. We need more creativity in attack, and Donovan, Dempsey, Holden, and Feilhaber all can play outside or inside.
Just my opinion but Bradley is very capable on both the attack and plays good in defense. Not to mention I think this would keep us from giving up so many early goals.
I'd say there's a very good chance you're right, but I would wait to see how Jones looks offensively for the US before concluding that. Schalke and Germany's needs are very different from ours, so Jones' play with those teams might not fully reflect what he's capable of doing for us. I would probably agree though that if Jones plays as a destroyer, with Bradley and Edu in front of him, we're probably not going to be getting enough creative attacking play out of our central midfield to offset having one less player up top. And I say that even realizing that Edu sometimes plays fairly advanced for Rangers.
he hasn't played anything beside 4-4-2 in ages, which is why he made Robbie Findley his starter. This was nothing but the "formation continuation", a presumed round peg in a round hole ... albeit the one without the adequate replacement quality. Had Bob chosen to play anything but 4-4-2, he had Holden and Beasley as capable options for 4-5-1/4-4-1-1. Even when he played Dempsey at forward, he used him as a target forward, instead of a more withdrawn role, and kept bombing high lobs at him. Sorry but you lose. You lose too. Heck, with Bob at the helm, we all lose.
Me for this. ----------------------Altidore------------------------- -------------Dempsey---------Holden------------------ ------Jones------------Edu-----------Bradley---------- Lichaj/Pearce---Bocanegra----Onyewu-----Cherundolo-- ----------------------Howard--------------------------
I'd take Jay out. He's not playing. I'd also take Jones out until he proves he's up to the hype. And Gooch, until he gets regular play time. He was rusty in the WC. IF I had to offer the cream of the top, I'd say Donovan, Howard, Dempsey, Bradley, Guzan, Holden, Dolo and Boca. 4 mids, 2 defenders and 2 keepers. I have some doubts about Edu, Feilhaber, Altidore and Goodson, but they would complete the 12 I'd say would be for sure in any USMNT going for a serious competition. Torres, Buddle, DMB, Bornstein, Spector, Clark, Findley, Marshall and Perkins are in the bubble.
Actually in the last 10 minutes of the game versus Algeria the formation was a 3-4-3: --------Howard--------- ---Dolo---Jay---Boca--- LD---Mike---Benny---DMB ---------Deuce--------- ----Jozy-------Buddle--- For the goal, LD asked the ball from Tim, Jozy and Buddle got the idea and started to run on the sides, Deuce (who was way back) turned and ran slow, 'cause he was tired. LD passes to the right to Jozy, who crosses quickly to Dempsey who shoots into the arms of the rushing Bolhi, but Landon gets the rebound. That was made possible because there were 3 in attack at that point: CD, JA and EB.
----------------Howard-------------------- Dolo------Boca---------Gooch-----Pierce---- Holden-----Edu-------Jones--------Fielhaber ---------Dempsey--------Jozy This is what I would like to see. But lets be honest Bradley is starting every one of these games so it is him and three of those four in the mid field with him. I would just like to see some CM parings that do not include Bradley. I really would like to see Jones start with anyone other then bradley as I am of the mind he does everything Bradley does but he does it better. I also think that this would put our best possession and passing players on the field all at once.
Bob began qualifying in the last cycle often playing a 4-2-3-1, but dropped it at the Confederations Cup when it was clearly not working against better opposition. People clamor for this formation now, but seem to have short (or selective) memories.
A Few new people... not enough though. Wonder if they'll even see the field though? Is there really any point in playing some of these guys that will be too old next cycle? Why id Gooch included? Not even playing anywhere Is Davies unable to play or is he blackballed now? Say hello to Freddy on the crap list Altadore is Altadore and will never be more then he is today and that isnt good enough. He should not be our starting forward Bradley really needs to start building and that is done by playing new players plus ones in the mix next cycle. That does not include many of the ones called here. The next 4 year nightmare is starting.