Instant Winger mix ver 2.01. 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 -----------------Altidore----------------- Fabian--------Dempsey-------Chandler ------------Bradley---Jones------------- Castillo-----Boca-----(pick)----Cameron (pick) = rotating in the new guys depending on opponent and form. edit: assuming no on form Shea or returning Donovan obviously
I would not change much really. Only thing I would do is put back Bocanegra instead of Omar and hope Donovan decides to play.
Has that Bradley, Jones, Williams/Edu/Beckerman trio with no right winger ever worked? Hopefully Jones/Williams get benched for some width, at least have Zusi/Gatt, if Dolo is healthy even push Chandler up. Probably wont happen in the hex but we need to try Castillo/Chandler/Parkurst at LB and Fabian as a winger, he is probably our best winger and I honestly have not been that impressed by his defending lately
I'm probably alone in my opinion, but I was not impressed with his play all during the group stage last year.
I don't think Goodson is coming back to the USMNT anytime soon with Gonzalez and Besler now in front of him in the CB depth chart.
Sorry but Boca-Gonzalez-Edu as the CBs and DM is a recipe for disaster. Three slow guys. You get one of the fast Ticos with some space and he's going to execute Howard.
The reason I chose Goodson over those two is just about experience playing with Bocanegra. I think the two of them should get some more experience playing together for the nats in non-critical games before being thrown in the fire.
Call me crazy, but Morales may have been the only guy in the Canada match that actually supplied some forward passing as a DM.
Why are still talking about the Canada match? Wait, I mean, why are we talking about the Canada game at all?
BS posts show how varied who should play where with the USMNT is now. Shouldn't players be put in the same position they play at their clubs? Fabian is at LB, Williams at Dmid at Hoffenheim. Cameron is at RB but plays Dmid as well with Stoke; Chandler is at RB with Nurnberg. Jones plays Dmid but sometimes CB for Schalke. Bradley is a CMid at Roma. Beasley is a LM, and didn't play well on the right when put there years ago. EJ and Gomez are forwards, not wingers. Edu, Kljestan, Zusi, and Feilhaber are Cmids, and don't do well on the wings. Dempsey does play up front and in midfield, more or less for Spurs. It is unfortunate that Gatt and Shea aren't ready to play for us just now? Without Donovan who plays centrally anyway, at least one of them would be helpful in MF on the wing. Bedoya doesn't inspire at RM, and Davis at this point in his career isn't going to make up for his deficiencies. Boyd is another F who's not ready. Besler and Gonzo aren't ready, which leaves us with Boca, and Goodson, on break. Parkhurst is a viable option or depth at RB, but hasn't played since transfer to the BL. Have I left anyone out really?
My starting XI: ------------Johnson-------------- Shea------Dempsey---------Gatt ------Bradley-----Edu----------- Johnson-Cameron-Gonzalez-Chandler ------------Howard---------------- I'd like the subs to be 1) boyd/altidore (whichever is your preference), 2) diskerud, 3) proper replacement for whoever is playing poorly i know our wingers would be young and this could possibly make us a nonfactor in the attack, but my thoughts are: eddie johnson and dempsey have good chemistry, i'd like to see them paired up top. Gatt and Shea are a bit raw but they both are talented and i think they will make things happen, something we desperately lack since donovan left. Also i think this team is completely devoid of speed. Edu I don't mind having out there as long as he is manning defensive responsibilities and not pushing up. Danny Williams could be here too, but i'd rather have somebody a bit more experienced since our backline is still working on chemistry. Hell I'd be okay with beckerman in the role he played in the canada game. Our backline isn't changed, but the fact is it was their first game together. I would be okay with putting back dolo and boca for the hex, but following the conclusion i want to see these 4 be used extensively to see if they can be our backline long term. I know a lot of people are penciling in donovan, but until we hear otherwise im going to assume he won't be joining the nats
i say chandler, gonzo, cameron, jonson in the d bekerman, bradley, shea and adu in mid deuce and alti up top with EJ as a sub in the 6oth min for altidore. just and idea and if landon plays this looks much different.
he played fairly well in the end of the last qualifying stage. I agree though, i think he looked pretty bad these last two games (could just be due to the MLS offseason though)
Keep the same back line. Let them grow under pressure. If you want to bring the old guys just to qualify then youre asking for an easy 3 and out bc the new guys wont be bloodied. We all know the back 4 vs Honduras has plenty of potential. Same line up, but put in shea,donovan or zusi for d.williams
Just a note on Chandler as a midfielder: While he played this for some of last season for Nürnberg, his performances were really bad there. Completely nullified all his strenths. Many fans were calling for him to be benched even and often he was one of the worst players on the pitch. This season he is playing RB again, and his performances are much better and more stable.
I think this is the right reading on Chandler. As a RB he can defend a bit and make the occasional overlapping run and cross, so he's a 2-dimensional RB. But as a RM I think he becomes a 1-dimensional sideline-hugger. He isn't a particularly strong or creative dribbler and he isn't a great passer or combination player. He's not much of a scoring threat, either. Aside from running real fast and providing an occasional cross, I think he won't provide what folks want at RM.