I'd honestly love to see this. I can't really imagine how well it'd work out but it'd be a hell of an interesting experiment.
Another thing to try would be either Corona, Kljestan, Feilhaber, Torres again or even Adu as the #10, and push Deuce up top. I think one of our problems has been trying to play through Dempsey when he's not suited for that role. I know we dont have any really good true #10s , but its worth trying guys that are better passers/ballhandlers there. Dempsey usually just backpasses, dives or turns the ball over when he gets pressured by good defenses in that role
Agreed. In a 3-5-2, I definitely see Dempsey as one of the two forwards. Better at getting on the end of chances than creating them, everyone knows the story. That being the case, a 3-5-2 probably plays to Dempsey's strengths more than the 4-2-3-1 we've been using.
I want to see the Mexican League players get a chance whether it be in the Gold Cup or WCQ's. Guys like Castillo, Torres, Corona. And some of the U20 guys if they play well but we still get eliminated in the first round of the u20 world cup.
Another thing worth trying is Cameron as a defensive mid, with the Besler-Gonzo pairing and Dolo/Chandler at RB. He is a better passer than Edu, and probably about as good of a destroyer Also Chandler as a right winger, he has to be more threatening than Zusi..
I will take a crack : I will assume Donovan return and Holden and Dolo do not. And assume chandler is 100% committed, fresh, and not hurt I assume jozy does not score for us until he has partner I will assume Dempsey is most effective close to goal Jozy Dempsey Donovan Bradley Torres Cameron Johnson Besler Gonzalez Chandler GK This team can compete. Jones for Torres depending on opponent The key is Cameron. He's got better feet than all the other dmids And he actually plays dmid at times. So it's easier to place him there than at CB because he never plays there for club
It's difficult to predict a future XI because you never know what kind of form players will be in, so I will assume everyone in our whole pool is at their best. Clint pinches in from the left, allowing Fabian to bomb down the left. Freddy is free to create, as he has the tireless tackler Holden behind him, who also operates as a ball-circulator. Bradley distributes from a deep position. This line-up is not without assumptions (Freddy plays to his potential, Holden returns from injury, etc.), but I believe these XI would be lethal in attack. It is also important to note that there are players who could send in good balls on set pieces (Adu with the left and Donovan/Holden with the right). A more defensive XI would see Jones replace Adu and play as an 8 alongside Holden.
I dream your dream but then I wake up Freddy could become a star in brazil and JK still won't call him. Freddy has too much baggage and does not fit into the German mold .... Landon will not be a serviceable winger in two years except for spot duty. His best position at his age is CAM. I think Dolo is too old and Holden has been out too long. Cameron won't get a regular CD gig in the EPL. He goes to Brazil either as an outside back or # 6 IMHO
Knowing what Klinsmann wants in defensive posture and if he is going to play the lone forward formations than I go Christmas tree formation. --------------Jozy --------Deuce Donovan F. Johnson Bradley Holden Cameron Besler Gonzalez Dolo --------------Guzan
While I do not intend for this to become another Freddy thread, JK called him into his first camp so I don't see the support for your argument.
What I'd like to see: -----------------Jozy------------------ ------Shea----Dempsey---Lando----- --------Bradley--------Jones---------- ---FJ----Goodson--Omar--Cam----- --------------Guzan------------------- Klinsman is going to learn the hard way that he has to play guys who aren't getting first team PT at their clubs. We'll end up with a bunch of starters from mid-level leagues. Case in point: Bradley wouldn't be playing at all if this were 2011 and he was still not dressing for Aston Villa. DUMB DUMB rule. He will change his thinking on this.
heres my crazy craze formation, trying to do a 3-5-2 lots of others can be plugged in Cherundolo, Parkhurst in for Chandler. Maybe even Zusi, Gatt Edu, Beckerman in Bradleys spot. Even Jones Shea, Corona, Zusi in Kljestan/Jones spot any F up top. Altidore, Gomez, EJ, Boyd, Gatt. -------Dempsey---------------Donovan--- ----------Kljestan----------Jones---------- -------------------Bradley------------------ -Johnson------------------------Chandler- --------Besler---Cameron---Gonzo------- -------------------Guzan------------------- a variation of players --------Altidore--------------Gomez------- ----------Dempsey-------Donovan-------- -------------------Bradley------------------ -Johnson------------------------Chandler- --------Besler---Cameron---Gonzo------- -------------------Guzan-------------------
Here's another thoughtless platitude...there still is no center mid directing the play. Yes, Donovan or Demps could do it, but both have more or less failed at that position, especial Demps. They both need to be free to roam. Jones and Bradley sound good together, but are they really? Still need a Reyna or O'brien type. I just hope Adu and Feilhaber do well with new clubs or one of the youngsters steps up. I think with the teams that have been suggested above, there is a lot of potential, but we are still missing that one missing link.
My only platitude: do the players know how to play it, esp. the 3 centerbacks? I don't really know how hard it is to adjust to the formation if they're used to 4-4-2 and all that. Otherwise, it might be an interesting way to allow FJohnson to get into the attack.
Even though I doubt most of our players have much experience in a 3-5-2 per se, I don't think it necessarily puts anyone into an unfamiliar role or position on the field. It's basically just a 4-4-2 narrow diamond where the DM sits a little deeper than usual. Cameron would play the sweeper role, a DM/CB hybrid, and he's got plenty of experience at both positions. Edu is another option there. Johnson and Chandler both have experience in the midfield and in the back, so I think they'd be particularly well-suited to the wingback position. Again, it's not that different than what we have them doing already, it just gives them more cover when they go forward. We ask for width from them anyway, and I think this would better enable them to fulfill that need. Is Dempsey a square peg in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3? Maybe so, maybe not, but he fits like a glove here and gives Altidore another forward to play off. Do we have effective wide attackers for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3? Not really. We've been playing Gomez, Zusi, and Eddie Johnson, and our attack has too often been lethargic lately. The wide attacking roles in a 4-2-3-1 are not ideal for those guys, and I'm not sure if any of them are amongst our best XI players (maybe Gomez) anyway. Gatt, Shea? Probably not ready to drive the team's attack just yet, though they'd be good options at wingback as well. I think this puts something resembling our best XI on the field, in comfortable roles. It'd allow Johnson and Chandler to get forward. Dempsey wouldn't have to play the #10 or outside. Bradley and Jones could do their thing. Cameron is a good candidate for the sweeper role. I'd love to see it.
a switch in tactics and formation, would need time to get adjusted too but i agree with jaxonmills, that the players we have pretty much maintain their tactical duties i would like to argue though, that a 5-3-2 is a defensive and possession formation i also feel like when we use the 4-2-3-1 formation, we are also playing defensively i like our 4-1-2-3, and it is the most offensive we can go how can we adjust it, to hopefully get more goals ? use more of a CM at the "1/DM" spot. example, instead of Edu, Williams, use Cameron or Jones example #2, instead of another CM in the middle, find/use an Attacking/Creative Mid (which is our main issue in any formation, this player just doesnt exist for us. we have a few, but we dont try them, and dont think they can b effective for 90min) and the best fix would b, get Brek and Donovan back to 100% brek - dempsey - donovan ---- bradley - kljestan ---- ----------jones---------- fab -- bes - omar -- cam i dont mind if we used altidore, gomez, ej, gatt, zusi, williams, cherundolo, chandler, edu, corona. (adu, mixx, and some others, could b that Attacking/Creative Mid that we need. even if its only for 30mins) these guys allow the formation to change to b more defensive or allow more attacking personal to b subbed in.
Here's my dream lineup... Guzan Cherundolo Omar Onyewu Fabian Donovan Bradley Torres Adu Dempsey Wondolowski Donovan is the best choice for DM right now, because he can get us into the attack quicker than anyone. Bradley has always been a better offensive option than defensive and should play as such. Adu is still our best creator. Wondolowski runs and positioning can't be matched by Altidore or EJ or anyone else right now. We need players who can possess AND put the opponents on their back foot.
My knock was he had basically zero contribution to attack last few and barely any before that. I like him but no way does he put LD on the bench.