Pre match thread WCQ June 7th in Kingston town, Jamaica

If you re-watch the WCQ group match at The Office we did not have much defensive issues with playing proactive (high-press/high-line/high-pressure/high-tempo) with Cameron and Goodson at CB and Parkhurst at RB. Jamaica never threatened over the top. In fact all their shot attempts was from 30+ yards away.

Where we had a problem was in the midfield where they attacked Beckerman mercilessly. Of course after watching the v Mexico match this Jamaica team is better and more confident but so is the USMNT.

 

I am only a footy tactician because I am a BS poster (both kinds).

I just wanted to add that when they do make a long pass over the top to the wings, it is important we do not panic. We still have a bit of time to recover. Jamaica looks more technically deficient than us by a wide margin. Their guy will take a two or three touches to control the ball and then get his head up, and try to come up with an idea which adds to the recovery time.

As an aside, I think it is a mistake to play to their strengths like that. They cannot play possession football and they are not going to try and play out of the back like DFB. Why not play a bunker and the deliberate style of possession we played with Mexico and force Jamaica to attack in numbers? Use early possession to wear them down chasing, they are the ones who are under pressure to win the game. We are fine with a tie, what we really do not want to do under any circumstances is gift them 1v1 with our keeper and/or set pieces near the penalty area.

It is not exciting footy by any stretch, but why not wear them down on their short rest and as the game goes they will get more and more desperate opening up gaps in their D.

 

I don't have much to add, but after watching the highlights of our previous match at the Office, it is infuriating seeing Beckerman get ripped to shreds. I was a huge fan of giving him a chance, but not having him playing much less starting this time will be helpful.

 

I'm Michael Bradley and I approve this message.

 

You think beckerman to ripped? . Wait until what happens to Evans. One decent game does not mean he should start against a motivated and fast opponent in Jamaica .... I do not rate Evans. Never have. Don't think I will ever get the chance

 

Because ultimately we should be the better team and should never have to bunker to the likes of Jamaica. We can hold the majority of possession against them and should be able to win without issue. I know historically we haven't been them in their house. However, that doesn't change the fact that we should win tomorrow.

You don't bunker against a team that as you say need 3 touches to control the ball then look up to pass. You keep the ball against those teams and press them the second you lose the ball.

 

Evans looks to get the start at RB as does Gonzo and Besler at CB.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...-usmnt-starting-right-back-ahead-jamaica-qual

 

You have to be smart about it. I thought Mexico was smart in how they played Jamaica. Reggae Boyz really pressed the issue for the first 30 minutes and had the ball quite a bit. Mexico stayed organized and compact and I believe expended less energy than Jamaica even though they did not have the ball much. A team can only hold up the kind of effort for so long which is what happened and then Mexico got their chances with the ball.

If you get into a track meet with the Reggae Boyz because you want to win the ball all of the time and keep it, then you might wind up taking some chances defensively, lose shape and that is providing Jamaica with opportunities to score. Sure, they are not the most technical but it is a mistake to think they aren't dangerous . I think if you play like Mexico, you might concede some possession in the first half but will see much more of the ball as the game goes on. While Jamaica is the faster squad, I believe the US is the fitter squad so don't gift anything early and the chances will come.

 

Important goals for the US for the game ---

Don't give up stupid fouls in defensive third -- this means we need quick players who can jockey when necessary and won't have to lunge. (Is Evans ok here?)

Centerbacks need to avoid the dumb mistakes and watch for the ball over the top.

Second balls in the US half will be abundant -- get them (or, Howard, avoid them).

Jozy has to be very active and will have to provide some linking play in the offensive third.

Bradley and Jones need to coordinate well and Klinsi must recognize that a fresh Edu/Williams at mintue 78 may be better than an exhausted Bradley.

Probably others, but these are on the top of my mind.

 

I always get nervous before important matches. Here is what I'm most nervous about:

Likely starting back-4 vs Jamaica = Beasley---Besler---Gonzo---Evans

Number of minutes as a defender under JK prior to 2013 = 0

That's where we are most vulnerable.

 

Just read that Gomez is very unlikely to be ready to go on friday. The one thing that tells me is that we definitely need EJ to start on the bench. If anything happens to Jozy, FJ, Dempsey, Zusi, or Beasley (moving FJ back to LB), he'd be the man to bring on.

Looks like we'll see the same starting XI that we saw against Germany.

 

True dat. We're going to need Jones and Bradley to play like a couple of bosses... and I think they're up to the task.

 

Yes, those two need to be on, and Clint and Jozy need to give the US a cushion.

I wonder if the US has ever gone into an important qualifier with a less experienced back-4.

 

this game will be dictated by how well our wingers play defense. im not concerned about jones or bradley in middle. they will lock that down. our wingers need to defend a lot in this match. but frankly jamaica has a hole in front of their CBs that we do not. at least it was so vs mexico. we have dempsey and jozy to dwell in that hole and take advantage of it.

 

Wait. Throw out the qualifier because of snow, but leave in the 2 friendlies against extremely top quality teams because... ???

 

Gonzalez (see bolded above) does the exact same thing. There was one play against Germany where he dropped so far back into the penalty area that the German player had a great opportunity to score from the top of the penalty area.

I don't disagree with your comment about Goodson, but unfortunately, our other option hasn't been any better...

Unrelated to your comments, I don't think pressuring Jamaica's defense (other than token) is much of an option with Altidore and Dempsey up top. Both of them are not good at pressuring opposing team's defenses...

 

quoting solely because you quoted Karate Kid 3.

-"Quick Silver"

 

We are going on game 5 of the DMB 'temporary' fix at LB.

 

Tell that to ter Stegen...

 

I would agree with you except for two things:

I came late to this game, but one of the first things I noticed is how often the game penalizes aggression and rewards defensiveness.

Gonzos propensity for taking a break and just observing the proceedings at the most inopportune times coupled with our lack of footspeed (relative to them) sets us up for a disaster.

You are probably right as to the tactics we will choose, I am just not sure that is the percentage play. I do like attacking football, but I am concerned about our boys getting run by on a breakaway if we pull a DOH!! pass, which we surely will, and if we have moved numbers forward we are very vulnerable. OTOH I do not think they break us down if we force it all wide and not give up cheap fouls near the area.

It is possible it is a simple semantics issue, since i might be using the wrong word with "bunker." I don't know what is called when you possess to play defense ala Mexico late in the first half. We held the ball a lot, but we did not push numbers forward. We forced them to try and beat us and they were not up to the task. In this case a point is a good result, not great but good enough. I do not want to see a tired USA out there at the 70 min mark and making the mental lapses that fatigue so often brings. If we have to track back like wildmen because we played another stupid ball with numbers forward often and early, our backline weakness will be exposed at the end is my concern.

I guess the argument for your side is put the game away early and be done with it.

 

You ignored the whole core of my question.

 

Yeah, I'm also a bit worried it could be too soon to hand him the keys to the right back spot already.

Makes me wonder how bad Parkhurst has looked in training lately. He looked solid against Jamaica on our last trip there, but his inactivity with Augsburg in the last few months must have really hurt his standing.