After watching Barcelona tear things up so far this year I can't help but notice the similarities in their style and how the USMNT may look in the somewhat near future. Check out the similiarites for us in the very near future as far as our attacking formation. Barcelona Eto'o Ronaldinho Deco Giuly Giovanni Xavi USMNT Johnson Beasley Gaven/Adu Donovan JOB/Dempsey Szetelea I know it doesn't make much sense to speculate as far as future formations, but it I just can't help thinking how much fun it would be to Beasley, Donovan, Gaven (or Adu) switching positions in midfield in front of a quick powerful striker like Johnson. It would be so fun to watch especially as how each of the three midfield players are slightly different players just like the midfielders with Barcelona. It may also be a stretch but if the above mentioned players develop as they have over the last few years we could have an offense that could be as dangerous as most in the world.
Samuel Eto'o couldn't keep up with Eddie Johnson if EJ had one of his legs chained to the other. Freddy Adu could do with an orange what Deco can do with a soccer ball (thanks Zlatan). Rafa Marquez is Josh Wolff's Bitch. Landon Donovan once took a crap, and when he looked down he thought he saw Ronaldinho's face. He was mistaken, that was just Ronaldino's game. Guily once dreamt he was DaMarcus Beasley, then he woke up screaming because he realized he could never be that good.
Ah your blanket nationalism and selective blinders you put on always entertain me. You have no basis for any of those comparisons and all you have established (except in Freddy's case... which just isn't true as of right now) is that US players have more athleticism. None of the US players you listed have prooved themselves to be near as consistent or as good as any of the other players you listed. Excepting MAYBE Donovan who impresses on the big level time and time again. DMB is good, but you'd find few who would take him in heartbeat over Guily.
Barcelona's dmid Thiago Motta is hurt so is American dmid John O'brien, look at me comparing them. I think I've almost made my point
True, but without the quality, how effective will that formation be? Barca's forwards are constantly switching positions and attacking so well because Barca's forwards are smart enough, and skilled enough to do so effectively. Barca has at least two of the top five attacking midfielders in the world. Our players lack the technical AND tactical skills to do what Barca does, as effectively as they do it. It may work for CONCACAF, but not against the big boys.
Sure, today this formation won't be optimal for the US but I thought the lineup was looking forward to 2010.
Speculating is fun.... but I'm having enough trouble predicting the lineup for the Jamaica game much less 2010. And that comparison where both defensive midfielders Motta and O'Brien are hurt... dang that's freaky - I never realized we were so much like Barca! Should we call the Xfiles or Twilight Zone.
Waking up to this post - hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Thank you BS! Diverse, funny, sarcastic, unrealistic, and insane all at the same time!!!!! I love the smell of BS in the morning...smells like...entertainment.
Barca plays "4-1-2-2-1" a lot because it suits their personnel and because it is not all that different from an old 4-3-3, with one defensive mid, two creative mids, two wingers and one centerforward. In any case, if the US - or anyone else for that matter - had their talent, then it could play the same formation with the same effectiveness. But since it doesn't...
I hope most people realize I am not comparing the USMNT to Barcelona at the moment. Even assuming that we may approach that level sometime down the road (4-6 years) would be a bit of a stretch. However, the point I am trying to make is just how much potential our midfield has if our current young stars (Beasley, Donovan, Adu and Gaven) continue to develop at the rate they are. The reason I chose to use Barca as a comparison is because I do see similarities between their players and ours. I don't think it is out of this world to think Beasley could develop into a player as good as Guily, and the same goes for Donovan/Gaven and Deco. As far as Ronaldinho.....well I don't see any comparisons with him. But we can always have wet dreams Adu will pan out even remotely as close a player...
Honestly, DDW, there are no similarities between Barca and the US. And that's because any team that plays Barcelona rolls their defensive scheme toward stopping Ronaldinho. In Milan's case, they covered him with a defender and a collapsing mid (Ambrosini). Within any foreseeable future, the USMNT will not have a player comparable to Ronaldinho. Why is that so important? Because much like the NBA defenses schemed against Michael Jordan, the NHL defenses against Mario Lemieux or the NFL defensive coordinators against Randy Moss, Ronaldinho requires the same type of attention. The reason Deco and Guily can run against single defenders was because there's always a duo on R.Gaucho. Remove him or Jordan/Lemieux/Moss and you get an entirely different defensive scheme and that's what the US will face. And that's the gist of it.
Yeah, thats probably why I said even comparing our midfielders to theirs in 4-6 years would be a bit of a stretch. Probably also why I said we don't have anyone who can remotely compare with Ronaldinho. However, the reason I was writing was to say that the potential is there for a comparison if they continue to develop (esp. Adu). But thanks for the comparson with Mario Lemeiux. You gotta love athletes who smoke during the intermission/half-time.
I think that the young players in the US system could lead to a 4-5-1 like this: -------------Cronin Spector--Gooch--Boca--Convey/Karby/Whitbread --------Szetela--Dempsey ---Donovan---Adu---Beasley ------------Johnson Until the MLS season Freddy had not played a game, probably in his entire life, where the opposing coach didn't treat him as a Ronaldinho/Moss/Shaq type player. If he can keep his relative position among players his age, best player in the world, then the US can do this formation and run it like Barcelona. Freddy probably won't be the best player in the world but if he becomes very, very good this formation could still work. But hell if Buddle, Cooper, Preston Zimmerman, or some other youth forward steps up the USA's ideal formation changes. What I think won't change is that our players will be able to play a very fluid attacking style.
GK is such a long way ahead projection. Joe Cannon is a 30-year old youngster and could easily be in between the sticks in 2,010, although Tim Howard is a potential superstar GK. Russell ---- Gooch ---- Boca ---- Karbassiyon ----- Spector --- Gaven ---- Donovan ---- Beasley ----- Casey ---- Johnson --- One forward is for wussies or for the teams with Ronaldinho on the left.