---------Dwyer------- Nagbe-Dempsey-Pulisic ---Bradley-----Acosta--- Lichaj-Besler-Cameron-Yedlin --------Hamid------- This formation has the best balance to me. Dwyer, Nagbe and Acosta are more projection than reality at this point, but they are all replaceable by sturdy vets (Altidore, Johnson and Bedoya).
Completely agree with Hamid in there. Hopefully today's good performance (something Guzan hasn't had many of) shows Arena that he's a better keeper than Guzan, and gives him a chance to challenge Howard. My team is this. Could also be a 3-5-2, if you want to move Cameron to RCB, Besler LCB, Brooks central. Hamid Yedlin-Besler-Brooks-Johnson Cameron Bradley-Acosta Pulisic Agudelo-Altidore
--------------Wood------Dempsey----------- -----Pulisic---------------------------------- ------------Cameron-----Bradley----Nagbe---- --Johnson-----------------------------------Yedlin--- --------------Brooks------Miazga------------ --------------------Howard---- Nagbe would play a right mid's role while Pulisic would occupy a left attacking mid's role.
Wouldn't be mad if I saw this 11 on a game day. Tho I'd argue Dempsey shouldn't be more than a super sub at this point. Also still torn on how to best maximize our pool. The 3-5-2 seems the best fit but a 4-4-2 is just the simplest and a 4-2-3-1 would also be effective. Guess the question I think that needs to be answered is do we put the best 11 we can or do we build around maximizing Pulisic.
4-4-2/4-3-1-2 -------------Wood-------Jozy------------ ----^---------------Pulisic---------------^------- ----|-------Nagbe-------Williams---|--- ----|--------------Bradley---------------|--- Fabian---Brooks-----Cam-----Yedlin 3-4-2-1 -----------------------Wood------------------------ -------------Clint--------------Pulisic---------------- Fabian----------------------------------------Yedlin ---------------Nagbe-----Bradley------------- -------Besler------Brooks-------Cam--------
I feel like this is the right answer. Maybe you could swap Dempsey for Wood, but i feel at this stage it may be better to bring on Dempsey as a sub later on in the game
I wouldn't start Clint in a 4-4-2/4-3-1-2 as he just doesn't have the pace and work rate up top and Pulisic would play underneath the strikers. However in a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 I really like him as a link option in the vicinity of Pulisic and his ability to crash the box on his late runs. Wood pulls multiple markers with him which opens gaps Clint thrives in. He and Puli have good chemistry. Puli would also find him in the box on his trailing runs never mind he's shown the best ability to combine with Puli of anyone on our squad. Clint knows how to play with creativity. Most American do not.
A lot of stress on FJ and Yedlin but I think they can do it. And team defense has to be really well coordinated. But I'd love to see this many good attackers on the field at the same time -- gives us a chance to dictate pace and keep even good teams on their back foot.
Pulisic is a wing-forward or wide midfielder. So far, he doesn't have the game to play as an attacking mid in a diamond. The team was shredded the one time he was played there. What's the argument that Dempsey should be a super sub? He has 4 goals in WCQing this year. He had 2 goals and an assist in his last league outing.
Arena's having TFC's Morrow, Bradley, Altidore in camp adds 3 starters with plenty of experience in a 3-in-the-back formation. Arriola and Lichaj also have played in the formation at club level. Perhaps Arena will experiment with it the next match.
If we had to play Brazil/Germany/Spain/Argentina/France/Colombia tomorrow in a R16 WC match: ----------------------Howard---------------------- Yedlin-----Cameron-----Brooks------Fabian ----------------------Bradley---------------------- ----------Bedoya---------------Nagbe---------- Pulisic-------------Altidore------------Dempsey Weak points: DM, obviously; JAB, on a bad day he'd cost us a couple; Howard getting old; same for Deuce. We'd still lose, but that team would put up a fight.
Excellent lineup, though not very exciting and likely to lose as you say. In 2018: Wood instead of Dempsey (who becomes an offensive sub), Pulisic as a 10 (free to roam to either wing), or Nagbe and Pulisic on the wings: Cameron and Bradley as CM's; Miazga or Besler as CB next to Brooks. Arena will eventually need to put Fabian at LB as you rightly predict. Howard isn't too old for a goalie---he's far more able than anyone else in the near future. Let's see how he does if we get to the semifinal and final of the GC.
I think the problem with using a 3-5-2 in a tournament is the amount of running the outside windshield wipers do. For it to work there's have to be two players on each side that are capable. Seems we have some who are good offensively or defensively but not four that can do both at a WC level.
Fab and Yedlin are capable. Wingback is probably Chandler's best position, and the position he excels at for his club. Saeif plays left wingback for Gent, though I'm not sure about his defensive chops. Seems to me that we have an unusually large amount of depth at the position
---------morris-----agudelo----pulisic ----------zardes--Bradley-----dax ---Fabian----brooks---Cameron---Yedlin ------------------gk:Howard ---------------Jozy-----wood ---fab---dax---Bradley---pulisic--Yedlin --------brooks---miazga--cameron -------------------gk: Howard
He is playing in a free role underneath two forwards. If you are talking about the Mexico game, he wasn't the problem and that was 8 months ago. In March, he seemed to do ok in what Stu Holden refered to as the #10 role a few times. He scored 1 goal, had 2 assists, got fouled outside of box where subsequent free kick was scored and had a rebound on shot tapped in as well. A hand in 5 goals isn't too shabby. In June, "Christian Pulisic once again given the keys in the middle" and seemed to be pretty effective with 2 goals.
Against teams we should beat he will absolutely start as a 10. Tho I think Bruce will move him wide and play with a more defensive midfield when we play tougher competition. Look at Mexico. Will be telling to see how he lines up Pulisic against our last tough test of qualification in Costa Rica.
The #10 label can be misused at times and in application. Pulisic is best when playing under the strikers and has both vertical and horizontal space to work with. Hence, a 10, or a SS, or a floater. Can work on the wing but not with the NT as our mids are pretty terrible and can't create. When he's been on the wing for us he rarely gets the ball. At BVB on the wing they constantly get him the ball in space to work with. Just a different environment.
-------Altidore---Wood-------- -------------Pulisic-------------- -----Feilhaber---Bradley----- Fab-----Cameron------Yedlin --------Brooks--Besler-------- -------------Timmy-------------- I think it's more this, but I love where your head is at.
I think the lineup should depend on the rival. I don't feel Besler is in his best moment though. Pair him with Brooks and if JAB is having a bad day, even Slovakia would destroy us. I know we need a DM, but I feel Cameron is vital to our defense. He's the modern Cherundolo, the guy keeping all the others in line.
We disagree on Altidore but, against a Team like Germany or Italy, I'd probably go with Bradley over Rowe, too. Speed, creativity, defense and good distribution outta the back line. Either of these lineups would work. Sadly, we will never see anything close to this.
The onus is on Pulisic to create. He is supposed to be an elite player. Donovan and Dempsey created from the wings. If Pulisic is better than those two then he should be able to do likewise.
He was part of the problem as he provided little presence in midfield. It's a fine role against weak teams, which characterizes this cycle's Honduras. On the road at the much stronger Panama, he played on the flanks where he belonged instead at the 10 in 4132. T&T created too many good attacking movements as a result of that soft midfield.
Pulisic was the most dispossessed teenager in Bundesliga last season (46) Get mids like Dax and Delgado to put passes thru like dax did to 'Dom/;Bedoya for Corona's goal on Saturday and Pulisic will be a terror, with Arriola/Yedlin pulling the defenders wide