I think that's what we'll put on the pitch in Germany as the ideal line-up if everyone is healthy. We'll substitute liberally, and change line-ups for each game based on availability and match-ups, but this may be line-up #1. My only question would be JOB over Pablo, but that's a slot that would likely change fairly often depending on need. Bring Dempsey, Pablo, Reyna off the bench as the top options, and we've got ourselves a pretty formidable squad. What's also interesting is that this line-up has not played together once during qualification....
That's my initial reservation as well. Though, I wasn't sure of the actual stat. Maybe we send this squad out for a few leading into the tournament. As for O'Brien, he's no Viera, but he's got the tutolage to win a smart ball. Just b/c he's undersized doesn't mean that he can't win a challenge. I do, however, agree that Pablo may need to come on against a more physically imposing side. The "destroyer" that Arena likes, as I've heard in these circles...
Beasley has consistently been great for us as a wide player, and just as consistently sucked for us in the middle. Bruce should be fired, then shot, then burned, then have his ashes scattered in Azteca if he starts Beasley as a central midfielder.
You're correct, Beasely should not be used a central mid. That's more of Donovan. The two would have freedom to roam all over the field, b/c they work so well together and are our best players. So, maybe as a revision, let's have Beasely free and Donovan play the traditional CM. I just didn't know how to visually display that position on the grid. Lewis is a better winger than Beasley IMO. He gets the ball into the box from the flank at a much more consistent rate. Beasley holds the ball (as he should) too much to be an effective service man and should be allowed the freedom to run at defenders into the 18.
Let's assume Bruce wants a look new faces. What opportunities will players have to show off? Does USMNT have to stick with current roster through the remainder of qualifying, or can BA call in Mapp or others for the Sept, Oct WCQ's? How many friendlies/tune-ups would you expect in Winter '05 and Spring '06? Any other competitions coming up I'm not aware of?
i'd be worried about gaping holes behind donovan/beas when they both attack. if o'brien covers that hole, then dolo is isolated on the right, either restricting his ability to move up or leaving large holes behind when he does move up.
Acknowledging that we're talking about long-shots here, I must point out that Szetela is in the Nat system and unlike Gaven and Adu (his teammates on the u20s) he has the physique to match up with pretty much any midfielder. No, he's not a winger like Mapp, but I think that he's a reasonable candidate to get into a camp at least, so that gives him a shot.
Let's not be hasty. DMB has been in the middle of the park for every appearance in the Gold Cup, and he's been our most consistent player IMO. Even if you disagree with that assessment, it's hard to argue with the stats he's put up. Sure, we don't get to see him blaze through space as much when he's in the middle, but he has shown other qualities, such as a much improved right foot (eg, his cross to Dempsey) that we can probably thank PSV for. People love to point out that he was ineffective in the middle at Mexico, but lots of guys were ineffective in that game, and lots of very accomplished players from all over the world have been ineffective when visiting Azteca. It's unfair to judge Beasley's ability to play centrally based on one very tough game. Donovan has had his share of ineffective games at that position, be we seem to be willing to believe (correctly IMO) that he can still play there. Maybe DMB is at his best on the wing, but he has managed to contribute in the middle, and if playing him there is what has to be done to get Lewis, JOB, and/or Reyna into the lineup, then I can live with that.
??? No he hasn't. He was deffo a winger against Jamaica. Remember that horror tackle when he was about a yard from touch? Against CR, he was subbed for JOB. Armas & Olsen were the central mids, with Ralston at RW. He started at "striker" against Cuba. Olsen and Dempsey and Armas were the central midfield (we ran a 3-5-2 that match) with Brad Davis wide left and Quaranta wide right. Against Canada he subbed in for JOB at left wing; the central mids that match were Pablo and Landon. The lineups are available at ussoccer.com. It's easy to see he hasn't played a minute of central midfield at the Gold Cup.
It certainly is a formation that would pressure on your center-backs to match-up well in one-on-one situations. Pablo is a true D-Mid, and rarely joins the attack. JOB in that slot would likely be more willing to come forward. That's the trade-off...another offensive-oriented player joining the attack vs. a defensive-oriented D-Mid who keeps the backs from isolation. Historically, and we've been criticized for it, the US has played a game where we avoid isolation. You play to your strengths, and while we're a solid team, we do lack for individual "stars." The big question for Arena is if he is now growing more comfortable asking players to perform defensively without the safety net of help. I think he is at times, but the Mexico and England games showed that we've still a way to go in this regard against better competition. I come back to match-ups and think we could see very different line-ups and formations during the World Cup as we play to our strengths by adjusting to the opponent. Against an England, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, etc..., I'd rather have a true D-Mid and caution Cherundolo about coming too far forward. Against our peer nations and lesser opponents, throw 'em forward, add something to the attack with a JOB or Dempsey, and put some pressure on the defense. We're not a line up our best XI and go to town kind of team, and if our draw is as diverse as should be expected, I think we could see 16-18 players actually start a WC game next summer for the US....
No there's no one roster for the WCQ's. Before each one, Arena makes a new 18-man roster. As to what can we expect after the WCQ's in terms of friendlies (there are no more competitions) we don't know but one can look to what Arena did last time around. As my memory serves me back then we had: - 1 away friendly (@ Korea) before the end of the year. -The Gold Cup in January of 02 (which won't be here this time.) -Then in early 02 (before the WC itself) we had 3 friendlies in Europe mixed in with at least 5 friendlies in the US. (Let's see... Italy, Germany, Ireland in Europe; Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Uruguay, Holland here.) But it must be stressed again that last time around, even with a Gold Cup after the WCQ's, Arena took no one to Korea who was uncapped by the time the WCQ's ended. He did cap a few players in the pre-WC friendlies but none of them went. Of course it could be different this time but, again, there's no Gold Cup to help out newbies this time.
i think danny may be too inexpierienced. plus he hasnt done much at all in the mls. he may get into a camp sometime soon, but i think that there is almost absolutley no chance for szetela in germany.
Good memory Ursula, you only left off Ecuador. Here's the schedual post qualifying: 05/19/2002 Netherlands 05/16/2002 Jamaica 05/12/2002 Uruguay 04/17/2002 Ireland 04/03/2002 Mexico 03/27/2002 Germany 03/10/2002 Ecuador 03/02/2002 Honduras 02/13/2002 Italy 02/02/2002 Costa Rica 01/30/2002 Canada 01/26/2002 El Salvador 01/21/2002 Cuba 01/19/2002 South Korea 12/09/2001 South Korea Those 5 Gold Cup games will be hard to replace. Maybe they can set up a US Cup with 3 other countries and have a "simulated group" tournament. Was Boca going to make the team last time if not for his injury? I thought that was the case but I'm not sure. If so that should be considered. Anyway, I think there's probably enough fringe guys that have been capped like Spector or Gavin that can fill the holes without having to get uncapped guys. But I hope there are some surprise guys that make a case for themselves, it would only make the team better.
I'm familiar with ussoccer.com, but thanks for the tip. He may have been written into the lineup on the left at times, but every time I've seen him he's been roaming all over the pitch, even more so than Earnie Stewart used to do from his "right" mid position. And the times that he has played forward, he has gone from sideline to sideline rather than playing a Denilson-style left-wing forward. As to where he played against Jamaica, he was deffo not a winger. He was listed as a forward (feel free to look that up on ussoccer.com), but he and LD interchanged regularly throughout the match. The point is that he hasn't played anything like the sideline-hugging winger he was until recently and has still done quite well.
Thanks for the correction about Ecuador. I really have no memory of that one probably because of the defensive breakdown that allowed Italy to score. About Boca in 02: I recall he had a very good Gold Cup and was in the running for a spot though it would be a huge stretch to call him a lock before he got hurt. It will be interesting to see what Arena does in January to fill that Gold Cup "hole".
I was out of the country for the whole build up so a lot of it is fuzzy to me, I did catch a few GC games. If they clinch with a win vs Mexico then maybe those last 3 qualifiers are better than the gold cup. Sending new guys down to Costa Rica will be a tough test.