Edu set to start at center back vs Mexico

I could be wrong here since both of these people have been in the game longer than I've been watching it, but I believe Bob Bradley was the first to try Donovan at left midfield, although Landon seems to be making his money on the right these days. Still, he's dangerous from either position, and the recent Chivas USA-LA Galaxy game saw him crack the record for assists in one game with two of his assists being in-swinging crosses from the left.

 

These are also things that I agree with. I'm less in favor of Shea to left back, although I wouldn't mind seeing him given a shot there internationally. However, Johnson in the midfield is something I'm very much in favor of. Whenever I see Johnson running with the ball, I'm almost as sure something will come of it as I am when I see Donovan and Dempsey doing the same. He's completely two-footed if I'm not mistaken. The game against Slovenia that saw him and Bradley as 8's, Beckerman as the 6 and Dempsey as the 10 in a narrow 4-4-2 diamond/4-3-1-2 was maybe one of our most impressive offensive games of the cycle. With a stronger centerback pairing ( which was maybe one of our weaknesses that game), a better defensive midfielder than Beckerman ( so anyone else, in my opinion), one Donovan for Buddle and (maybe) a switch to a 4-3-3, and we might see something special.

 

I don't like the Edu at CB experiment. I just don't. I'd rather have Orozco in there. Modern day soccer is highly specialized - you can't just throw people in there. It takes years of experience to learn that position. Yes, he might do well for one game - but that won't prove anything. Being an international class CB is about consistency from game to game - something that Edu cannot develop until he starts to play CB at club level. If he plays there for his club for a year, then I'll let him start there for the Nats.

Until then, I'd prefer all of the following over Edu at CB:
Cameron, Orozco, Goodson, Onyewu, Boca, Ream, Whitbread, Parkhurst, Spector, Demerit, John, Gonzalez, Marshall, Pearce, Ihemelu, Boswell, Borchers.

 

I wish we could try this with him next to Boca, but it is what it is....

 

I understand that concern, but this is a friendly. These are the kinds of matches experiments are made for. If Edu does poorly, then we can sub him off at the half and use another player. I'm not going to go into the whole bashing of Orozco because he could easily go out there and have a fantastic game. We just don't know. The point is that Edu doing well at the centerback position could have seriously positive shockwaves as to the overall defensive play of the U.S., something that has been a problem area since the injuries of DeMerit and Onyewu.

 

This game could be a tryout of sorts to see who plays next to Bocanegra.

 

No...this game is to tryout who replaces Boca. If he doesn't leave rangers then he is done. Cameron looks like one of the partners, now JK is trying to find the other.

 

That is very good possibility as well.

 

I have no idea whether this will work, but I'm 100% behind the move. I've been hoping that Klinsmann would try something different, at CB, for a while. I've also long considered many guys who weren't playing CB with thier clubs as better options than the regular USMNT CBs of the past.

Klinsmann was hired to change the direction of this team. I'm glad he's finally including CB as a position that needs a shift in focus. Even if this experiment doesn't work out, it's still a good idea to try. I don't care where the game is played and who the opponent is, it's a friendly. If anything, the fact that this game is tougher than others might make it easier to judge Edu's performance.

In the end, we also all have to keep in mind that Edu will have growing pains at this position, even if he eventually does succeed and become a regular CB. I'm sure people will be on big soccer calling for Klinsmann to get fired as soon as Edu screws up, but this move will require some patience.

 

CB requires a lot of experience to play well- it's a very technical position. Edu probably has a great skill set for the position, but if he's not playing there week-in and week-out, he's never going to be a great option for the USA at CB (same with Jones- a Jones/Edu CB pairing would be pretty good if they had the necessary experience at the position). I've seen Edu play CB before for us and my impression was that in the heat of the moment, he defended like a CM-- with the assumption that there was a CB behind him to back him up.

If this is, somehow, an audition for a new club to buy Edu and move him to CB that would be awesome and worth letting in a few goals against Mexico. Otherwise, I don't see the point.

 

Ipswich seems to be after him...

 

I agree. You rarely see this kind of switch unless it is forced upon a team. De Rossi was able to do it quite successfully for Roma last year but he is a player of a different caliber both technically and tactically. Essien filled in at times for Chelsea with mixed results. Rico Clark did it for a few games for Frankfurt with I guess "ok" results, but pretty much looked like an aggressive DM playing CB. Not saying Edu can't have an ok game tonight, but I don't see him being a great CB option over time for USMNT unless he somehow becomes an every game CB for a decent club.

 

Toulalan did it as well.

 

If Mascherano can do it...

 

I was thinking that as well. You also have Javi Martinez at Bilbao who by all accounts killed it after being moved back by Bielsa.

Both of those guys are a notch (or notches) above Edu, but the template is out there.

To liken it to American football. This is moving your big corners to safety, and safeties to lb to get as much speed and skill on the field as possible.

 

It usually occurs due to injuries or poor options in a club situation. Much rarer for this kind of move just in a National Team situation where the player doesn't play CB at all for his club although I believe Beilsa may have done it when coaching Chile.

The move to CB for Masch is a good one for him. He has good speed, reads the game well and is a terrier. Of course, playing CB for Barca can be a stroll in the park much of the time.

If Edu doesn't wind up at a club where he plays CB, then JK will need to decide rather quickly how committed he is to making the switch work.

 

Physically I think he can do it. he is 6'1 with a good set of wheels and is a good tackler although this year he has been a bit reckless because of his passing risks, which brings up a point, for DM trying to play CB his forward passing is not great, so playing from the back is going to be the simple variety for him, otherwise he will be doing lots of pass back to the golie.

 

CB for Barca is probably unlike anywhere else in the world for that matter. Better be able to play against the counter.

I like the general trend of putting good players on the field regardless of position at the club level. I think people get cast as a specialist too often. Most good players can be good in many places on the field. I think a guy like Rooney can play about anywhere but goal and be successful.

 

While all of us have been bashing the lack of experimentation at RCB, with some reason. I'd just like to point out, there has been a lot of CB options JK has played. Boca and Goodson, of course. Gooch, Cameron, Orozco Fiscal, Parkhurst, and Ream.

While I'd have liked to seen Gonzalez sooner, he was on the radar and then got hurt. John's form has dipped since the Euro issues came up. Whitbread has been frequently injured. Ream came on once and promptly fell asleep on a corner and lost the game.

Really, beyond, maybe Chad Marshall or someone else from MLS, we've seen pretty much all our options. Problem is, none are really that good. I think Edu and Cameron have the best tools of the bunch, sans maybe Gonzalez.

 

Agree. I guess my biggest complaint is calling in Gordon when a cb looked a glaring need.

 

At first, i didn't like it. plus, we have a lot of other center backs that i want to give looks to (although they are in preseason and should be with their clubs right now)... However, after some thought, i'm glad that Klinsy is experimenting with some of his regulars...

Think about it... Say Edu makes the WC roster as it highly likely that he does so long as he doesn't have a dramatic fall off. Now, we've got the old geezer Bocanegra out there plus some other geezers in that position too... Also, remember that CB along with CDM is a position that typically has to go into its depth chart due to suspensions. So, we will be facing both issues of fatigue and suspension, and it's highly possible that come 2014, in the third group match that we might have to rely on Edu out of position as a CB...

I'd rather figure it out now then when it counts.

 

Edu showed excellent instincts out there. Hopefully this helps him land a new gig with a high level team.

 

I liked what Edu did last night at CB, but I may be biased because I've wanted to see him tried there for a while now, I think he has great tools for it. Maybe his positioning isn't great, but I don't think some our natural CBs are great at that either and he has good tools to make up for it, both physically and his ability to react and make decisions in defense.

I wouldn't mind seeing Jones or Williams get a look back there either, we have so much depth at CM, if we can exploit it at some other positions it would be beneficial and I think trying these guys at CB is more likely to succeed than playing them in wing or attacking mid roles.

 

I came to the conclusion that EDU is way faster than Williams and probably Jones. If I had to pick a CB between them I would take EDU in a heartbeat.

 

Yeah, Brooks looks to be a promising prospect, so much that Germany is keeping an eye on him too. I hope the kid turns out to be another Boyd, that is, have a passion to play for the good old USA