The Left-Back Situation

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by keller4president, Jun 25, 2011.

  1. scott47a

    scott47a Member+

    Seattle Sounders FC; Arsenal FC
    Feb 6, 2007
    Austin, Texas
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Glad I could help.
     
  2. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    Villafana is OK. But he was a big part of the moon ball party last night. He had trouble dealing with the high press. He did get forward, and he's a little faster than I thought - not a speedster, but fast enough to get forward and recover.
     
  3. Bob Morocco

    Bob Morocco Member+

    Aug 11, 2003
    Billings, MT
    That was the Panama game, the one Zusi started. In the Honduras game he shut down Najar, who was subbed out, and Elis didn't have much joy from the RW area he likes to work in.
     
    sXeWesley repped this.
  4. sXeWesley

    sXeWesley Member+

    Jun 18, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I almost don't even want to say his name for fear of jinxing it, but that guy we are all talking about will have such a positive domino effect on the rest of our roster if he can keep this up.

    He may never rise above mediocrity and could still go down as the GOAT left back in USMNT history!

    Amongst a prestigious list of competitors that includes, but is not limited to; Jonny Bornstein, Edgar Castillo, DeMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathon Spector, Jeff Agoos, Chris Albright, your grandmother, Wade Barrett, Gregg Berhalter, an actual traffic cone, Dan Califf, Bobby Convey, Ramiro Corrales, Todd Dunivant, Frankie Hejduk, Cory Gibbs, Eddie Lewis, John O'Brien, Heath Pearce, David Regis, Ryan Suarez, Jonathan Spector, Greg Vanney. Just stay healthy and don't pull an Agoos kid.
     
    largegarlic, scott47a and OWN(yewu)ED repped this.
  5. russ

    russ Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Canton,NY
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We did it Big Soccer!
     
    scott47a and TimB4Last repped this.
  6. scott47a

    scott47a Member+

    Seattle Sounders FC; Arsenal FC
    Feb 6, 2007
    Austin, Texas
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, every left-footed kid in the USA ought to be training to be a left back. There is glory to come some day for the youngster that slips in to become the greatest ever.
     
    sXeWesley and mike4066 repped this.
  7. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wondering if your omission of Fabian Johnson is a sign of respect, or otherwise. :)
     
    sXeWesley repped this.
  8. sXeWesley

    sXeWesley Member+

    Jun 18, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sign of respect, in that he is and always has been a midfielder/winger playing out of position imo. Although I hypocritically included my favorite US midfielder of all time to pad out my list of LB names, John (oh what could have been) O'brien.
     
    Bajoro repped this.
  9. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Right now, Fabian Johnson is the only guy who's played LB for us at the International Level.

    Villafaña promises, but we have to see more.

    Lichaj may be a ghost, one of those guys whose reputation grows because he doesn't play for the NT.

    Besler, the emergency guy for when we have a midfield with width on the left and can tolerate a CB playing LB.

    Where the situation is bad is not LB, but DM.
     
  10. russ

    russ Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Canton,NY
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    JOB had his most successful run at Ajax as a left back,we just needed him more in the middle.
     
  11. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Yedlin. Lichaj for 2018
     
  12. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know what you mean... but Villafana did just play two matches that we survived.
     
  13. shnaggletooth

    shnaggletooth Member+

    Jun 23, 2002
    Resurrecting this old thread to ask:

    Are we any closer to a solution, yet?
     
  14. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought people seemed pretty happy with Villafaña's play around here.
     
    Marko72 repped this.
  15. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think is alright but leaves something to be desired. Kenny is a step up.
     
  16. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Villafana has done well in every game he's played so far. Maybe grass is greener thinking or dogmatism to not be satisfied w/ him and prefer an alternative, blind, who doesn't even play in a top league yet and is not a natural fb unlike the incumbent. If we're lucky, Saief is as useful as Fabian Johnson, who probably is not as good of a fb right now for the usnt as Jorge.
     
    shnaggletooth repped this.
  17. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As an FYI, Kenny is coming in as a left mid
     
  18. la torre

    la torre Member+

    Dec 27, 2008
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Lichaj gets his chance. This is probably now or never for him.
     
    Marko72 repped this.
  19. PhillyandBCEagles

    Jul 9, 2012
    NC
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    I mean depth, flexibility, and options are good things. If Saief works out we've all of a sudden got 3 quality left-sided players between him, VIllafana, and FJ. Lichaj can provide cover at LB too if he works his way into the squad. So even if Villafana doesn't end up starting at LB for us in Russia (which I think he will if we use a flat-back 4) his emergence and hopefully that of Saief are very good things.
     
    shnaggletooth repped this.
  20. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    He's not super-stout defensively, but he's at least an effective stop-gap.
     
  21. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought he wasn't strong enough going forward and Kenny has played the LWB.
     
  22. KickballWizard

    Jun 11, 2013
    At left back? He'll be competing with Zusi for minutes in the right side.
     
  23. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I think we are going to start seeing a drastic change at LB. The LB's in the younger age groups are nearly as good as the players in any other position.

    2000's best defender is a LB, 2002's best defender (and maybe the best player) is a LB, One of 2001's best player is a RB who is left footed (probably a LB eventually), along with a number of other intriguing LB's who I think will also factor in somewhere.

    So while we might not have much talent at the NT level yet, the talent is coming in the next two cycles, I think.
     
    shnaggletooth and USSoccerNova repped this.
  24. Techsan111

    Techsan111 Member

    Jul 8, 2014
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Johnson LB
    Saief LM

    Problem solved
     
  25. Mr Martin

    Mr Martin Member+

    Jun 12, 2002
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Johnson LB (Villafana the sub)
    Nagbe LM (Saief the sub)
     

Share This Page