IIRC, Mexico didn't try testing him defensively much, they dithered on the flanks a little, then went over the top. Likewise, the US did score off the two set-pieces. The run-of-play scoring opportunities were few and far in between. Oh, well... January is upon us. We'll see the early results in a few weeks.
Yeah. I agree with (I think it was you) about his play with Barton - he works well with an agressive, occasionally rash CM next to him. Reyna is sort of like a calmer, older big brother. You get all jazzed and drink too and go flailing into a barroom brawl and he hangs back a bit and bails your arse out when it gets ugly. He's not going to start the brouhaha, but he'll keep you from getting killed in it. So, can Pablo do that? Or do we have someone else. They need to be able to truly play DCM (a Barton or Bazza or van Bronkhorst - is it a B thing?) while also be able to and want to get forward at times. JOB is that guy. Anyone else? We need a Davids with van der Vaart dreams. Any takers?
other than reyna and job, there are NO other usa players capable of maintaining sufficient possession to control the tempo of the game.... agaisnt the czechs, mastroeni will be dedicated to nedved, and against italy, we need to see whether it's pirlo or totti.... o'brien might being reyna's partner against ghana... still donovan and beasley are the other mids and neither is static, controil type, but more a dynamic, play into space ..... I can see convey being a useful sub in this model of play
Best option (if everyone if healthy); 4-4-2. -------Reyna----O'Brien------- ---Donovan---------Beasley--- -----Johnson-----McBride---- I don't see DMB on the right, he has not looked comfortable there at all, and Convey has yet to impress in the middle. 2nd Option: 4-5-1. Reyna or O'Brien out. -------Pablo--Reyna/JOB -RM(pick)--Donovan---DMB -----------BMB---------- 3rd Option: Diamond w/Destroyer -----------Pablo---------- RM-------Reyna/JOB---DMB -------Donovan---BMB---- Could go w/ a 3-5-2, but I think against Italy or Czech's, it's unlikely.
I think all of your line-ups are viable. I also agree that a 3-5-2 is pretty unlikely. I disagree that Beasley on the right is something we won't see. Some other possibilities depending upon player availability and opponent: 4th Option: 4-4-2 Diamond. Reyna and O'Brien out. -------------Mastro---------- Beasley------Donovan-----Convey -------Johnson---McBride---- 5th Option: 4-4-2 Diamond w/ Reyna as RM and pinched in. -----------Mastro/JOB---------- --Reyna----Donovan------Beasley -------Johnson---McBride---- 6th Option: 4-5-1. Beasley as RM. -------Mastro/Reyna/JOB (pick 2) Beasley---Donovan---Convey -----------McBride----------
What we need, then, is a left-footed midfielder who has international experience playing defense. We have two. If JOB is not healthy, I expect to see Bruce toy with Bobby Convey behind DMB on the left side of a MF box, with Eddie Lewis as the back-up option (sadly, then, causing Boca to push back out on the left side of the backline).
Assuming everyone is healthy (which doesn't look good) I think Arena will play a system similar to Chelsea's --- with McBride playing the Drogba role; Donovan and Beasley running off him (Robben and Cole) -- with O'Brien, Mastro and Reyna playing in the midfield. Arena always plays with a defensive midfielder (or 2) -- Mastro is our starter in that slot (with Carroll, Clark, Armas, etc. as the backups). Reyna and O'Brien are too good not to start. Eddie Johnson becomes the odd man out. Obviously injuries, cards, tactics will change things as play progesses -- but I think that our best 11 will not have Johnson. SR
Hard to read too much into that. The oxygen deprivation experience at Azteca is unique and might render a lot of comparisons less meaningful. You do make some good points, though, and I agree that Reyna and Mastro would be better paired in a box formation as dual holders instead of a diamond with an a-mid and a d-mid. (at least that's what I think you said) Good point about Claudio and Joey Barton too. They've really forged a successful partnership. Neither seem to look as good without the other on the field. But together--a dominating midfield presence. JOB aside where's our "Joey Barton"?
This would be extremely foolish. To play the "Drogba role", you need a forward that is both fast and big enough to hold the ball -- someone like Eddie Johnson perphaps. McBride has already demonstrated at Fullham that he is not effective unless teamed with another striker as he is simply not mobile enough to play the lone ranger. Now if you want to play a standard 4-4-2 and put another guy up top, then yeah you can play with McBride, no problem. Though I still think a healthy EJ has to be in the lineup.
Life would be a lot easier for this team if we could simply slot our best players onto the field and they'd perform, where-ever. So, can Convey be effective in the middle? I think he can. His creativity at Reading suggests it, at least. The neat little back-heel flick that looped onto a striker (for a goal that was called back, but still) was beautiful. The way he's running at people is impressive, and is opening up a lot of space. He's making a lot of nice through passes, great timing. And his free kicks are dipping and swerving and dangerous. But, I don't know how he fits. Maybe: Reyna LD DMB Convey or Convey Reyna DMB LD If not (and this assumes JOB is either not available or limited) Reyna DMB Convey LD None of which I'd be as sold on as Reyna Mastro DMB Convey LD just some convey thoughts. On the exact topic of this thread, LD is indepensible to US success, and Mastro is very important. the rest of the mids who matter though are YAs.
having the likes of convey or o'brien off the bench aren't all that bad... until proven otherwise, arena goes with a pure d-mid, meaning mastroeni in all likelihood gets paired with reyna.... donovan and beasley are the attacking mids.... having o'brien as sub for mastroeni or reyna is one sub plan... convey for donovan or beasley is another....
Heath Pearce is the 3rd legitimate option. A wingback isn't all that different from a defensive or even 2-way midfielder skill wise. Plus, Pearce seems to have excellent speed - Eddie Lewis doesn't - and a decent ball control.
I'm a hugh fan of Heath's, but I don't think he's going to break through to this squad. We've too many good left-side players already, and I think Spector's versitility along the backline (and higher level experience in the EPL) will probably beat out Heath for the last spot on the backline. That said, I hope he proves me wrong because he is fit, fast and, by all reports plus his time in the Scotland match, has excellent ball skills.
While Eddie is no roadrunner, I don't think speed has ever been a big issue with him, has it? The bigger question has to be his defensive positioning, instinct to man-mark etc. One good lapse in concentration there would be bad. Which is not to say he can't do the job. But that has to be the main concern.
I do not think you will ever see DMB subbed for unless he's injured. He's probably has the most endurance of any US player. In the US poland match in Chicago in 04 he played a full 95 minutes plus an additional 30 in the 2nd half of the fire game (in 85 degree heat with 90% humidity). I wouldn't take LD off the pitch either.
I think McBride is strong enough to hold to ball up to get support from Donovan and Beasley. Question for you -- if you have McBride and Johnson start -- who sits: Reyna, O'Brien, Mastro, Donovan, Beasely -- assuming a 4-4-2? SR
Barring injury, (big if) I do not see Convey starting a match in the World Cup. I think he is too overmatched size wise but his fresh legs late could create opportunities. Yes, Beasley and LD are slight as well, but each is essential to our success. The midfield will likely be a box with LD and DMB as attackers and the other two slots will be filled with either Reyna, JOB, or Pablo. I think it is likely that you see LD playing forward at least one time and thus adding a Ralston or Convey is not completely out of the picture. I hope that we have the opportunity to see McBride and EJ with LD in midfield at least once. Eddie Lewis is our second choice at Left Midfield ahead of Convey. I am also very much against playing either or DMB or Convey on the right side of midfield.
This question is worth exploring. * Reyna isn't likely to play every minute of all three opening games. He'll need a break, so that answers the question for at least part of one or two matches. * When Reyna is out, it seems like a box midfield would work, with Mastro and O'Brien holding centrally, and Donovan and Beasley attacking. * If you assume that three players -- Reyna, Mastro, and O'Brien -- may essentially share the two holding mid roles in the box, in order to keep them fresh, then Donovan and Beasley play every minute; they can given their reputations for top physical conditioning. * If Beasley needs a break (say after being fouled relentlessly), then I could imagine a diamond of sorts where Reyna--Mastro--O'Brien play in front of the back-4 and Donovan has a free central/floating attacking role. * Lastly, while the question asked about which mids to play assuming both Johnson and McBride start, it also seems likely that McBride will need a break during the 1st 3 games. In that case it may make more sense to play Johnson "alone" up top and play Donovan and Beasley right behind him, aggressively supporting him. It's almost a 4-3-3, or an assertive 4-5-1. Reyna--Mastro--O'Brien fill out the midfield behind Donovan and Beasley.
No doubt he is strong enough and he certainly holds the ball well enough. But he is not fast enough to play without a second forward as demonstrated by his initial period with Fullham. You could push both Beasley and Donovan forward, but then you would be seriously outnumbered in the midfield, which woudl be worse. No, this formation will only work if Johnson replaces McBRide. Well that's a problem I would love to have. But, assuming it becomes a problem, you have a number of options. First, you could bench Johnson and play a 4-4-2 with Donovan up top and Reyna or JOB at right mid. This could work, though I would be worried that there was not enough offensive support and we wouldn't get enough players forward with a midfield of Beasley plus JOB, Reyna and Mastroeni. Secondly, you could bench McBride and play either a 4-4-2 with Donovan joining Johnson or the 4-5-1 with Beasley and Donovan supporting Johnson. Third, you could bench Mastroeni and have JOB and/or Reyna do or split his job. This appears to be BA's preferred option, but it may depend on the strength and tactics of the opponent. Fourth, you could sit down either Reyna or JOB, most likely JOB, on the theory that they would last the tournament that way.
Well, it may have kept him in Colaship all those years. A midfielder has to be able to defend, especially in a high pace game that you find in England. I think he'll be fine. There is a brief current discussion about Jonathan on the YA forum. With four months to go in the Prem season, he has not gotten much play time for a struggling Charlton defense. (tied with Fulham and a couple of others with 30 goals allowed ... 33 is the 2nd worst). Playing a youngster in defense at the WC is asking for trouble. IMO, he can play - maybe - a right sided central defender in 3-5-2 or a defensive mid in 4-4-2 Diamond. He's good going forward and he's got size but an experienced vet is far less likely to make a goof than a 20-year old with scarely any top league experience.
There is a difference, however, between midfield defending and back 4/3 defending. It tends to be "technical" things - off side trap, good instinct on shutting lanes in the final 1/3, knowing when to mark the run and when to play the lane, etc. Certainly Eddie has been around long enough to be very aware of all that stuff, but I think it is player by player how quickly it becomes "instinctual." Chris Albright, for one, seemed to take a while (and still may be taking a while) to have tight marking in the final 3rd be "second nature" and to get drawn the half step toward the ball. When he first came to RB from the RWM slot two seasons ago, it looked to me (although I think Martin will disagree) that he was not remembering to tightly mark in the box. His instinct was to go toward the ball and leave room, esp. far post. Now Albright is a converted forward and has not played midfield at the level or for the length of time that Eddie has, (and I think Aldark tends to space out a little anyway) but it would, for me, be more of a worry than Eddie's speed. He may "only" have cola-ship speed, but I'd be surprised if he was way off, say, Sepctor's pace. Convey is still an option at LB too, I'd suppose, although I think Bruce feels Lewis is a better fit there and Convey will likely be in the midfield rotation if he gets a slot on the squad.
No, I don't think so. Either we were arguing about something else, you didn't explain it as well or I was plain wrong. I think what you have described is something we should watch for when assessing Lewis at left back -- and Albright too.
Certain it was option A or B (I'd never suggest otherwise!) ... I actually think Lewis will rise to it, he's a solid, workman like pro. But I also think we won't know until a few of the "real" friendlies. And we won't really, really know until July 2006. I do have the image in my mind of him coming on (in CR? was it) and tossing that elbow. That was a lot of games ago and he's a different player, but playing Italy you will see every trick in the book (and not just Italy - that's not singling them out) and it helps if you seen them all a few hundred times before.