My 4: Donovan, Beasley, Reyna, O'Brien Note: Pablo will be in the starting line up as well. If one of those four is down, Pablo plays midfield. If all four are healthy, but GAM is not, Pablo in the midfield and either Donovan or Beasley up top. But, if all four are healthy and GAM is healthy too (by the way, Jennifer Lopez just called to say "THAT is a big but"), then Pablo starts at CB with Gooch.
And then he seemed to be healing, before injuring himself again in training with haag. Right now, Convey is a vastly superior option to JOB because 1., he's playing very well right now, and 2. he can actually walk. JOB has not played the game for three years on a consistent basis. to make the USMNT he not only needs to be healed before June, he needs to be healed and have time to get in 16/20 games with den Haag to get in form.
-----------------------GK - Keller RB - Cherundolo, CB - Onyewu, CB - Bocanegra, LB - Berhalter ----------------------DM - Mastroeni RM - Convey------------------------------LM - Beasley ----------------------AM - Reyna -----------------F - Donovan -------------------------------STRIKER - McBride
--Beasley------O'brien---Reyna----- ------------Mastroeni-------------- if no O'brien: --Beasley------Reyna-------*------ -------------Mastroeni------------- * = whoever pans out if no O'brien and no Reyna: 3-5-2 ---------------Donovan-------------- --Beasley---Dempsey--Clark----Dolo--
--------------Maestroni--------------------------- ----Reyna---------------Donovan----------------- -----------------------------------------Beasley-- -------------------------------------------------- -------------Striker#1----------------------------- ------------------------------Striker#2------------ JOB has to proove he's ready again.
Not for one second will Dempsey and Clark be in the central midfield for a WC game, Most likely they wont even make the roster. I know this is your midfield 4......but you wont see them starting together in a WC game, lucky if they make the trip.
I used the qualifier of O'brien and Reyna being injured. Even if O'brien and Reyna are healthy that leaves on central mid spot open-- most likely for a d-mid. Clark had a better year in MLS than any other US d-mid and he played well in his one outing. The competition for that last spot in this scenario consists of Dempsey and the DeeCee d-mid and Ben Olsen.
It worries me that both O'Brien and Reyna might be out/injured for the starting XI, game 1, WC '06. The January camp and the friendlies will tell the story of course, but I suspect that Ralston and Quaranta will vie for RM, although should Ralston begin to falter in form (given his slowness) and Quaranta continue his mediocre play, Arena might use Beasley on the right. Convey would take over LM in this case, Lewis going to LB (having Berhalter, Boca or Gibbs, if he recovers, at LB doesn't seem to be Arena's tendency). Mastroeni and Donovan will be our central mids should JOB and Reyna be unavailable. I can't see playing Beasley or Donovan as forwards, if you have McBride, Johnson (if in form), Twellman (here's hoping he continues to improve in MLS), and someone that steps up in the next 6 months from among the pack of Rolfe (didn't see his single Scotland performance), Ching (at the back of pack), Noonan (slow), Casey (not playing yet), Buddle (emulating some past EPL boys?), Wolff (surprised he's in mix) or even Herculez. Most important the last striker/forward chosen will have to be "on a roll" professionally. With the above options both in mid and up front, we are on thin ice in Germany.
IF JOB and Reyna are both healthy, thats a big IF....they will be in the middle of the park, Reyna isnt any younger so he's not going to play out wide. Thats two central midfielders, and the US team will not use 5 mids, they will play a standard 4-4-2 like they have been....so that leaves two outside mids. Beasley will be one of them, possibly Donovan if he isnt up top. If something happens to JOB or Reyna, Mastroeni will play one of the central mids as the holding, if they need an attacking Mid it will be Landon Donovan. Dempsey and Clark may have had good seasons in MLS, but they arent prepared in any aspect to play in a WC at the center mid spot. You wont see them together in the middle of the field for the US. Arena would play Beasley and Donovan at the middle before he use's two very inexperienced (WC exp.) players there.
The US used a 3-5-2 at the last world cup. Also Reyna played the wing in the Mexico game though not as a true winger in 3-5-2. As for Donovan, I don't think he provides the bite in central midfield and as a result wouldn't be used there. He's only been used in central midfield in a few friendlies. Interestingly Arena has preferred Beez as his central midfielder when O'brien/Reyna weren't availble. Even with Reyna available, Arena still used Beez as the attacking mid in Azteca. Understandable as Beez possesses better holding skills than LD. Clark performed well in his international game. Tough to say isn't ready.
Clark is a good young player, no doubt. But is he ready to play in a hostile WC game with 75K watching? I dont think so, not yet. Reyna played wide against Mexico in 02, but as I said he isnt any younger. He will not play out wide in the WC. And not to disagree with you Scoobs, but did the US use a 3-5-2? I honestly dont remember, but I didnt think that they did.
Reyna played wide right for Manchester City last year for a number of games very successfully. If he can do it in the EPL, his legs are strong and young enough to do it in the World Cup.
I think we might see Reyna and LD play on the right in this cup. We don't have enough difference makers to leave folks on the bench throughout the cup, which is also why i think we'll see several of the combinations listed here. LD and DMB will have places reserved throughout, as will Reyna on his form this year (pre-injury) but I can't imagine that Bruce won't find roles for both Convey and Pablo. BTW: someone listed Convey at right mid. Has he ever played there? For Reading, he does play a free role, and occassionally switches sides for a couple minutes, and he's been really dangerous running at people (which he can do from either side) but his best asset is his cross right now, and I'm not sure he has that from the right, but does he?
convey as first mid off the bench, or as emergency starter, given a normal starter goes down due to cards or injury
Am I the only one who feels that all these various postings of JOB, Reyna, Convey, DMB, and Donovan in the midfield leaves us a bit too offensive? I mean, can you really picture Chelsea deciding to start Lampard, Wright-Philips, Joe Cole, Duff, and Robben as their midfield? If JOB and Reyna are healthy, and they start as a central pair, against some teams this will mean that we don't need a Mastroeni; if the opponent is relatively disorganized, or if they are physically not imposing. In the hypothetical England example, Gerrard and Lampard would wade through this midfield's challenges, and they would win most high balls/goal kicks, leaving our front runners isolated no matter how well our midfield could hypothetically link up. Heaven help us if we sent that flimsy of a midfield up against Cote D'Ivoire or Germany. Against a Latin flair team, it's a good set-up; maybe against a Tunisia or a Saudi Arabia. But we will expect to win that game. Against the random European opponent of Sepp Blatter's choice, and against the seed for the group, we will need to be thinking 4-5-1 with Donovan as a floating midfielder/striker, McBride alone, and something like DMB on the left, Reyna/O'Brien in the middle, and Mastroeni behind them. We can't do any cute tricks with the ball, or launch counters, until we actually HAVE the ball. Anyway, my 2c.
He ostensibly played right mid in a friendly for Holland, though he played very centrally. No, I don't think he can effectively cross from the right, but neither can one of the other best options Beasley (and of the two, Convey may be better with his off-foot). And the other options may not be able to create enough space to cross and can't do much of anything else. Which is why Convey makes the list, though I wouldn't give it too high of a probability of happening.
ya know you could field convey and beasley on the field...giving them BOTH that role, of going where they please when they please, just free roaming.... i mean with reyna and mastro/job behind them..more like a box midfield...and of course landon would have to be at foward/no playing. still though that could work forza inter
Bruce's dream 4: Carroll Quaranta Olsen Adu Gros - first sub off bench Convey - second off bench (DC alums fall in line behind current "internationals").