-------------Keller Pope--------Gibbs-------Boca -------------Pablo----------- Cherundolo---------------JOB ------------Dempsey------- ---LD--------EJ-------DMB Gooch fills in when needed at the back Hejduk replaces Dolo for defense, Ralston for offense, Reyna if Dolo can't start for some reason Eddie Lewis and Convey back up JOB (and possibly Brad Davis if he shows well).
Donovan, Dempsey, Quaranta, or Olsen. I'd even bet the depth goes in that order. My lineup: Keller Cherundolo Gooch Gibbs Spector/Boca/Ward 1 of the 4 Masteroni JOB Beasely (probally Donovan) Johnson McBride/Ching I'd like to clarify that if someone other than Donovan is playing RM then Donovan takes McBride/Ching's place up top. The positions with slashes (/) are the ones I think are open along with RM Preferably I'd like to see either Spector or Ward at LB and wait for it Buddle up top with Johnson but NOTE: I RECOGNIZE THAT BUDDLE EVEN MAKING THE WC ROSTER IS A PROBABLE IMPOSSIBILITY if you can follow that. So no one flame me please I was just stating my dream lineup. I think everyone else is a lock in my opinion. I think Dolo holds down his spot over Sanneh or Olsen or whatever other competition is put out for the Gold Cup. I think Gooch starts in the WC over Pope. I think JOB if healthy is a lock in center midfield and I think Masteroni wins the D-mid battle that will be occuring over the next 12 months. EJ if healthy is a lock. I think the other forward spot is completely up in the air. I think anyone can claim it from McBride to Chris Rolfe and everyone in between. Anyway to bring back this post to the relevance of the thread I think Donovan starts at RM.
Hard to say whether Gaven was really better than Beasley in MLS, given that he and Beasley played very different roles. With PSV and the USMNT, Beasley is mainly an attacking player, but when he played for the Fire his role was a lot more defensive. As it turns out, upon looking at the Fire's performance in 2004 when Beasley was playing vs. not playing, the suppoedly "poor" 2004 season wasn't quite as bad as it looked. The Fire scored slightly less with Beasley on the field, but the difference in goals conceded overwhelmed that - they allowed almost 0.8 fewer goals per 90 minutes.
Not in 2001 it wasn't. Gaven earned best XI last year in MLS, something Beasley only did once and that was after the World Cup in 2003 (he was more than three years older than Gaven was last year). So I do think it's fairly reasonable to say that relative to similar stages in their careers, Gaven's been better than Beasley. That's no knock on Beasley since Gaven's likely been better than any other player in MLS history at a similar age.
Good points, Voros. It is easy to forget them. And, because of Gaven's already extensive pro experience, there is much less concern that he could adapt to the physicality of the international game the way there was for Beasley and Donovan. (Remember all the BS moaning about those two being too frail for WC competition?) BA will select according to who he thinks will be ready to contribute the best to team success in the summer, 2006. With that in mind, Gaven certainly is in the mix.
I also think that Gaven's got a good shot if we're playing with a true wide mid. It's not clear to me why so many people are discounting EG on the basis of four games against inexperienced competition when at a very young age he had a very influential and successful campaign against pros last year. But he needs to be in a camp very soon if he's going to make Germany.
Brian West isn't playing much right now, but he might also be in the mix. With Landon, DMB, EJ, and West we would have impressive speed in the attack.
This isn't like Johnson at Striker or Keller in Goal where there's going to be one guy who you just KNOW is always going to be at that spot. Remember in Korea '02 when we started five different lineups in five games? I think you'll see that same kind of flexibility again, and I think the right mid spot will be a place where you'll see some of that variation. If we go with 5 mid's, you'd expect Donovan at AM, and then we might line up Lewis on the left and DFB as a nominal right mid, even though he's really "playing the Earnie". If we go with a box mid, you'd likely see DFB at left attacking mid and Donovan at right attacking mid. If we go with four in a diamond, you could put either DFB or Lewis on the left and any one of Ralston, Reyna, Olsen, or even Quaranta (I believe this is what he's auditioning for) at right mid. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that of those four players, at least two make the roster just for the purpose of being able to rotate in for one game or so each at right mid. Dempsey, IMHO, is not in the hunt for a wide role - If he makes it, it will be as a holding or central midfielder.
I can't believe that so many posters have relegated Eddie Lewis to a substitute role! Here we have the one player who has been excelling (not just playing) consistently in Europe, and in the last few qualifiers he has been a part of, he has arguably been Man of the Match. IMHO, he is a lock at left mid. Given that, I go with Beasley on the right. He has to be on the field. His crossing is not his strong point, which is why Lewis gets the nod on the left. Plus, in the 4-4-2, Cherundolo's crossing has been improving greatly, so he can help with that on the right. Putting Beasley on the right still allows us to exploit the stronger points of his game: tracking back, speed, running off the ball.
What about putting Lewis at LM and putting Beasley up top with GAM? I think that leaves you with Reyna at RM and Donovan at AM and JOB at DM.
Well that is essentially what I did. Both LD and DMB are tweeners who would essentially be free to move around the attacking third. I think LD can be fairly easily neutralized in the middle of the field by bigger more physical D-mids, the type European teams usually employ. I think he needs to be closer to the goal, and moving around to the field making his runs, rather than stuck in the middle feeding the balls to the forwards.
Has'nt Donovan played right mid before? Im sure i remember him playing there a bit at the last world cup. keller dolo pope bocanegra JOB donovan reyna beasley dempsey johnson mcbride
A few things... one, 3-4-3 is not going to happen. two, pope isn't going to start. three, our attack will not go through Dempsey. The AM will either be LD, Reyna, or JOB, maybe DMB. Dolo doesn't have enough experience at midfield to make the proposed switch.
1) We played a 3-4-3 against Costa Rica. Convey played the position JOB would play and Ralston where Dolo played and it worked out great. 2) Pope starts every game for the nats 3) I agree Dempsey may not be the guy, it may be Donovan or Reyna but if Dempsey can do it, having LD, EJ, and DMB as 3 forwards would be pretty overwhelming for any team. They'll be three of the fastest players at the World cup all running all running at the defense. Plus they play well together. As far as Dolo playing midfield, in a 3-4-3 the wings are more defenders than attackers, that's why he's perfect. He won't have to beat anybody, just be good at keeping possession and finding the forwards, and on occasion getting upfield and crossing the ball. He's still basically a defender. The reason this lineup makes sense is that it puts the most talent on the field without putting anybody out of position too far. We don't have a left back the way we have a right back, and we don't have a right wing the way we have a left wing. So to play 4-4-2 means we are always putting two inferior players on the field, like Vanney or Ralston, just because they are the best players at those positions we have. It's easier to just eliminate those positions.
Hmmm. At one level, this is hard to argue against. Also believe that poster who pointed out 5 games/5 line-ups has a strong point. WC06 may indeed see a different RM for all the different opponents (one a crosser, one defensive, one an attacker, etc.). Surprised to see so little love for Noonan here. To me, RM is the only position he's competing for. His combination work w/Revs forwards is pretty solid; I wonder how his mid-range passing is?
I don't think we'll have an out-and-out RM, and I don't think we need one. I'm a big believer in Cherundolo's ability to jump up into the attack. I think we can play a staggered midfield and not put a square peg into a round hole just so we can fill a position. We've been playing some variation of a box midfield for quite a few games now, anyhow. There's no reason we can't play Stevie like an attacking wingback, and have Pablo give him cover. As for Gaven...I've just never seen it in him. People rate him highly, but his time is running short. I hope he does pull it together. -------------Keller----------- Dolo-----Gibbs---Boca/Pope----LB(JOB?) -------Pablo--------------------------- --------------Reyna/JOB--------------- ----------LD---------------DMB----- ----------GAM------McB-----------
I hate the staggered midfield. All it does is leave holes for the opposition to exploit. Most teams at the WC are going to have competent central midfielders who will continually switch the play to our weak side.
It seems like a lot of people aren't giving Lewis the respect he reserves, although he's old, he's been extremely consistent as of late, i seriously hope that Lewis is on the Left Wing for the WC, with Beasley on the right. Gaven is another interesting option, he didn't do to well at the youth tourney but I'm sure he'll get another chance.I'd like to see him get a chance.
I would also like to hear the reasoning behind all these people leaving Eddie Lewis out. There's hardly a better player in a US jersey now.
Never posted a lineup here before, but hey, there has to be a first time. I think Bruce may prefer the 4-4-2, but it seems to me we may have better personnel for a 3-5-2. Here's my complete shot-in-the-dark lineup: ------------------Keller---------------- ---Dolo-----Pope (Gooch)----- Boca--- Reyna ----------Mastro------------JOB -----------LD ------------DMB--------- --------Johnson -------McBride-------- Dempsey for Reyna at minute 70; Lewis for JOB for fitness/injury. Gibbs, Spector, Vanney, Hejduk(hope not) backing up Boca. Not crazy about having Pope in the lineup as a starter, but not ready to put Gooch in as the starter.