USA v. Japan post-game thread cont. (R)

Rainer24 · Aug 10, 2008

olephill2 said: ↑

This might draw the ire of some for being too particular, but I actually think our U-20 formation was more of a true 4-2-3-1:

-----------Altidore-----------
Rogers-----Adu----------Zizzo
-------Szetela--Bradley------
Wallace-Sturgis-Valentin-Beltran
-----------SEITZ--------------

So, what's the distinction? Freddy was playing much more like a traditional #10...an enganche, or an attacking midfielder. To me, a second striker plays closer to the opposing defensive line, much like Landon Donovan used to play under Bruce Arena, or how Freddy has been employed with the full national team, or even how Wayne Rooney plays with Man Utd. If you watched the Japan match, Freddy was most certainly not playing as a midfielder. He was too far up the field and tracking back too far and wasn't positioned in the role of a #10. In the U-20 World Cup, Freddy was the traditional CAM, and he was flanked by two wingers who were clearly tracking back defensively more than you would see out of wing forwards in a 4-3-3.
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I would agree with that, but I thought Rogers and Zizzo both dropped quite a bit farther back into defense than Adu did, and as the tournament went on, much of his play was combination work with Altidore, so I saw him more as the second striker in the 4-4-1-1, but to me the difference between an attacking mid and second striker can be pretty damn arbitrary, so I'm fine with however anyone wants to classify it.

MJ-inBRITAIN · Aug 10, 2008

Mr Martin said: ↑

Bold added.

The Olympic team is crucially interesting for the senior squad. Edu. Parkhurst. Wynne. Orozco. Bradley. Kljestan. Adu. Altidore. Rogers. Szetela. Holden. Mixed with younger Senior Nats like Donovan, Beasley, Dempsey, Onyewu, Pearce and Spector and you have the core of the senior team for perhaps the next two World Cup cycles. I've been waiting for these games all year, much more so than the big three friendlies that BS nearly imploded discussing more than a month ago.

THIS TEAM is the future, and a more broadly and deeply gifted group than any youth team the US has ever fielded. More than half of these guys could be starting the opening match in 2010.

Players like Boca, Cherundolo, DeMerit, Ching, Lewis, Mastro, etc., some of whom generated so much anger during the June friendlies are phasing out. Some sooner than others.

So, yeah, the Edu at CB experiment is very interesting. I can easily imagine the trio of Onyewu, Edu, and Spector becoming the core CB's by 2010, with vets like Boca and DeMerit fighting for a backup job. The Adu and Altidore strike pairing is interesting. Rogers along the wing is interesting. Wynne at right back is interesting. Orozco starting, even out of position, is interesting. Bradley, Kljestan, Szetela, Holden and Feilhaber in midfield is interesting, even if one or two don't make it -- because one or two surely will.

The anguish on these boards in June was a mirage. This Olympic team and their post-Olympic full integration during the Fall Qualifiers is where the rubber meets the road. Game on!
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Well, we're about to find out more in this little experiment in about 2hrs. I'm not as bullish about our youth movement as you are for 2010. But we will need at least one of the CB's to be replaced by 2010.

Captain10 · Aug 11, 2008

Captain10 said: ↑

A bit of gamesmanship perhaps? We had better prepare for Makaay ... and be happy if, in fact, he does not end up playing.

The worse thing we can do is prepare for the game like he will not be there, and then drop our jaws when he ends up "recovering" quicker than expected and playing the whole game.

I think we can't be so naiive ...
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Touche ... I'm glad the team was prepared!