Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
To make a 4-2-3-1 really work, both the defensive midfielders need to be fluid ball movers. Right now Bradley is the only player who has shown he's got both the bite and skill needed to flourish back there. Ideally he should have a partner who can really direct traffic back there. Basically the U.S. continues to wait for the next Claudio Reyna to emerge.
Evans needs to be replaced immediately. Other teams are going to exploit him now that they've seen his lack of pace. One guy I've seen play a little bit and who bears some watching is Andrew Farrell. He was the top pick in the MLS draft this past year and he's a bit of a beast. He does not get beaten out on the wing, and he shows some legit skills when he goes forward. I'd give him a Gold Cup callup (not that I think he will).
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
The US needs its best 11 players on the field. They don't really have the luxury of playing Cameron or Jones in a backup role. In the games I have seen so far, Cameron has played better than Jones, but I still think Jones is one of the better players the US has.
IMO this is probably the reason why Donovan will be welcomed back when he decides he wants to.
I think it is time to move on from Donovan. Now is the time for a youth movement.
Last edited by thatcoolguy_22; 06-20-2013 at 12:21 PM.
Exactly. Jozy is about to break out. He is playing in a good league now and just needs to wait for the right opportunity to break into one of the top leagues. You can just see in the runs he makes and how aggressive he is to the ball how much he has learned in the last couple years.
Jozy used to have a rep for loafing. He seems to have moved past that for good.
Is there any hope left that Oguchi Onyewu does anything on the international scene? Or is he pretty much done?
I would be amazed if he made any further meaningful contribution to the USMNT. I guess anything is possible, though. He's on the initial roster for the Gold Cup camp, IIRC.
Best 11 is a bit of a vague concept. The U.S. team is Dempsey, Bradley, Altidore, Howard and seven other guys. Besler and Gonzalez are looking like they're going to be the central defensive pairing. Yet who makes that starting 11 is going to be dictated by formation as much as merit/ability.
I don't think the U.S. really has the personnel to run an effective 4-2-3-1. Against top teams, it's not going to have a lot of possession, which means it will need more speed on the wings for the World Cup so it can counter more effectively. That's probably where Donovan comes back into the picture. Brek Shea could re-emerge as well. Klinsmann has thrown his lot in with the 4-2-3-1 and for the next year he's going to hunting for players who can make it work better.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
To make a comparison with my home country..... I wish Uruguay would ween itself off Forlan, but the NT Coach refuses to do so. Refuses to let Cavani develop as the main striker, while Suarez would be the secondary striker and playmaker. Suarez can do pretty much anything from MF going forward.
But the NT cannot get himself off Forlan and thinks it still 2010.
Same with Lugano as the spine of the defense.
When a country has success with certain players after several years of middling results.... it seems like they get scared to be without them.
Uruguay NT coach refuses to make 3 subtle changes in players and it has dragged the whole team down to almost out of the WC.
The US will make the WC, but they need to figure out quick if Donovan has anything left to really make it worthwhile to use him or let the new generation start doing it's thing.
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