Real Roster Questions
By Doug Smith
For the second time in recent memory the impending USMNT training camp comes with curiosity on whom makes the roster. This past World Cup roster had its questions heading into the final camps, but in the beginning of the century it was easy to predict the team. This is a step in the right direction for the United States Soccer Federation. The biggest questions may be in midfield and attack as fans await the roster sometime next week from coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Two years is a long time and there is a good chance that half the roster named next week will not be playing for the United States in 2014. Regardless, the next roster gives players an idea of where they stand and what they will need to do to play for the World Cup. Being named to the original roster shows confidence from the coaching staff.
The midfield will be a focus area for the U.S. In the ten matches under Klinsmann the team has used 18 different midfielders in about every tactical deployment possible. Watching the Klinsmann system shows that midfielders can lead an attack and find themselves all over the field. Klinsmann has decided that formation is not the first line of thinking when picking players.
"If we want to play a more proactive style, we want a more forward-minded style, a more high-pressure style, all these things, we do not want to react to the opponent. We want to play our own game, more possession in the game. That doesn’t lock you into a system. The system is only a way of how to adjust things on the field to get a job done."
There are four locks at this point from the perspective of The American Pitch. Michael Bradley seems to be the top performer as games run through him have gained control and given the team a real play called. Coach Klinsmann loves Jermaine Jones despite his repeated rule breaking. Jones has aggression that is helpful if used within the confines of the rule book. Maurice Edu has been a constant for Klinsmann.
The fourth player comes with an asterisk as Danny Williams has been a preferred player but tore a shoulder muscle and will be out another 3-5 weeks. This leaves another open position for Klinsmann to ponder. Landon Donovan is not listed as a lock based on the fact that he has missed the last eight U.S. matches for different reasons. He should still be named to the roster.
There are a couple of wild cards as Clint Dempsey could be named as a midfielder as well and Fabian Johnson could play multiple positions. For clarity, The American Pitch feels the top candidates are:
Bradley, Jones, Edu, Donovan, Torres, DeMarcus Beasley, Sacha Kljestan, and Mix Diskerud
Kyle Beckerman and Jeff Larentowicz should also be candidates. Diskerud is the long shot, but would be interesting to see alongside playmakers. His time with the U-23 team had stints of great passing ability.
We’ll take a look at the attacking options in a separate post.