Road to 2014: The Brazil Board 6.0
By Luke Cyphers and Doug McIntyre ESPN Insider
We said it from the outset more than a year ago, and we'll say it again: Projecting the U.S. World Cup 2014 lineup is a fool's errand. For proof, look at our first attempt. We projected rarely-on-the-field Ike Opara at center back. We wrote in running-in-place Juan Agudelo at striker. We had History's Greatest Monster (fan balloting version) Jonathan Bornstein at left back. Back then, we even figured Bob Bradley would be coach.
We failed to anticipate the rise of German talent in the U.S. ranks, from the hiring of coach Jurgen Klinsmann on down to a tasse of Kaffee for David Yeldell. Thus does the world turn, and with it, the U.S. World Cup board.
Except in the case of U.S. central defenders, for which nothing ever changes, rendering predictions is even more difficult.
Over the past year, the U.S. center back pool hasn't cooperated with the natural aging process and moved gracefully out of the way. For much of the Klinsmann era, in fact, Carlos Bocanegra has been the team's steadiest player; Oguchi Onyewu put together his best stretch of club play since 2009; and Clarence Goodson kept showing up at international matches as his usual reliable self. More importantly, not a single young central defender established himself as an odds-on 2014 starter. Tim Ream grew a year older and lost his confidence; John Anthony Brooks grew two inches and lost his coordination; Opara kept getting hurt; and Geoff Cameron keeps getting beat over the top.
So for now, at least through the Guatemala game June 12, we're staying with the same old, same-old guys in the middle.
In contrast, the fullback picture has brightened considerably. For about a four-week span in March and April, the Yanks had not one, not two, but three quality left back candidates for Brazil. Timmy Chandler seemed to lock up the job last fall, but then Fabian Johnson looked even better. And Eric Lichaj won a starting job in the EPL with Aston Villa. Of course, this is left back, the Yanks' most accursed position. By early June, Chandler has declined to show up for national-team duty, Lichaj didn't get called in and Johnson -- after impressive performances against Scotland and Brazil -- is nursing an injury.
Still, we think Johnson is the future at left back, and that Klinsmann will come around on Lichaj (in the same way he came around on Michael Bradley) and play him on the right, with another old reliable, Steve Cherundolo, backing him up.
Also bright is the central midfield. The U.S. has plenty of quality players who are still figuring out how best to combine with each other, with intriguing reinforcements at the ready. We're taking a flyer on one of those potential reinforcements here: Alfredo Morales.
No, we haven't seen enough of Morales to be sure, but soccer is a young man's game, and we know this much about him: He was good enough to challenge for playing time in the Bundesliga last year; he absolutely destroyed a good Mexico U-23 side this year; and his absence from the Olympic qualifying tournament is probably the single biggest reason the Yanks aren't in London this summer. We also know he has earned the respect of veterans in the Yanks' camps.
His mobility and bite give him a shot, in our minds, to leapfrog Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman in a No. 6 role, allowing Bradley to roam in the midfield.
We liked the three-headed central midfield Klinsmann used against Scotland and believe that using Danny Williams pinched in on the right creates the same dynamic. Williams, remember, manned this position in the U.S.'s 1-0 victory against Italy in February, and though he's not a natural winger Klinsmann obviously wants Williams on the field somewhere.
The Canada match, like last year's Gold Cup, showed how much the Americans need speed on the field. Johnson and Lichaj provide that, and so does Brek Shea.
Yes, Shea is going through some growing pains. Did he have buyer's remorse after re-signing with FC Dallas last year, then drawing looks from European clubs? Is he dealing with a bit of the too-much-too-soon issues that have plagued young pros since Freddy Adu first signed with D.C. United? Did he get tired after a grueling campaign last year? Is he in need of some mental maturity?
The answer is probably yes on all counts. But Shea is fast, he's skilled and, when on form, is a scary handful on the left wing. If he grows up this summer and learns from his recent meltdown, this spring will look like a hiccup on the way to an outstanding international career.
Up front? Let's face it, it's a little like the back line. It's Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez as an ideal super-sub, and … um …
There are plenty of gleam-in-fans'-eyes guys out there who could suddenly figure out how to score in bunches at a high level -- Terrence Boyd and Andrew Wooten; C. J. Sapong and Tony Taylor; maybe even Omar Salgado (remember him?) -- and emerge as a reason to put two strikers on the field at once.
But the Yanks aren't there yet. And until there are more viable striker options than midfield choices, we'll stick with a 4-5-1.
Anything else is speculation, which, as we know, is just plain foolish.
By Luke Cyphers and Doug McIntyre ESPN Insider
We said it from the outset more than a year ago, and we'll say it again: Projecting the U.S. World Cup 2014 lineup is a fool's errand. For proof, look at our first attempt. We projected rarely-on-the-field Ike Opara at center back. We wrote in running-in-place Juan Agudelo at striker. We had History's Greatest Monster (fan balloting version) Jonathan Bornstein at left back. Back then, we even figured Bob Bradley would be coach.
We failed to anticipate the rise of German talent in the U.S. ranks, from the hiring of coach Jurgen Klinsmann on down to a tasse of Kaffee for David Yeldell. Thus does the world turn, and with it, the U.S. World Cup board.
Except in the case of U.S. central defenders, for which nothing ever changes, rendering predictions is even more difficult.
Over the past year, the U.S. center back pool hasn't cooperated with the natural aging process and moved gracefully out of the way. For much of the Klinsmann era, in fact, Carlos Bocanegra has been the team's steadiest player; Oguchi Onyewu put together his best stretch of club play since 2009; and Clarence Goodson kept showing up at international matches as his usual reliable self. More importantly, not a single young central defender established himself as an odds-on 2014 starter. Tim Ream grew a year older and lost his confidence; John Anthony Brooks grew two inches and lost his coordination; Opara kept getting hurt; and Geoff Cameron keeps getting beat over the top.
So for now, at least through the Guatemala game June 12, we're staying with the same old, same-old guys in the middle.
In contrast, the fullback picture has brightened considerably. For about a four-week span in March and April, the Yanks had not one, not two, but three quality left back candidates for Brazil. Timmy Chandler seemed to lock up the job last fall, but then Fabian Johnson looked even better. And Eric Lichaj won a starting job in the EPL with Aston Villa. Of course, this is left back, the Yanks' most accursed position. By early June, Chandler has declined to show up for national-team duty, Lichaj didn't get called in and Johnson -- after impressive performances against Scotland and Brazil -- is nursing an injury.
Still, we think Johnson is the future at left back, and that Klinsmann will come around on Lichaj (in the same way he came around on Michael Bradley) and play him on the right, with another old reliable, Steve Cherundolo, backing him up.
Also bright is the central midfield. The U.S. has plenty of quality players who are still figuring out how best to combine with each other, with intriguing reinforcements at the ready. We're taking a flyer on one of those potential reinforcements here: Alfredo Morales.
No, we haven't seen enough of Morales to be sure, but soccer is a young man's game, and we know this much about him: He was good enough to challenge for playing time in the Bundesliga last year; he absolutely destroyed a good Mexico U-23 side this year; and his absence from the Olympic qualifying tournament is probably the single biggest reason the Yanks aren't in London this summer. We also know he has earned the respect of veterans in the Yanks' camps.
His mobility and bite give him a shot, in our minds, to leapfrog Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman in a No. 6 role, allowing Bradley to roam in the midfield.
We liked the three-headed central midfield Klinsmann used against Scotland and believe that using Danny Williams pinched in on the right creates the same dynamic. Williams, remember, manned this position in the U.S.'s 1-0 victory against Italy in February, and though he's not a natural winger Klinsmann obviously wants Williams on the field somewhere.
The Canada match, like last year's Gold Cup, showed how much the Americans need speed on the field. Johnson and Lichaj provide that, and so does Brek Shea.
Yes, Shea is going through some growing pains. Did he have buyer's remorse after re-signing with FC Dallas last year, then drawing looks from European clubs? Is he dealing with a bit of the too-much-too-soon issues that have plagued young pros since Freddy Adu first signed with D.C. United? Did he get tired after a grueling campaign last year? Is he in need of some mental maturity?
The answer is probably yes on all counts. But Shea is fast, he's skilled and, when on form, is a scary handful on the left wing. If he grows up this summer and learns from his recent meltdown, this spring will look like a hiccup on the way to an outstanding international career.
Up front? Let's face it, it's a little like the back line. It's Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez as an ideal super-sub, and … um …
There are plenty of gleam-in-fans'-eyes guys out there who could suddenly figure out how to score in bunches at a high level -- Terrence Boyd and Andrew Wooten; C. J. Sapong and Tony Taylor; maybe even Omar Salgado (remember him?) -- and emerge as a reason to put two strikers on the field at once.
But the Yanks aren't there yet. And until there are more viable striker options than midfield choices, we'll stick with a 4-5-1.
Anything else is speculation, which, as we know, is just plain foolish.
