When Jurgen Klinsmann released his preliminary, 40-man roster for this summer's Copa America early in May, there was hardly any room for criticism. It was maybe a little light at left back and a tad bit heavy with experience, and a few folks felt the need to go to bat for guys having break-out seasons in MLS like C.J. Sapong or Sacha Kljestan. But by and large Klinsmann picked an acceptable 40 (now 39, following Jozy Altidore's injury) to choose his final roster from.
Here, of course, is the eternal hurdle with Klinsmann, as he has badly mangled 40-man rosters in the past. Two years ago he memorably cut Landon Donovan before the 2014 World Cup, and that omission is where the fanbase's rage coalesced. I addressed it, but in the same column I also made this point:
Jozy or bust
I simply don't think the US can play good soccer without a target forward. And by "target forward," I don't mean a hulking behemoth who can win everything in the air; I mean a guy who primarily stays central, occupies the central defense, holds the ball up and links passes to the other attackers. It is a physical job, but it is not a mindless job for immobile donkeys.
Altidore is the obvious choice for that role, and unless something goes horribly wrong, I'd expect him to start and play at ton of minutes. But what if he can't? What if he picks up an injury, or a red card, or oversleeps? What happens if Jozy can't be Jozy?
Then the US are going to be in trouble, because along with Donovan, Goodson, Parkhurst and Evans, Terrence Boyd also got the boot. Boyd, like Jozy, is a target forward who operates well with a man on his back. He's built to battle while opening up space for everyone else.
In Dempsey, Chris Wondolowski and Aron Johannsson, Klinsmann brought three other strikers who do their best work in that space. None of them, however, create it. Jozy better stay well, or it will be a short trip and a long denouement.
It still hurts to be that right.
Klinsmann compensated incorrectly back then, playing Clint Dempsey as a lone false 9 and Michael Bradley as a pseudo trequartista, thus reducing the ability of the US midfield to A) create space or B) use space that happened to exist. And when Dempsey was, on occasion, sent through, it was usually on some sort of 1-v-3 without support:
Frustratingly, Klinsmann still sees Dempsey as a solution in that role. In the most recent US World Cup qualifier, a must-win at home against Guatemala, Dempsey played as the center forward in a 4-3-3 with two guys who are actual center forwards (Bobby Wood and Gyasi Zardes) shunted to the wings.
It worked for that game, because Guatemala are about the 90th best team in the world and the US should pound them into dust under any circumstances. The fact that they failed to do so the previous game is worrying.
Regardless, we've now had our "Jozy or Bust" moment before the actual roster selection, and both Wood and Zardes are in scintillating form. So we should not see a repeat of the fundamental mistakes in squad construction that cost the US a chance at a progressive showing in Brazil.
Klinsmann and US soccer will announce their 23-man roster on Saturday at halftime of the NYC vs. RBNY game (3 pm ET; FOX) as part of Heineken Rivalry Week.
With that, it's onto my version of the 23 Jurgen should pick.
- GOALKEEPERS:Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Ethan Horvath (Molde)
Guzan and Howard are Nos. 1 & 2 in some order. I chose Horvath for the No. 3 spot because A) he's really good, and B) it's important to get some youth into the mix. In the past the US has had to bring experienced No. 3 'keepers/psychiatrists in order to prevent the Nos. 1 & 2 guys from getting into a slap fight.
That's not the case with Howard & Guzan, who've always shown mutual support and respect both publicly and behind the scenes.
Leaving Nick Rimando and David Bingham with RSL and San Jose, respectively, also doesn't deprive two MLS teams or their starting 'keepers during the season to attend a tournament in which they're not likely to play.
- FULLBACKS:DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forrest)
This should be easy. Yedlin's been mostly awesome for Sunderland (and I refuse to list him as a Tottenham player) as a right back, and Castillo's been mostly good for Monterrey in LigaMX at left back, and was solid there against Guatemala. Lichaj, meanwhile, played nearly 4000 minutes at both spots and is a proven solid international at the prime of his career.
Brad Evans, Tim Ream, Kellyn Acosta... they'll all get consideration. I think Klinsmann, however, gives one of the spots to Timmy Chandler. Make of that what you will.
- CENTER BACKS:Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Matt Besler (Sporting KC), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Matt Miazga (Chelsea)
The first three are so obvious I won't even address it. I have Birnbaum overtaking Omar Gonzalez on the depth chart, and Miazga comes along in a role similar to Horvath's. Got to keep building depth via youth.
The looming fear amongst the fanbase is that somehow Michael Orozco or Ventura Alvarado, neither of whom has really figured this year for their club teams, will find a way into the mix ahead of guys who are playing and producing regularly.
By the way: I think it's a necessity to bring five central defenders to a tournament like this. Injuries and card accumulation are both very, very real -- lots of folks don't remember this, but we'd have been down to only one true center back had we made it past Germany in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals.
- DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS: Bradley (Toronto FC), Danny Williams (Reading)
Here's where I just know I'm 100% different from Jurgen. Bradley's been an ace at d-mid for TFC this year. Here he is lying deep, reading where his own team's pressure is having an effect, and then pouncing on a wayward pass:
That is just a clinic on how a modern d-mid should play for a transition-based team. But we know that Klinsmann sees Bradley as a No. 10, not a No. 6.
So I expect it'll be Williams and Kyle Beckerman occupying these two spots. I'm in no way against Beckerman being there -- he was our most consistent player in Brazil, and will be useful against both Costa Rica and Paraguay. But Bradley's been better in MLS this year, and Williams brings physical tools to the job that can help against the likes of Colombia and, potentially, Brazil.
Perry Kitchen can also figure into the mix, but I'm gonna go ahead and admit I haven't seen him play since he moved to Scotland.
- CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS:Jermaine Jones (Colorado), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Darlington Nagbe (Portland), Lee Nguyen (New England)
Admit it: You want to see a 4-3-3 with Bradley as the d-mid with Nagbe and Jones given free rein as dual No. 8s ahead of him. I think that'd be beautiful (and I'm happy to shift Bedoya into that mix as well). Nguyen has a place as an attacking specialist.
The guys on the outside looking in are Alfredo Morales and Mix Diskerud, even though Morales was a reliable contributor in the Bundesliga and Diskerud just played his best game of the season on Wednesday night.
The reality for Jurgen, though, is that Bradley is part of this group, which means either Nagbe or Nguyen gets left at home.
- WIDE ATTACKERS: Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
Johnson's in contention for the Bundesliga Team of the Year, and played all but two games on the wings. His name should be written here in pen whether the US play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2.
And I bring Pulisic over more veteran options like Graham Zusi or Ethan Finlay.
Note that a few guys I'm listing in other spots -- including Nagbe, Zardes and Dempsey can play on the wings.
- FORWARDS: Wood (Hamburg), Dempsey (Seattle), Zardes (Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Seattle)
Here's what I wrote in yesterday's Q&A:
-- Wood is the obvious favorite to start. He's quick and ruthless in the final third off the ball, and is a proven finisher in a good league. He's verging on "proven" for his country as well, even if his goals per 90 is lower than Jozy's. Wood's also a much sturdier option as a target forward than folks realize -- his hold-up play is rugged and honest in a Dom Dwyer type of way. His decision-making is slow, however, and that's the biggest drop-off from what Jozy brings.
-- Zardes is big and strong and fast and a threat just by being big and strong and fast. He's also entirely content to be a cog in the machine rather than the machine itself, making reliable (if predictable) runs. His passing is better in transition than it gets credit for, and while his first touch can at times provide high comedy he also tends to be very, very lucky. His hold-up play has improved a great deal, but his vision is mechanical and paint-by-numbers, which is a big drop-off from Jozy. On the flip side, he's the best of the bunch in the air. He also has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last five games since being moved up top.
-- Morris is a classic "run off the back shoulder" No. 9 in the same way as Chicharito. His speed is blinding and his touch when heading toward goal can be devastating, and he makes runs that are both simple and clever at the same time. He's easily the worst of the bunch in terms of hold-up play (though he's improving), and doesn't present much of an aerial threat.
I think any of those three would be acceptable (with Wood being much more than just 'acceptable'). Given that, I totally expect Jurgen to play Dempsey (who's not a No. 9) as a No. 9 with two of the other guys on the wings, because nothing makes sense and we live in crazytown.
The guys who misses the cut here is Chris Wondolowski, who's been in great form for the Quakes and just bagged a brace against Real Sociedad last night. I wouldn't scream bloody murder if he made the roster over Morris, but the US attack has young options now, and Klinsmann would do well by himself now and in the future if he starts putting them into spots where they can succeed.
