Last week, I took a crack at putting together my preferred starting lineup for the US national team’s do-or-die World Cup qualifier against Panama.
I called for a 3-5-2 formation, which was way, way different than the 4-4-2 diamond that Bruce Arena rolled out in Orlando. That setup worked out just fine, of course, with the US romping their way to a dominant 4-0 win against Los Canaleros.
The victory put the US in full control of their World Cup qualification hopes heading into Tuesday’s match at Trinidad & Tobago (8 pm ET; beIN SPORTS, Universo). A win against the Soca Warriors, and the Americans are in. A draw would more than likely do the trick, too. A loss would make things tricky – let’s hope we don’t have to worry about any of those permutations.
While the US were rampant on Friday against Panama, I don’t expect Arena to be as aggressive with his lineup on Tuesday. The field will likely be a mess, the US are on the road and they only need a draw. Those circumstances lend themselves to a more conservative approach than what we saw on Friday, and they played a pretty big role in determining how I’d line things up.
The biggest change I’d make would be in the formation. I’d be excited to see the US use the diamond again, but it'd be more prudent to shift to a 4-2-3-1. That means switches in the midfield and up top, including bringing in the responsible, smart and experienced Alejandro Bedoya to play alongside defensive midfielder Michael Bradley. I’d also make a switch in net, starting Brad Guzan over Tim Howard to keep that goalkeeping competition kicking as the US edge closer to a probable trip to Russia next summer.
Here’s how I’d lineup the full team:
4-2-3-1, left to right
GK: Brad Guzan – Jorge Villafaña, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, DeAndre Yedlin – Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya – Darlington Nagbe, Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola – Jozy Altidore
