SAN JOSE, Calif. – When US midfielder Darlington Nagbe dreams of soccer, he doesn’t care where he plays. What matters is simply being in a position to control the game.
“The only thing I dream about is getting touches, getting the ball,” Nagbe told MLSsoccer.com after Tuesday’s training session in advance of the Americans’ critical World Cup qualifier against Honduras. “I can play multiple positions. But when I think about it, I just think about getting the ball and doing what I love to do.”
With Los Catrachos expected to sit back and wait for chances to counterattack, Nagbe’s ability to stitch together passes that help turn his team’s simple possession into dangerous attacking opportunities is something the US will almost certainly need at Avaya Stadium on Friday night (10:30 pm ET | FS1, UniMás, UDN, Follow on the MLS App). The 26-year-old has two assists in three matches with the Portland Timbers so far this season, which could be ascribed as some of the payoff for finding a permanent home – at least for now – on the pitch.
In January, new U.S. coach Bruce Arena gave Nagbe his first career start at the international level, stationing him on the left wing. And Portland coach Caleb Porter proclaimed during that same month that he was committed to playing Nagbe in the same role, a position he manned in 2013 while scoring a career-high nine goals for the Timbers.
The analytics, Porter said, showed Nagbe was most dangerous in that spot. The player can’t say if he necessarily agrees.
“I didn’t look at those numbers the coaches have,” Nagbe said. “For me, I’ll play wherever I’m needed to play.”
For now, Nagbe is needed back with the US squad after declining invitations to friendlies in October and getting passed over for the team’s World Cup qualifying matches in November. The Americans lost both, and did so in such poor fashion that coach Jurgen Klinsmann was shown the door in favor of Arena.
Nagbe said there wouldn’t be more responsibility borne Friday by players who may have found new life under Arena, in order to validate US Soccer’s change. Yet there is precious little time to drop more points, especially at home.
“If things go wrong, I think we know that we can still make up for it,” Nagbe said. “But definitely, you can feel the pressure and how intense a game it’s going to be.”
And although it’s been almost 11 years since Arena coached a competitive match with the USMNT, Nagbe said there has been no confusion about what Arena wants his charges to do.
“I feel like Bruce has done a good job of being very clear in our goals and what he wants for the team,” Nagbe said, “The guys are confident. I think Bruce is confident in the guys that he’s called in and we’re looking to Friday.”
