Fighting for Promotion

The only thing that has really surprised me this far into the Gold Cup is how dominant the USMNT was against Cuba last night (seriously, barely anything else surprised me; I almost predicted the team's starting lineup perfectly a couple weeks ago, save for Johannsson up front). 

Throughout the group stage, we played to the level of our opposition, no matter how good or bad they were, something I myself have become far too used to as a DC sports fan. It took Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and co. until the knockout round to really spread their wings, which was a sight for sore eyes. But which of these US teams is the one we're going to see for the rest of the tournament?

Let's break it down, line by line.

Defense:

I really have to hand it to Jurgen Klinsmann. He has continued - against everyone's will - to show confidence in Timmy Chandler at Right Back, and the German-American has improved in every game of this tournament. In fact, he may be the best RB in CONCACAF right now. I know, it feels weird to say it, but Chandler has been relatively solid defensively, and his deliveries into the box have been nothing short of pure quality. Our fans should feel confident with Chandler at Right Back going forward in this tournament, and towards the next World Cup cycle.

Centrally, I will stand by my original prediction and say that Alvarado and Brooks are still the best tandem, although Omar Gonzalez filled in well last night while Brooks was suspended. Similarly to the Chandler situation, Klinsmann has shown belief in the two young Center Backs, and they have responded by getting better every game. They are more comfortable on the ball, better at communicating with each other, and smarter positionally than ever before. 

Alongside Fabian Johnson, who is so good that I don't even need to go into depth about him, our back four is definitely good enough to help us win the Gold Cup. 

Midfield:

This is the biggest conundrum for me. To start off, it is clear that Klinsmann's faith in Michael Bradley as an Attacking Midfielder has paid off. After a shaky start to his time at that position (he has hopefully forgotten about Brazil last year), the captain has shown improved vision and quicker decision-making, traits that have helped him carve apart opposing defenses at will over the past few months.

On another note, it has been nice to see Alejandro Bedoya coming back to full health, and he has shown that he is a quality player. However, this only further complicates our midfield, who has not really had an identity yet this month. Players like Beckerman, Bradley, Bedoya, Morales, and Corona are all some type of central midfielder, yet Klinsmann has experimented with a few of them in wide positions. 

These experiments, in my opinion, have largely gone wrong, because these central-minded players naturally drift inward, which hurts the width of the team and throws off the balance of whatever formation we may be playing. The likes of DeAndre Yedlin and Gyasi Zardes have thrived out wide, so I think our best bet would be to leave them out there and rotate the central roles between Beckerman, Bradley, and possibly Bedoya, with Morales and Corona coming off the bench.

Our country is blessed with the most well-rounded group of midfielders in the region; however, they have to be played in the right positions, or they could become inconsistent and get burned by speedy teams (such as Jamaica, who we play in the semifinal on Wednesday). 

Attack:

I cannot describe my jubilation upon realizing that Klinsmann finally understands our attacking situation. Once he decided to drop Altidore in favor of Aron Johannsson, our team has looked so much more fluid. Against Cuba last night, and Panama the previous game (even though we only scored once in that game), the "Iceman" has shown all the traits that make him better than any other Striker on the squad. While Altidore may be better at bullying defenders, Johannsson makes up for his smaller stature with top-class ball control and passing, as well as beautiful technique. 

Assuming that Gyasi Zardes plays in a wider position out left, the Dempsey/Johannsson combination could be the most fruitful that we have seen in a long time. Pair up two forwards who have legitimate technical skill on the ball and opposing defenses barely stand a chance.

Final thoughts:

Jamaica will be a very tough opponent, and they are still riding high on confidence after an above-average performance at Copa America. As a team, Jamaica are probably the fastest that the US will come up against, but they have a relatively weak defense in addition to central midfielders that can most certainly be out-classed by Bradley and his compatriots. 

The most important matchups will involve Timmy Chandler and Fabian Johnson. If our outside backs can prevent the blazingly quick Jamaican wingers from getting in behind and crossing into dangerous areas, there is no reason to believe that the Yanks can't go marching on into the final in Philadelphia.

In the past month, the United States Men's National Team has been nearly unstoppable, with improbable but inspirational wins over Netherlands and Germany as well as a dominating victory over Guatemala. A year on from the Round of 16 finish in Brazil, the team is just days away from the 2015 Gold Cup, and they're expected to win. 

So how will they accomplish that?

I'm just going to be bold here - This is the Starting XI we should use:

Let's begin from the back with this analysis. 

While I think Tim Howard is our best goalkeeper and leader, he is still on his hiatus, so Brad Guzan seems the logical choice in goal. Nick Rimando has been great in MLS for so many years, but he's just too small to really put up a good showing against taller teams like Jamaica.

Now for the defense. 

Ideally, I would have played Johnson-Besler-Brooks-Shea at the back, but Besler and Shea aren't on the roster right now (NOTE: Each team is allowed to add more players right before the knockout stage begins, so expect Besler and possibly Shea to be brought in then). For that reason, I flipped Fabian Johnson over to Left Back, put Timmy Chandler in at Right Back, and added Ventura Alvarado in at Center Back. 

While many do not think Timmy Chandler is a great option at RB, for some reason, Jurgen Klinsmann loves him there. Maybe it's because Chandler had a fantastic Bundesliga season with Frankfurt, or maybe it's because JK sees something that we all don't. Regardless, our LB depth is so bad (sorry, Greg Garza) that we may be forced to played Johnson there, leaving the RB spot open for Chandler. 

As for Alvarado in the middle, it was difficult for me to select him over Omar Gonzalez. Gonzo is taller, stronger, and probably more likely to score a headed goal than Alvarado, but the major difference for me is intelligence and chemistry. In the three or four games where Alvarado has partnered with John Brooks at the back, they have looked good. Of course, both of them are young, and occasionally show that youth with silly mistakes, but they do a great job of communicating and looking out for each other. 

Believe it or not, the midfield was actually the easiest thing for me to decide.

Whether you call it a 4-2-3-1 or a more conventional 4-3-3, the players I selected can do the job. 

At this point, it is crystal clear to me that Kyle Beckerman needs to be our starting Defensive Midfielder because of his composure and footballing IQ. Next to him, I would put Michael Bradley; not only would playing two DMs shore up the midfield, but it would also provide support to Alvarado and Brooks in the back. While Bradley has shown glimpses of playmaking genius against Netherlands, Germany, and Guatemala, his strength still seems to be - like Beckerman - his calmness on the ball, and his ability to help out in a defensive capacity.

In a perfect world, I would have played Alejandro Bedoya at Center Attacking Midfielder with Clint Dempsey up top, but Bedoya is only just returning from injury. While Klinsmann may continue to stick Bradlley at the CAM spot, I put Dempsey there. Aside from maybe Fabian Johnson, Dempsey is still the country's most complete and versatile player, and is a great link between defense and attack.

Out wide, it was also fairly easy for me to go with Gyasi Zardes and Left Wing/Midfield and DeAndre Yedlin at Right Wing/Midfield. Zardes has been visibly improving with each and every national team appearance, showing not only a knack for scoring, but also for dribbling and creating chances for the central attackers. Yedlin, on the other hand, has never really had a bad game for the USMNT. While he is not the most technically gifted, he might literally be the fastest player in the world right now, which guarantees him a starting spot. At least seven or eight times a game, a Chandler/Bradley/Dempsey pass springs him into action down the right side, and he absolutely blows by any Left Back the other team may have. Not only does Yedlin have the speed to get past the defense, but his crossing has been steadily improving over time. In addition to his conventional crosses, which have always been good, his ability to cut the ball back to a trailing Bradley/Diskerud at the top of the box has become almost perfect. 

I believe that this is our country's strongest midfield at the moment, and almost certainly the strongest in the tournament.

Let's finish strong here with our lone striker.

I'll make this short. Between Aron Johannsson, Jozy Altidore, and Chris Wondolowski, it has to be Johannsson, at least for this tournament. Wondo was never really going to be considered anything besides a late substitute, so my decision came down to a two-horse race. For me, Jozy has suffered in much the same way as Falcao; for some reason, in the last year or two, both seem to have lost a step of speed and an ounce of confidence. While Johannsson may not have exploded onto the international scene just yet, he has been on fire for his Dutch club and is a much more technical player than either Jozy or Wondo, which is important in terms of getting teammates involved in the attack. Even if you still don't agree, think of it this way: Altidore would be more effective as a substitute than would Johannsson. While the latter is a solid player all-around, and (in my opinion) more suited to start, imagine bringing on the brute strength of Jozy Altidore to absolutely bully a pair of exhausted Center Backs around 65 minutes into the game. 

If Klinsmann plays his cards right, he can work the Johannsson/Altidore tandem to great success.

There you have it. If you have any criticisms, suggestions, or even praise (wishful thinking), please go ahead and leave your comments below. I would love to delve into more discussion about this. 

Thank you for reading!

2. Michael Ballack & Matt Damon (actor)

3. Karim Benzema & Shia LaBeouf

4. David Luiz & Sideshow Bob (animated character)

5. Lukasz Fabianski & Matt LeBlanc (actor)

6. Joe Hart & James van der Beek (actor)

7. Niko Kovac and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

8. Andrea Pirlo & Sandor Clegane (actor)

9. Sami Khedira & Sacha Baron Cohen (actor)

Lionel Messi, not even 28 years old yet, had an incredible season, as we have all come to expect (he is pictured below with his adorable son, Thiago, and the Champions League trophy). Gerard Pique, somehow not getting distracted by his gorgeous wife and kids, led the Barça defense to its best season in a decade. Last but not least, Luis Suarez had an immaculate first season at the Camp Nou, and teamed up brilliantly with Neymar and Messi to form an attack that could even scare Chuck Norris.

But here's my question: Supreme talent level aside, did Barcelona truly deserve the title?

I would have to say no. In the same way that FIFA has tarnished the sport, Barça's antics have tarnished the sport. Growing up in a country where even a young boy crying for too long is frowned upon, maybe I don't truly understand why these grown men insist on constantly whining and complaining, but for me, it reflects badly on the entire game of soccer. Any time this season I had the displeasure of watching a Barcelona game in which they were in the lead, the last 15 minutes were always an absolute struggle to watch. With every little contact, the Barça players would fall down screaming and rolling around. With every opportunity, they would all circle around the referee like sharks who smelled blood, sometimes even bumping him or putting their hands on him (if you want to nit-pick, the team captain is technically the only one that's allowed to speak to the referee, but I digress). In general, it is just embarrassing to watch as a die-hard supporter of the sport.

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the importance of diving to the ground and how it can be used as a legitimate strategy to draw fouls, but the rolling, arm flailing, begging, and verbal abuse is an absolute disgrace. 

And the Champions League final showcased more of these Catalonian catastrophes. Imagine you are a huge baseball fan. You've never watched a game of soccer in your life, and you think it's such a stupid, girly sport. Now imagine you tune into Barcelona/Juventus at about the 70-minute mark. What do you see? Aside from Neymar's late goal, there is no beautiful soccer being played while you're watching. All you see is Dani Alves, Luis Suarez and co. rolling around on the ground, and you're thinking to yourself "No wonder this sport sucks, all these idiots do is waste time."

Again, I truly understand why the players are doing what they doing. They have the lead, and they want to make sure the game slows down and that Juventus doesn't have a chance to equalize. But just because I understand why, doesn't mean I have to support it. What kind of self-respecting player would voluntarily morph into a fish out of water when he knows that literally one billion people are watching him?

Barcelona is the most talented team the footballing world has seen in years, but I am absolutely sick of their players embarrassing themselves and the sport as a whole. Even if you are a Barcelona supporter, you must recognize that the behavior of your players is a large source of this embarrassment, and stop encouraging it. 

By now, I think we've all heard the news about FIFA, soccer's main governing body. 

Corruption that has been ongoing for decades has finally been brought to light by the United States Department of Justice and the FBI. High-ranking executives in the organization have taken millions of dollars in bribes for multiple reasons, which is absolutely ludicrous. 

For me, the beauty of soccer is the fact that it's such a democratic game - there is no required body type, size, strength, gender, or anything; all you have to do is train both your skills and your mind for the game and you can become a top player. But where is the democracy when countries are being awarded World Cups and sponsors are being awarded contracts all through bribery? That does not provide for a level playing field. The democracy of the game is slowly being destroyed by FIFA, especially by its president, Sepp Blatter, who was re-elected to a fifth term on Friday. 

Now, some of you may be wondering exactly how Blatter was re-elected even after the wire fraud, money laundering, and racketeering charges were brought up against some of his staffmates. Basically, the reasoning is this: Blatter requires that the proceeds of each World Cup tournament are distributed equally to all member nations of FIFA. In other words, the United States will receive the same amount of money as, for example, Mali or Uzbekistan. These smaller African and Asian nations are incredibly happy with this process and don't want it to change, and it just so happens that they make up 100 of the 209 votes in the FIFA presidential election. Therefore, Blatter really only had to 'win over' a minimum of five other nations to go along with the 100 votes he was already guaranteed.

So that's why he won again. But how will FIFA progress?

The beautiful game is walking down a dark alley that needs to be lit up immediately. It is clear that the organization needs to be reformed, but that really can't be done with a leader as corrupt as Blatter in charge. All high-ranking executives of FIFA need to be removed and replaced with men and women that would look to solve things democratically, with no interference of bribery. Not only that, but countries are going to have to be willing to withdraw from FIFA, boycott its events, and stop voting in its elections. With some of the most powerful footballing nations out of the picture, sponsors will be discouraged from participating in the World Cup or European Championship; this disappearance of money is what would certainly let FIFA know that things have to be changed, even if the disappearance of member nations doesn't.

It may take some scare tactics, or some United States meddling, but something must be done immediately about FIFA. The little integrity our game has remaining depends on it. 

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and follow both @camtotheyams and @FightingBlog on Twitter!

Alejandro Bedoya:

There's a reason Bedoya is the name I got on the back of my new USMNT away jersey. This player continues to start regularly for Nantes in Ligue 1, a feat even more impressive when considering that he wasn't even making the 18 about a year ago. While he still finds himself getting replaced around the 70th minute of games from time to time, he is a vital contributor for the mid-table French side, and has even contributed with two goals in the past month. As Clint Dempsey ages, Klinsmann will be looking to Bedoya to fill that attacking midfielder role, and he will certainly be prepared for that duty by 2018 if not much sooner.

Rating: B

                                                     

Timothy Chandler:

Chandler is both an underrated player and a conundrum for me. He has developed into easily one of the top ten right backs in the Bundesliga and even scored a goal for Eintracht Frankfurt this past weekend, yet I don't think I've even seen him play well in a US jersey. I don't want to judge him too much by his international performance, though; he is improving every week and has played the full 90 minutes for Frankfurt each of the past 15 league games. What Chandler lacks going forward compared to Yedlin, he more than makes up for in playing time and defensive ability. The right back battle for the USMNT will certainly be one to look at before 2018, but I have Chandler in the lead right now, based on current form alone.

Rating: B+