Association Football

As the World Cup is slowly coming to an end, the summer transfer season is about to pick up. In past World Cups for the US, MLS based players gained significant attention and used the tournament to initiate moves to Europe. In 2002, Brian McBride and Damarcus Beasley and in 2006 Clint Dempsey drew Fulham’s eye. This time around it is a bit different situation.

With just three unknown MLS players (Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, and Jonathan Bornstein) on the US squad and none of whom particularly impressed, it seems unlikely that these players did enough to attract European attention. Yet this does not mean that this summer’s transfer season will be uneventful. While 19 of the 23 US players on the squad play in Europe, only one – Oguchi Onyewu with AC Milan – plays for a big champions league club (although one could say Maurice Edu and Beasley with Glasgow Rangers qualify, since Rangers is in the Champions League). It is a sign of significant progress to have 19 players on the squad playing abroad, especially since just 12 played abroad in 06 and 02. However, the next step and what should be an objective for US soccer for 2014 is to get more players playing on big clubs against even better competition.

After this World Cup some US players significantly increased their stock, and may be able to make upward moves.
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There has been a lot of talk about how no US strikers have scored in the last two World Cups. This is an uncomfortable stat and is a fairly solid thing to point to for why the US isn’t in the tournament. Strikers have to score and Altidore’s failure to do so is worth pointing out. But we shouldn’t go over board.

Jozy it seems to me is being treated as if he is a veteran in his prime, with the same expectations of a Donovan or a Dempsey. He is 20 years old. Repeat that. And then repeat that again.

Yes he didn’t score, but in my mind he had a very strong World Cup. he played the target role brilliantly, he scared the crap out of defenses and as a result opened up space for others to come in behind. He drew fouls, created chances, and ran at defenders. He hit the post against England, set up Bradley’s equalizer against Slovenia, and put the ball in to the box for the winning goal against Algeria. Against Ghana the importance of Altidore was evident when he was taken off before extra time. Without Jozy the US lost one of their main focal points in attack and his absence allowed the Ghanaians to focus more on Dempsey and Donovan.

It seems to have been forgotten that target strikers are often late bloomers. No one heard of Didier Drogba until he was about 25. Brian McBride didn’t settle into the premier league until his 30s. Jozy, while not scoring many goals at Hull City this year, started more games at striker than anyone else on the club and he did so as a lonely isolated holding player, where chances were few and far between. I heard some Englishmen remark that they had seen Jozy play and weren’t all that impressed – his touch would elude him, he would drift in and out of games, make the wrong run at times, or try to do too much on his own. But most of these commentators had no idea that Jozy is 20 years old. If Jozy were English, he would be hyped to be the next savior of England and would have a hugely expensive price tag. Think I am over doing it? Crap, marginal players English players like David Bentley even cost 20 million dollars!
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I know its hard in the midst of such disappointment to push away those feelings and recognize that the US team accomplished a great deal in this tournament. There will be plenty of time for analysis and recriminations. The bottom line is that this team earned the respect of the soccer world. I can’t tell you how many of my British friends sent messages of support and appreciation for what this US team brought to this tournament. Yes there were embarrassing lapses at the back and yes we repeatedly failed to finish our chances, but gone are the days when the US team is considered a pushover and a US win must be down to good fortune.

No phase of the US team escaped error, from each line of players to the coach, but no other team in this tournament displayed the resiliency, confidence, and toughness to fight through mistakes that would have sent other teams to the showers far earlier than our boys went out. We were, seriously, among the revelations of the tournament. Which other team has provided a quarter of the drama of the United States so far? I know that its more intense for a supporter, but even the nuetrals have been entranced by each of the four US games. Going behind early and storming back late is hard on the nerves but great for entertainment. The cardiac kids sure did open some minds about US soccer. Continue reading →

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Winning Group C legitimately puts the semifinals in reach

With all the appropriate caveats about not getting ahead of ourselves and needing to focus on Algeria tomorrow, a win in that game gives the US a very good chance at topping the group and a realistic path to the semifinal. Second place in the group likely brings matchups against two of the tournament favorites. While no game in the knockout stage will be easy for the US, it’s not hard to pick which path is easier and if the US wins Group C, we can genuinely think about reaching the semis. 

I know we should move on, but because of Koman Coulibali’s shocker, the US is not in control of its own destiny to top the group. If Slovenia beat England, they are group winners. But any other result paired with a US win against Algeria will bring us bring us level on points with either the Slovenes or the English, meaning the group winner will be decided on goal difference. England look a shambles both on and off the pitch, but I still find it hard to believe that they will lose to Slovenia and place the top spot in the group out of the American’s reach. So a US win by two goals should see us top the group unless Fabio Capello’s men find it all of a sudden and hammer Slovenia. A win by one may even be enough, but we can beat Algeria by two goals. Continue reading →

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The constant search for US strikers was seemingly resolved last summer with Altidore, Charlie Davies, and even Kenny Cooper making promising summer moves. Alas, apart from Jozy – who, in my view, has more than solidified his place – no one else is a sure thing at all. One could easily say – in horror – we only have one striker!

But in fact we have three top quality striker options. Dempsey and Donovan can and do both play in this role. A major decision confronting Bradley is whether to count these players as strikers as midfielders.

If Bradley chooses to count them as frontmen that likely leaves only one striker slot available. This would also mean relying extensively on Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden (who is recovering from a broken leg and hasn’t yet played), and Jose Francisco Torres. This would also leave open the door for the inclusion of both Damarcus Beasley and Alejandro Bodoya.

This is really quite doable. The US would play with either Donovan and Dempsey up top with the other in the midfield. If Bradley wanted to change the game he could do so with the one striker he had in reserve, or by reshuffling players on the field. For instance, if he wanted more wide play and more attack, he could take off the holding midfielder (Clark/Edu) for a Torres/Bedoya/Beasley, pushing Donovan into a more central attacking role. This would also give Bradley the ability to change formations and tactics during the game without making substitutions. The downside of this approach is that this could limit Bradley’s options off the bench, it could also leave the US exposed if a striker went down or was suspended. However, I think this is a plausible option since both Dempsey and Altidore have shown an ability to play as target men with their back to the goal.

But I expect Bradley to hedge here and count either Dempsey or Donovan as a striker, but not both. This means, in my view, Bradley will likely look to take two other strikers.

What are the options:

Edson Buddle: Dude is in great form and is scoring goals. He has 9 goals in 6 games! Importantly, his goals have not just been goal scoring tap ins but have come from a variety of ways. He is showing center forward skills. While he has been off the radar for a long time, and at 28 is definitely not a young up and comer, the fact is that is not as much a flash in the pan as is being portrayed. Buddle has improved each of the last three years with LA. Last year he scored 15 goals in 26 games and the year and the year before had 5 goals in 10 games. Now much of this is due to the fact that he was playing with two of the best attacking threats in MLS those last two years – Donovan and Beckham – but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been consistently hitting the back of the net. At 28 Buddle has hit his prime and is confidently finishing chances. I don’t know what else you are looking for.
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