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With two large World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, American Soccer Now’s Brian Sciaretta surveys the present state of the U.S. participant pool—with an eye fixed on each type and health.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
November 03, 2016
8:15 AM
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THE UNITED STATES males’s nationwide group is about to open the Hexagonal with two very difficult and high-profile video games—towards Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, and away at Costa Rica, the place it has by no means received. Six factors would put the U.S. on cruise management to Russia, three factors can be acceptable, two factors can be manageable, however something much less would sound alarm bells.
However right here’s a listing of what’s happening amongst a few of these more likely to play towards El Tri and Costa Rica.
The Good Information
Jordan Morris: Whereas Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wooden are more likely to begin, Jordan Morris stays an possibility. He has been excellent for Seattle not too long ago, carrying the Sounders into the playoffs, serving to them eradicate Sporting Kansas Metropolis, and placing FC Dallas on the brink. Morris thrives in broad open video games and that isn’t how a typical U.S.–Mexico recreation performs out. Due to that, Morris is an excellent possibility off the bench if the U.S. wants a aim and the sport opens up.
Michael Bradley: On Sunday the U.S. captain had his finest recreation since becoming a member of Toronto two years in the past. For Bradley it’s all about confidence and momentum. He was all the time more likely to begin but it surely has been some time since Bradley has performed as much as his potential. If he’s again, the U.S. group is in nice form.
Jozy Altidore: Altidore has an unsightly historical past of struggling accidents earlier than huge video games and tournaments. However he’s again proper now and enjoying effectively for a surging Toronto group. He’s very more likely to begin towards Mexico and can look to go away his mark on the rivalry.
Christian Pulisic: Borussia Dortmund’s teenage sensation has damaged into the U.S. group however is but to start out a giant recreation for Jurgen Klinsmann. He’s clearly gifted sufficient to play a giant function with the U.S. however the recreation towards Mexico goes to be a far cry from what a typical Dortmund recreation is like. It’s going to be bodily and chippy. Nonetheless, he’s trending in the appropriate route and Mexican defenders might be involved every time Pulisic has the ball.
Matt Besler: It has been an uneasy season for the U.S. nationwide group mainstay who solely made 19 appearances for Sporting Kansas Metropolis this yr. However he ended the season enjoying effectively and was a serious motive why Kansas Metropolis solely conceded one aim in its last three video games earlier than bowing out in a hard-fought loss away to Seattle.
Tim Howard: Since coming back from his sabbatical in 2015, the No. 1job for the U.S. has been a thriller, with Brad Guzan and Tim Howard rotating. However Howard has been enjoying excellent soccer currently for Colorado, the place he helped his group keep near the Los Angeles Galaxy in a lopsided 1-0 defeat. Then again, Guzan has been non-existent at Middlesbrough. When Howard is on, like now, the U.S. group has an edge.
DeAndre Yedlin: The suitable again place is up within the air. Fabian Johnson, Michael Orozco, Geoff Cameron, Timothy Chandler, and DeAndre Yedlin have all featured there below Klinsmann with some regularity. Chandler has raised his recreation not too long ago at Eintracht however so has Yedlin with the Championship-leading Newcastle. Yedlin acquired a foul crimson card on the Copa America in a giant recreation and Chandler has had largely dangerous moments for the U.S. group. Nonetheless, Yedlin appears to be extra built-in on the group proper now and the truth that he’s enjoying effectively bodes effectively.
Sacha Kljestan: A finalist for Main League Soccer’s MVP award, Sacha Kljestan has emerged as a robust contender to start out towards Mexico—one thing that was unimaginable as not too long ago as three months in the past. Regardless of the Pink Bulls’ loss to start out its playoff marketing campaign, Kljestan performed effectively. His efficiency on Sunday might be essential to have momentum heading into the worldwide break.
Issues
Bobby Wooden: The Hawaii native has had an incredible 2016 however his transfer to Bundesliga aspect Hamburg SV has been a blended bag. Wooden has acquired enjoying time and even scored in his first two league video games of the season. However last-place Hamburg is terrible and can’t generate offense. Wooden shouldn’t be seeing a lot of the ball (aside from determined lengthy balls) and he appears pissed off. He picked up a crimson card, together with a three-game suspension, over the weekend.
Alejandro Bedoya: After becoming a member of the Philadelphia Union over the summer season, Alejandro Bedoya’s inventory has dropped. The membership’s decline was not Bedoya’s fault—higher in charge the dearth of a defensive midfielder, a younger backline, and a struggling ahead. However the former Nantes stalwart Bedoya has not been in a position to play his recreation and isn’t in nice type heading into subsequent week.
Chris Wondolowski: Klinsmann has defended his repeated call-ups of Wondolowski however the fact is that the San Jose ahead has not been enjoying or coaching laborious in current weeks as a consequence of his group’s failure to make the playoffs.
Brad Guzan: The one-time first-choice goalkeeper for the ushas seemingly moved to the back-up function after being benched at Middlesbrough.
Perry Kitchen: The season started very effectively for Kitchen, who was named captain for Scottish Premier League membership Coronary heart of Midlothian. However Hearts have endured a tough couple of weeks, and after having a subpar outing with the U.S. towards New Zealand, the momentum shouldn’t be in Kitchen’s favor.
Kyle Beckerman: The longtime U.S. mainstay has struggled together with the remainder of the Actual Salt Lake group, which light down the stretch and barely made the playoffs. After a fast elimination by the hands of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckerman has not made a robust case to proceed to be a part of the group. He’s had an excellent profession however Father Time is taking its toll.
Wild Playing cards
Jermaine Jones: After being injured a lot of the second half of the yr, Jones is again on the sphere for the Colorado Rapids and performed towards the Galaxy over the weekend. Jones desperately needs to be a part of the upcoming qualifiers and Klinsmann has all the time beloved what Jones brings to the group. However how match is he for what’s a vital pair of video games?
Danny Williams: It has all the time been laborious to find out the place Danny Williams stands in Klinsmann’s depth chart. Generally it appears like he’s on the verge of breaking into the beginning lineup after which he doesn’t get known as up for lengthy stretches. Issues look higher for Williams than they’ve in a very long time. He’s a daily starter for a Studying group that’s in fifth place within the Championship. He’s began 14 of the group’s 15 video games this yr with two objectives. With the struggles of Kitchen and Beckerman, Williams may quietly be rising up the depth chart.
Geoff Cameron: Geoff Cameron is the beginning central defender on the U.S. group alongside John Brooks. However he may also play defensive midfield and proper again for Stoke Metropolis (and sometimes below Klinsmann as effectively). The issue with Cameron is that he’s coping with a slight knee damage. How a lot that impacts the upcoming camp stays up within the air.
Timothy Chandler: Timothy Chandler has a checkered historical past with the nationwide group. He has performed effectively within the Bundesliga however his type has hardly ever translated to the U.S. squad. Proper now he’s clearly in good type at Eintracht however does Klinsmann take a danger on a participant who has such and inconsistent historical past with the U.S?
Julian Inexperienced/Lynden Gooch/Paul Arriola: The younger trio of wingers has all confirmed effectively when given the chance in current months however all three are enjoying sometimes for his or her golf equipment. How a lot will that sway Klinsmann? What’s the pecking order of those three? We must always discover out quickly sufficient.
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Author : usa-foot
Publish date : 2025-02-16 18:37:27
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