Summer of 2007: Where is the US National Team Now?

One fan's opinion on the current state of the US team:

The core has been identified: Starting from the back, this team will be built around:
- Tim Howard, GK
- Carlos Bocanegra, CD
- Steve Cherundolo, RB
- Jonathan Bornstein, LB
- DaMarcus Beasley, LM
- Benny Feilhaber, CM
- Clint Dempsey, AM/F
- Landon Donovan, RM/F

That’s 8 out of 11 starting positions that have essentially been locked down, barring a meteoric rise in a contending player or a disastrous drop in form or injury of one of these guys. The success or failure of the US team will largely be a result of how this group performs. The good news is that this nucleus of players will easily lead the US to CONCACAF Qualification. It’s a solid group that at times can author some beautiful soccer. There are no superstars, but as a unit, this unit has the potential to advance out of their WC group.

The question marks that remain:

Finishing: It isn’t just a forward problem. In both the Gold Cup and Copa America, the entire team was guilty of not putting away chances, both half chances and wide open sitters. Players were also reluctant to individually attack the goal. It’s easy to blame the forwards - they’ve earned a good percentage of it - but it’s equally shortsighted. Think about some of the best blown opportunities, and it’s apparent the entire team falls short of expectations. As the competition gets better, opportunities get fewer. If we’re going to be successful, we have to attack the goal and finish a higher percentage of our chances.

Forwards: Beyond the finishing, our forwards are a huge question mark right now. Ching performed well enough. Donovan and Dempsey did OK when they were put there. Donovan, though, looks like an answer at Right Midfield, and Dempsey also looks better in the midfield.

Defense: In both summer tournaments stupid defensive lapses, however brief, resulted in opportunities or goals against the US. Defensive decision-making, including that of defensive midfielders, has to be more consistent. Mistakes have to be minimized, and against the best teams, eliminated entirely.

Depth: Copa America did nothing to ease reservations about players on the fringe, or even on the bench, or even on the field. While we have a lot of players in the pool, we don’t appear to have a lot of good players or at least players ready to contribute right now in the pool.

Here is one fan’s answers to those questions:

Finishing: To me, finishing a soccer opportunity is no different than draining the clutch putt in golf, hitting the game-winning field goal, or sinking the clinching shot. The common denominator between Nicklaus, Vinateri, and Horry is the temperature of their blood. The best finishers run ice cold. They’re at their best when the pressure is most intense. That means our finishers - meaning anyone who has an opportunity - have to be put into and get used to pressure situations. A typical MLS game doesn’t provide that pressure. This doesn’t mean I’m advocating a wholesale shipment to Europe. It does mean that US players in MLS need more games with the US team, or games in playoffs or in international competition, to get comfortable with the situation.

Forwards: I think we go away from two forwards at this point. It doesn’t suit our present talent. Instead, I think we go with the 4-2-3-1 and run three tweener midfielders in front of two central midfielders. Right now the starting tweeners are Beasley, Dempsey, and Donovan. The current starting lone forward is Ching. In the next 18 months, I think Convey will reemerge to challenge Beasley, and I can see Rogers adding depth on the right. Perhaps the real one to watch is Freddy Adu. I realize he’s a polarizer so I won’t say much on this subject, but this kid could be a legitimate difference maker.

Defense: Gooch needs experience against good attacking competition. He needs to better his anticipation and decision-making as a Central Defender. He has time, but he needs games against good opponents. I see Conrad helping here short term, and I think Parkhurst and Sturgis could be viable long-term candidates. We need a "brain" in the back - the guy who will collect and organize the defense around him.

Depth: For the next 8-12 months, our roster will be filled out with experienced role players, largely replaceable and largely anonymous. Perhaps every once in a while they’ll pull a Hejduk and hit an amazing shot in off the post. For the most part, they’ll fill in spots and at their best play solid games. As often as not, they’ll frustrate us. 12 months and forward, look to our youth, where there’s a lot to be excited about. As soon as the 06 World Cup ended, I’ve said the next two tournaments that really mattered in player identification were the U20 WC and then Olympics. Names like Adu, and Edu, Altidore, Sturgis, Rogers, Seitz, and a couple other names I probably don’t even know much about yet will materialize and press the incumbents.

As a long-time fan of the US team, I’ve never seen a US Team in better shape this early in a World Cup cycle. We have a solid core of young players already with a good deal of experience and already with a good deal of success at their clubs and with their country. Around that core we have viable alternatives at every position but one - forward. That need has to be addressed creatively by Bradley. As frustrating as the Gold Cup was at times, and as ugly as the Copa America experience was, many questions were answered. We can now look to our youth teams and league play to get the stragglers figured out.