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McCarthy's Musings: Midfield Quandary Needs Solving Before U.S. Can Move Forward
Sorting out the questions in the middle third will help the U.S. build for the future.
Oct 13, 2010 3:25:00 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
United States coach Bob Bradley threw all sorts of ideas into action for this low-pressure pair of home friendlies against Poland and Colombia.
The sheer number of novel concepts introduced during the two draws on Saturday (2-2 v. Poland in Chicago) and Tuesday (0-0 v. Colombia in Chester, Pa.) revealed Bradley's newly discovered penchant for exploration. Maurice Edu in central defense? A supposed 4-3-3 formation from the start against Colombia? Jozy Altidore in a wide left role?
While the results of those switches were mixed after a pair of rather uninspiring draws, Bradley did reinforce one particularly salient point about his side.
The first step toward building a successful group for World Cup qualifying involves sorting out the mess of bodies in midfield.
In theory, the task offers fewer challenges than the arranging the options at the back or up front because the midfield group is by far the deepest at Bradley's disposal. Reality intervenes due to a lack of diversity among the choices. Three holding midfielders – Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and the newly introduced Jermaine Jones – can patrol in front of the back four. Four players – Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden – can operate either in a more advanced central role or as a nominal wide player. Dempsey and Donovan can also feature as a withdrawn forward if required. The weaknesses in the midfield pool include a dearth of out-and-out wingers with the requisite ability to press for a berth in the starting XI and a paucity of left-footed options.
If there is one tentative conclusion to draw from Bradley's seemingly revised approach to his second qualifying cycle in charge, it is that he may seek to use that strength in midfield to his advantage to limit his side's deficiencies in other areas. Bradley spent most of the time available in these two friendlies trying to concoct a way to make a five-man midfield work with principal protagonist Donovan unavailable. It proved as complicated as one might suspect for a side drilled in its adherence to the 4-4-2.
Donovan's absence highlights his talismanic importance in orchestrating the flow through the middle third and presenting opportunities in front of goal, but his insertion into the lineup does not necessarily address or answer the vital questions raised:
How do three players fit into two spots?: Bradley played M. Bradley, Edu and Jones together in central midfield for a half against Colombia. The 4-3-3 formation theoretically allowed all three players to operate centrally with Stuart Holden (right) and Brek Shea (left) pressed higher in the wide areas. The new look, however, did not operate as intended. Holden and Shea retreated more often than not to comprise a five-man midfield, and the group struggled with its cohesion and movement regardless of the exact positioning of the wide players. The problems stemmed from selecting three similar players in midfield and asking two of them – M. Bradley and Jones – to play a bit higher than they prefer with Edu operating in a holding role. Problems soon ensued as none of the three central players passed the ball particularly well when asked to play the ball forward and the lack of movement by all parties led to indifference and static in possession. Bradley scrapped the approach by withdrawing Edu at halftime.
In future matches, it looks more likely that two of those central midfield players – likely M. Bradley and Jones, though not necessarily in that order of preference based on the evidence presented – will hold in front of the back four, while the third player watches from the sidelines. The move may relegate one of the top 11 players on the roster to the bench, but the situation looks unavoidable with Edu not suited to an extended stint in central defense and all three players unlikely to dictate the flow in possession with any semblance of consistency if fielded together.
Where is the width?: Bradley struggled to find capable wingers during the previous cycle and the issue probably won't dissipate before the Gold Cup approaches next year. Donovan and Holden operate most like natural wide players among the preferred options, but both players slice infield more often than they drift along the sideline. While those incisive diagonal runs create their own set of problems, they do tend to give the U.S. a lack of width, especially if the fullbacks do not provide suitable overlapping support. Dempsey and Feilhaber present other options in the wide areas, but the same limitations apply as all four players – with the possible exception of Donovan – are better suited to play centrally. Superior interchanging and movement could cure some of those ills, but Bradley will have to find a way to create some space and encourage some potency in the attacking third.
Can Jozy lead the line?: Selecting five players in midfield places significant pressure on Jozy Altidore to shoulder the burden up front. Altidore remains the first-choice forward despite his lack of first-team action with Villarreal because there simply aren't a wealth of options in a shallow forward pool. He hasn't proven particularly effective as a lone striker in the past and he'll need to contribute from wider areas and improve his movement to quell the skeptics. Interchanging within the front four is important to a fluid and menacing attack, but Altidore will have to show he can do his part before the changes can take flight.
Fortunately for Bradley and his squad, there is plenty of time to determine the answers to these questions as the next qualifying phase approaches. The two friendlies may not have provided any particular solutions to those pressing problems – and others spread throughout the field – but they did at least give Bradley an opportunity to tinker with his options and assess certain possibilities moving forward. Under these circumstances, those modest returns count as a step forward as the Americans start to cast their eyes toward preparations for more important tasks.
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
United States coach Bob Bradley threw all sorts of ideas into action for this low-pressure pair of home friendlies against Poland and Colombia.
The sheer number of novel concepts introduced during the two draws on Saturday (2-2 v. Poland in Chicago) and Tuesday (0-0 v. Colombia in Chester, Pa.) revealed Bradley's newly discovered penchant for exploration. Maurice Edu in central defense? A supposed 4-3-3 formation from the start against Colombia? Jozy Altidore in a wide left role?
While the results of those switches were mixed after a pair of rather uninspiring draws, Bradley did reinforce one particularly salient point about his side.
The first step toward building a successful group for World Cup qualifying involves sorting out the mess of bodies in midfield.
In theory, the task offers fewer challenges than the arranging the options at the back or up front because the midfield group is by far the deepest at Bradley's disposal. Reality intervenes due to a lack of diversity among the choices. Three holding midfielders – Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and the newly introduced Jermaine Jones – can patrol in front of the back four. Four players – Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden – can operate either in a more advanced central role or as a nominal wide player. Dempsey and Donovan can also feature as a withdrawn forward if required. The weaknesses in the midfield pool include a dearth of out-and-out wingers with the requisite ability to press for a berth in the starting XI and a paucity of left-footed options.
If there is one tentative conclusion to draw from Bradley's seemingly revised approach to his second qualifying cycle in charge, it is that he may seek to use that strength in midfield to his advantage to limit his side's deficiencies in other areas. Bradley spent most of the time available in these two friendlies trying to concoct a way to make a five-man midfield work with principal protagonist Donovan unavailable. It proved as complicated as one might suspect for a side drilled in its adherence to the 4-4-2.
Donovan's absence highlights his talismanic importance in orchestrating the flow through the middle third and presenting opportunities in front of goal, but his insertion into the lineup does not necessarily address or answer the vital questions raised:
How do three players fit into two spots?: Bradley played M. Bradley, Edu and Jones together in central midfield for a half against Colombia. The 4-3-3 formation theoretically allowed all three players to operate centrally with Stuart Holden (right) and Brek Shea (left) pressed higher in the wide areas. The new look, however, did not operate as intended. Holden and Shea retreated more often than not to comprise a five-man midfield, and the group struggled with its cohesion and movement regardless of the exact positioning of the wide players. The problems stemmed from selecting three similar players in midfield and asking two of them – M. Bradley and Jones – to play a bit higher than they prefer with Edu operating in a holding role. Problems soon ensued as none of the three central players passed the ball particularly well when asked to play the ball forward and the lack of movement by all parties led to indifference and static in possession. Bradley scrapped the approach by withdrawing Edu at halftime.
In future matches, it looks more likely that two of those central midfield players – likely M. Bradley and Jones, though not necessarily in that order of preference based on the evidence presented – will hold in front of the back four, while the third player watches from the sidelines. The move may relegate one of the top 11 players on the roster to the bench, but the situation looks unavoidable with Edu not suited to an extended stint in central defense and all three players unlikely to dictate the flow in possession with any semblance of consistency if fielded together.
Where is the width?: Bradley struggled to find capable wingers during the previous cycle and the issue probably won't dissipate before the Gold Cup approaches next year. Donovan and Holden operate most like natural wide players among the preferred options, but both players slice infield more often than they drift along the sideline. While those incisive diagonal runs create their own set of problems, they do tend to give the U.S. a lack of width, especially if the fullbacks do not provide suitable overlapping support. Dempsey and Feilhaber present other options in the wide areas, but the same limitations apply as all four players – with the possible exception of Donovan – are better suited to play centrally. Superior interchanging and movement could cure some of those ills, but Bradley will have to find a way to create some space and encourage some potency in the attacking third.
Can Jozy lead the line?: Selecting five players in midfield places significant pressure on Jozy Altidore to shoulder the burden up front. Altidore remains the first-choice forward despite his lack of first-team action with Villarreal because there simply aren't a wealth of options in a shallow forward pool. He hasn't proven particularly effective as a lone striker in the past and he'll need to contribute from wider areas and improve his movement to quell the skeptics. Interchanging within the front four is important to a fluid and menacing attack, but Altidore will have to show he can do his part before the changes can take flight.
Fortunately for Bradley and his squad, there is plenty of time to determine the answers to these questions as the next qualifying phase approaches. The two friendlies may not have provided any particular solutions to those pressing problems – and others spread throughout the field – but they did at least give Bradley an opportunity to tinker with his options and assess certain possibilities moving forward. Under these circumstances, those modest returns count as a step forward as the Americans start to cast their eyes toward preparations for more important tasks.
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page.
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