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| photo by Scott Meis Photography | via PhotoRee |
If it's Tuesday it must be Coach Mark, back today with additional analysis of the US Mens National team, which is in action tomorrow in the Gold Cup Semi-final vs. Panama.
The U.S.' 2-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday provides a nice segway to talk about the U.S. midfield prospects for the next World Cup.
The first three games of the Gold Cup showed Bob Bradley's challenge in the U.S. midfield, and Sunday's game offered some potential solutions. The problem that the US has is that it has too many players who play the same position and offer similar skills: Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley are clones; defensive, physical midfielders who will run until their legs fall off ,and bring some skill into the attack, but not enough to create chances at the highest levels of play. Bob Bradley likes them both on the field at the same time. It's a tough pairing from a goal creation standpoint, and over the last ten games the two defensive mid lineup has produced a dearth of goals. They are both hard players to take off the field and Bradley has been unwilling of late to go to a more conventional midfield arrangement.
But they are not the only problem in the US attack. Equally as challenging is that Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are both best when they are playing the second forward position. Bradley has been trying them on the flanks with very little success (or success from the flanks, anyway). Whether by design or sheer stubbornness, Clint Dempsey seems to play where he wants to on the field regardless of where you put him. He likes to tuck in just behind the forward and get that ball at the top of the penalty box. Occasionally, he likes to drop deeper and play some center midfield, a position he has shown an increasing ability to handle. Bradley has tried him on the left flank, the right flank, and when the US gets behind in a game, at the 2nd forward where he belongs. Despite being designated in these three different positions, he always seem to crowd the middle and take that second forward or attacking midfield spot, designed assignment be damned.
