The U.S. national team will face El Salvador on Wednesday in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. Here’s how they should line up.
The U.S. men’s national team experimented with B and C team lineups in the group stage of the Gold Cup, putting players in various positions in different formations and attempting to identify future contributors. It didn’t produce resounding results or inspire confidence in many American observers, but they did the job well enough, and, more importantly, gained valuable information.
As the quarterfinals start, national teams are allowed to switch out six players. The U.S. did that, bringing a crew of regular starters and longtime contributors: Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and Darlington Nagbe will come and probably start the rest of the tournament, while goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez, who recently switched permanently to the American side from Mexico, was brought in for experience.
With the help of those players, who will bring the lineup closer to a B+ or A- level, the U.S. play El Salvador on Wednesday. Let’s take a look at what the lineup will look like.
GK: Tim Howard
Bruce Arena didn’t rotate keepers much in the group stage. Experienced backup and spot starter Brad Guzan started two games even with Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson earning opportunities on the squad. Following a Guzan howler against Martinique, Hamid started and put up a clean sheet.
Guzan’s now with Atlanta and we shouldn’t expect any curveballs from Bruce. Timmy’s the starter.
LB: Jorge Villafana
Villafana was one of few players originally called to the Gold Cup squad who could be considered an A team starter. The Santos Laguna starter has mostly been good in his opportunities with the U.S., and at a weak position, he’s pretty clearly their best option.
Because he played well against Nicaragua and has shown well with Toronto FC this year, however, I wouldn’t mind seeing Justin Morrow get another chance here.
CB: Matt Besler
Many members of the backline did not shower themselves in glory during the group stage, but Besler was steady, playing 90 against Panama and Nicaragua alongside different partners.
This is El Salvador, not exactly Mexico, so we could see someone like Matt Miazga get another run.
CB: Omar Gonzalez
Many were unimpressed with Gonzalez’s performance in the group stage. He got turned by a couple of shifty attackers, tended to be more mistake-prone than usual and wasn’t aggressive enough in distribution, failing to take the pressure off a congested midfield. That’s not his game, though, and we should remember that he’s probably the third-best center-back in the pool.
Matt Hedges could get another chance ahead of a seasoned veteran like Gonzalez.
RB: Eric Lichaj
It’s a travesty that Lichaj has played as little as he has with the national team, considering his talent and the lack of options at right-back Thankfully he’s here now, and he should be starting over Graham Zusi, who still has been very shaky playing right-back at the international level. Lichaj is more trustworthy, even if he’s not as aggressive on the overlap.
DM: Michael Bradley
MB’s the captain, and when he’s on the roster, there’s usually no question he will playing 90 minutes every game. Dax McCarty struggled against Panama.
CM: Kellyn Acosta
Acosta was on the original Gold Cup roster with a chance to prove himself as a consistent first team starter, and while he often didn’t play to his talent level, the tactical situations he was put in weren’t ideal. He is a No. 8 — a box-to-box midfielder with the ability to get forward, combine in the box and take set pieces. In that role, he very well could be the best in the entire pool.
RM: Gyasi Zardes
Subtracting Kelyn Rowe was a questionable move on Arena’s part, to say the least. Rowe had been one of the U.S.’s best players in the group stage, and one of the few players who legitimately helped their case for future national team appearances.
In this setup, which you may have guessed by now is a straight 4-4-2, the two strikers and an inverted Nagbe (we’ll get to that in a second) are relied upon to create chances centrally. Especially given that the U.S. have created most of their chances in this tournament from the wing, an out-and-out winger is necessary to balance the attack and help create space in the middle.
Paul Arriola could be considered this, but Gyasi Zardes can be considered more of this, and that’s why he grabs the start.
LM: Darlington Nagbe
Nagbe was brought in for a reason. He will likely slot in at left midfield and perform the role he consistently plays for both club and country: inverted left winger and efficient final third creator. Nagbe is impressively clean in the attacking half, rarely missing passes or turning the ball over, making him incredibly valuable even if the goals and assists don’t always come with it.
ST: Jozy Altidore
Altidore replaced Dom Dwyer on the roster, meaning he will, in all likelihood, start the rest of the Gold Cup as a hold-up No. 9 and target forward. There aren’t any comparable players left on the roster.
ST: Clint Dempsey
Dempsey is best in a two-striker formation, often alongside Altidore, and that’s what should happen against El Salvador. Deuce scores goals, and he could set the record for USMNT goals this tournament. He’ll be determined.
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The lineup:
Given the players Arena called up, a 4-4-2 makes most sense. It seems unlikely the manager would’ve called up such senior players without planning to start them, and Dempsey and Altidore work best in a front two. This also gives Bradley and Acosta more experience playing alongside one another, as they seem likely to at the World Cup next summer.