Do not count on a wide-open offensive battle when the U.S. males’s nationwide crew faces Honduras Tuesday in Frisco, Texas. Germany and the Netherlands are within the rearview mirror. That is CONCACAF time.
BY
Josh Deaver
Posted
July 07, 2015
9:00 AM
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DESPITE RECENT HIGH-PROFILE VICTORIES in opposition to two prime groups in Europe, the U.S males’s nationwide crew has solely simply emerged from its worst spell of outcomes through the Jurgen Klinsmann period.
Starting with a 2-2 draw to Portugal through the World Cup, the People posted a meager 2-6-4 file on a 12-game jaunt that took the Yanks to Prague, London, Chile and, in every single place in between.
Whether or not it was merely an prolonged World Cup hangover or the bi-product of serious roster experimentation—or maybe a little bit of each—the People have pulled out of their months-long nosedive in latest weeks and are as soon as once more flying excessive forward of Tuesday’s Gold Cup opener (9:30pm ET, Fox Sports activities 1) in opposition to Honduras—a rematch of the 2013 semifinal.
With historic away wins in opposition to Netherlands and Germany of their again pocket, the assured People might be trying to develop on their present 19-0-3 unbeaten dwelling file (the longest in crew historical past), earn a second consecutive CONCACAF title, and safe an computerized spot within the 2017 Confederations Cup.
That’s the plan, not less than.
CLICK HERE TO CREATE U.S. v. HONDURAS STARTING XI
Preparation for such a job introduced Klinsmann and firm to Nashville on Friday, the place his 23-man, largely first-choice squad posted a 4-0 warm-up win over CONCACAF minnow Guatemala.
Whereas the efficiency was disjointed within the first half—Guatemala deserved not less than a purpose—the win was nonetheless considerably complete. Anticipating the usual boiler plate responses when requested about his crew’s efficiency, Klinsmann’s borderline pathological optimism was nowhere to be seen.
“The performance? Not so nice,” he mentioned. “I’m kind of disappointed with a couple of things: moving off the ball, speed of play, urgency. Things we talked about before were not executed the way we wanted them to be executed.”
Definitely hitting a distinct notice than what U.S. Soccer observers are accustomed to, the message forward of the bi-annual event is abundantly clear: Failure will not be an choice.
Since taking the job in 2011, Klinsmann has coveted a spot within the Confederations Cup. In discussing his “Five-Year Plan” for U.S. Soccer, successful each the 2013 and 2015 Gold Cup have lengthy been a precedence. For a supervisor determined to check his gamers on the highest stage, the event—which noticed the People defeat a No. 1 ranked Spain facet in 2009—represents a useful alternative for this system.
Klinsmann continued: “We gave some chances away that you can’t afford on an international level, it was just too easy. We didn’t create enough,” he mentioned. “We have to talk through that … what’s coming up is three-and-a-half weeks of a grind.”
It actually might be.
Paired in Group A with feisty Honduras, unpredictable Haiti, and regional energy Panama, Klinsmann returns solely six gamers from the underwhelming-on-paper 2013 roster. With a bunch that features foreign-based standouts Fabian Johnson, Aron Johannsson, and Brad Guzan alongside MLS stars Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and Omar Gonzalez, the Yanks must be favorites to succeed in the ultimate, and win.
“We want to have the strongest team possible with us,” the U.S. coach mentioned final week. “Our biggest rival Mexico will come with their strongest group also with European-based players, so we want to meet them face to face and make sure that they stay behind us.”
Once more: Simply. Win. Child.
Donning the armband for the event might be new crew captain Michael Bradley, who may even earn his a centesimal look with the nationwide crew in Frisco on Tuesday evening. When requested his emotions on his new position with the crew—seemingly content material to let his on-field efficiency converse—Bradley delivered his usually pensive, perfunctory platitudes.
“When you talk about pride, honor and responsibility, [the captaincy] adds to [the pressure]. But at this point, I’m not making any more of it than needs to be,” Bradley advised reporters on Sunday.
“Everyone’s mentality is to push and push so at the end of the month we’ll be the one’s holding the trophy.”
PREVIEWING HONDURAS
Whereas the People are bringing an intimidating latest file to Gold Cup play, Honduras has not gained a match exterior CONCACAF in additional than yr. Posting a 4-8-4 file relationship again to July 2014, the crew’s solely wins have come in opposition to Belize, Nicaragua, French Guyana, and El Salvador. Not precisely a assassin’s row.
Regardless of a poor run of kind, Los Catrachos ought to take solace in a 1-1 draw with the People throughout their final assembly, a post-World Cup October pleasant. Final month, the crew drew Paraguay and battled exhausting in opposition to Brazil in a slim 1-0 loss. In its personal warm-up match, a scoreless draw in opposition to Mexico final Wednesday, the Hondurans confirmed that they won’t be a pushover—though it’s robust to say whether or not that was Honduras being competent or Mexico being as disjointed and disorganized as they presently seem.
With an ageing backline, lacking international standouts, and a brand new crop of untested offensive choices, head coach Jose Luis Pinto might be compelled to depend on midfield playmakers Oscar Boniek Garcia and 22-year-old Andy Najar to push the tempo within the midfield. Up entrance, Olimpia’s Anthony Lozano has offered the scoring spark with the lack of acquainted targets Carlo Expensive and Jerry Bengston, netting 4 targets to date in 2015.
Klinsmann, for one, is ready for a defensive wrestle.
“It is not going to be an open recreation like in a World Cup the place you might have one of the best groups on this planet and so they simply go at you,” he mentioned on Sunday. “In most of our games in the Gold Cup, it’s going to be the opposite.”
PREDICTION
The People are clearly the favorites Tuesday however, after all, that’s assuming that CONCACAF goes based on plan. Each crew within the federation will get up for a match in opposition to the Stars and Stripes so count on Los Catrachos to carry the total CONCACAF-standard of hard-charging fouls and aggressive time losing to bear on Tuesday evening. Even with the specter of being CONCACAF’d” hanging low over Toyota Park, the U.S. ought to decide up a comparatively straightforward 3-1 win deep within the coronary heart of Texas.
PROJECTED STARTING XI
Guzan; Timothy Chandler, Gonzalez, John Brooks, Johnson; Alejandro Bedoya, Kyle Beckerman, Bradley, DeAndre Yedlin; Dempsey, Jozy Altidore
