American Soccer Now’s resident tactician walks us by what he expects to see when the USA takes on Costa Rica Friday night time in a vital World Cup qualifier.
BY
Liviu Chook
Posted
September 05, 2013
2:54 PM
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WITH THE BEAST OF ESTADIO AZTECA slain in Jurgen Klinsmann’s time as United States head coach, he and his workforce have one other CONCACAF behemoth of their sights this week. The U.S. has by no means received in Costa Rica in any competitors, taking only one level whole in World Cup qualifying.
That time got here outdoors of the capital metropolis of San Jose, in Alajuela, in 1985. If the string of eight matches and not using a victory goes to fall, Klinsmann should make some powerful choices accurately with regard to participant choice.
Ahead Jozy Altidore could also be out with a hamstring harm, or at the least not one hundred pc, and the right-back conundrum persists and would persist even when Brad Evans have been wholesome—to not point out Costa Rica’s distinctive ways among the many CONCACAF elite, which have solely failed in opposition to Mexico (twice) and the U.S. in 2014 qualifiers.
Choice Questions
Assuming Klinsmann sticks to his favored 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 hybrid formation, Friday could possibly be the right alternative to get Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the sphere on the identical time. That will seemingly change the dynamic of the ahead pairing right into a extra side-by-side relationship moderately than one beneath the opposite, as neither of them performs the goal position.
If a goal is what Klinsmann needs, then Eddie Johnson turns into the one choice. He’s the one participant among the many 5 forwards known as into camp who performs a goal position for his membership moreover Altidore, as Aron Johannsson prefers to drop in to search out the ball and run at gamers.
In the meantime, Michael Parkhurst performed each minute of the Gold Cup at proper again and did an enough job. However seeing as the way it took an harm to Evans for him to even be known as into camp, Geoff Cameron is a extra seemingly candidate for that position.
Cameron has the high-level expertise to hold him by a tough match in Costa Rica, though neither he nor Parkhurst supplies the attacking choice on the flank that the U.S. might want to discover success in San Jose.
For attacking aptitude on the appropriate flank, look no additional than Michael Orozco, who begins at proper again for Puebla in Liga MX. His technical capacity and soccer IQ could be the most suitable choice to use isolation alternatives as he bombs down the flank.
Tico Wing-Again Technique
In each matches in 2013 in opposition to the USA, within the March 22 qualifier within the Denver snow and the July 16 Gold Cup sport in Hartford, Conn., Costa Rica employed three stay-at-home central defenders and a wing again on every flank. Relying on the state of affairs, it appeared both like a 5-4-1 or a 3-4-3.
In its final residence qualifier, in opposition to Jamaica, the Ticos ran out a 4-4-2, however the 3-4-3 appears to be their most popular plan in opposition to opponents nearer to their degree.
The wing backs in Costa Rica’s system cowl essentially the most floor out of any gamers on the sphere. They assault with gusto, however they’re additionally fast to recuperate and help the middle backs defensively. In March, Bryan Oviedo and Cristian Gamboa performed there, whereas Junior Diaz and Carlos Johnson took over in July.
Beating Three Backs
The character of the wing again place, with its health necessities and significance in offering width for the assault, makes that space an important for the U.S. to win on Friday.
In protection, the U.S. outdoors backs should be keen to step up because the wing backs make their runs from deep positions, confronting them increased up the sphere. Meaning the central midfielders and middle backs should share accountability for the three forwards. The Individuals ought to nonetheless outnumber the Ticos 4 to a few within the center.
In assault, the large midfielders should pull to the touchline and look to pin the wing backs into their very own defensive third of the sphere and exploit one-on-one and two-on-one isolations, assisted by the overlapping outdoors backs and forwards pulling large.
The U.S. has finished higher on the left facet than the appropriate in its two conferences with Costa Rica in 2013, primarily as a consequence of DaMarcus Beasley’s consolation in getting ahead, since he’s a transformed midfielder enjoying left again.
The U.S. accomplished 46 of 62 passes on the left flank in March and 31 of 40 in July in opposition to the Ticos, which have been good for 74.2 and 77.5 % completion charges, respectively. On the appropriate facet, that quantity dropped to 55.6 % (25/45) and 74.3 % (55/74), respectively.
The spike in July got here when Alejandro Bedoya and Michael Parkhurst tore up Costa Rica’s proper facet. Right here, you possibly can see Bedoya in an ideal state of affairs to isolate two-on-one, or at the least two-on-two, with the defenders, however Chris Wondolowski doesn’t pull large sufficient to offer a second attacker.
The close to middle again steps to cowl the primary defender and leaves a big hole for Wondolowski to search out the ball if he have been in place. As an alternative, Bedoya has to play a hopeful ball into field as a result of he has no help, and it’s reduce out simply.
Donovan may play on the flank to stability out the large attacking choices once more, however greater than seemingly, the U.S. will focus its large efforts on Beasley and Fabian Johnson’s left facet.
The Time is Now
With the Individuals’ dominance of Costa Rica within the final calendar yr, that is one of the best alternative the U.S. will get to win in San Jose and slay one other demon beneath Klinsmann. Similar to its pleasant win and qualifying tie in Mexico Metropolis, it should require a realistic tactical strategy.
After 70 minutes within the snow, coach Jorge Luis Pinto modified his workforce to a 4-4-2. If the U.S. could cause a tactical change by pushing Costa Rica out of its consolation zone, it ought to open up much more area for Donovan and Dempsey to use.
If the U.S. bunkers in protection, Costa Rica will assault with seven gamers and make the sport tough. If the Individuals take the initiative, they’ll pin at the least eight behind the ball always and make Costa Rica’s assault tough.
Liviu Chook is ASN’s tactical analyst. He’s additionally a contributor to NBC ProSoccerTalk and Cascadia regional editor for SoccerWire.com.
