SHANE STAY
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About the Author
  • Where to Buy
  • Press

bruce arena's lineup anticipation

12/8/2016

 
As the first game of 2017 approaches, the question of Bruce Arena's lineup choices linger. 
   For ages, the USMNT has fielded teams that are light on offensvie-minded-skillful players. Where there was a Joe Max Moore, Jeff Agoos wasn't too far behind. Where there's a Nagbe, there's a Timmy Chandler. They don't complement one another very well. Spain didn't field Xavi, Iniesta, Navas and "Chandler." The latter would have been "Ramos" or "someone like him."  Not a "completely opposite guy."
   There has always been so much potential with US teams, but also a predominant lack of balance. The team and its coaches have gone "all in" - with a proclivity for absolute conservativeness - with only a few skillful players coupled with safe-defensive-minded players. If you're going to do that, then at least make sure the players have overwhelming speed. You would think that would have happened. Not the case. Which leads us back to Timmy Chandler. No offense to him, but he's not fast, nor is he Valderrama. If he were fast, there might be room for error, but it turns out: he's pretty slow.
   Yet, there's hope. There's hope that things will turn around. That's always been the idea, anyway.
   Even at their best, the USMNT hasn't really fielded teams with gereat speed. At times, they have to an extent, with Donovan, Beasley, Wolff, Lassiter, Eddie Lewis, but how often was speed used to their advantage in the sense of how speed was used more effectively with players like Shevchenko, Owens and the two Ronaldos? The former had a place, while the latter seemed to be a little bit faster than the fastest players on the field (which would include the former). How many times has anyone seen any American player go one-on-one with the keeper on an outright break away? It just doen't happen that often, if ever. The one scenario that comes to mind would be Wolff against Mexico in 2001.
   Chandler and others*, by no fault of their own, have slowed the game down in a manner that hasn't been advantageious for the USMNT. Barcelona and Bayern Munich, or Spain and Germany, slow the game down, the right way. If you're going to slow the game down, you don't necessarily need outright speedsters. It always helps in certain situations, but it's not a must; case in point: Spain and Germany. Both have shared success wihtout track stars. The point is, if you're going to field a team with non-technical, defensive-minded-players, then make sure they're fast. The problem remains, whether it was coach Sampson, Arena, Bradley or Klinsmann, the USMNT has fielded largely non-technical defensive-minded-players, and by and large they haven't been fast.
​   Chandler is symbolic of many players that currently play and have played in the past. They've all been "good athletes" - such as Chandler - but they're not up to par as " complete soccer players" like that of Nagbe or Dempsey. Right now, the good athlete and soccer players are right there: Nagbe, Dempsey, Johannssen, Pulicic, Wood, Adu, Nguyen, Torres, Kitchen, Shea, Ream, Yedlin.
   How much will Bruce Arena lean to the past and how far might he reach into the future are questions on everyones' mind, as the exciting year of 2017 approaches. 

* Chandler is a good player. Though, in the larger scheme of things within the goals and expectations of the USMNT, his time has proven unaffective. Brooks, Besler, Jones, Orozco, Gonzalez and Williams also come to mind (among others). They're good players. But there are better players. There is also a track record with them on the field, which coincides with average performances. Practically everyone I've spoken with in the past two years would agree. This is not a vindetta against them. It's a reality check for the USMNT. A team that has unlimited potential.

Comments are closed.

    Shane stay +   
    ​(archives)     

    December 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    Author

    Shane Stay, author of This Is Our CITY, THE World Cup 2022 Book, THE World Cup 2018 Book.

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    All Written Work Copyright   © 2014-2025 Shane Stay 
    KEY
    (NS) refers to "Non-Soccer" related blog entries, stories and essays, which may or may not appear. If you've read this far, you're probably not a robot. 

    CONTACT
    See PRESS Page
    .

Proudly powered by Weebly