Over the past two years, United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann has spent nearly every match trying to find the right formation to maximize the abilities of all the members of the USMNT. What Klinsmann is searching for, is a formation that allows the USMNT’s best players to all play together at the best of their abilities.
Prior to the 2014 World Cup, Klinsmann planned on playing a simple 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield. That plan however was scrapped after one game when Jozy Altidore went down injured, and the team shifted to a 4-2-3-1 with Clint Dempsey as the lone striker.
Since the 2014 World Cup, Klinsmann has used almost a years worth of friendlies to throw nearly every formation against the wall to see what sticks. In the past year, we’ve seen the USMNT play the 4-4-2 diamond, a flat 4-4-2, a 4-3-1-2, the 4-2-3-1, and even a few matches with a back three in a 3-5-2.
I have two questions regarding this: why is Jurgen Klinsmann so adamant on using two strikers and has he ever heard of a 4-3-3?
As I stated above, what the US is looking for is a formation that allows all their best players to be on the field in a place that maximizes their ability. For example, the United States’ two best central midfielders are Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley. Their third best central midfielder, but their best holding midfielder, is Kyle Beckerman. Playing Bradley and Jones together in a flat 4-4-2 was done under both Bob Bradley and Jurgen Klinsmann and has been a disaster nearly every time. The way to get the best out of both players has been to have Kyle Beckerman on the field sitting behind them and being the guy to protect the back four.
The way Klinsmann has been getting all three on the field has been either via the 4-4-2 diamond or the 4-2-3-1. Playing the diamond however forces Jones to play out wide on either the left or the right, severely limiting Jones’ effectiveness since he’s at his best when he’s in the middle of the field. Playing the 4-2-3-1 puts Bradley in the no. 10 role behind the main striker, a role Klinsmann would love for Bradley to play, but really hasn’t worked out yet and has stifled the US attack.
Klinsmann has needed to use two striker formations due to his seemingly strict policy of always having Jozy Altidore on the field and then needing to find a spot for Clint Dempsey. Dempsey of course is the USMNT’s best player, but the question is what is his position? He’s not quite a lone striker, but he’s not really a winger or an attacking midfielder either.
With Dempsey being left off the roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the time is now for Klinsmann to experiment with a 4-3-3. Sure that might not be the best formation for Altidore, but Altidore may not be the best striker for the United States. Whether or not youngsters like Jordan Morris or Bobby Wood are most comfortable isn’t important since both of them are young enough to learn the new role on the fly.
The 4-3-3 would also solve the US midfield problem. It would allow Beckerman to sit in front of the back four, while keeping Bradley and Jones not only in the middle of the field, but in their best positions as well. Bradley would sit deeper where his through balls and passes are most dangerous, but there would still be plenty of space for him to get forward the way Klinsmann like him to.
Up top the US would be able to have a trio of attacking and speedy players like Morris, Gyasi Zardes, and Mix Diskerud, interchanging and using their speed and creativity to latch on to Bradley’s through balls and create a more potent attack.
Klinsmann has said it’s time for the young guys to step up and show what they can do. Well it’s also time for Klinsmann to put those players in the best position for them to do so.
MY LINEUP (4-3-3)
Howard
Johnson Cameron Besler Ream
Beckerman
Bradley Jones
Diskerud Morris Zardes
