Klinsmann has given responsibility to inexperienced players since the World Cup. Is that a strategy that will yield positive results when it counts?
Barnstable, MA — Unconvincing is the word of the day but nevertheless, the United States Men’s National Team kicked off their 2015 Gold Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Honduras in Frisco, Texas on Tuesday evening.
Actually, unconvincing is kind.
In reality the USMNT (ELO ranking 14) were the second best team to a Honduras side (ELO ranking 73) that they should have handily dispatched after wins versus the Netherlands and Germany recently.
Klinsmann has continued to give a lot of responsibility and opportunity to younger, more inexperienced players since the World Cup in a bid to broaden the USMNT talent pool specifically for this Gold Cup and beyond. However results fluctuated in friendly matches, with Klinsmann’s side unable to close out games they were leading in for a long stretch — most notably against Denmark when Lord Nicklas Bendtner scored his first international hat-trick.
You could say that his “experiment” has been unconvincing.
Unconvincing? Try unsurprising. With problems stemming from the back four before the tournament even began, it was a more of a surprise that ESPNFC reported Tuesday morning that Ventura Alvarado would partner Jonathan Brooks in the center of the USMNT defense. More inexperience, except this time it mattered.
Here is a quick stats per 90 minutes comparison of Ventura Alvarado versus other center backs selected to the USMNT Gold Cup 23 man roster.
Interceptions
Gonzalez 4.42
Brooks 3.25
Evans 2.7
Ream 2.49
Alvarado 2.00
Blocks
Evans 0.74
Ream 0.64
Gonzalez 0.57
Brooks 0.41
Alvarado 0.32
Clearances
Gonzalez 7.65
Brooks 6.66
Evans 5.4
Alvarado 5.39
Ream 5.20
Defensive errors
Gonzalez 0
Ream 0.07
Brooks 0.08
Alvarado 0.11
Evans 0.13
Errors Leading to Goal
Gonzalez 0
Brooks 0
Ream 0
Evans 0.07
Alvarado 0.11
There’s a theme here, and the theme is not a glowing recommendation for the young defender to be starting games in an international competition that Klinsmann’s men really do need to win. This is not to say Alvarado is the worst USMNT center back more that statistically his form is not at its peak.
Alvarado was making his first competitive start for USMNT so nerves probably played a factor here, but he was sloppy against Mexico in San Antonio when he came on after the break too. That’s a problem for Klinsmann going forward if he wants to pick him in matches against opposition who could potentially pose problems.
Alvarado was not the only person who played badly, he just had the most lenses focussed on him. Timmy Chandler had a game to forget, as did Jonathan Brooks. Brooks in particular looked like he was trying to “do too much” in a leadership-esque role in the heart of the USMNT defense, picking up a caution in the process.
Prost-Amerika highlighted that Alvarado could be a problematic player in the middle for the USMNT, and suggested Omar Gonzalez might provide the talented, but also inexperienced, Jonathan Brooks with some much needed leadership rather than calling on the rising Bundesliga star to lead.
When you pick a team for an international competition you generally rely on experience in the defensive positions. Less experience = more risk, particularly as you work your way back from forward to Goalkeeper. It is not always gospel, but it is less risky to have DeAndre Yedlin playing with youthful exuberance in midfield — or Michael Owen at striker in the 1998 World Cup — for example, than it is to start say a 22 year old untested-in-competitive-internationals player at centre back.
With Geoff Cameron reportedly left off the initial 35-man roster due to injury, Matt Besler and DaMarcus Beasley are the most experienced defenders who may check into the side after the group stages. While fullback does not look like a problem position (Fabian Johnson looked the most accomplished USMNT defender Tuesday, while Brad Evans was very solid replacing Timmy Chandler), the heart of the defense does.
Though Haiti are one of the lowest ranked teams in the Gold Cup (ELO ranking 97), they gave Panama a real scare. Greg Garza figures to fill in at left fullback on Friday which would allow Fabian Johnson to take over from Gyasi Zardes on the left side of midfield, and Evans should figure to start over Timmy Chandler.
What remains to be seen is whether Klinsmann will stubbornly stick to his guns and play Ventura Alvarado against Haiti, or whether he will see sense and partner Jonathan Brooks with arguably the USMNT’s best defender Omar Gonzalez.
There were several moments in the game versus Honduras where USMNT needed a leader in defense and if USMNT make it through the group stage as expected, the right call would be for Matt Besler to check into the squad to provide that leadership alongside Omar Gonzalez.
The biggest question Jurgen Klinsmann needs to ask of himself is how much longer he feels like he can get away with taking risks with the US’s spot at the 2017 Confederations Cup up for grabs.
Follow Scott Nicholls on Twitter: @scottnicholls
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