When Jurgen Klinsmann abruptly announced his 23-man squad for Brazil, he left off a name that should have shocked many, but led to little fanfare. The decision to drop the MLS talent could come back to haunt a squad that is bereft of a solid, first-choice starter at the most important position in the modern game – full back.
Full Backs
Without Brad Evans on the roster, the United States national team lacks a right back comfortable in a rearguard that will have to face Cristiano Ronaldo, Kwadwo Asamoah, and Marco Reus in the group stage of its World Cup campaign. Klinsmann has tried several different players at the position, though he has dropped the two who have been the most solid for him. Evans suffocated the attacks of Lukas Podolski when the Stars and Stripes faced Germany last summer, and Michael Parkhurst, a natural right back developed in the US, performed well in last year’s Gold Cup. However, Klinsmann trimmed both when the manager had to thin his squad to 23.
Klinsmann picked three right backs for the U.S. team, though the gaffer has favored none of them for long spells. Timothy Chandler has always been a question mark when it comes to the US squad. The 24 year old started 19 games for Bundesliga side Nurnberg, before being missing much of the season recovering from a knee injury. The full back is fully fit after Klinsmann said at his press conference last week that he had a team specifically working on the player. Chandler enjoys getting forward and crossing the ball into the box, though his competitors at the position do as well.
His statistics are similar to that of Geoff Cameron, who started all but two Premier League games at right back for Stoke City last season. The two force about five turnovers per game, but struggle passing the ball. Cameron’s ability to find the head of the team’s forwards was strongly criticized after a few poor crosses in his appearance for the Red, White, and Blue in a friendly against Ukraine, while Chandler hasn’t played for the squad in over a year.
SoundersFC
The youngest of the options is DeAndre Yedlin of the Seattle Sounders. At the age of 20, Yedlin is an exciting prospect for the future. He is explosive getting forward and is very good on the ball, losing it an average of just once every two games in 11 games this season. Yedlin reads the game better than each of his opposition, though that could add up to the slower pace of games in MLS, as opposed to two of the top leagues in Europe.
On the left, Klinsmann will pick between Fabian Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley. The former plays his club football for Hoffenheim. He started 14 times for the German outfit at left back, and has done the same for Klinsmann, though the US manager tends to play Johnson ahead of the left back, be it Beasley or Edgar Castillo, who did not make the 30-man camp. Johnson is capable of playing on the left, though it is a concern that Beasley, a wide midfield player, has had to retrain himself to play as a left back for his country. While Beasley struggled in the position at first, he has adapted himself to be a decent and experienced option.
Centre Backs
In between the two full backs, the U.S. has stability. The MLS duo of Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez has done very well when paired together. Last year, a stalwart debut from the partners came when they staved off ferocious Mexican attacks to earn a 0-0 result at the Azteca in World Cup qualifying. Besler and Gonzalez claimed MLS Defender of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons.
In nine games this year, Besler’s strong run of form for Sporting KC has continued. He contributes seven clearances per game and even creates chances for his team to score from the center back position. Besler is excellent on the ball and rarely loses possession in his own half.
His Los Angeles Galaxy counterpart is the leader of the strongest defense in the league. The Galaxy has conceded just five goals in the six games Gonzalez has played. While the 25-year-old’s ability to tackle dribblers in one-on-one situations has been his Achilles heel, he never fails to clear the ball out of his defensive third. Gonzalez has been thoroughly criticized in the last month though, after his lackadaisical defending on Mexico’s second goal of the night.
John Brooks should serve as a back up to the elder players. Though the Hertha Berlin youngster is an athletic specimen, he is beaten by attackers once per game and sparingly wins the ball through tackles. Despite sound technical abilities, his positioning and awareness have come into question during the course of his first season in Germany’s top flight. In addition, Brooks had difficulty sorting out the American’s back line in their friendly against Ukraine. The host’s front four was able to blast by the Americans at will, and had it not been for the heroics of the goalkeeper, Tim Howard, the score line would have been far worse.
Even though the US is backed up by an excellent keeper in Howard, and is linked by a great pair in the middle, there is little stability across the back line. In fact, it is possible that Klinsmann plays four defenders against Ghana that have never defended as a unit. Whether or not the players picked in this rearguard can gel in time to face three of the tournament’s most lethal attacks will be paramount to the team’s success.
All stats from WhoScored.com
