Five U.S. matches over the last month has generated significant movement on the U.S. depth chart – perhaps more shuffling than in any month-long stretch in Jurgen Klinsmann’s time in charge, which is now approaching two years.
Over the next five days, we’ll examine the U.S. depth chart, making our best educated guesses at how things stack up on Jurgen Klinsmann’s big board inside the manager’s Home Depot Center offices.
Next up: RIGHT BACK
Steve Cherundolo is the X factor that makes the right back position so difficult to dissect at the moment.
And then Timothy Chandler is the X factor-lite that further muddies our picture here.
Cherundolo (pictured) still looks like the best right back option – not totally surprising since he’s been the top choice at this spot for more than a decade. (People forget that the longtime Hannover man was named to the 2002 World Cup roster but was injured an unable to play.)
Even now at age 34, he has the legs to get forward along the right, the technical ability to make it count and ultimate knowledge of the position, which means he can calculate on a given day just how much up-and-down thrust can be safely tolerated.
The issue is that Cherundolo backed out of the last U.S. camp, informing Jurgen Klinsmann that R & R was the best thing for him going forward. Presumably, one strike will not position Cherundolo in the “Landon Donovan zone,” a place where no player with World Cup ambition wants to be.
It seems reasonable that the veteran defender, who just completed his 14th tough Bundesliga season, could use some extra time off. But then again, given Klinsmann’s unpredictability, who knows?
There is also the age issue. Cherundolo will be 35 when the United States lands in Brazil. Once the legs go, they go fast. Just a little bit of decline in that first step defensively can magnify quickly against some bright young thing attacking the U.S. right side.
Then there’s Chandler, supremely talented as a defender and able as an attacker, too, but someone who hasn’t exactly been a model of devotion to the U.S. cause. Don’t forget, he needed convincing just to attach himself to the United States rather than Germany.
Geoff Cameron plays right back in the English Premier League and can probably do so at international level. No, he didn’t look good in his run-out against Belgium, but let’s not forget that was one of Europe’s top bunch of young attackers.
Brad Evans can certainly work in a pinch, and his presence on the depth chart really is a big summer talker. He shot up ahead of Michael Parkhurst and Tony Beltran over the last three weeks, after all. But the team will need more than stop-gap service next year in Brazil; Evans’ inability to apply more aggressive pressure up the right side hurt the U.S. attack Tuesday against Honduras.
U.S. right back ordering
- 1. Steve Cherundolo
- 2. Timothy Chandler
- 3. Brad Evans
- 4. Geoff Cameron
- 5. Michael Parkhurst
- 6. Tony Beltran
Tomorrow: Center backs and left back