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 A few days we’ll continue to 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 Southern California offices.
Next up: LEFT-SIDED ATTACKER
While Graham Zusi has that MMA-level choke hold on the right, the U.S. left side has a much more wide-open feel to it.
Really, its “Kansas corn field” wide open.
Fabian Johnson can clearly handle the job – unless U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann wants him to attack from the back. Based on last week’s big stack of attack from the left back spot, Johnson remaining in defense seems quite possible. (Which is why Johnson appears at the top of the left back depth chart list, too. Kind of unstable, eh?)
In that case … the advanced position on that side is wide open as a Spaniard beating a ridiculously misplaced Nigerian offside trap. (That’s massively wide open, if you didn’t see Spain’s third goal the other day.)
DaMarcus Beasley (pictured) has re-inserted himself into U.S. depth pool conversations a full 11 years after Bruce Arena walked up to him on the bus in South Korea and told him “You are starting against Portugal.” (Still one of my favorite stories about Beasley, which he recently confirmed to me personally, that his response to Arena that day was an utterly nonchalant, “Cool.”)
If Brek Shea could get himself pointed in the right direction (seriously, dude … just play and knock it off already with the social media hijinks) he could print himself a bunch of money with a couple of big performances in Brazil. He still has the physical tools but needs to get into Stoke City’s lineup. That is the starting point for getting back into Jurgen Klinsmann’s good graces, because it sounds for all the world like the U.S. manager isn’t too happy with some of young Shea’s important career choices lately.
Tick-tock, young Brek. Don’t let this thing pass you by!
Eddie Johnson or Herculez Gomez could fill the role, at least situationally. Clearly, it’s not Johnson’s best position, but he’s certainly not displacing Jozy Altidore anytime soon. Nor will Gomez, so picking up work along the left may be their best chance of a starting assignment (so long as Altidore remains healthy, obviously).
Even Jose Torres could get back into the picture if the basic U.S. shape were to evolve and some of the creating needed doing in areas left-ish on the field.
And, of course, we simply cannot talk about any of these attacking positions without mention of Landon Donovan and Stuart Holden. Who they are, who they have been and their lingering potential to become critical elements in the bigger Brazilian picture, whether as starters or off the bench, means they must be part of the conversation.
I’ve got them both listed lower for the moment; both have the potential to leapfrog their way quickly up the order.
U.S. LEFT-SIDED ATTACKER ordering
- 1. Fabian Johnson
- 2. DaMarcus Beasley
- 3. Herculez Gomez
- 4. Eddie Johnson
- 5. Brek Shea
- 6. Landon Donovan
- 7. Stuart Holden
- 8. Sacha Kljestan
- 9. Brad Davis
- 10. Jose Torres
In review:
Coming up tomorrow: Attacking midfielders and strikers