2013 Gold Cup Semifinals: Who Should the United States Start vs. Honduras

The United States men’s national team takes on Honduras on Wednesday night in the Gold Cup semifinals

At this point in the tournament, Jurgen Klinsmann has already evaluated most of the players on the roster; it’s now time to put the best roster together to win the Gold Cup.

What roster should Klinsmann field to beat Honduras this week?

Formation: 4-2-3-1

For the sake of this article, I will be using the formation that Klinsmann has used for the majority of his tenure as the United States head coach, the 4-2-3-1.

While he has deployed the 4-4-2 at times during the Gold Cup, it has clearly fallen flat on its face. Donovan has played much better under the forward than with him, so one forward is definitely the best option.

The 4-2-3-1 is perfect for the U.S. squad that they have right now, so keep that in mind as we continue on.

Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando

Both Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson have played really well, but Rimando has much more experience as an international GK.

They have both made saves and plays that have led to goals—Johnson against Costa Rica and Rimando against El Salvador—so it really comes down to natural goalkeeper skills.

I think Rimando gets the nod because he has made some really great saves over the course of the Gold Cup.

If you take a look at his dual save play on Sunday, he uses his superior footwork to save the first shot; he then recovers remarkably quickly to make a diving save in the corner of the goal.

Rimando has made his name known in the US Soccer conversation, and if the U.S. brings three goalies to Brazil, he could get the call.

Outside Defense: DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Parkhurst

The captain of the U.S. squad DaMarcus Beasley is an absolute no-brainer for the starting defense, as he got the nod three different times during the Gold Cup.

The only time he didn’t start was when Klinsmann gave Edgar Castillo a chance, but he simply got outplayed. Castillo is entirely too frail to play outside defense at the international level. He simply can’t keep up.

Michael Parkhurst will get the start for continuities sake. He definitely hasn’t been the best player in the defense, but he has been really consistent as the right defender.

He also has three starts in the Gold Cup; it will be four after the Honduras game.

Center Defense: Omar Gonzalez and Clarence Goodson

This is by far the weakest position for the United States, between the Gold Cup or the World Cup qualifying squad.

I think Omar Gonzalez and Clarence Goodson will hold down the central defense because they are simply the best options the U.S. has. Even though Gonzalez hasn’t played in the Gold Cup yet—as he was only available to join the team coming into the semifinal match—he has effectively played his way into the starting lineup in the qualifiers.

I would give the nod to Goodson because he has been pretty consistent defensively, but has been really great on set pieces for the U.S.

He scored a great goal against El Salvador, where he stuck with the play and made a great run towards the face of the goal.

Goodson is also great in the air. His 6’4’’ frame is a huge contribution in set pieces, which the U.S. have exploited on many occasions during the Gold Cup.

Holding Midfield: Stuart Holden and Mix Diskerud

Mix Diskerud should grab one of the holding midfielder spots. He has been overwhelmingly consistent throughout the Gold Cup, playing up and down the field.

He finally got on the scoring sheet as he put in a great header against El Salvador. The recently cap-tied Diskerud can certainly make the World Cup roster with another few good Gold Cup matches; he could compete with Jermaine Jones to pair with Michael Bradley in the central midfield.

The other central midfield spot is up for grabs between Kyle Beckerman and Stuart Holden. If I were coaching, I would give Holden the start for many reasons.

Beckerman is more of a traditional number six—hard-playing defensive minded midfielder—but he doesn’t do much in terms of creating goal opportunities.

Holden is a much better creator on the offensive side of the field. I know Beckerman has made some good passes, but he has looked really slow against this low level of competition.

Holden deserves the start because he has a true future with the U.S. Holden is just 27, which is relatively young for a U.S. player; Beckerman is 31. This will certainly be Beckerman’s last chance in a U.S. roster barring injury to Jones or Bradley.

Holden has a future in a U.S. jersey. If Klinsmann continues to give Holden play time, he could make a strong showing for World Cup qualifying.

Outside Midfield: Joe Corona and Brek Shea

Joe Corona is the only lock in the midfield with Landon Donovan. I’ve written about him before, but he has been really consistent holding down the right side of the field, offensively and defensively.

Corona has scored two great goals so far in the Goal Cup, so I don’t see Klinsmann taking Corona out of the starting lineup.

The left midfield spot is really up for grabs in the Gold Cup. Jose Torres has gotten a few starts, but hasn’t impressed. The other option is Brek Shea.

Shea scored the game-winning goal against Costa Rica after making a beautiful run down the field. Unfortunately, this game followed one of the worst halves of soccer Shea has ever played.

I see Klinsmann giving Shea the start because he has the higher ceiling. As a Premier League player, he will be playing against higher competition this year, and will be more prepared for the World Cup next year.

Offensive Midfield: Landon Donovan

This was the easiest decision to make.

Landon Donovan has finally started to play to the level that we expect out of him as he has started every game in the Gold Cup.

While it did take some time for Donovan to adapt, he has really started to click with the rest of his teammates and make a difference. His one goal, three assist performance against El Salvador was certainly his best game in the Gold Cup, and I expect the same out of him against Costa Rica.

Donovan has finally shown Klinsmann that he still wants to be a part of the U.S. roster, earning himself a starting spot next summer.

Striker: Eddie Johnson

The decision to make is between Eddie Johnson and Chris Wondolowski. For me, this decision was easy.

My disapproval of Wondolowski is well-documented, but there is reason behind it. Against the two hardest opponents, Costa Rica and El Salvador, he faded. He simply is not creative or athletic enough to compete against decent international defenses.

Unfortunately, he is simply a goal poacher.

Eddie Johnson is the best striker on this Gold Cup squad. He not only scored a great goal in his first play against El Salvador, but he was also involved in two other goals—and this is only in 30 minutes of play.

He flicked a great header past the defense to Landon Donovan for his great breakaway goal and he sped past a defender on the left side of the field to eventually create Diskerud’s goal.

Johnson’s superior athleticism makes him the perfect option to play with Donovan.

Conclusion

This is my starting XI, but Klinsmann always has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Expect a few changes from the previous games and possibly the addition of few recent entries, Gonzalez or Johnson, to the starting lineup.

The semifinal game could be the last chance that some of these players have to show Klinsmann that they deserve a future on the National Team; expect a great game from some of the fringe roster players.