3 Things USA Should Test in International Friendly with Honduras
United States men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been taking heat for his tactics from some of his best-known past players.
“We practically only practiced fitness under Klinsmann," said Philipp Lahm per a June report in the Sporting News. "There was very little technical instruction and the players had to get together independently before the game to discuss how we wanted to play.”
The sour grapes from Landon Donovan in the wake of his omission from the American World Cup side this past summer could have produced an award-winning whine, er, wine. After the Americans were eliminated, Donovan had plenty to say.
“They were set up in a way that was opposite from what they’ve been the past couple years, which is opening up, passing, attacking—trying to do that," Donovan said according to a report in The Guardian. "And the team’s been successful that way. Why they decided to switch that in the World Cup, none of us will know."
Klinsmann has another international friendly with which to try some different tactics. Here are some ideas on what he might do. Please note, though, that these ideas are not necessarily compatible with each other. Which does not really matter, since Klinsmann probably will not give any of them a go anyway.
Play 2 Strikers at Once
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The return of Clint Dempsey for this friendly against Honduras means that Klinsmann can deploy his preferred formation which features Jozy Altidore at striker and Dempsey behind him. That is fine to start.
But Dempsey does not need to play 90 minutes against Honduras. His Seattle Sounders are in a battle with LA Galaxy for first place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference.
When Dempsey leaves the pitch (perhaps at the interval), Klinsmann should give Altidore a chance to play with Chris Wondolowski.
If the past World Cup taught American supporters anything, it's that goals are really tough to come by for Klinsmann's sides when they play the best international sides.
Klinsmann could spend a half or so trying to pour players forward and create chances in bunches.
Play 3 at the Back
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Mind you, this is not to suggest that Klinsmann should play three defenders (instead of four) and two strikers at the same time. That would be bedlam.
If he does not want to try the two-striker idea, though, maybe Klinsmann can manufacture some offense by playing three defenders and creating additional diamonds in the midfield with another man forward.
There are two reasons why this might work. First, goalkeeper Nick Rimando is an ace (so is Brad Guzan). If you have a great goalkeeper, you can take some chances that he will be tested in odd-man situations.
Second, the Americans have strong, fleet young defenders in DeAndre Yedlin, Matt Besler, Greg Garza and Timmy Chandler. Klinsmann can play two of them aside Besler and trust that chaos will not ensue.
Treat the Match Like the Result Matters If USA Have a Late Lead
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The seminal quote from the American football movie North Dallas Forty is this one: "Everytime I say it's a game, you say it's a business. Everytime I say it's a business you say it's a game."
That line came to my mind watching the Americans do a very poor job defending a one-goal lead at the end of their match against Ecuador last week. The excuse for playing such an open style in a tight match like that is putatively that the match is a friendly, so the result does not really matter.
So why play the match at all, then?
There is no harm in treating an exhibition like an exhibition for the first hour or so. Once that time has passed, though, if there is a result to be protected (be it a win or a draw), then Klinsmann should treat the last third of the match as though the match actually counts.
The draw with Ecuador should not sit so well with an American side that aspires to a World Cup semi-final.
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