Assessing the USMNT Center-Back Situation Ahead of the Gold Cup
With the start of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup just over two months away, the competition for the 23 spots on the United States men's national team roster is starting to heat up.
The position with the biggest spotlight on it between now and the July 7 opener against Honduras will be center-back, where a plethora of different players can make a legitimate case to start at the moment.
Entering last week's clash with Mexico, the Yanks already had a crowded depth chart in the middle of defense. But thanks to the strong showings from Omar Gonzalez and Ventura Alvarado, the competition ramped up faster than we expected.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Currently, the closest thing to a first-choice man in the middle is John Brooks, who, beginning with the World Cup, instilled himself as a permanent fixture on manager Jurgen Klinsmann's roster.
Ideally Brooks will line up as one of the starting center-backs at the Gold Cup, but who his potential partner will be is a question no one can answer right now.
Although he hasn't played many games at the position, Jermaine Jones could be in line for a starting role in the back four if he is fully fit. The Jones experiment at center-back has produced its share of nervy moments, but that has to be expected in a situation like that.
The one thing going against the 33-year-old in the coming months will be his alignment in the New England Revolution lineup. The Revs are at their best when Jones is utilized in a defensive midfield role. Some fans of the national team will tell you they prefer Jones in that position as well.
After Brooks and Jones, the list of names is expansive. But there are plenty of question marks surrounding the play of each center-back candidate.
Gonzalez and Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler are both in the mix, but consistency at the international level is an issue for both. The 26-year-old Gonzalez improved his stock with his play on both ends of the pitch against Mexico, while Besler is still rounding into form in the second month of the MLS season.
During stages of the last World Cup cycle, both were seen as first-choice center-backs, but now they are searching for consistent playing time under Klinsmann.
Matt Hedges and Steve Birnbaum are two young players worth keeping an eye on as the MLS season kicks into a higher gear. The young duo thoroughly impressed at the back for FC Dallas and D.C. United respectively in 2014, and they are both expected to improve in 2015.
Hedges has a better chance of making the Gold Cup roster at the moment because Birnbaum is out with an injury. However, we could see Birnbaum's name pop up on the 23-man roster for the Gold Cup if he recovers in time.
Just south of the MLS quartet in Mexico are Alvarado and Michael Orozco, both of whom starred in their own end in recent U.S. matches. Orozco showcased his skills against Denmark and Switzerland, while the young Alvarado impressed in the win over Mexico.
Orozco is seen as a dark horse to make the roster because of his under-the-radar status among USMNT fans. Alvarado may benefit from Klinsmann's propensity to hand young players an opportunity in major matches. If Klinsmann follows up his decision-making from the World Cup regarding DeAndre Yedlin and Julian Green, Alvarado may feature at the Gold Cup.
Outside of the natural center-backs in the talent pool you have a few players who are used to playing in a full-back role. Geoff Cameron, Tim Ream and Brad Evans are the three names that come to mind in that discussion.
Cameron is one of the most versatile athletes on the USMNT depth chart, and Klinsmann may choose to use him at right-back, or in a holding-midfield role before he thinks of him as a center-back. Ream started his career in the middle of defense, but Bolton Wanderers used him on the flanks throughout their Championship campaign.
Evans' situation with the Seattle Sounders is the opposite of Cameron and Ream, as he moved into the center of the back line before the 2015 season. He is on the outside looking in at the Gold Cup roster, but he was a part of the squad for the Mexico match.
To say Klinsmann has a wealth of options at the position is a major understatement. He will most likely use a combination of current club form and past international performances to determine his set of four or five center-backs for this summer's tournament.
For Brooks or Jones to miss out on the roster, they will have to be either injured or in putrid form. But as of right now, it would be a safe assumption they will be in the red, white and blue when July rolls around.
With at least three full-backs expected to be named to the 23-man squad, Klinsmann will have room for no more than three more center-backs. That is where the competition for spots really starts to get interesting.
Cameron contains an upper hand because of his versatility, and we might not see him as the last line of defense at the Gold Cup. But Klinsmann does like to have options on his roster, which gives the Stoke City man a clear advantage over the rest of the pack.
If we base the selection of the final two defenders on current form, Gonzalez and Orozco would most likely receive the nod. If the Yanks switch out players after the group stage like they did in 2013, we could see any of the other candidates provide a boost with fresh legs.
Everything can, and probably will, change over the next two months. And if one of the center-back contenders slips up, another will be right there waiting to take his spot.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
