Coping with DeAndre Yedlin's Absence Key for USMNT to Advance to Copa Semifinal
For the last two weeks, the United States men's national team has received plenty of praise for its performances in defense.
The main reason for the successes against Costa Rica and Paraguay to close out play in Group A was consistency. For the first time since the 1930 FIFA World Cup, the Yanks started the same lineup in three straight matches.
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However, that streak will come to an end on Thursday, when the USMNT hosts Ecuador in the first of four quarterfinal contests at the Copa America Centenario.
Right-back DeAndre Yedlin had a rush of blood to the head during the start of the second half against Paraguay, committing a pair of unnecessary challenges to earn two yellow cards and an ejection.
With the 22-year-old Tottenham Hotspur man unavailable for selection, USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann must alter his defensive setup to best deal with the dangerous wingers in the Ecuador squad. There is no shortage of options for Klinsmann to choose from, as four different players could line up on the right flank of the back line.
Klinsmann handed Michael Orozco, a natural center-back, an audition in the second half versus Paraguay after Yedlin was sent off. The 30-year-old did nothing to cement his status as a starter for Thursday's match at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. One has to assume the Club Tijuana man is out of the running for a starting gig based off his second-half showing.
The other straight swap Klinsmann could make is to bring in D.C. United's Steve Birnbaum, who like Orozco plays regularly in the middle of the back line. Birnbaum showed signs of being a contributor on the international stage during the January camp friendlies against Iceland and Canada, but starting in the quarterfinals of a major tournament is a big leap from a pair of friendlies against weakened sides.
If Klinsmann opts to keep Orozco and Birnbaum on the bench, he will have to realign his back line to accommodate his new starter at right-back. Geoff Cameron seems like the obvious replacement for Yedlin based off his versatility.
The Stoke City man is comfortable at center-back, right-back and defensive midfield. However, if Klinsmann shifts Cameron out to the right, he risks breaking up the chemistry the 30-year-old has built with John Brooks.
The out-of-the-box option that Klinsmann could use would see Fabian Johnson go from left-back to right-back, which would allow Edgar Castillo or even Matt Besler, who started at full-back against Bolivia on May 28, to start at left-back.
Placing Johnson at a position he hasn't regularly played since the 2014 FIFA World Cup seems like an extreme move even for Klinsmann, who has a penchant for starting his best players out of position.
Out of the four options listed above, sliding Cameron out to right and starting Besler or Birnbaum next to Brooks looks like the ideal situation. Taking Cameron out of the center may hurt the USMNT's defensive chemistry, but the Stoke City player is best suited to deal with the talents of the Ecuador wingers compared to the other candidates vying to replace Yedlin.
The Yanks are aware of the exact threat Ecuador poses to their quest to reach the semifinal round on home soil. The USMNT defeated Ecuador in one of its three pre-Copa friendlies on May 25. During the 1-0 win, Yedlin produced an impressive performance against Jefferson Montero, who was one of the underrated playmakers in the Premier League all season with Swansea City.
Montero showed no fear in going at Yedlin on plenty of occasions, but the American was able to quell the threat due to his recovery speed and tackling ability. None of Yedlin's potential replacements possess the speed of the right-back, but Cameron is the one player with the technical prowess required to silence a player like Montero.
The starting right-back, whether it be Cameron or another defender, will need help at some point in the match to defend Montero properly. That means Jermaine Jones will have to wander over from his central midfield position to help or Gyasi Zardes will have to track back more to double-team the winger.
While most of the focus will be on the USMNT's right defensive flank, Ecuador's game plan should revolve around attacking both full-backs. Johnson is a strong player, but he wasn't tested much throughout the group stage. If Ecuador keeps Johnson occupied when they move forward, they will nullify the threat of the 28-year-old in the USMNT attack.
When they try to make inroads on the right flank, it would be wise for Ecuador to stretch out the play to see if Brooks will drift over to help with coverage. If the USMNT center-back moves over to the side of the penalty area, Ecuador should deliver its crosses cleaner and into more space—assuming Brooks doesn't rush back into position.
The Yanks will have to alter a part of their offensive approach as well since Yedlin likes to bomb forward on overlapping runs. Cameron will not move ahead as much as Yedlin, which may put more pressure on Johnson to create opportunities on the other half of the pitch.
Without Yedlin in the fold, Jones, Zardes and Alejandro Bedoya will also find themselves in larger roles in the final third. Jones, who loves to wander all over the pitch for 90 minutes, has the ability to pop up on the wing when called upon. Bedoya and Zardes will need the extra help from Jones if the full-backs remain occupied.
Losing Yedlin doesn't kill the USMNT's chances of advancing to the final four of the competition, especially if Klinsmann instructs his side to take the game to Ecuador in front of what should be a true home-field environment. But the USMNT's game plan will have to adjust to make up for the absence of the 22-year-old, who is becoming a critical part of the team's success.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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