Analyzing the USMNT's Potential Lineup Changes for Copa Semi Versus Argentina
The United States men's national team paid quite the cost for advancing to the semifinal round of the Copa America Centenario with their 2-1 quarterfinal win over Ecuador on Thursday.
Starters Jermaine Jones, Alejandro Bedoya and Bobby Wood will be suspended for Tuesday's final-four matchup with Argentina at NRG Stadium in Houston. Jones is serving a one-game ban for placing his hands near the face of an opponent during a melee near the sidelines, while Bedoya and Wood will miss the semifinal clash due to yellow-card accumulation.
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All three of the regular first-teamers bring a certain skill set to the table that the Yanks will have to replace against an Argentina squad chock-full of world-class footballers and led by Lionel Messi.
USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann, no stranger to tinkering with his starting XI, has an opportunity to choose a lineup full of risks and young players or a reliable setup that will look conservative and ready to sit back, defend and counter on occasion.
During the buildup to the Copa America Centenario and throughout the tournament, the USMNT fanbase has been clamoring for the inclusions of Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic. The pair of dynamic up-and-comers on the international scene appeared in the second half of the opening loss to Colombia, but since then Klinsmann has opted to use veterans like Graham Zusi and Kyle Beckerman off the bench.
If Klinsmann decides to shake things up in attack by using Nagbe and Pulisic, he will send a statement that his strategy is to try to take the game to Argentina, no matter how difficult that may be. This particular lineup would slide Gyasi Zardes into Wood's forward role, with Pulisic on one of the flanks. In order to get the best out of Nagbe, Klinsmann would have to start the Portland Timbers man beneath Clint Dempsey and Zardes in either a 4-1-3-2 or 4-4-2 diamond formation.
The youth option for Tuesday also presents Klinsmann with an issue on the right wing. He could play it safe and start Zusi, or he could make one of the boldest moves of his tenure. That eye-popping decision would slot DeAndre Yedlin on the right wing, with Fabian Johnson at right-back and Matt Besler at left-back.
This formation would give Johnson plenty of defensive help if the Yanks are caught in their own end, but it could open up holes on the left with the young Pulisic and the out-of-position Besler dealing with Argentina's dynamic attack.
There is plenty of risk to go with the potential of using a young starting XI that we could see down the road in future major tournaments. Regardless of the opponent, the game plan may be too bold when the Yanks are one step away from the final of a major competition. With that once-improbable end in mind, Klinsmann will likely rely on his veterans, just as he has for most of the tournament.
Beckerman, Chris Wondolowski and Zusi are not the most popular options to start on Tuesday evening, but based on recent trends, there's no reason to think Klinsmann won't use at least two of the three older players listed above.
Despite what many perceive as a lack of range and athleticism, Beckerman is the most reliable option on the roster to replace Jones. His tackling ability will be a valuable asset on Tuesday, and if he and Bradley are able to break up Argentina's counters without conceding dangerous set pieces, the Yanks will be in good shape to challenge for a position in Sunday's championship match.
The hardest thing to replace on Tuesday might be Bedoya's two-way work rate. The Nantes man is the most underrated player on the USMNT, and his effort against Ecuador on the left wing was important to the team's victory. Zusi may not have as big a motor as Bedoya, but he does have comparable experience at the international level.
If Zusi can control the opposing team's forward momentum by supporting the full-back behind him, another Argentina threat will be quelled in the search for the USMNT's first major final since the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Which wing Zusi lines up on depends on what players and formation Klinsmann wants to use. If he keeps his team in the 4-4-2 formation he's utilized since the second group contest against Costa Rica, Dempsey's most logical partner would be Zardes, based on the work he has put in during the Copa. The L.A. Galaxy man has played out of position on the right wing and is a natural forward.
If we assume Zusi and Beckerman are locks in this formation and that Klinsmann is not willing to play the midfielders with less experience, we could see Johnson or Yedlin move up to midfield. This would move Johnson to the left wing, where he played at the club level with Borussia Monchengladbach, to provide cover for Besler, who performed admirably at left-back on Thursday. Keeping Yedlin at right-back with Zusi in front of him would take away the potential of an unbalanced flank for Argentina to exploit.
Despite all the calls to include Nagbe and Pulisic, the pair simply aren't ready to make the leap into a starting role if Klinsmann hasn't used them since the first match of the tournament. One or both of them could be impact substitutions, but throwing them into the fire against Argentina would not be a wise decision. Wondolowski could also come off the bench if Klinsmann thinks the San Jose Earthquakes striker can produce a few moments of brilliance in the closing stages of the match.
If Klinsmann fields a reliable starting XI full of veterans, the Yanks have a chance of pulling off one of the biggest wins in the history of the national team. Keeping the match close for 45 or even 60 minutes is key to the USMNT's success on Tuesday. If everything goes to plan for the opening two-thirds of the match, then Klinsmann will be able to fully go for it with fresh legs.
The USMNT enter Tuesday's semifinal in quite the predicament, but missing three first-team regulars won't be a major issue if Klinsmann continues to make smart lineup selections.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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