Inclusion of Youth Critical for USMNT in Copa America 3rd-Place Game
After a dismal performance in the semifinal round of the Copa America Centenario on Tuesday, the United States men's national team are set to partake in the third-place match of the competition against Colombia on Saturday.
In the eyes of many, the third-place game is a meaningless exercise, especially after the Yanks' deflating 4-0 loss to Argentina. But if they approach the contest at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, correctly, they could leave the tournament with more positive takeaways.
Throughout the Copa, USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann has been criticized for not starting the younger players in the squad in order to get them acclimated to the top international stage. Doing that in the third-place game won't remedy the situation fully, but it will give the manager a glimpse into the future with CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on the horizon.
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For Saturday's match against Colombia, Klinsmann must start as many young players as possible. Because of the number of veterans in his side, he will have to keep a few of the older players in the starting XI, but there is no reason to continue the strategy of using all of the teams' elder statesmen in big games.
Gaining experience in major tournaments is key for the development of players, even if that experience comes in a third-place match. So, Klinsmann must reverse course—even if that means benching top contributors like Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Geoff Cameron.
The youth approach can even be utilized in goal since 21-year-old Ethan Horvath, who has been a solid first-team player at Molde, is the third-choice keeper. Horvath has trained under Brad Guzan and Tim Howard all tournament, so why not give him an opportunity to test his mettle?
At some point in the near future, the changing of the guard will occur in goal. The Americans have a nice collection of young netminders, led by Bill Hamid, who looks like the heir to the throne once Guzan leaves the international stage. Horvath will be the in mix for years to come, and it wouldn't hurt to hand him his first appearance in a contest that needs to carry some meaning.
In defense, DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks should keep their spots in the starting lineup. At 22 years old, Yedlin is the right back of the present and future, and the 23-year-old Brooks is close to cementing a permanent spot at center back. Both players have shown plenty of progression during the Copa, with Brooks standing out the most thanks to his commanding presence in the middle of the back line.
Klinsmann should send 25-year-old Steve Birnbaum into the fray at center back alongside Brooks to see what the D.C. United man is capable of in a big game. Birnbaum proved his worth against a weakened Iceland side and Canada in the first two friendlies of 2016, but he needs to be challenged by world-class attackers in order to judge his international potential.
Saturday presents the perfect opportunity for that, as he will have to mark either Carlos Bacca or 22-year-old Roger Martinez at the forward position, and he'll also have to monitor the dynamic ability of James Rodriguez right behind the starting striker.
Two of the players over 25 who need to remain in the first team are Fabian Johnson and Michael Bradley. To put it simply, there are no players better at their respective positions in the 23-man squad, and both the left-back and defensive midfielder will be pillars of the squad for at least the next two years. Dempsey might also receive a starting nod at forward, but he doesn't have to be involved because of the trust Bobby Wood earned during the Copa.
It will be important to the team's strategy who Klinsmann chooses to partner with Bradley. If the manager slides defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen into the XI, he will use a 4-2-3-1 to try to absorb the pressure of Colombia. With this formation, Klinsmann will allow Bradley to go up in attack on a few occasions to join a dynamic front four that we could see for quite some time.
If Klinsmann keeps his side in a 4-4-2, however, Darlington Nagbe will start in a central role alongside Bradley, who will sit back and defend for the majority of the contest. Nagbe, who is the creative playmaker USMNT fans have been clamoring for in the last two years, needs to earn more playing time to be able to make a true impact on a game.
If Klinsmann wants to maximize the number of younger players in the lineup, it would be ideal to place Kitchen next to Bradley in a 4-2-3-1 with Nagbe in the No. 10 role. Wood would be the lone striker in this formation, with Gyasi Zardes and the 17-year-old Christian Pulisic on the wings. If this proposed front four displays chemistry, Klinsmann should give them a look in one of the two September World Cup qualifiers.
If the Stars and Stripes beat Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2 and Trinidad and Tobago dispense of Guatemala on the same night, they will secure passage to the hexagonal round with one game left on the slate.
A strong performance by Zardes, Nagbe, Pulisic and Wood on Saturday could allow them to start Sept. 6 in Jacksonville, Florida, against Trinidad and Tobago as they aim to build more chemistry as a unit.
While everything about a potential youth-laden starting XI sounds wonderful, there is the possibility Klinsmann still trots out a veteran lineup in an attempt to claim third place at the Copa. But given the lackluster performance by the starters in the semifinals, it wouldn't be right for Kyle Beckerman, Graham Zusi and others to get a second chance with so much potential on the bench.
If Klinsmann works as many of his younger players onto the field Saturday as possible, the final result will be close to irrelevant because he will have shown he is building toward the future. And with plenty of key cogs on the USMNT roster over the age of 30, there's no better time than the present to start revamping the squad, with the toughest round of World Cup qualifying rapidly approaching.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JTansey90.
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