I'd go with a 4-4-2.

F: McBride and Johnson.

M (L-R): Convey, Reyna, Donovan, Dempsey

D (L-R): Lewis, Pope, Gooch, Dolo.

G: Keller

I though about dropping Lewis for an extra midfielder, but I also thought that having Lewis in there at left back was basically the same thing, as the US doesn't have a true left back.

If we can't get crosses into the box from Convey and Dempsey, then I would take out McBride, as he is pretty much worthless if he isn't playing in the air, bring in O'Brien and move Donovan up to forward (or play a 4-5-1 with Johnson at forward and a very offensive minded midfield).

I also thought about taking out Reyna, but I DID like the fact that with Beasley and Donovan playing timidly, he seemed to take over a little to try and be more assertive. I didn't like the fact that he just sttod there and watched while Rosnicky scored the second goal.

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Try and make something idiot proof, and all they do is make a better idiot.

i cant believe that i heard we have only won 1wc game with reyna in and he was playing left back

N/M

[This message has been edited by stick95 (edited 6/13/2006 1:48p).]

Beasley has to play IMO. We need as many athletes on the field as possible. Hopefully he plays better on Saturday. Also, Pope might be out for Saturday.

lewis at left back is why we let that 1st goal in

and beasley, we need him on the field, but not if hes going to play half-ass like he did yesterday

I might put in Mastro instead of Convey and slide Reyna over. Might even start Mastro instead of Reyna.

Still have not seen if Lewis abandoned his post on first goal, or Convey didn't cover for him. Lewis is good coming up, but left mid must stay back.

But forget about Convey/Lewis. Gooch and Pope blew the first goal. Two guys near their target man and nobody bothered to cover him. It's not a "you got him" or "my man" situation. It should have been both Americans marking him. Neither did.

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna leave Beasley out if this is his attitude:

"I was back there defending the whole time," Beasley said. "I don't know what [Arena] wants me to do.

"That's how the game went. Next time I'll leave the guy and I'll play as a striker instead of a midfielder, and then we'll see what happens."

Also, I think that JOB has to be on the field for at least 30'. Although he didn't look good in the CR game he is the only person looking to create in the midfield.

I think I've seen enough of the playing Donovan at forward, we've tried and it doesn't work. He has to get the ball in the midfield and go with it at his feet, he's useless if no one will get the ball to him or he has no support, which he won't have up front with McBride. Think this would be my lineup.

-------McBride---Johnson-------
----------Donovan--------
---Convey--------JOB--------
----------Reyna----------
Lewis---Gooch---Pope---Mastroeni/Boca
----------KK-------------

Sorry, here's the link to the article about Beasley and Donovan
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=370982&root=worldcup&cc=5901

[This message has been edited by riley290 (edited 6/13/2006 3:29p).]

D: Pope sweeping, Bocanegra, Gooch

M: Convey on left, Reyna, OBrien (Defensive), and Donovan (Attacking) in Center Mid, Dempsey (just to show beasley he doesnt have to start, but probably sub him in if dempsey doesnt play very well)

F: Johnson and Ching - No McBride. He was non-existent against CR. Italy's defense will be better and more physical than CR's was. I think we desperately need to change things up, and Ching is a good option to do so.

I know this lineup absolutely will not happen, but I hope we change some things up. We need a BIG change on the team to survive this round. In reality I think we go with a 4-4-2 and drop Obrien as a starter in my lineup for someone who is going to suck in defense.

-------McBride---Johnson---
----------Donovan----------
---Beasley---------JOB-----
----------Reyna------------
Lewis---Gooch---Boca---Dolo
------------KK-------------

Ok, I have thought a lot about this and still could go either way on several positions. Bottom line is that there is a lot of room to criticize ANY lineup we could roll out. So before I get blasted, let me explain my rationale:

Beasley--Believe me, I was the first to call him out for sucking. Just look at the game thread. I wanted him out of the game halfway through the first quarter. After re-watching the tape, however, I did see that he played decent defense, especially in the second half. He was also double-teamed nearly all game. I'm putting him back on the left so that he can use his speed down the flank to open space or draw fouls. On the right side, he's always trying to cut in, which just stops our attack and ends up with him passing back to Reyna, who stands there looking around with his thumb up his ass waiting for someone to make a run. Convey off the bench if Beasley doesn't produce something. Starting Beasley again is definitely a gamble, but Convey lost the ball too many times and his crosses didn't look good like they have in the past. Worst of all, Convey plays no defense at all, which is a problem when you have freaking Lewis at LB. And that brings me to my next point:

Lewis--simply not a good left back, but we don't have any choice. Boca is not great there either, but I like him a lot in the center. Maybe Pope could play there, but I don't think he has before so I wouldn't try him now. Lewis needs explicit instructions to stay back more (and never leave unless he's sure the winger in front of him is covering). He's an experienced player who should be able to understand that kind of instruction. He knows he blew it on the first Italy goal.

Dolo--was pretty bad at times against CR, but he's a quality back and we don't have any other option at RB. I think he will rebound well. If not, it doesn't really matter because all of the other options are much scarier, IMO.

Boca--Pope is simply outmatched at this level. He's older and slower than he used to be. Boca is better, but Bruce doesn't seem to like him lately, for whatever reason. I've always been a fan of Pope, but Boca should start on Saturday.

EDIT: Dempsey is a scheduled sub off the bench, as JOB is probably not fit enough to be effective for the full 90 anyway. If we have a lead, maybe we sub in Mastro instead.


All that said, here are some alternate lineups that have problems, but I could deal with:

-------McBride---Johnson---
----------Donovan----------
---Convey---------JOB------
----------Reyna------------
Boca---Gooch---Pope---Dolo-
------------KK-------------



-------McBride---Johnson---
----------Donovan----------
---Convey---------JOB------
----------Mastro-----------
Boca---Gooch---Pope---Dolo-
------------KK-------------



-------McBride---Johnson---
----------Donovan----------
---Convey---------JOB------
----------Reyna------------
Mastro-Gooch-Boca/Pope-Dolo
------------KK-------------


-------McBride---Johnson---
----------Donovan----------
-----JOB-------Dempsey-----
-Convey-------------------Reyna-
--------Boca---Gooch---Dolo----
------------KK-------------

That last one is creative, at least.

[This message has been edited by tool (edited 6/13/2006 4:41p).]

I could see Boca instead of Pope out of my above lineup. I think we need Dempsey out there for energy and offense, and I like him on the right with Dolo behind him, as he is a defensive liability.

Beasley's attitude outright sucked before and after this game. I think he needs to go to the bench.

---------------------
Try and make something idiot proof, and all they do is make a better idiot.

quote:

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i cant believe that i heard we have only won 1wc game with reyna in and he was playing left back

---

I may be reading this wrong but it is entirely untrue, he played central mid for us the entire last world cup

quote:

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I may be reading this wrong but it is entirely untrue, he played central mid for us the entire last world cup

---

We only won two games in the last World Cup, and Reyna didn't play in the first (Portugal). The only WC win with Reyna was Mexico.

I think his WC record is 1-6-1 or something like that.

and left back?

I think yall are confusing each other.

Reyna's only WC win was against Mexico. He was injured and did not play against Portugal, which made the result even more impressive. He played the next game against Korea, but might have been subbed for late.

He was on the squad in 1994, but didn't get off the bench.

Maybe you're getting mixed up with Pablo M. He took over Reyna's spot while he was injured. Then in other games he played left back.

Just thinking about that team reminded me of Tony Sanneh. Man, could we have used him yesterday!

[This message has been edited by birdman (edited 6/13/2006 11:29p).]

quote:

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and left back?

---

I honestly don't remember where he started against Mexico.

Reyna played central midfield against Mexico. Pretty sure that Hedjuk played left back in that game.

Reyna did play central mid...even more impressive his play at central mid that day earned him best 11 honors at the world cup...The only american to do so, I dont know if Reyna has ever played left back, maybe when he played for the Rangers but that is my best guess...

quote:

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even more impressive his play at central mid that day earned him best 11 honors at the world cup

---

With all due respect, his play had little to do with his best 11 selection. He was the captain and more well-known overseas before the tournament than the other players. JOB and Landon, to name two, both outperformed Reyna. Honestly, it was probably more of a sympathy vote to the US after we got robbed on the handball no-call against Germany.

We need Reyna on the field, but his abilities are greatly exaggerated.

[This message has been edited by tool (edited 6/14/2006 12:11p).]

And for the record, Reyna did not play in the center against Mexico. He started at right mid. I pulled the tape and looked.

So in the World Cup, he is 1-6-1 overall and 0-6-1 when starting at center mid.

quote:

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So in the World Cup, he is 1-6-1 overall and 0-6-1 when starting at center mid.

---

So are you suggesting he shouldn't play because of that record? I have to say that there are many other reasons for that record rather than specifically his play.

My lineup looks like this:

McBride-EJ
Convey-O'Brien-Reyna-Donovan
Lewis-Gooch-Pope-Cherundolo

Most obvious difference is the inclusion of Donovan on the right. I assume this isn't smart because I have yet to see anyone suggest it but can someone tell me why? He can cross the ball pretty well as he often takes free kicks and corners, is fast enough to get back on D, and can take on defenders. After the last few games, I'm not sold on him as a center mid at this level with the responsibility of providing quality passing and vision. He just seems slow in the decision making process to me.

McBride-Played like poo but I blame Bruce for that one and the fact he never got any service. He plays so much better when he has a forward to combine with.

EJ-Played like the only player who gave a damn against CR, took on defenders and generally knew what he was doing. It was probably all in an effort to move to Europe but whatever his motivation, he needs to start.

Convey-Didn't have his best game but at least he has played well recently including MOM performances in the runup. Beasely hasn't played well in months...just ask Guus Hiddink. I love DaMarcus and I admit, he did well on defense several times in the second half and playing on the right has to be hard for him. But the bottom line is he hasn't produced ANY offense from the left or the right in months.

Lewis-Did he screw up on the first goal? Yes. But if we are going to pass blame, let's also pass it to Mastroeni who could have made the cross much more difficult had he closed down the passer (he literally jogged back...hustle and get in his way man!), let's not forget Onyewu deciding to mark the invisible man and Pope coming over to stand 5 feet in front of a man 6'7" and expecting that to be enough. It was a complete team suck for a goal to be that easy in the freaking 5th minute of the game. Bottom line though is that he is our only option right now. The injury to Gibbs and the fact that Bocanegra has played much in the last 6 months as a result of injuries and being benched for Fulham means he is our only option.

Gooch and Pope-they play for much of the same reason as I don't think Bocanegra is match-fit and the idea of Berhalter and/or Conrad out there is a scary one indeed.

Subs? I'd have Dempsey, Mastroeni and Beasely ready to come in off the bench depending on whether offense or defense was needed.


--------------------------------------------------
"The rest of the world will be rooting for the U.S. to fall flat on its face. Tell your soccer-hating friends that if they couldn't care less about how the U.S. does in these games, they are right in line with the French."

Page 2 writer Michael Davies

Awesome. Maybe I'm not moronic.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=371218&root=worldcup&cc=5901

quote:

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One compromise is to play Reyna or Donovan at right mid in a 4-4-2. Given Reyna's better form at the moment, Donovan is the more likely candidate to be pushed wide. Because less would be demanded of him from a creative standpoint, it's a role that might agree with him. However, Donovan hasn't suited up there once this year, and that scenario contains the added detriment of forcing Dempsey to sit. And so it goes. Square peg, meet round hole.

---

quote:

---

If I were picking the team, I'd put Reyna and O'Brien in the middle and Johnson up top with McBride, with Convey on the left. Donovan would line up on the right with the understanding that he's on a very short leash. Another half of nondescript play Saturday, and Arena will find it very difficult to keep him on the field.

---

--------------------------------------------------
"The rest of the world will be rooting for the U.S. to fall flat on its face. Tell your soccer-hating friends that if they couldn't care less about how the U.S. does in these games, they are right in line with the French."

Page 2 writer Michael Davies

I'd like to see us come out like this:

-------------Keller----------------
---Onyewu-----Pope--------Bocanegra
--------Reyna-----Mastro-----------
Cherundolo------------------O'Brien
-------------Donovan---------------
--------Johnson------McBride-------

Cherundolo and O'Brien both offer great defense, are good crossers and passers, and are extremely technically sound. They don't offer as much as Convey, Beasley, and Dempsey going 1v1, but they're very capable. Our central midfield would still be strong defensively and it puts Donovan in his best spot. Johnson needs to be on the field and these are probably our best pure defenders. As subs I'd like to see Dempsey for Cherundolo, take Mastro out and slide O'Brien into his position and bring on Beasley at left mid, and take out McBride and put in Wolff depending on the scoreline.

I think we need to stop putting matro and reyna out there both in the midfield. They both basically have the same function and we're gonna need to score to win this game as Italy will look to increase their goal differential in order to avoid brazil in the next round

A huge problem is our reliance on Landon Donovan. He can't cut it obviously. The guy is certainly a better soccer player than me, however shouldn't the best player on the team play like it. When was his last goal for the national team, 15 or 16 game ago? That is most if not all of the the games it took us to qualify. So we keep starting him at forward or an attacking midfield position. Granted the supporters will say he does more than score goals. True all soccer players do. Is Landon's defense good, no we can't have both he and Reyna in the middle together, they get beat up. Is he a good distibuter, average at best, he was slow and not involved against the czechs. Basically he is a big fish in a small pond and a huge liability on the field. He should have stayed in Germany and learned how to play on the big stage. He doesn't have what it takes to be the face of american soccer and our "best hope". The biggest problem with this of course is that we have nobody who can fill his position. JOB could but he isn't fit enough right now. The line up will be similiar to the CZ game I estimate. Beasely will take his share of the blame and be left off. I would like to see maestroni (sp?) and reyna in the middle together (kinda of a poor man's Zidane and Makaleli). None of it will matter if we play like we did before.

-------------Keller----------------
Dolo------Boca-----Gooch-------Mastro
--------------Reyna----------------
-----JOB------------------Convey--
-------------Donovan---------------
--------Johnson------McBride-------

Ok, I'll submit mine. Somebody on this thread has to get it right, we've covered every possibility.

quote:

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Ok, I'll submit mine. Somebody on this thread has to get it right, we've covered every possibility.

---

I already did...you just don't know it yet.

Actually, I hope I'm wrong. I got the Czech Republic game's lineup right (well, I had Donovan actually playing up top instead of at attacking mid as he ended up playing) and we all know how that turned out.

Tomorrow can't get here early enough. If nothing else, I'll either have something else to look forward too or will finally be able to let the healing begin.

Don't blame me for Czech loss either. I thought Convey on left mid and Beasley on right mid would be dynamic. I put McBride alone up top. Dead wrong.

WTF?

They just announced the lineup

McBride

Convey-Donovan-Reyna-Mastroeni-Dempsey

Bocanegra-Pope-Onyewu-Cherundolo

HOW DOES EJ NOT START?!