U.S. men’s national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has narrowed his World Cup roster from 30 to 23. He has cut U.S. veterans Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu and Clarence Goodson along the way.
He has turned to young talents like Julian Green, DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks in their place. Now, he has another tough call ahead of him: Paring down his roster to 11 players worthy of starting against Ghana in the Americans’ World Cup opener on June 16.
We paneled our SI writers and editors for their thoughts, and here’s who we see starting vs. Ghana in Natal:
Personnel-wise, there aren’t any big surprises in my predicted lineup vs. Ghana for anyone who follows the U.S. closely. Fabian Johnson has played in big games for Jurgen Klinsmann before at right back, most notably against Mexico, and he’s used to the spot from playing it at club level this season. Geoff Cameron beats out Omar González for the center back spot next to Matt Besler, and DaMarcus Beasley edges out Timmy Chandler at left back.
The big question is on formation. Will Klinsmann opt for a 4-4-2 diamond, as he has in the last two U.S. friendlies? Or will he go with the 4-2-3-1 that was his most common choice during World Cup qualifying? Given Ghana’s speed, I suspect that Klinsmann will go with the 4-2-3-1 to give his team more defensive structure and allow Michael Bradley to have more distribution time on the ball than he’ll have at the tip of the diamond. - GW
Despite experimenting with a four-midfielder, two-forward formation in pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and Azerbaijan, Jurgen Klinsmann will revert to the more tried and tested 4-2-3-1 on June 16 when the U.S. gets its third crack at Ghana. The Americans are more accustomed to playing in that alignment under Klinsmann and Ghana is faster and more lethal in the attack then either exhibition opponent. More midfield cover will be necessary, and the 4-2-3-1 allows both Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones to support the back four.
Fabian Johnson will start on the right in order to keep tabs on Ghana’s fearsome Kwadwo Asamoah, who plays for Italian champ Juventus, and Andre Ayew, who stars for Marseille. The other major change from Tuesday’s Azerbaijan match is the insertion of Houston Dynamo veteran Brad Davis in left midfield. Possession may be at a premium during a match in which the U.S. must stay disciplined and that it cannot afford to lose, and Davis’ ability to carve open a defense with his set piece or long ball delivery could be vital for American attacking prospects. Although Jozy Altidore has struggled in recent months, he’s probably still the optimum target for Davis and Graham Zusi. - BS