Looking Ahead

Well the 2011 Gold Cup is over and many of us USA fans were disappointed at the end result of the final. Mexico came back and trounced the USA winning 4-2, but lets look at some of the things the USA needs to do to move on.

  Bring in the Youth
 Well lets look at some of our experienced defenders on the team at the moment. Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo will both be 35 years old by the time world cup 2014 comes around and they will most likely not be at that tournament. Oguchi Oneywu will be 32 at the time. These three defenders have been a household name on the USA team since the 2006 world cup. However, it is time to give some of the younger guys more chances. Jonathan Bornstein is a young defender but he has shown that he is not yet ready for the International game as he was getting burned. I would think Lichaj was performing better at left back and at right back we have the options of Timmothy Chandler and Jonathan Specter to move forward with. In the middle of the defense I think Zak Whitbread should get a look, he has helped Norwich City into the English Premier League. I am not quite sold on Clarence Goodson just yet but he has had some good moments but we should have Tim Ream and Omar Gonzalez as back ups. At midfield we have had Donovan and Dempsey leading the pack but they will both be 32 come 2014 so Freddy Adu is key to the USA midfield as an attacking option I believe he is our Giovani Dos Santos or at least has the potential to be. Maurice Edu should be able to have equal opportunities as Jermaine Jones. Michael Bradley shouldn't be entitled to be playing 90 minutes every match especially those matches where he isn't playing well like against Mexico he was caught losing possession time and time again. Maybe a Stuart Holden should have a fair chance as well. Both are younger guys and can push each other. And of course on the wings we saw the improved play of Kljestan and the emergence of Bedoya.
Change the Style of Play
As we witnessed Mexico has reached a new level of play with Chicharito and pace and support from the wings. And the swift passing the Mexicans showed off. What was the USA doing about everytime? They kept on kicking a long ball into the box and hoped to draw a foul or get a corner kick out of it. We will have to change our style of play. Afterall, the game is evolving and we don't want to be left behind. But all this is up to the manager. I am not going to come out and say Bradley should get fired, but he better make a change to the way the team plays.