Andi Herzog and the US U23’s begin Olympic qualifying tonight.
Neil W. Blackmon
The CONCACAF under-23 championship begins in Kansas City tonight, with the US kicking off their own quest to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in their first group stage game, against Canada, the same side that derailed them in the group stage en route to not qualifying for the 2012 London Olympic games.
The Americans will be without star forward Rubio Rubin, who wasn’t released by his club FC Utrecht, and two goalkeepers, the injured Cody Cropper and Molde’s Ethan Horvath, who won’t be released until the FIFA window opens up, but this is a team with considerable star power compared to the group Canada beat in Nashville four years ago and one that should certainly advance to compete in Rio– and better.
The failure of the 2012 group to qualify was an embarrassing failure and the first genuine black eye of the new Klinsmann regime. That Klinsmann’s handpicked manager, current Portland Timbers man Caleb Porter, orchestrated the failure with a plan so inept that the US couldn’t muster a goal against Canada, underscored the magnitude of the disaster.
Jurgen Klinsmann hasn’t been particularly reticent about his own failures or poor choices since taking over as US manager and subsequently, technical director, but he was quite vocal about his disappointment with Porter and the US failure to qualify and he’s repeatedly emphasized the importance of this team reaching the Olympics next summer.
Once again, Jurgen Klinsmann has picked his own man, the trusted advisor and coach Andi Herzog, to lead this team, and Herzog, to his credit, understands the task must begin with a strong start. “We know that last cycle we did not qualify, so we must do a good job right from the first minute to start with a win against Canada,” Herzog told reporters yesterday morning.
Given the Americans group, which also features Cuba and Panama, full points for the Americans against the Canadians would almost assure the US of a spot in the four-team semifinal, with a loss or even a draw making things far more complicated. The top two teams from each group of four advance to the semifinals, with the finalists securing automatic berths to the Rio games and the third place team taking on 2015 South American Youth Football Championship runner-up Colombia in a one-game playoff.
Here’s Andi Herzog’s roster, with three keys to victory after the list.
Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Charlie Horton (Leeds; Cleveland Ohio), Ethan Horvath (Molde; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zack Steffen (Freiburg; Downington, Pa.).
DEFENDERS (5): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls; Clifton, N.J.), Eric Miller (Montreal Impact; Woodbury, Minn.), William Packwood (Unattached; Concord, Mass.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield; Arlington, Va.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham; Dallas, Texas), Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire; Milwaukee, Wis.), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; Gahanna, Ohio), Gedion Zelalem (Rangers; Bethesda, Md.).
FORWARDS (4): Alonso Hernandez (C.D. Juarez; El Paso, Texas), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Maki Tall (FC Sion; Washington, D.C.).
Emerson Hyndman of Fulham gives this US team a metronome in the center.
1. Because FIFA continues to take the Olympic tournament less seriously than many federations would like, the US team hasn’t had a great deal of time to train. This means the team must gel quickly and the stars must deliver.
Professional clubs aren’t under any obligation to release their players to youth national teams, which puts Andi Herzog (and other U-23 coaches) in a difficult spot. Training time is limited and even when tournaments or friendlies can be arranged, you are often dealing with different groups of players at each turn. The good news? Herzog did manage to bring 16 players from this group to friendlies last month against England and Qatar, so there is some level of familiarity. The bad news? The US only had a few days to train for their opening match with the full compliment of players.
With limited time to train and develop chemistry and understanding, the onus is on star players to perform at exceptionally high levels, particularly against less-talented opponents who are likely to park the bus and force the US to break them down, while waiting for a chance to exploit an American mistake. Even without Rubin, the Americans certainly have that type of star power. Stanford star and US senior team fan darling Jordan Morris is here, as is FC Sion’s Maki Tall, who had a splendid summer. Emerson Hyndman of Fulham and Gedion Zelalem of Arsenal (Rangers at present), heroes of the US U-20 quarterfinal World Cup run are also in the team. This gives the US far more playmaking and attacking talent than the group four years ago, even if the roster is light on the flanks.
Against packed in defenses, one moment of magic is often needed, but the flip side of that is one moment of magic is often enough to win. Herzog’s team certainly has those players.
2. Canada has quality and they’ll test the US.
This incarnation of Canada features ten players who have already played with the senior US national team and a total of 5 players who already feature in MLS. Both of those numbers are higher than the group that beat Caleb Porter’s side 2-0 in Nashville four years ago, and that win was no fluke. The Canadians equaled the Americans 10-10 in shots and held a decisive advantage in that statistic until late in the game, when they bunkered after taking a two goal advantage. The Americans never could solve the riddle of Canada’s five man midfield, and one would expect a tactical redux this evening.
Canada has two genuine stars, QPR youngster Michael Petrasso, who is a hybrid ACM/forward given license to float with immense promise and former Michigan State All-American Jay Chapman, a Toronto FC project who stirs the central midfield drink and is a tireless worker. Vancouver’s Caleb Clarke features as a tip-0f-the-spear type, and he won’t be intimidated- he’ll join Jordan Morris on the field as the only guy with a senior international goal to his name and he’s seen physical CB’s like the Americans boast in Tottenham’s Cameron Carter-Vickers and Red Bull starlet Matt Miazga in MLS.
Matt Miazga anchors the US backline, and is one of the most promising CB talents the US has ever produced.
3. Speaking of Carter-Vickers and Miazga…the duo are young, even by U23 tournament standards, but they are the key to US success.
The US allowed a stunning five goals in three games en route to being eliminated from the 2012 Qualifying tournament in the group stage. That US team was limited in the back, and ultimately opted to play Amobi Okugo and Perry Kitchen, typically midfielders, in defense. Ike Opara also featured prominently, and he was a MLS 24 under 24 guy, but by no means a young star in the making.
This team has starpower in the back in the tremendous Miazga, who a scout recently told ESPN was “the best young CB ever (in the United States)” and Cameron Carter-Vickers, the physical and strong Spurs prospect with the NBA father and 40 inch vertical. Carter-Vickers is still figuring out how his massive frame and athleticism function in high level soccer, but he did exceptionally well paired with Miazga at the U20 World Cup and Miazga has the technical chops to cover up many of Carter-Vickers’s weaknesses.
With Shane O’Neill out of the tournament due to injury, the US are light on depth in the back, but playing the young CB pairing puts the most talented young guys on the field, which will serve the program well in the long-term future and help the team win in the immediate future. The Americans aren’t going to frighten anyone at fullback, and will surrender chances from crosses and width– but if Miazga and Carter-Vickers play well, they’ll have the spine to clean up the messes.
Neil W. Blackmon is Co-Founder of The Yanks Are Coming. Follow him on Twitter @nwblackmon. Reach him in e-mail at nwblackmon@gmail.com