Michael Bradley leads the US into Denmark.
Neil W. Blackmon
The United States enters the March European friendlies having won the last time they got the band together, which largely is where the good news ends as they ready for tomorrow night’s match in Aarhus against Denmark (3 PM EDT, ESPN 2). This is still a side tall on questions and short on answers, with a manager who at times seems more guessing than implementing the “natural and unique American style” he promised when he took the reins in 2011.
Two wins in ten for Jurgen Klinsmann’s charges, by some measure the worst 10 game span in the tenure for Sunil Gulati’s handpicked man, the US Soccer Moses who would lead the US out of the “win our World Cup group” wilderness and into the global elite. We’re counting at home but since you might not be– the “2 wins in 10” mark matches the worst span in the Bob Bradley tenure, which, it should be noted, also occurred in the immediate aftermath of a World Cup. Bradley’s streak, however, included matches against three of the top five sides in the world (Brazil, Spain and Argentina) and five of the top ten (Colombia, Chile); Klinsmann’s run of foul play has involved only one top ten side in the world (Colombia) and has seen the Yanks humbled at Ireland (world #66) and drawn at home by Honduras (#81) and an Ecuador side (#29) that rarely earns a point at sea level, but did against the United States in Connecticut (elevation 2 feet).
Something, it could be said, is out of joint.
The flip side of the argument, I suppose, is that the U.S. won in Prague just after the World Cup and had the distraction of Landon Donovan’s retirement in October, the MLS playoffs as a distraction in the November friendlies and the “Camp Cupcake 2.0” roster to begin 2015, a group that at least won one match.
The Denmark friendly, and the Switzerland match that followed it, were to be the litmus test or at the least the touchstones for the 2018 World Cup cycle. And Jurgen Klinsmann vowed to bring his “top team” following the string of poor results that had him on the defensive in early February, shifting his early tenure longing for the US media to stop being “pussycats” into a tale of “reasoned debate”, where a cynic may argue reasoned appears to mean agreement with the manager and critique appears to mean “you are wrong and Jurgen knows best.”
Instead of a top roster, though, Klinsmann has brought another experimental group to Europe. Gone are the fringe MLS elements (mostly, at least, with a second, deserved look at Gyasi Zardes and a more bizarre Bornsteinish Brek Shea moment- more, regrettably, below). In their stead are experimental, mostly young European and Mexican based unit, including Julian Green, US World Cup darling turned object of lamentation, who last we saw was loaned away from Bayern Munich to Hamburg only to be relegated to permanent bench mode after refusing the reserves.
“For Julian, it’s important that he has reconnected with us. At the moment Julian struggles with Hamburg. It’s been a very, very difficult time since he came back after the World Cup, with injuries and not breaking in yet, so I decided to have a first look at him,” Klinsmann said. “We will have a serious talk and serious look at him and we want to understand exactly what happened in his club situation, but also he needs some support from the senior national team group.”
Klinsmann didn’t address the reason for his shift from February’s call for a top roster to the experimental group, other than to say this week that the roster was borne out of a desire to see more young players compete against the very best.
“From a senior level, there are many different factors coming together schedule-wise with MLS just starting, and Europe and Mexico in full swing. We also wanted to see what specific players there are that were not connected yet with us. Ventura Alvarado from Club America is a case, and also William Yarbrough, the goalkeeper at Club León that we had a very close look at over the last several months. It’s exciting for us to bring them in. Rubio Rubin is back in our group. Obviously we want to see how we can help our younger players that struggle right now with Julian Green and DeAndre Yedlin, who still has to break into the Tottenham lineup. I think it’s a very good group. It’s a very competitive group that we have together for those two friendlies against two very good opponents.
Let’s kick the usuals and dive into the particulars, shall we?
Series: Seventh Meeting. Denmark lead 2-1-3. The Americans have played in Aarhus only once, a 3-1 defeat in 2009. That was the last meeting between the Yanks and Danes.
Weather: Cold and Rainy. 44 degrees. Fabian Johnson is back!! This is his kind of weather. Temps should dip down to around 40 or so by the second half.
Christian Eriksen gives Denmark an elite #10.
What to Watch for From Denmark:
Purely in terms of winning percentages, the Danes under Morten Olsen have been terrific, winning almost 50 percent of their matches and qualifying for two World Cups. They missed a playoff for Brazil by one point, finishing as the low UEFA second place side in a group that included the Czechs and Italy.
All told, the Olsen era of Danish football will span 16 years when it ends following the 2016 EURO, and for the time being, Danish prospects of qualifying for that tournament appear terrific, with the Danes leading a group that includes Portugal with 7 points through 4 matches. The Portuguese, however, have a game in hand.
Denmark v. United States, potentially. Just flip Eriksen and the two wide attackers around…
As you would expect, after nearly a generation in charge, Olsen’s eleven, whoever they end up being, play a definitive way. The version that will play the United States are one of Olsen’s youngest groups in years, but general principles remain. They build from the back, slowly and methodically, even in the absence of longtime centerback pairing Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer. Kjaer remains, as do Simon Poulson and Lars Jacobsen at the fullback spots, and that’s a disciplined group of three who should play. Jacobsen leads the side in caps, while Poulson is a Van Gaal trained attacking fullback who could trouble whoever the Americans start at RB, whether it be Fab Johnson, Timothy Chandler or DeAndre Yedlin. Aston Villa youngster Jores Okore has joined Kjaer of late. He’s a physical player prone to individual errors, and a favorable matchup for Jozy Altidore.
Since Tottenham Hotspur youngster (still!!!) Christian Eriksen provided the Danes with a number ten ahead of the 2012 Euro, Olsen’s Eleven have played more of a free flowing 4-2-1-3 than a steady or methodical 4-2-3-1. Eriksen, particularly at home, is given free rein to drift all over the field, seeking space and opening things up with his tremendous movement, both off the ball and when distributing it. The US couldn’t be facing Eriksen at a worst time– he’s been splendid for Tottenham this year and has the eye of super clubs like PSG ahead of the summer window. The US hasn’t fared well against space creators even with their top back line (see Muller, Recife)– this game will doubtlessly challenge the Americans and whatever group Klinsmann fields.
Typically, Olsen fields two holding midfielders behind Eriksen, both to feed him and provide obvious cover for a player who will often find himself very far forward. Tomorrow, William Kvist and Jacob Poulsen likely inherit those roles. Jacob is a more attacking player than his brother Christian was for the national team, and the Danes can be caught out when Poulson doesn’t remain tethered. Eriksen’s playmaking responsibilities are the first key to Danish success, the central midfield pairing behind him remaining disciplined and keeping the team organized is a close second.
Ahead of Eriksen are three attackers. Michael Krohn-Dehli typically features on the left. He’s a worker bee and an underrated passer, particularly when he can cut in on his left foot. Krohn-Dehli often pinches in to help link things between Eriksen and the midfield, a role that is important because it means Eriksen doesn’t have to connect everything himself. The right flank is up for grabs– Pierre Højbjerg would seem a potential starter- the Augsburg loanee is doing what the US wish Julian Green were doing on loan from Bayern Munich- making the most of it, with eight appearances since arriving in January. He’s not a natural player on the wing but he is the most technically gifted option at Olsen’s disposal, and a friendly at home against a struggling US team could be a good spot for a lengthy look. Ajax’s Lasse Schöne would also merit consideration.
Up top, Nicklas Bendtner is still just 27, and with 26 international goals he seems to save his best for his country. He can hold the ball up, overpower you with a strong run through the middle and get on the end of crosses, and is, as ever, a threat on set pieces. There’s only one international goal at forward behind Bendtner, so the Americans should have no illusions who Eriksen will be feeding come tomorrow evening.
Is Aron Johannsson what’s needed to ignite the US up front?
What to Watch For From the United States:
Something not rotten in the state of Denmark?
There’s a fine line between experimentation and yahtzee. The Americans have just over three months to prepare for the Gold Cup, a tournament not independently that significant but one with a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup for the taking. I’ve always tried to reject the notion that “the US is preparing for 2018.” I think World Cup cycles are really two year segments, and there are logical markers in those segments. For the US, that means 2015 is about getting ready for the Gold Cup and generating good competition for Copa 2016 spots. Anything else at the senior level until the Copa ends late next summer is relatively insignificant, if we accept the credible proposition that the United States will handle whatever tiny island awaits them in World Cup qualifying this autumn.
The experimental lineup is okay in Aarhus if it is one that establishes ideas moving forward.
You want to call up William Yarbrough from Club Leon in hopes he plays for the United States? Fine. I think a distribution-minded goalkeeper makes sense in the (second) age of goalkeeper as libero. And I’m fine with that given Brad Guzan is out awaiting the birth of his first child and Sean Johnson is struggling and Bill Hamid’s just started in MLS.
But if you are calling in him, then tactically, shouldn’t you push your defenders up a bit? Shouldn’t you play a style that doesn’t concede possession at width and allow cross after cross?
The US are leaving out Geoff Cameron, presumably because he’s working through whatever he’s working through at Stoke City, but Klinsmann is calling in John Brooks, who’s “competing” and “finally getting games” (well after being taken to Brazil) in the Bundesliga. The US leave Matt Besler at home, presumably to look at others, but bring Brek Shea, presumably because national team reps at left back are better than MLS reps at left back, even if you already have Greg Garza, Timothy Chandler and Fabian Johnson in camp?
Players should push themselves, especially when they “haven’t won s$#!”, but national team camps can also be used to boost a player’s morale, if you are a player of a certain German pedigree like Julian Green.
The trend here is that there’s no trend, no seeming rhyme or reason. Jurgen the whimsical.
Still, if Klinsmann’s experimental roster is to have grander meaning moving forward, it would be nice to see the United States practice things they plan to implement.
Potential US 11 vs Denmark
Among the questions to think about:
This isn’t the roster for it, but is the US serious about the 3-5-2?
If so, who plays the tethered CB spot? Obviously here it is likely to be John Brooks, but moving forward is that a viable answer? And is that a formation that optimizes the talent you have in Fabian Johnson, arguably the Yanks best wide player, and DeAndre Yedlin, probably the most talented American attacker from the back, regardless of how much work he has left to do to become a complete player?
Second, assuming arguendo Brek Shea is this cycle’s Bornstein (somewhat unfair to Bornstein, who never endured a stretch where he figured in only seven club matches over 18 months)– is Klinsmann valuing him depth chart wise over Greg Garza, who was the darling of the October friendlies, or Timothy Chandler, who has the German pedigree? Yes, Shea has shown a bit of something with Orlando City, but he’s still got a long way to go at left back, as anyone who watched him Saturday night against Vancouver observed. In that match, Shea showed how his lack of fundamentals continue to limit his ceiling. Klinsmann sees speed and size and technical skill on the ball. Repetitions and film show a player who is slow to react, and often turns a crowd-pleasing ball trick into a squared pass to the opponent in a dangerous position. It is safe to say we’ll know more about the depth chart with Klinsmann’s other LB options in camp.
Third, Klinsmann continues to say the U-23 team and qualifying for the Olympics is a priority. There are five U-23 eligible players in this camp in Julian Green, Brooks, Rubio Rubin, Yedlin and Cody Cropper. Does Klinsmann find them minutes?
Finally, with Clint Dempsey staying home with a hamstring, is this the match to do the inevitable with the captain’s armband? Michael Bradley is inevitably the captain of the US Men’s National Team, whether it happens now or in 2019. But why put off to later what will be done eventually?
And would it not be classic Klinsmann to hand MB 90 the armband just months removed from criticizing him for returning to MLS and holistically lambasting the fitness of the MLS players at the January camp? Break ’em down and build ’em up, zenmaster Jurgen style. Or so I’m told.
No matter that Klinsmann’s latest rantings about fitness seem curious given his decision to take a player (Aron Jóhannsson) whose club knew he needed ankle surgery to the World Cup over top five beep-tester and US legend you know who…but I digress.
Denmark Player to Watch: Eriksen.
He’s been sensational with Harry Kane in London and is, maybe even more than Cristiano Ronaldo, the one player in Europe who is absolutely essential to his national team’s success or failures. He’ll be the man tomorrow and should have success against a patchwork US defense.
US Player to Watch: Aron Jóhannsson
Good to have him back, and who knows how long it has been since he was fit since Klinsmann’s beep tests are for players in MLS whose names don’t rhyme with Shandon Lonovan.
Jóhannsson’s 68 minutes of labor on a bad ankle in the Natal rain should earn him every fan’s respect, but it is his enviable and unique skill set that Altidore will appreciate having back in the fold.
Aron Jóhannsson can create space, whether it is coming in from wide areas, utilizing his body and underrated quick feet, or simply helping with hold-up play. Jóhannsson is also useful in a game where, if the US want to get Bedoya on the field (and they should, his help on Eriksen could be vital), the US will be without a genuine left midfielder, and the Icelander can help alleviate that problem, either by checking back to hold up the ball, pulling wide from a central location to the touchline, or front hitting the channel hard and getting in on goal.
He’s technical enough of a player to take advantage of a Danish team that is organized and smart, but prone to individual technical errors in the back.
Prediction: Denmark 2, US 1.
Better from the Americans at times, with Altidore and Jóhannsson looking menacing. In the end, however, I like at least one Bendtner overpowers a CB on an Eriksen chip pass goal for the Danes and Olsen’s eleven find another one somewhere, maybe on a penalty or a flash of Eriksen brilliance in the second half.
Neil W. Blackmon is Co-Founder and Co-Editor of The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at nwblackmon@gmail.com and you can and should follow him on Twitter at @nwblackmon.