After Saturday's debacle (a word I do not hesitate to use) in San Salvador, many American fans are screaming for wholesale changes to the USMNT starting lineup ahead of the next World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago, set for Wednesday night in Nashville.
If Bob Bradley's tenure as the National Team head man is any guide, however, those changes may not be forthcoming.
What changes we might expect, or are unlikely to see after the jump.
"Flexible" is not a word most fans would use to describe the taciturn Bradley, and it will be interesting to see if he digs his heels in on a few favorites, or if he acquiesces to what were obvious deficiencies in the starting lineup he put on the field against El Salvador.
Oguchi Onyewu will certainly be back in central defense, a change that is only change because Onyewu was held out of the match on Saturday. The same goes for Tim Howard, who was unable to play in San Salvador due to a red card, and will be back in goal for the Americans. Of course these aren't exactly the changes American fans are looking for; they're calling, fairly unanimously, for changs to the midfield and attack, two groups that looked extremely poor for the first sixty-five minutes or so on Saturday.
Word out of U.S. camp, straight from the head man himself, is that while Jozy Altidore looks good in training, he is not currently a ninety minute player. Whether or not this means that Altidore will once again start the game on the subs bench isn't clear; Bradley could conceivable start the youngster, then relieve him with Brian Ching, a reversal of Saturday's tactics. Altidore is at the top of the list when it comes to players supporters want to see start, though my guess is that the "reliable" Ching will once again be up top come game time.
MFUSA's Odds on Jozy Starting: 10-1
Saturday's other impact sub, Jose Franciso Torres (who Steven Cohen got confused with Jorge Flores on FFF last night), would appear to be the most likely new starter; Sacha Kjlestan's ineffectiveness, combined with Torres' strong play against the Salvadorans, makes his case to start a strong one.
MFUSA's Odds on Torres Starting: 3-1
Defense was clearly an issue on Saturday, and while Gooch's return should make an immediate positive impact, the ineffectiveness of Heath Pearce still remains an issue. Pearce was removed from the match with the Americans 2-0 down, and DeMarcus Beasley dropped back to make way for Torres. Pearce's exclusion would seem a foregone conclusion, though it's unclear who would step into his place. The idea of DeMarcus Beasley starting at left back is one that get a lot of play among supporters, but does not seem appealing to Bradley.
Bradley's propensity to stick with the status-quo, both in lineup makeup and in tactics, has continually frustrated those who believe the American team as a whole has greater potential than they are being given the opportunity to exhibit. What happens in Nashville, even before a ball is kicked, may go a long way towards eroding the remaining support that Mr. Bradley enjoys among supporters.
My preferred lineup:
-------------Altidore-------------
--------------Donovan-------------
Beasley---Torres---Bradley---Dempsey
Spector---Onyewu---Bocanegra---Hejduk
--------------Howard---------------
My expected lineup:
-----------Ching---Donovan----------
Beasley---Torres---Bradley---Dempsey
Spector---Onyewu---Bocanegra---Hejduk
--------------Howard----------------
Maybe there's not as much shakeup as you'd like, or maybe the formation leave's something left to be desired.
Give me your lineup, and then the lineup you expect to see.
