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Five Points: USA must stay composed against Jamaica to reach Gold Cup final
ATLANTA --
Jamaica has spent the better part of the past two months loading up the slingshot. The efforts commenced at the Copa América and spurred this group through to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals. The target is finally within sight. Now it is time to take aim and launch.
“It feels like David versus Goliath, no? But that’s fine,” Jamaica coach Winfried Schäfer said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “We will try everything to hit the giant where it hurts the most.”
It is a blow United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his players hope to avoid at the Georgia Dome on Wednesday night (live, 5:30p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go). They enter as favorites to dispatch the Reggae Boyz and reach the final for a sixth consecutive time, but they must tread carefully in order to meet those expectations.
Jamaica will not make it easy or straightforward. There is a long, grueling road in store for the Americans. And the difficulty of the terrain stems from the posture this so-called David prefers against stronger opponents.
Expect Jamaica to focus on organization and solidity above all else
Jamaica reached this point in the tournament by relying on its chemistry and its shape. Schäfer gathered the core of this team together several weeks ago to prepare for gauntlet presented by playing in Copa América and the Gold Cup back to back. He molded his group of savvy, English-based veterans with some intriguing attacking components to forge a dogged shape that reflects Schäfer’s philosophy.
“You cannot play football without discipline -- discipline in the match and discipline outside of the field,” Schäfer said. “I never watch what the player is doing after the match in the hotel. I know, but I want to win. And everybody knows that you can only win if you have good discipline. We have a good spirit in the team. We have enough old players -- leaders -- and young players who know what they have to do.”
Those principles manifest in Jamaica’s 4-4-2 formation. Schäfer expects his team to remain compact from back to front and squeeze tightly to reduce the space in the channels. The defense (including three central defenders and the promising Kemar Lawrence at left back) and the midfield (marshaled well by captain Rodolph Austin) stay connected to eliminate the usual operating areas between the lines. The collective responsibility shared from back to front makes it particularly difficult on the opposition: Only one team -- Costa Rica -- has scored two goals on the Jamaicans in nine matches played this year.
“They always have skill, ability, talent and athleticism, but you can see in the moment that they are in a good way,” U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley said. “They understand each other. They understand what they need to be about to give themselves a chance to be successful. I think we have to have respect for them and ready to take care of things on our end.”
Patience is a virtue against recalcitrant opposition …
Taking care of business means understanding how to break Jamaica down. There are benefits to pursuing an early goal -- Jamaica can’t drop as deeply in that instance, of course -- yet the proper level of urgency is also important, too.
It is about striking the right balance and stoking the proper tempo in possession. Jamaica lives for the counter with its fleet wingers and its speedy forwards (particularly if Darren Mattocks replaces Simon Dawkins after missing the quarterfinal through suspension). This encounter calls for a controlled pursuit with good cadence in possession, incessant and intelligent movement off the ball and ruthless work when those rare opportunities arrive.
“As always, it’ll be important to read the game, to understand each moment as the game progresses,” Bradley said. “We want to start well, but, at the same time, the game lasts 90 minutes. There’s no need to have to win the game in the first few minutes. We’ll be prepared, be ready and be confident in the way we go about it to make sure we take care of business.”
… and belief matters a great deal, too.
Confidence is high in the wake of the Cuba rout. That game may not have offered a ton of practical preparation for this affair, but it did foster goodwill. There is conviction about the approach, the players, and the way the team attacks this game.
Those convictions are necessary in this bid to crack the Jamaican defense. At this point, the Americans believe if they perform at a high enough level, then they will somehow conjure a way through at some stage and secure the desired result.
“I think we always have respect,” U.S. defender Fabian Johnson. “I think we have to play our game and not try to adjust to Jamaica. We’re trying to play our style of game.”
It is more about sustaining the style right now. In the group stage, the Americans only controlled spells of the game. They enter this affair after dominating a full 90 minutes. It is incumbent on this side to grasp this game in the same way and rely on those tenets to drive things forward.
In practical terms, it also means some of those characteristics must rise to the fore again. Clint Dempsey and Aron Jóhannsson must probe constantly in a bid to pull central defenders Michael Hector and Wes Morgan out of position. Alejandro Bedoya and Gyasi Zardes must pick their moments to stretch the game horizontally and know when to pinch inside to help in possession and permit Fabian Johnson and Timothy Chandler (or DaMarcus Beasley, if Klinsmann opts to make a change at fullback) license to overlap. Bradley and Kyle Beckerman must rotate possession quickly to make Austin chase furiously and stretch that rigid shape.
These are the same principles and tenets used to brush aside Cuba. It is not the same assignment here, but the Americans must display the same unwavering commitment to their game plan in order to thrive.
Mistakes must occur in the proper places …
They must also understand the peril of deviating from those plans and turning the ball over in poor spots. Jamaica displays a keen awareness of how to claim possession and then turn those moments into opportunities shortly thereafter. The first pass -- particularly if the ball turns over with the opposition committed in advanced areas -- always looks to play a forward or a winger into space and start the break quickly.
Once Jamaica opens up and ventures into the attacking half, then the trouble really starts. This team boasts players capable of bursting forward quickly and taking opposing defenders one-versus-one. The prospect of trying to catch them from behind simply isn’t palatable, particularly if in-form forward Giles Barnes finds himself at the end of the move.
The best antidote is a simple one: avoid the issue whenever possible. It means Beckerman cannot get caught above the ball or pushed out into a wide area. It means the fullbacks must adopt savvy positions to limit the opportunities behind them. And it definitely means John Brooks (returning from a one-match suspension) and Ventura Alvarado (or Omar Gonzalez, if he is picked instead) must choose their times to drift out wide wisely.
“We need to try to sort out some issues before they become bigger issues,” U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “Whether it’s a tactical foul, whether it’s making sure we keep the ball, whether it’s limiting set pieces. They are big. They are a strong, physical team that has good pace and that plays on the counterattack, but they can also play soccer. It’s going to be a difficult game for 90 minutes.”
… and provide some protection for the back four
Easing the burden requires proactive work in the middle third and constant communication in defense. The last tenet is a work in progress given the chopping and changing in defense over the course of this tournament. Klinsmann is expected to make at least one change (Brooks back into central defense) and ponder a couple of more alterations (Gonzalez for Alvarado, Beasley for Chandler with Johnson returned to the right). It is somewhat unusual for the back four to change so often in a tournament, but it is not a hindrance to those efforts, according to Johnson and his teammates.
“I think we know each other,” Johnson said. “I think we have played in different formations, not just here, but with our club teams. We’re close enough that we can all adjust to those kind of situations. We can also do it in the next game.”
The exact composition is important, but the final product matters more. This game requires considerable defensive awareness. One mistake -- a dropped assignment on a set piece, a lapse in concentration, a slip at the wrong time -- could mean the difference between the third-place match on Saturday and the final on Sunday.
Despite Schäfer’s contentions, the margin is that narrow between these sides based on the historical data (tight and tense affairs usually separated by the odd goal, even though the Americans hold a 13-1-8 advantage all-time) and the state of the two teams at the moment. Jamaica is lining up its best shot. It is up to the Americans to ensure it misses the mark.
