Five Points: USA prepares for benchmark friendly against Ecuador
EAST HARTFORD, Conn.
Landon Donovan may dominate the headlines as he takes his final bow, but his farewell is not the only priority for the U.S. national team ahead of the friendly against Ecuador tonight.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann remains focused on building for the future in the wake of the World Cup exertions this summer. This fixture provides an ideal opportunity to take stock after the 1-0 victory in the Czech Republic last month and test his players against another side adjusting after the summer sojourn to Brazil.
“Just by looking at this Ecuador team, it’s full of skillful players, it’s full of speed, it’s a pretty dynamic team,” Klinsmann said in a press conference on Thursday. “I’m pretty sure it will be a good benchmark for us coming from the friendly about a month ago in the Czech Republic.”
It is yet another checkpoint on the long journey ahead over the next four years. This edition of Five Points starts its own examination of the forthcoming test with a look at the role ahead for the star preparing to make his exit.
Where does Landon Donovan fit into the team?
If Klinsmann sticks with the 4-3-3 setup deployed in the victory in Prague last month, then Donovan -- expected to captain the side from the start and play 30 minutes or so -- could provide a direct replacement for Julian Green on the left flank.
That particular location provides Donovan with the latitude to use his best qualities during his final half-hour with the national team: He can collect the ball in space, run at defenders and slice inside to present a genuine threat to the occasionally leaden Ecuadorian defense.
Klinsmann noted during his press conference on Thursday that he had several options to replace Green after the injured Hamburg winger returned to his club to nurse a rib injury sustained against Bayern Munich last month. Donovan -- particularly given his role in the team at this point -- might prove the pick of them.
“It changes things a little bit because he was in the starting XI in Prague,” Klinsmann said. “He started to (find things) pretty well, but we have some promising faces in that squad for tomorrow night. It’s really fun to watch now how some younger players are stepping up. They have to prove it and show you guys tomorrow night.”
Mix Diskerud featured in the ambitious midfield three fielded in the 1-0 victory over Czech Republic last month.
The revamped midfield three prepares for a sterner test
Klinsmann opted for the ambitious midfield trio of Alejandro Bedoya, Joe Corona and Mix Diskerud against the Czechs and reaped the benefits for the first hour or so. The revamped setup placed more emphasis on getting forward and provided more certainty on the ball. It is exactly the sort of approach expected from a side with designs on playing more proactively during the upcoming cycle.
The experiment could continue against Ecuador with Kyle Beckerman, Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley all omitted from the squad once again. The test this time is a bit more difficult. Ecuador will place considerable strain on that department given their penchant to break up the play in central midfield (particularly if Segundo Castillo features from the start), counter quickly once they win the ball and rely on their speed to catch teams out.
If Bedoya, Corona and Diskerud retain their burgeoning alliance in the center of the park, then they must focus on their rotation and their positioning without the ball in order to ally their work in possession with the necessary solidity.
“It’s only been one game now, but I feel like we’ve shown that we can step up when we need to,” Diskerud said. “We managed to keep the ball. We played like how we wanted to. Of course, Michael, Kyle and Jermaine, they’ve been along for a while and they have the skill set to bring it, but we want to show what we can do as well. We’ve learned from them the past couple of years.”
DeAndre Yedlin is one of a handful of fullbacks and wingers tasked with striking the right balance against Ecuador.
Balance remains the key as Americans adjust to a more aggressive deportment
Those lessons must extend throughout the team to cope with an Ecuador side likely to pose more of a threat than the disappointing Czechs a month ago. Ecuador interim manager Sixto Vizuete plans to use this match and the following test against El Salvador next week to assess potential reinforcements as this new World Cup cycle starts.
The absence of established talents like Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia strips away some of the menace, but Ecuador remains a threat with its pace on the break and its willingness to push numbers forward at the correct times.
By relying on those qualities and using the flanks to good effect, the Ecuadorians – a side always more potent in space than on the ball – will place some pressure on the Americans to exhibit a higher comfort level within their revamped setup.
The fullbacks and the wingers must choose their spots wisely. If they push too high without the ball, then they will find themselves turning and chasing. If they drop too deeply, then they will allow Ecuador to run at them. They must locate the proper equilibrium in order to thrive.
Ecuador will rely on West Ham striker Enner Valencia to pose the primary threat in the attacking third.
Revamped defense must find its footing quickly to cope with Enner Valencia
The emphasis on pressing high up the field and winning the ball in good areas presents some concerns if the Ecuadorians can somehow break through those lines and play the ball quickly to West Ham striker Valencia.
Valencia is Ecuador’s primary and most potent threat. The converted winger presents a series of challenges for opposing defenders because he possesses both the pace to dash behind the line and the intelligence to use it effectively. He locates space particularly well and relies on his recognition to float away from his markers and into dangerous areas. His aerial prowess further complicates matters for the opposition.
In order to contain Valencia, the Americans must maintain their concentration at all times and stop the supply as often as possible. Klinsmann must choose wisely in central defense – John Brooks and Omar Gonzalez probably hold the inside track to start, though Michael Orozco and Tim Ream present genuine alternatives – to mitigate the threat, too.
Jozy Altidore features among the American players hoping to use this friendly to acquire some genuine match practice.
Potential linchpins must take advantage of competitive minutes
Brooks is just one of a handful of players hoping to use this international dalliance to boost confidence and garner first-team minutes after a difficult start to the European season.
It is the perfect opportunity for action-starved players like Brooks (relegated to the under-21s with Hertha Berlin), Jozy Altidore (left on the bench with Sunderland and forced to ponder a move away in January) and Joseph Gyau (used sparingly in the Borussia Dortmund first team as he tries to establish himself as a regular presence there) to collect meaningful minutes in a competitive environment.
If those players can cobble together a good performance in this match (and, if applicable, the second game against Honduras in Boca Raton, Fla. on Tuesday), then they can return to their clubs with the sort of sharpness required to state their claims for more playing time moving forward.
