United States: World Cup 2014 Team Preview

United States

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).

Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders).

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).

Best Finish: Third Place (1930)

Likely United States XI For 2014 World Cup

Manager: Jurgen Klinsmann

Captain: Clint Dempsey

The United States qualified for the World Cup by winning the hexagonal group stage, suffering just one defeat in their ten games.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s still relatively early into his reign, and after starting his career with four defeats in his first six games, a win against Italy turned his fortunes around. That was just in time to start their qualifying campaign. Eventually a 2-0 win over rivals Mexico ensured the USMNT qualified for Brazil.

The squad that the United States are expected to take to Brazil are a gritty group, brimming with experience, energy and enormous work-rate. Klinsmann has created a togetherness within this squad which not many teams in this tournament can match .

However, the everlasting problem of a real lack of cutting edge bugs Klinsmann’s team. They are without any real impetus in the final third and don’t have a player with the ability to unlock stubborn defences. Clint Dempsey is a proven goal scorer, but not overly creative or capable of playing that killer pass.

Klinsmann’s know how in the big competitions, and America’s experience on the World Cup stage will no doubt aid their conquest to escape the “group of death”. The lack of a top class playmaker will see them struggle to progress any further, though.

Key Player – Michael Bradley

The AS Roma midfield enforcer probably typifies the tenacity and industrious nature of this American side more than any other player.

Bradley is a player who is making a name for himself as a box-to-box midfielder; consistent in the tackle, a strong runner and neat and tidy in possession . His role will be crucial when the USMNT come up against technically superior sides and he offers a good defensive shield which allows the like of Dempsey to go and effect the game.

A budding midfielder who’s reputation remains on the rise despite his move back to the MLS.

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