The United States will take their first step on the road to the next World Cup this Friday, playing host to St. Vincent and the Grenadines at 7 PM Eastern in St. Louis. The USMNT may be heavy favorites, but the Americans come into the match on the back of a dismal three game losing streak on home soil—their worst run of form since the last millennium, when Steve Sampson’s squad had the same poor skid in 1997. The opposition, ranked 129th in the world, may not strike fear into Yankee hearts, but amid the United States’ abysmal form in 2015, there’s still a lot to prove in this match, for both the players, and the manager.
The Ghost of Clintmas Past
Perhaps the biggest talking point heading into Friday’s match is the absence of Clint Dempsey on Jurgen Klinsmann’s 23 man roster. The USA manager dismissed concern about Dempsey’s absence, claiming it was an opportunity for younger players to step up (more on that later), and that Dempsey was fine with his absence.
“At this point in time, I want to give the younger strikers a chance to prove themselves and this is a good stage to do it,” Klinsmann said. “I communicated with Clint about it and it’s all fine.”
But is it Jurgen, is it really?
For those of us still reeling from the United States’ string of losses, Jurgen’s comment about it being “a good stage” to give unproven players a run out in the senior squad stings a bit. The opposition may not be the greatest footballers on the face of the Earth, but this is not a friendly; this is for a place in the World Cup. Between Friday’s fixture and the following week’s game against Trinidad and Tobago, these 23 players will compete in two of only sixteen qualifying matches for Russia 2018. Granted, fourteen games left to go is plenty of football yet to be played, but if the United States should drop one of these games—or even just drop points in either of them—then suddenly Klinsmann’s cavalier attitude becomes much more upsetting.
Still, the call-ups have been made, the squad assembled, and with a World Cup berth to play for, the lads must look to prove themselves on the pitch, whatever the words of their manager.
Nagbe: The Darling of Portland
Among the youngsters added to the squad, Darlington Nagbe stands out as arguably the most exciting player. The Portland Timbers’ midfielder was born in Liberia, but moved to the United States as a child. However, he only just received his citizenship this past September, making him eligible for the USMNT, and with his recent run of form at season’s end—helping the Timbers to win four of their last five matches, and now advance to the Western Conference Finals against FC Dallas—he caught Klinsmann’s attention.
The big question for Nagbe will be whether Klinsmann decides to deploy him centrally, or out on the left wing. For both Nagbe and the team’s sake, let’s hope Klinsmann slots him in the center. Since moving in from the flank at Providence Park in Portland, Nagbe has been a revelation. The 25 year old’s skill on the ball is inarguable; his passing is not immaculate, but of a very high order nonetheless; and his shooting? Well, just watch his Goal of the Year from 2011.
Even though that strike is four years old, that it came from a slightly right-of-center position at the top of the penalty area is illustrative of Nagbe’s recent success. When Darlington Nagbe receives the ball inside, is given the freedom to pass, dribble, or shoot with a decent sight of goal—rather than being forced down the wing—his remarkable technical ability shines its brightest. When he’s not invited into a dangerous position, when he’s expected to provide service rather than test the goalkeeper, his remarkable talent can’t quite catch the light as it should. Nagbe is certainly capable of beating players off the dribble and sending good crosses into the box, but as the last few weeks have proven, it’s not his best position.
Of course, combining with a new set of teammates on the national stage is a tall order, and chemistry on the pitch can’t be fully formed in merely a matter of days. Still, if Klinsmann’s been paying attention, he should have noted Nagbe’s flourishing with the Timbers, not on the left wing, but in the center of midfield. With any luck, he’ll be able to find a spot for the national team’s newcomer in the center of the park on Friday.
What Would Wood Do?
The other young man to watch this weekend is FC Union Berlin’s striker Bobby Wood. Unlike Darlington Nagbe, the Hawaiian-born striker is no stranger to senior level international football. Wood has scored three goals in 2015, and his emergence has been a rare bright spot in the United States’ overall atrocious calendar year. Wood was the American hero in friendlies against both Germany and the Netherlands this year, scoring late winners in both matches; in each case, it was the first time the USMNT had won away against their illustrious European opponents. Then, even if ultimately for naught, he scored the extra time equalizer against Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup last month.
In addition, Wood has been in fine form for his new club team, Bundesliga 2’s Union Berlin. Last Saturday, the American international proved a pivotal figure in saving a point for his side, notching both a goal and an assist in a 3-3 draw. On the season, Wood has 5 goals and 3 assists, placing him among the Top 10 in the league for both categories.
Despite his game-saving exploits for the American team, Klinsmann has been hesitant to hand Wood the starting role for his Stars and Stripes. Even after Wood’s equalizer against Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup, he began the Americans’ next game—a friendly against Costa Rica—on the bench. Wood came on at half time, but one might wonder if his presence throughout would’ve been enough to win the match, a game that the United States ultimately lost 1-0.
Klinsmann likes to talk about players earning their keep, about no place being sacred in his squad. And yet, here we are heading into World Cup Qualifying with an absent, yet seemingly assured-of-his-place Clint Dempsey, and with a young man repeatedly proven capable of heroics struggling to find his name on the team sheet at the first whistle. Bobby Wood can’t save Jurgen Klinsmann’s struggling squad single-handedly, and he may not even be able to save the manager’s job should the Americans drop their first qualifying games. But by picking Wood up front to start this Friday’s match, he would, via Klinsmann’s decision to start him, at least save something of Klinsmann’s credibility.