The cavalry is coming to bolster the United States men’s soccer team’s pursuit of gold.
USA head coach Bruce Arena on Sunday made six changes to his team’s 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster following the completion of the group stage, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced on its website. Arena opted for the maximum number of reinforcements, signaling a push to win the regional soccer tournament and earn a right to play for CONCACAF’s spot in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Darlington Nagbe and Jesse Gonzalez join the team. Brad Guzan, Dom Dwyer, Cristian Roldan, Alejandro Bedoya, Kelyn Rowe and Sean Johnson return to their respective MLS clubs.
Arena indicated his focus now has shifted from player evaluation to winning as the knockout phase approaches.
“The players we’re bringing now give us a little bit more experience, so I think it’s a good mix with the group we had here already,” Arena said, per USSoccer.com. “Group play was an opportunity for a lot of players to get a chance. We had the opportunity to start 22 players in the three games, which is kind of remarkable, and now as we enter the knockout phase of the tournament we’ve got to be ready to play each and every game –win and go on, lose and go home — so bringing in some experienced players, players with some quality, I think, is just going to make our team better.”
USA will take on El Salvador on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals. The winner of that game will take on Panama or Costa Rica this weekend in the semifinals. The final will be on July 26, and USA could meet Mexico there.
Roster analysis
The U.S. disappointed in the group stage, despite winning winning two and drawing one of its three games, topping Group B and scoring a tournament-high seven goals.
Howard, Bradley, Altidore, Dempsey and Nagba all start on USA’s “A” squad and undoubtedly improve the team. Collectively, they’ve made 503 appearances, including 55 Gold Cup games, and their experience will help their teammates cope with the challenge the remaining games in the tournament will pose.
The back line conceded an average of one goal per game in the group stage. That should drop with familiarity among the remaining players and the presence of Howard, who has shut out six of 10 Gold Cup opponents in his career.
As a deep-lying playmaker, Bradley will increase USA’s control in the midfield and should free Kellyn Acosta or Joe Corona to produce all-action displays as high up the field as possible.
Nagbe will offer danger and creativity from either the left or right wing and increase competition among Gyasi Zardes, Paul Arriola, Chris Pontius and perhaps Corona for playing time on the other side.
Arena’s changes strengthen USA’s attack more than any other department, with Dempsey and Altidore, the team’s leading active career goal scorers, coming to feast on CONCACAF defenses. The example they set in practice and games will only push Jordan Morris and Juan Agudelo to a higher level.
Opponents stand in place
USA’s changes, combined with the fact Mexico and Costa Rica, the other group winners and co-favorites, did little or nothing to strengthen their rosters for the elimination stage, mean Arena’s side has no excuse for failing to win the Gold Cup.
Thumbnail photo via Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
