As we head into another international break from club soccer, I wanted to discuss a few players who are bound to excite and raise hopes for American soccer fans. Sam’s Army already received a jolt with the hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann earlier this year, but some young players will certainly get our hearts racing. If the Americans are to be taken seriously in Brazil in three years, several things must happen. Klinsmann must develop a cohesive system of play that emphasizes passing, unity, and smart decisions. Furthermore, the following players will have to play at their top level to help the Americans move deep into the tournament.
Juan Agudelo, F: Agudelo is not new on the scene, but he is the possibly dominant forward that Americans have been waiting for (and dreaming about). He has excellent finishing abilities and instincts, while his ball skills are rather impressive. Only 18 years old, he could develop into the face of US Soccer for the next decade or so.
Jozy Altidore, F: Jozy’s success may go hand-in-hand with how Agudelo performs on the international stage. Altidore has been the lone ranger at the top of the formation and has been inconsistent. He has shown the ability to finish, but can disappear in games and will not win a lot of 50-50 balls. With Agudelo alongside at the top, he may start to show his true ability and become one of the better strikers in recent memory.
Clint Dempsey, M: Dempsey has been probably the most fun and frustrating to watch for American soccer fans. He has had the most success of all US players on the club scene, as he is a star player for Fulham in England. However, on the international stage, Dempsey has left something to be desired. He has the talent to be a star, but tends to fall into the European mindset of diving to draw a foul and will spend too much time complaining to the referee. For the Americans to save face on the international scene, Dempsey needs to become the much-needed leader of this team and start creating opportunities for the goal-scorers around him.
Brek Shea, M: While out with some friends for Klinsmann’s debut against Mexico, we were very impressed by Shea’s ability to create scoring opportunities. Given his tall stature and bright hair, we nicknamed him, “Big Bird”. He has been just as helpful to this team as the actual Big Bird was to me when I was learning the alphabet as a child. If he can continue to develop and take some pressure off Dempsey, the Yanks can start building a strong, respectable midfield.
Gale Agbossoumonde, D: Though he may not play as large a part in the next World Cup as the other players I mentioned, he has by the far the best name. His development has been slowed not by injuries, but by a stupid contract signed with a greedy sports agency. Thus, he has had rare opportunities to play and hone his skills, but his potential is very promising. If he can impress Klinsmann, he could provide some support to Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra to, at the very least, form the best-named back line in soccer history. Oh, and by the way, that’s Gah-lay Og-BOSS-ooh-mon-day.
There are obviously a lot of other factors that come into play besides the players mentioned above. Others must step up, and Klinsmann must unite this team to mimic the best in the world: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, etc. The 2014 World Cup will most likely be the last for legends Tim Howard and Landon Donovan. Moreover, it could set the program back or could put the Americans on the international scene for a long time. There is a plethora of developable young talent and US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati finally has his head coach in Klinsmann. The pieces are finally falling into place and I can say, on behalf of other American soccer fans, let’s hope this is it.
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