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| How exactly do USA beat Argentina in the Copa América semi-final? | How exactly do USA beat Argentina in the Copa América semi-final? |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| After USA beat Ecuador and Argentina swept past Venezuela, the two teams will meet in the Copa America semi-finals on Tuesday night, with Argentina firm favorites to advance to the final (and indeed win the whole tournament.) But what can Jürgen Klinsmann do to stop them? And just as importantly can they do anything to cause Argentina problems? Here are a few tactics that could lead to an upset over Lionel Messi and Co. | After USA beat Ecuador and Argentina swept past Venezuela, the two teams will meet in the Copa America semi-finals on Tuesday night, with Argentina firm favorites to advance to the final (and indeed win the whole tournament.) But what can Jürgen Klinsmann do to stop them? And just as importantly can they do anything to cause Argentina problems? Here are a few tactics that could lead to an upset over Lionel Messi and Co. |
| Plug the holes wisely | Plug the holes wisely |
| We already know that three starters will be out for the semi-final — part of the collateral damage from the victory over Ecuador. Bobby Wood, Alejandro Bedoya and, of course, the red-carded Jermaine Jones all miss out. | We already know that three starters will be out for the semi-final — part of the collateral damage from the victory over Ecuador. Bobby Wood, Alejandro Bedoya and, of course, the red-carded Jermaine Jones all miss out. |
| Related: Argentina's Ramiro Funes Mori returns to his boyhood in Texas to play USA | |
| There aren’t a lot of silver linings in this scenario, but the good news largely center around the back-line getting stronger thanks to DeAndre Yedlin’s return after suspension. Fabian Johnson should revert to the left, the Geoff Cameron/John Brooks partnership - which has flourished in these championships - should remain untouched at the center, and with Brad Guzan in solid goal-keeping form, at the very least the defensive foundations of the team should be as solid as can be expected. | There aren’t a lot of silver linings in this scenario, but the good news largely center around the back-line getting stronger thanks to DeAndre Yedlin’s return after suspension. Fabian Johnson should revert to the left, the Geoff Cameron/John Brooks partnership - which has flourished in these championships - should remain untouched at the center, and with Brad Guzan in solid goal-keeping form, at the very least the defensive foundations of the team should be as solid as can be expected. |
| As for the three missing starters, let’s start with Jones. Klinsmann will probably bring Kyle Beckerman in to replace him — the Real Salt Lake man won’t cover as much ground, but he’s smart, and always aware of the defenders immediately behind him. If he can help cut out some of the passing lanes to Sergio Agüero or Gonzalo Higuain he can do a lot of good. If he could actually tackle Messi at the start of the forward’s runs from deep that would also be...an added bonus. | As for the three missing starters, let’s start with Jones. Klinsmann will probably bring Kyle Beckerman in to replace him — the Real Salt Lake man won’t cover as much ground, but he’s smart, and always aware of the defenders immediately behind him. If he can help cut out some of the passing lanes to Sergio Agüero or Gonzalo Higuain he can do a lot of good. If he could actually tackle Messi at the start of the forward’s runs from deep that would also be...an added bonus. |
| The nearest to a style-for-style replacement for Bedoya would be the hard-working Graham Zusi. The wrinkle here might be if Klinsmann is convinced of the virtues of Matt Besler at left-back. In that case he could push Johnson into Bedoya’s usual position — it puts Johnson where he is most comfortable but he would have to provide support for Besler. | The nearest to a style-for-style replacement for Bedoya would be the hard-working Graham Zusi. The wrinkle here might be if Klinsmann is convinced of the virtues of Matt Besler at left-back. In that case he could push Johnson into Bedoya’s usual position — it puts Johnson where he is most comfortable but he would have to provide support for Besler. |
| As for Wood, well, it’s possible we see Gyasi Zardes and Clint Dempsey up top with Darlington Nagbe and Zusi played as wide men in a four-man midfield. But a 4-2-3-1 with the midfield anchored by Beckerman and Bradley, may be the most likely, with the question then being who becomes the ill-fitting spearhead up top. | As for Wood, well, it’s possible we see Gyasi Zardes and Clint Dempsey up top with Darlington Nagbe and Zusi played as wide men in a four-man midfield. But a 4-2-3-1 with the midfield anchored by Beckerman and Bradley, may be the most likely, with the question then being who becomes the ill-fitting spearhead up top. |
| You really want Dempsey arriving late in the box or creating chances outside it, and if you want to keep Bradley deeper, then it’s just possible that Chris Wondolowski’s movement up top can allow Dempsey, Zusi/Nagbe, and Zardes to do the work behind him. It’s a more lightweight attacking formation than US fans would hope for, but when you lose three starters, you’re going to be weaker. Klinsmann may as well try and make the best of his remaining assets in their best positions. | You really want Dempsey arriving late in the box or creating chances outside it, and if you want to keep Bradley deeper, then it’s just possible that Chris Wondolowski’s movement up top can allow Dempsey, Zusi/Nagbe, and Zardes to do the work behind him. It’s a more lightweight attacking formation than US fans would hope for, but when you lose three starters, you’re going to be weaker. Klinsmann may as well try and make the best of his remaining assets in their best positions. |
| Related: Argentina's great tactical dilemma: where should Lionel Messi play? | |
| “Get after it” | “Get after it” |
| One of the criticisms of Klinsmann’s reign by fans – and indeed some current and former players – is that the promised attacking style never materialized. There have been particular games that have illustrated the frustration and this has the potential to be one of them. | One of the criticisms of Klinsmann’s reign by fans – and indeed some current and former players – is that the promised attacking style never materialized. There have been particular games that have illustrated the frustration and this has the potential to be one of them. |
| After the World Cup, Landon Donovan - who admittedly had something of a vested interest in the ideal of transformative attacking players - spoke of the frustration of watching USA’s belated attempts to force a comeback against Belgium when they were already 2-0 down. Donovan said he wished the shackles had come off sooner against a talented Belgium team who nonetheless were vulnerable to being put off their game by spirited opposition. What he, and numerous other national team players feel is that the team is at their best when they “get after it.” | After the World Cup, Landon Donovan - who admittedly had something of a vested interest in the ideal of transformative attacking players - spoke of the frustration of watching USA’s belated attempts to force a comeback against Belgium when they were already 2-0 down. Donovan said he wished the shackles had come off sooner against a talented Belgium team who nonetheless were vulnerable to being put off their game by spirited opposition. What he, and numerous other national team players feel is that the team is at their best when they “get after it.” |
| And foolish as it might seem to attack Argentina, it will be equally foolish to sit back and hope for penalties. There will be a point in a tight 90-minute game where America might be well advised to gamble on attack, but it’s not when the whistle blows for kick-off. | And foolish as it might seem to attack Argentina, it will be equally foolish to sit back and hope for penalties. There will be a point in a tight 90-minute game where America might be well advised to gamble on attack, but it’s not when the whistle blows for kick-off. |
| There’s a cue in how Chile took the game to Argentina in their opening match of the tournament. Chile lost, but ran Argentina close with their high energy press, and some version of the same from Klinsmann’s men might at least keep Messi and Co. honest enough to not be able to fully commit their full-backs in offensive scenarios. This, however, requires guts. To give an example from two other teams in the tournament, on the odd occasion when Mexico tried to go toe-to toe with Chile on Saturday night, being second best on every front hurt. Their own full-backs were pinned down, Chile were hungrier to force turnovers, close passing lanes and were faster in transition. And as the game slipped away, Mexico’s midfielders were overwhelmed. | There’s a cue in how Chile took the game to Argentina in their opening match of the tournament. Chile lost, but ran Argentina close with their high energy press, and some version of the same from Klinsmann’s men might at least keep Messi and Co. honest enough to not be able to fully commit their full-backs in offensive scenarios. This, however, requires guts. To give an example from two other teams in the tournament, on the odd occasion when Mexico tried to go toe-to toe with Chile on Saturday night, being second best on every front hurt. Their own full-backs were pinned down, Chile were hungrier to force turnovers, close passing lanes and were faster in transition. And as the game slipped away, Mexico’s midfielders were overwhelmed. |
| Which is just to say that the US could lose heavily whatever approach they try, but the choice does not have to be about choosing your flavor of heroic failure. At this point of the tournament they need to send out a team to try and win the game and not just avoid defeat. | Which is just to say that the US could lose heavily whatever approach they try, but the choice does not have to be about choosing your flavor of heroic failure. At this point of the tournament they need to send out a team to try and win the game and not just avoid defeat. |
| Related: Pricey tickets and low TV ratings: has Copa América missed a trick in the US? | Related: Pricey tickets and low TV ratings: has Copa América missed a trick in the US? |
| Use substitutes well | Use substitutes well |
| The format tweaks of the knockout rounds mean that with penalties immediately following 90 minutes, the use of subs is a chance for Klinsmann to be proactive early, and without fear of playing his hand too soon with extra-time still to come. | The format tweaks of the knockout rounds mean that with penalties immediately following 90 minutes, the use of subs is a chance for Klinsmann to be proactive early, and without fear of playing his hand too soon with extra-time still to come. |
| It can be a marginal advantage, but again thinking about a positive approach, there’s the potential to bring Christian Pulisic off the bench to stretch Argentina, especially in a tight game where the favorites start to worry about the clock and a possible penalty shoot-out. | It can be a marginal advantage, but again thinking about a positive approach, there’s the potential to bring Christian Pulisic off the bench to stretch Argentina, especially in a tight game where the favorites start to worry about the clock and a possible penalty shoot-out. |
| There won’t be many areas of the game where the USA can set the agenda, but judicious subs that aren’t so much like-for-like swaps as shifts of emphasis that have the potential to alter the rhythm of the game in the Americans’ favor. And the more uncertainty they can create, the bigger chance they have of Argentina tightening up as the final whistle approaches. | There won’t be many areas of the game where the USA can set the agenda, but judicious subs that aren’t so much like-for-like swaps as shifts of emphasis that have the potential to alter the rhythm of the game in the Americans’ favor. And the more uncertainty they can create, the bigger chance they have of Argentina tightening up as the final whistle approaches. |