Center Forward:
The big anticipation is Haji Wright who is 6-3 and is your typical hold up center forward. Wright plays in the physically Turkish league and he scores goals. Wright got hot at the right time. He is in camp and I want him to beat out all the incumbents. We already know what we have so if he does, its an upgrade. Ferreira is leading the MLS, I am skeptical of Ferreira- sure he can score but can he do all the other things to help his team. He can not hold up like your typical center forward and Bertalter won't make him. He is better with the heads up play and passes to sprint attacking wingers.
Midfield:
McKinnie is a monster, he is aggressive, physical if he has to be, skilled on the ball and he can get himself in the air for set pieces. His skill is not match. Musah saw top competition all year at Valencia and is better for it. When he sees open space in front he takes it to drive the ball forward. He and Pulisic are our best dribblers going forward. These 2 are my top starters. Adams is good but he can be replaced with out losing too much in Acosta. Both Adams and Acosta bring a physical bite that is needed in the Midfield.
Attacking Midfield:
No we do not have a Maradona, Messi not Kante yet, but who does. We do have a De La torre is good with the ball and is firstly looking to pass inable to spring wingers in open pockets. He doesn’t beat ppl 1 v 1 like Musah. He is challenged by newcomer Djordje Mihailovic from Montreal FC. Lets see how this competition works out. Both are very similar in their style of play. When comparing MLS with the Dutch League, I have to say these are quite similar. MLS does not have a super power like Ajax, Eindhoven and Rotterdam power clubs but the rest of the league is quite equal. This will be Intriguing to see who comes out on top. Roldan is our utility MLS man, we can plug him in anywhere and we know what he will give us.
The wild card is newcomer Bayern Munich's Milik Tillman. Watching highlight videos we think we are getting the best player on the planet. Tillman has a knack for the head up play that can spring an attack in a half second. Millman can do this in a number of ways, flipping the ball up over a defender, one time passing into open space or dribbling past a slower defender. His 6-2 size allows him to shield the ball once he gets it. Tillman is young and had to be responsible on defense first. He can be used in the 4-3-3 as a winger up top or even central midfield to spring the swingers. His potential is enormous, so if Bethalter can trust Tillmans defensive responsibility we could have a player.
Defense:
Defense is solid but we lost a lot in Miles Robinson. Robinson is extremely fast and can play a high trap game and because he covered so much ground behind him with his speed. Carmen Carter Vicketrs playes for Celtic and is used to high pleasure, physical game every game. No center forward has Robinsons speed so CCV will have to play a smart game. The effective Zimmerman will hold down the other central position.
Fullbacks:
The starters at full backs are Sergio Dest and Anthony Robinson, both are as good offensively as they are defensively. The backups are still to be determined. Yedlin seems to have the inside track to the right back up behind Sergio Dest. Reggie Cannon has been used almost strictly as a right back for his club. Cannon could challenge Yeldlin for the back up roll.
The Left back up is most up for grabs spot on the roster. This camp we have George Bello from Armenia B in the German Bundesliga. His transfermarket value is 4.4 m, he only saw 34% of the time at his club position. Joe Scally is the newcomer and he saw 63% of the available minutes but he played right back for BoRussia. His MV is also double Bello’s listed at 8.8m. Scally could be used at left back just to see how he performes.
If Berhalter plays Scally out of position at left back, why not Cannon also. So the big battle is between Bello, Scally and Cannon to really show their defensive skills, their technical ability and how they link up with the midfield and forwards. I think Bello has the inside track since he has the Gold Cup experience, Cannon very well could make the team as both left and right back but I am hoping Scally beats them both. Why- well we know what we have in Bello and Cannon. If Scally beats them out- its an upgrade—no!?!
Conclusion and intrigue:
So this June roster is extremely interesting at 3 different positions being challenged. Haji Wright trying to show team USA a typical 6-3 center forward can be more valuable than a false 9 in Ferriera. Attacking midfield with de La Torre being challenged by Djordje Mihailovic from Montreal FC and the left back battle between: Bello v Scally v Cannon for the back up left back position.
Let not forget about wonderkid Tillman, can he understand and show enough defensive responsibility to be trusted and win a spot in the midfield. His instinct and skill offensively are full of potential its the defence Belhalter is concerned with. The more I write the more intriguing this gets. I can’t wait for the Next game in Cincinnati’s TQL stadium against Morocco June 1st.
