There are two big question marks for me The first is at CB next to Bocanegra and the other is the right wing. Bocanegra is going to be the incumbent starting center left back for the foreseeable future, as indicated by Klinsmann's comments (full article here):
"I don't like to move people around," he said. "I don't like to see a Bocanegra be a 50 percent left back. I want Bocanegra to be a left center back because that's where he's 100 percent. As a left back, he might be 90 percent, but I'm losing 10 percent. Can we afford that on the international level? No. What we need is a 100 percent solution as a left back sooner or later."
Goodson is solid, and seems to be a good choice, but he lacks the technical ability to link the play, as does Bocanegra. I don't think both of them will start especially in a game against Costa Rica. That leaves Ream and Orozco, and I think that Orozco gets the nod.
Right wing is a bit trickier. Nobody who was called up for this game is a natural right winger. Donovan has occupied that spot on the USMNT for a while now, but Klinsmann's comments about using him as a second striker (see the same article above), seem to indicate that he will play in the hole. Shea earned a start at left wing and has been unconscious for FC Dallas (did you see his 2 crosses in 5 minutes to lead Dallas to a 3-2 victory last week? They were amazing). That leaves Torres, Edu, Kljestan, Larentowicz, and Pontius left to fill the right wing. Pontius plays on the left when he does play wing, Kljestan is an attacking mid and doesn't have the pace for the wing, Edu and Larentowicz are defensive midfielders, and Torres, as we saw against Mexico, isn't very comfortable from the wing. That leaves Rogers, who played great from the right wing against Mexico, but I have always envisioned his pace being more valuable off the bench once the other team starts to slow down.
The LB remains a problem spot, but I think Castillo gets the nod with Spector as a possible second half sub. Give him one more chance to shine to not ruin his confidence. I think Torres and Edu team in the defensive midfielder spots, with Edu playing the destroyer role and Torres the deep-lying playmaker, his preferred position on the field anyway.
Up top Altidore gets the nod because of his form for his club. There are 4 forwards on the squad (including Donovan), so I would expect to see Agudelo or Bunbury come on in the 60-70th minute to mix things up. I can't wait for tonight and next Tuesday to see how the USMNT progress continues.
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