The US men's national soccer team has gained international recognition as one of the most annoying teams to play against. There is no glamour in beating us, only shame in losing or tying. Why is it, that with so many of our players playing at the highest level overseas, do we remain such a pariah? (Foreign policy issues notwithstanding!) The answer is simple: we play brute force soccer. The cause of this is twofold: 1-We have no attacking midfielder anymore, with the end of Claudio Reyna's career, and 2-we mark too tightly in the opposing half of the field.
The lack of a central attacking midfielder (CAM) essentially leaves us without a plot in our play. While our defense can defend mightily, and our strikers may find breaks, we have very little link between the lines through the middle of the field. The result is simply bad soccer. Our midfield ball movement generally resembles a panicked game of keep-away, while looking for a long ball to play to one of our forwards. We are forced into an incredibly direct style of play, that lacks imagination and artistry. Admittedly, this is effective against less athletic teams, but it creates a ceiling to our success. We have good players, but we are not a good team. Yet.
As far as marking too high, I think this is a result of the typical American "give it your all" mentality. As if it were just a question of effort. But the way our wingers chase around the opposing teams backs just pulls our midfield out of shape, which often leaves us exposed if the high pressure doesn't pay off.
So what's the solution? Simple. American kids need to play more pick-up soccer, and do less wind-sprints and shooting drills. We do that, and we win the cup in 2018. When, incidentally, it will be in the US. Mark my words.
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