A star studded line-up with a mix of young stars and seasoned veterans is the key to success against Colombia. Colombia will leave themselves exposed at the back, so look for Zardes, Pulisic, Yedlin, and Johnson to look to expose those gaps, while leaving Jones, Bradley, Brooks, and Cameron to hold down the fort. A strong central core is key for the Americans as they look to hold off the threat of James Rodriguez, Carlos Bacca, and Juan Cuadrado, but Colombia's relative inexperience at the back will give Bobby Wood the break he needs to make an impact the Americans. Expect Pulisic to tuck inside centrally both with and without the ball to allow Yedlin to get around him on the outside. This added number in the midfield, will help connect the central midfield duo to Clint Dempsey and will force Colombia to stay tight and disciplined defensively, something they do not have a track record of doing. This will also give defensive cover against a team that will likely play three in central midfield. Lastly, while Tim Howard has a had a turbulent year that finally seems to have settled down at Colorado Rapids, his leadership and technical prowess over Guzan and Horvath give him the edge in this game and the tournament. Guzan's woeful season with Aston Villa does not suit him well for this tournament, and Howard's innate ability to come up with big plays and saves that we have all become accustomed to are not Guzan's strong point. In a game where the US must get a result to maintain hope for American glory, a strong leader and big game performer in Tim Howard is needed.
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Stirling Russell
over 8 years
A star studded line-up with a mix of young stars and seasoned veterans is the key to success against Colombia. Colombia will leave themselves exposed at the back, so look for Zardes, Pulisic, Yedlin, and Johnson to look to expose those gaps, while leaving Jones, Bradley, Brooks, and Cameron to hold down the fort. A strong central core is key for the Americans as they look to hold off the threat of James Rodriguez, Carlos Bacca, and Juan Cuadrado, but Colombia's relative inexperience at the back will give Bobby Wood the break he needs to make an impact the Americans. Expect Pulisic to tuck inside centrally both with and without the ball to allow Yedlin to get around him on the outside. This added number in the midfield, will help connect the central midfield duo to Clint Dempsey and will force Colombia to stay tight and disciplined defensively, something they do not have a track record of doing. This will also give defensive cover against a team that will likely play three in central midfield. Lastly, while Tim Howard has a had a turbulent year that finally seems to have settled down at Colorado Rapids, his leadership and technical prowess over Guzan and Horvath give him the edge in this game and the tournament. Guzan's woeful season with Aston Villa does not suit him well for this tournament, and Howard's innate ability to come up with big plays and saves that we have all become accustomed to are not Guzan's strong point. In a game where the US must get a result to maintain hope for American glory, a strong leader and big game performer in Tim Howard is needed.