U.S. Defense Showing Signs of Promise and Long-Term Potential
Jurgen Klinsmann has constructed a defense that could develop into the best back line of his career with the U.S. national team.
OMNISPORT
PHILADELPHIA — It isn't often that a coach goes into a tournament with a first-choice back line that has never started a match together before. That was the case for Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. defense, which had played a total of 45 minutes together before the Copa America Centenario kicked off.
Early indications are that, despite those meager beginnings, Klinsmann just might have found a defense capable of not only helping the Americans make a deep run in this Copa America, but also a defense Klinsmann could ride all the way to the 2018 World Cup.
The center back tandem of John Brooks and Geoff Cameron have looked very good in the heart of the U.S. defense, while the fullback combo of Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin has given the U.S. what could be considered the most dynamic U.S. fullback pairing in national team history.
"I really think this is probably the strongest (U.S.) back four we have seen in a while, and a consistent back four, which I like," Hall of Fame defender and present-day television analyst Marcelo Balboa told Goal USA. "We’ve talked for the last three or four years about defense, and back line, and giving up goals and giving up goals. We’re not talking about that at Copa America, and that’s a good thing."
"There’s far more stability, there’s far more consistency, but that’s normal," Klinsmann said when asked by Goal USA about his blossoming back line. "That’s why you play a Gold Cup with Ventura Alvarado and a John Brooks, so they go through that learning curve and we give them the right to make mistakes, which happened, but very few only. Then you kind of shape it for a moment like now, like a Copa America or towards a World Cup in Russia."
From a defensive standpoint, the U.S. has hit a good run of form, following up a disappointing loss in Guatemala with a series of good defensive showings. The U.S. hasn't given up a goal in the run of play since that Guatemala loss, a stretch of six matches that included the 2-0 loss to Colombia, which came courtesy of a corner kick and penalty kick.
"I think we’re just comfortable and confident in one another, no matter who comes in, Matt (Besler), Steve (Birnbaum) or whatever," Cameron said. "We’re all confident and believe in ourselves and our ability. Brooksy and I have formed a pretty good partnership, along with DeAndre and myself, and Fabian and Brooksy on the other side.
"I think we all have a pretty good understanding. We try to communicate," Cameron said. "I try to be loud and vocal as much as possible, and I try to get Brooksy to do the same because the better organized we are, the easier it is for us to defend."
The construction of the current U.S. defense has been a product of a fortuitous past year, which saw each of the four members enjoy good club seasons in Europe. How they all came to reach a point where, together, they could join forces to create a defense that could be the best U.S. defense in a decade, is a bit more complicated.
Start with Geoff Cameron, who after years spent mostly playing right back, played the bulk of the 2015/2016 in central defense, which helped sharpen his game at that position, and helped give Klinsmann confidence in him as the top center-back option.
Then you have Brooks, who overcame some early season struggles to enjoy another strong season at Hertha Berlin. It wasn't his first good campaign in the Bundesliga, but he has shown much more confidence with the U.S. in recent performances, playing more like the Bundesliga starter than the nervous newcomer we saw many times before in U.S.matches.
Perhaps none of the quartet enjoyed as much growth as a player as Yedlin, who joined Sunderland on loan in hopes of earning steady playing time. After enduring some ups and downs, Yedlin eventually locked in as a starting right back during the heart of Sunderland's push to avoid relegation, and his improved defense helped him earn that job and convince Klinsmann it was time to make him the starting U.S. right back.
"It's been huge," Yedlin said of the experience gained playing in the English Premier League. "I think in that league little mistakes can expose you so i've had to try to cut down on those mistakes, especially positionally. I think positionally one v one I feel more comfortable, but I always knew that was going to come. That's the kind of thing that comes with experience."
The fourth member of the U.S. defense was probably the most unlikely member. Fresh off a season that saw him be one of the best wingers in the Bundesliga, Johnson figured to be more of an attacking option than a defensive one. Unfortunately, a lack of viable left back, coupled with some solid wing midfield options, left Klinsmann no choice but to start Johnson in the back line. This despite the fact Johnson had barely played there at all in the past two years.
"I feel good there, even though I haven't played much there the past few years," Johnson told Goal USA. "(The U.S. defenders) know each other well so it's not a big deal to play together, and the more we play together the better we will be."
Injuries, dips in form and challenges from other defensive options have kept Klinsmann from fielding any sort of consistent defense for the past three years, largely dating back to the Hexagonal Round of World Cup qualifying in 2013, when Besler, Omar Gonzalez, DaMarcus Beasley and Cameron were a consistent option.
There are still contenders to challenge for playing time, such as Besler, Birnbaum, Omar Gonzalez and potentially the likes of Jorge Villafana and Timmy Chandler, but if the current back line keeps playing well, Klinsmann could choose to stand pat as long as they are healthy and playing consistently for their club teams.
For goalkeeper Brad Guzan, he sees a defense with plenty of individual talent, but he also sees a hard-working group.
It’s a combination of organization and consistency, but probably more than all that is just our ability to be hard to beat," Guzan said. "In terms of being compact, being aggressive, being determined to block shots, block crosses, stay with runners in the box. All the little things that maybe go unnoticed from the outside, the guys in front of me have been doing a great job."
Saturday' should offer another stern test for the U.S. defense. Though Paraguay has managed just one goal in two Copa America matches, the South Americans have the quality to punish the American defense if it gets sloppy.
"(Paraguay) is a very unpredictable team," Klinsmann said. "This is a team that has individual players that can hurt you in a split second, like Colombia experienced. They thought the job was almost done, and (boom), they scored that one goal. If they don’t go down to 10 men they were right on the verge to equalize that game.
"They’re fearless, that’s their nature. Last Copa America, final four, previous Copa America, second, that tells you who Paraguay is."
The U.S. can reach the quarterfinals with a draw or win, and if the Americans are going to advance into the knockout rounds, they will need their defense to play another strong game. All indications are the back four is blossoming at just the right time, which shouldn't be a surprise for a talented group that is still learning how to play together.
"The more they play together, the more consistent you get," Balboa told Goal USA. "You get to know each other’s tendencies, when to step, and so on. It takes a while to get that chemistry going, but you look at the games individually and they’ve gotten better and better, and the more they play the better they’re going to get."