In the nearly two years since the 2014 World Cup ended, Jurgen Klinsmann has said on more than one occasion that it is important to integrate new blood into the U.S. national team. It's not exactly a far-fetched desire. National teams should always be processing fresh talent as older players move on. It is a cycle necessary to avoid stagnation and to help discover the new stars that will eventually replace aging ones.
As much as Klinsmann may desire some new blood, the reality is this summer's Copa America Centenario lineup could consist entirely of players who were on the 2014 World Cup roster. As much as that idea might scare some people, it may not actually be such a bad thing.
The reality is that many of the key contributors in Brazil two summers ago are still the best options at their positions, and as much as integrating youth would be an ideal thing to do two years ahead of the next World Cup, it would likely mean doing so at the expense of benching players who are still simply better.
One position that is up for grabs to several non-World Cup veterans is left back, where DaMarcus Beasley played so well in 2014. Beasley's time with the national team appears to finally have come to an end, and Klinsmann has included several options to fill the void. Timmy Chandler was on the 2014 World Cup team, though he didn't actually play. He has played a considerable amount for Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt this season, enough to work his way back into the national team picture after a disappointing showing at last summer's Gold Cup.
Even if an Edgar Castillo, Tim Ream or Erich Lichaj succeeds in beating out Chandler for the starting left back role, none of those three is actually younger than Chandler, who is 26. If Chandler can carry over his club form to the national team — something he has struggled to do in the past — then the left back job is his.
Central defense has some young prospects in Matt Miazga and Ventura Alvarado, but Klinsmann can't possibly be thinking of starting either of them against Colombia's dangerous strike force. The remaining rounds of World Cup qualifying should give Miazga and Alvarado opportunities to play and gain experience, but neither should be anywhere near a Copa America lineup this summer.
Something else to consider about the U.S. defense is the fact that two of the younger options are players who filled key roles at the 2014 World Cup. John Brooks is 23 and DeAndre Yedlin is 22, and if both do succeed in grabbing starting roles, along with Chandler, then you're looking at a U.S. back line that wouldn't be too old to ride toward the 2018 World Cup.
The midfield is another story. Klinsmann has continued to call in veterans Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman despite them both being 34. It seems unlikely that both would start, as they did at last year's CONCACAF Cup, but one of them is a safe bet to be the team's defensive midfielder. Danny Williams, Alfredo Morales and Perry Kitchen are all younger options, but none of them has looked ready for a starting role when given opportunities.
The flanks are an area where Klinsmann could infuse some fresh blood, namely in the form of hot-shot prospect Christian Pulisic. But who do you sit? Fabian Johnson is a lock to start when healthy, while Alejandro Bedoya and Gyasi Zardes are set to battle it out for the other wing spot.
As promising as Pulisic is, it is a bit presumptuous to think he can step in and be a national team starter at the age of 17. He will be a starter one day, but right now there are veterans who may not be as exciting to consider for U.S. fans, but who are more prepared for the job right now. It should also be noted that Zardes wasn't on the 2014 World Cup roster, and at the age of 24, he's on the younger side of the player pool.
At forward, Klinsmann has to think about who he may bench in order to integrate some new blood. Bobby Wood is coming off an outstanding season in Germany, and looks ready for a starting role, while Jordan Morris is starting to thrive with the Seattle Sounders. Klinsmann showed last summer that he is capable of benching or even leaving out Jozy Altidore if the Toronto FC striker isn't in the right form. But Altidore is healthy now and starting to hit his stride with TFC, so it's tough to see Klinsmann sitting his best target forward option.
Then you have Clint Dempsey, who is 33 but is still capable of being an impact player. He seems like a very good candidate to be benched in favor of younger options, but only if Klinsmann is really determined to garner some big-game experience for younger forward options. That may sound a bit ruthless, but the fact is Dempsey will be 35 when the 2018 World Cup kicks off, and you just don't find many 35-year-old strikers starting for good teams.
There are also the painful memories of the CONCACAF Cup, when an Altidore-Dempsey strike force looked slow and predictable. If Klinsmann is still holding onto those memories, then he very well could find himself having to decide between Altidore or Dempsey, with a younger forward serving as the new partner in a 4-4-2.
Klinsmann doesn't have to shake things up too dramatically in order to inject some youth into the U.S. national team, but one or two moves liven up the starting lineup. If Brooks and Chandler carry over their Bundesliga success to the national team, and if one of the young forwards steps up and give Klinsmann the confidence to bench Altidore or Dempsey, then we are looking at a potential starting lineup that is significantly younger than the group that lost the CONCACAF Cup to Mexico in October.
Having said that, if Klinsmann is forced to stick with older options like Dempsey, Matt Besler and Alejandro Bedoya rather than the likes of Pulisic, Morris and Brooks, it could help improve the U.S. team's chances this summer — if not two years from now at the World.
- Goal