With the 2014 World Cup fast approaching, Jurgen Klinsmann’s
side has plenty of work to do. Recent winter training camps have allowed many
domestic players to stay match fit during the offseason and there are also
numerous players currently training elsewhere in the world with their club
teams. However, there are some mainstays for this Stars and Stripes team that
desperately need to find their top form before Brazil in June, especially with
the threat that the “Group of Death” and its constituents (Germany, Portugal, and Ghana) pose.
1. Jozy Altidore (Striker, Sunderland AFC): Altidore has
undergone an incredible role reversal in the past few months. Usually known for
his lackluster international performances and his out-of-this-world club form,
the 24-year-old has flipped the script; he has been virtually nonexistent for
Sunderland this season, only scoring twice in 31 appearances for the Black
Cats, while scoring frequently for Klinsmann and the US. Thus far, Altidore’s
return to the Premier League has surely been a confidence-killer, yet if he can
find some sort of consistency and help the 18th-placed Sunderland
squad avoid relegation, the striker position for June may be solidified earlier
than expected.
2. Jermaine Jones (Midfielder, Beşiktaş): Jones, formerly
the first-team holding midfielder for FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, was
adored by German fans for his tenacity and bullish control of the middle of the
pitch. However, this attitude did not necessarily translate well to the
international stage, where he was often overcome with more passion than was
needed: Jones was constantly overweighting passes or simply making reckless
tackles during qualifying matches. However, if he can become more technically
consistent in the Turkish Süper Lig, the German-born American will be a viable
option for an everyday starter on Klinsmann’s squad.
3. Brek Shea (Winger, Barnsley): Shea, on loan at Barnsley (in the second division of English football), has been wildly inconsistent in recent
memory, in both international and club matches. Many pundits no longer
envision the bright future that Shea was supposed to have after his breakout
2011 MLS campaign. He has still yet to score in first-team matches outside of
the MLS (which he left in 2012), and Stoke City’s purchase of him from FC
Dallas for over $4 million seems to have almost certainly not paid off.
However, no matter how frustrating Shea may be, he has still found a way to get
on the scoresheet. Inconsistent qualifying matches and early-round Gold Cup
matches were forgotten when he scored the late winner in the final of the aforementioned
tournament against Panama. Midfield and attack are certainly areas of relative
strength for the USMNT, but if Shea strings together some convincing games for
his new squad, he may catch Klinsmann’s eye and bring another threat to the
bench come June.
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| Shea, far right, celebrates his game-winning tap-in in the Gold Cup Final with his USMNT teammates. |
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