What’s going on in the USA’s central midfield?

March 10th, 2010 | by: Marlon |

stuholden
The USA’s most recent friendly in Amsterdam brought up some very big questions about the USA midfield. With Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber injured US fans were treated to a midfield pairing they’d been asking to see: Jose Francisco Torres and Michael Bradley. Except it didn’t exactly go as planned. Both Bradley and Torres had trouble keeping possession against a high caliber Netherlands side, and neither player left their stamp on the game. I was left to wonder what the USA’s ideal midfield should be.

Unfortunately, Michael Bradley is a constant in the US starting XI. I say unfortunately, not out of dislike for Bradley as it’s arguable he deserves to be where he is, but because no matter what form he is in or how he played in the last game Bob Bradley will always play his son. Michael Bradley is one of the USA’s best midfielders without question, but I wonder where he fits into most modern football strategies. Bradley is neither calm or creative enough on the ball to be termed as an attacking midfielder nor he is a dominant, tackling, holding midfielder. His skill set lies somewhere inbetween. I’d call him a box-to-box midfielder, but the box-to-box midfielder seems a less used player these days. Still, come June Bradley is what we’ll get. So who do we pair with him?

Torres was given a chance and unfortunately he didn’t flourish, but Benny Feilhaber and Ricardo Clark have both been decent midfield options before they were injured. However, as I said in previous posts, the USA central midfielder I’ve been the most impressed with recently is Stuart Holden. Unfortunately, he was injured in the friendly, but prior to that he had been putting in good work offensively and defensively (this seems of the utmost importance to Bob Bradley) at Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. Holden has played mostly as a right winger for the USA, but if he and Clint Dempsey both return from injury as expected is it crazy to suggest a Holden – Bradley midfield?

What are all of your first choice USA central midfield pairings?