Examining Michael Bradley’s partner in central midfield

Who should suit up next to Bradley on June 16th and what role should he play? 

For most of the Klinsmann era, when Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones are both healthy, they both play. As the team and formation have evolved, it has gotten to the point where you can pencil the two of them in at central midfield in the 4-2-3-1 as the first thing you do when creating a starting XI. It has become that automatic for Jurgen Klinsmann. But is this really the best thing for the team? Is it the best partnership to have in the heart of your formation?

One thing that has become a certainty over the past year is that Michael Bradley is the best American soccer player. I don’t think you will find a single serious US National Team fan in any corner of the globe willing to argue with that. He has been that good. And because of this, he should be at the center of everything we do. He doesn’t have to be the goal scorer, and he doesn’t even have to be the goal creator, but we do have to put him in a position where he can be at his best. So the question is, how do we get the most out of Bradley?

Against Austria in November, Michael Bradley was fantastic as always, but was once again used much too little in attack as Jermaine Jones pushed forward without a care in the world. Bradley is the best American soccer player for both club and country, but when he is partnered in the middle of a 4-2-3-1 with Jones, his skill set and impact are lessened immensely. Bradley is an incredibly smart, aware, and responsible player, so when his partner goes forward he stays back and covers the counter. This means that rather than having our best player initiate the attack, we are putting him in a more defensive role while a turnover machine plays in the role that fits Bradley perfectly.

Since June of 2012 (the beginning of World Cup Qualifying), Bradley has played 12 games for the US in a formation that used two central midfielders, and has three assists in these games. He was partnered with Jones for 17 of the 24 halves. Not one of his three assists came in the 17 halves that Jones was on the field with him. Jermaine Jones is by far the most talented player that can be put next to Bradley. He starts for a perennial Champions League team, has all the physical tools and a lot of international experience. But his unwillingness to take a back seat and be the support to Michael Bradley makes that talent and experience go to waste, because he is actually harming the team's best player. Even Mix Diskerud, who is a CAM by nature, dropped back and let Bradley do his thing when they were paired together. Add in Jones’ incredible ability to commit pointless fouls and amass cards, and I just don’t see any way that he deserves to be Michael Bradley’s partner in Brazil.

But just saying that it shouldn’t be Jones doesn’t get the USMNT any closer to a solution. So who should be his replacement? In those seven halves that Bradley has not played next to Jones, his partners have been Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, and Danny Williams. Kyle Beckerman also deserves to be in the discussion, even though he has not suited up next to Bradley since 2011. Which of the five is an upgrade to Jones?

Danny Williams: The German-American midfielder plays his club soccer for Reading in the English Championship. During the initial round of qualifying he looked to be a legitimate threat to take over Jones’ spot, but injuries and a step back in his progression have made the 24-year-old a longshot to even get to Brazil. But he is definitely one to watch in the 2018 World Cup cycle.

Maurice Edu: Edu is another player who is struggling to make the Brazil roster, let alone be a starter in it. He is very defensive in his mind set, which is a good fit next to Bradley, but he doesn’t quite offer enough all around to be a starter on a legitimate national team squad at the World Cup. Over the past two years, Edu has had an extremely difficult time getting any type of solid minutes, and is currently at Stoke City but rarely making the gameday 18. Unless he finds a way to get consistent playtime, he has a tiny chance of even making the World Cup roster, and virtually no chance of being a starter. 

Sacha Kljestan: Kljestan is an interesting candidate. I’ll come right out and say that I’m not his biggest fan. I think he is a good guy to have on the roster as a depth player, and I would have no problem taking him to Brazil, but I don’t think he should sniff the field without injuries to other central midfielders. He is having a monster year for Anderlecht in the Belgium League and has played a lot of minutes against the best in the world in Champions League, but always seems to be a nonfactor when he puts on the Stars and Stripes. He is more careful with the ball than Jones is, but he doesn't play a different enough style to unseat him. 

Kyle Beckerman: Beckerman is another intriguing player to look at. He really won me over with his stellar play this summer for the USMNT in the Gold Cup, as well as every other time he stepped on the field. The thing about Beckerman is that he plays the exact style that would fit perfectly with Bradley’s game. He is careful with his distribution, knows his role, and lets the other central midfielder push forward while he stays back and helps clean up any potential messes on the counter. Given his physical traits and skill however, I don’t see him as quite up to the level required for high-level international soccer. For the teams we played in the Gold Cup, Beckerman is a perfect leader and element of your team. But against the Spain’s, Germanys, and Brazils of the World, he just doesn’t quite cut it. If you could take Beckerman’s attitude and brain and put it into Jermaine Jones’ body with his skill and physicality, you would have the dream partner.

Geoff Cameron: Cameron has been a big part of the national team for most of the past two years. He is a very flexible player who has started at center back, right back, as well as central midfield (in a holding role). He plays at right back for Stoke City and has continuously improved at the position over the past year and a half to the point where he is very possibly a top 5 RB in the Premier League. But I don’t think it’s his best position and I don’t think it’s where he fits best on the US National Team, something that both Cameron and Klinsmann have been very adamant about (both have stated numerous times that Cameron is best in a central position). Klinsmann likes fullbacks who can push up the flank, take somebody one-on-one, get a cross in, and overlap with the winger. That is not Cameron. With all the good that he does bring to the table at right back, he is still lacking in his one-on-one ability and there are definite concerns with his capability to get crosses into the box from the flank. While the friendly against Austria was one of Cameron’s best performances helping to push the attack as a right back, he still had trouble creating width for the US and only got one good cross into the center from the flank. To me, he just looked much more comfortable on the ball towards the center of the field. There were many times in the game when he got the ball on the flank, and pushed centrally rather than wide like a typical fullback. His eyes were constantly searching for the next ball on the ground to split defenders and put his teammates in on goal. This translates so well to a central defensive (holding) midfielder, a position that Cameron claims to be one of his favorites, and translates perfectly to a partnership with Bradley in midfield.

The one game in qualifying (against Panama in Seattle) that Cameron and Bradley were paired was one of the best the Americans played, and this wasn’t a coincidence. Cameron let Bradley flow wherever he wanted to and let the offense run through him. He sat back and cleaned up any counters that Panama had and was very safe with the ball. He also played a beautiful long ball over the top to Eddie Johnson for the Americans second goal. He pushed forward when the defense opened up to him but didn’t force anything, which is a HUGE difference from Jones.

The USMNT is still a team that absolutely has to avoid mistakes against the top teams and needs to have that little extra additional coverage that a holding midfielder provides. If both central midfielders get caught up field, it will almost certainly lead to a chance on goal for Ghana, Portugal, or Germany. We aren’t yet talented enough to make up for lapses in judgment that lead to goals. Bradley knows this and will stay back during any surges forward by his partner. The problem, however, is that we need to avoid these lapses in judgement, mistakes and turnovers without sacrificing the style of play Klinsmann wants, which is possession-based and creative. To do this, you absolutely cannot limit the player who makes that style of play tick. Bradley is that player, and simply put, Jones limits Bradley while Cameron does not.