SOURCE: US SOCCER
Jermaine Jones Jr. celebrates his goal in the 64th minute of the United States' match with Portugal. The game ended in a tie on a literal last-minute goal by Portugal's Silvestre Varela. The U.S. looks to gain a spot in the round of 16 with a victory against Germany today at 12 ET. John Todd/USSoccer.com
Currently sitting in second place with four points from two games, the United States Men’s National Team will play against Germany today in its final group-stage game at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. currently sits at +1 in terms of goal differential.
The Germans will provide the toughest test yet, and if the United States wants to advance out of the so-called “Group of Death,” head coach Jürgen Klinsmann must learn from the team’s previous matches: a win over Ghana and a heartbreaking draw with Portugal.
The U.S. came out of the gate strong in the opener versus Ghana and team captain Clint Dempsey scored inside 30 seconds.
However, the team’s quality dipped after the goal and Ghana created considerable danger.
The United States conceded possession too easily and was poor building out of the back in its 4-4-2 midfield diamond formation.
Whether by luck or lack of skill, Ghana struggled to find a finish, although the side had 62 percent possession.
Eventually, the Black Stars’ athleticism and interplay saw midfielder André Ayew break through on goal, and he finished calmly past U.S. keeper Tim Howard in the 82nd minute to level the match at one apiece.
Not settling for a draw, U.S. substitute defender John Anthony Brooks, on for the injured Matt Besler, scored the winner in the 86th, heading home a corner kick from fellow substitute Graham Zusi.
Despite the win, the U.S. came out of the match banged up. Key striker Jozy Altidore suffered a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the rest of the tournament.
As a result, Klinsmann adjusted his formation for the Portugal game, bringing in Zusi, a wide midfielder, and moving to a 4-2-3-1, with Dempsey as the lone striker.
The match on Sunday was nearly the opposite of the Ghana game, with Portugal scoring inside five minutes when center back Geoff Cameron fluffed an easy clearance. The ball fell to opposing right-winger Nani, who roofed his shot over Howard.
The U.S. recovered, dominating proceedings with solid possession play. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure, as a lingering knee injury robbed him of his searing speed and thus limited his involvement.
Eventually, the Americans grabbed goals through Jermaine Jones and Dempsey in the 64th and 81st minutes respectively.
Seemingly with three points in the bag and headed through to the knockout rounds, the U.S. lost concentration in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time.
Midfielder Michael Bradley lost the ball carelessly and the Portuguese stormed forward on the counter. The ball found Ronaldo on the right flank, and the Real Madrid forward played an excellent cross to Silvestre Varela, who slipped behind the U.S. defense and headed in to tie the match at the death.
The first- and second-place teams in each group advance, so to ensure its own fate, the U.S. needs either a win or draw versus Germany. If the team loses, it needs an appropriate result from the Ghana and Portugal game to go through on goal difference.
Currently, two goals separate Ghana (-1) and the US (+1), so any Ghana win and U.S. loss with a net margin of three or more goals would see the African side through.
As such, the U.S. must look for at least a draw against an elite German side that matches an industrious work rate with superb technical play and intricate passing.
If the European side lines up the same as the past two matches, however, the U.S. has a clear game plan that hinges on three key aspects.
First, Klinsmann, the former German national team manager, must ensure his side maintains its shape.
Against Ghana, the U.S. lost its positional structure in midfield and ended up chasing the ball around the pitch, causing players to tire in the Brazilian heat.
Instead, the Americans must stay compact when without the ball and force the Germans into playing risky passes that can be easily cut out.
Another issue against both Ghana and Portugal was with midfielder Bradley, one of the team’s key players and the farthest midfielder forward, who came too deep to collect the ball.
Bradley is, by nature, a deep-lying midfielder who makes runs forward. However, Klinsmann tasked him with a creative role in behind striker Dempsey. When Bradley comes too deep, the U.S. is deprived of forward passing options and fails to move the ball out of defense.
Bradley must stay higher up the field. The team simply functions better when he does. Distances are more suitable for passing, and the team has space to move the ball up the field.
A second key to the game will be the fluidity of the U.S.’s counter attack, which rests upon the team’s ability to press the German midfield.
German coach Joachim Löw prefers a 4-3-3 formation with Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, and Toni Kroos orchestrating in midfield. While past German teams have played high-intensity, counter-attacking soccer, this team is more controlling, suffocating opponents with midfield ball possession.
There is simply no way the United States will dominate possession, so breaking into space behind the German back four will be crucial.
Löw has so far selected two natural center backs instead of more adventurous fullbacks on either side of Mats Hummels and Per Mertesacker, the preferred central defensive pairing.
All four are behemoths but lack true speed, which U.S. forward Dempsey can exploit through clever runs into the channels.
To facilitate this, however, the U.S. must press diligently in midfield. German captain and defensive midfielder Lahm is an intelligent and experienced player; however, he is naturally a right back and has played midfield for less than a year, doing so only because of injuries to key players.
If Bradley can pressure him and force turnovers, the U.S. will create chances on goal, especially if right back Fabian Johnson, who is half German himself, can get forward and create 2-vs-1 opportunities against opposing left back Benedikt Höwedes.
Finally, and most importantly, the U.S. must maintain composure and cut out simple errors until the whistle blows.
The United States enters the match needing a result because players failed to dig just a little deeper against Portugal and avoid mental and technical mistakes.
Whether in the first minute, 45th, or 95th, the United States cannot go to sleep on the pitch. The players cannot give in to exhaustion. Passes must be crisp. Clearances must be confident. Possession cannot be gifted away.
Composure both mentally and technically combined with proper tactics and execution will see the U.S. through to the knockout stage.