Your Starting XI Half Way Through MLS Season

by Dave Clark on Jul 17, 2010 10:52 AM PDT in Sounders: MLS Regular Season

No Hurtado, No Fucito, No Estrada. We'll say all the minor injuries are normal. We'll also say that Seattle is in their variant of the 4-1-3-2 with stacked forwards. Let's do this in light of Ljungberg moving onwards with no one brought on to the club.

		Nkufo
		Montero
Zakuani		Seamon		Jaqua
		Alonso
Gonzalez	Parke		Ianni	Riley
		Keller

I have Brad Evans on the bench, because I think that the Sounders really play so well with Nate Jaqua on the pitch, but the team still needs some off ball speed, and only Seamon can do that from a Central Midfield role.

For the Bench I would go: Evans, Marshall, Montano, Wahl, Scott, Levesque and Boss. That covers all roles, and gives speed as an option, as well as late game heroics and solid defensive choices. An option would be to lose one of Wahl/Scott to have Nyassi as well.

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I like it.

It’s tough to get Fredy, Nate, and Nkufo all on the field at once. This is as good an arrangement as any.

by Cornchops on Jul 17, 2010 11:38 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

I like this a lot.

I’ve almost forgotten Hurtado and Evans are injured, and that Ljungberg might be on his way out. I have a lot of faith in Seamon and Jaqua at midfield. I would argue that we might want to keep Parke in even when Hurtado comes back. If Hurtado could shift right and replace Riley, or maybe push Ianni right and have him replace Riley, I think that might be one of the most solid defenses we’ve had.

by chrisperry1983 on Jul 17, 2010 12:29 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, lets keep Hurtado in the middle where he belongs

by SeattleStan on Jul 17, 2010 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions

thoughts

am I the only one who wants to see a strike partnership of Nkufo and Jacqua? I’m not sure Fredy NEEDS to be in the starting XI, since I think he could make a wonderful “closing striker” and/or be used as a withdrawn forward if the 4-2-3-1 is employed for a particular match…

as for the right, if we really believe that Ljungberg is out of the picture, we have a handful of players who could fill that role, including Nyassi, Montano, and even Montero… the point being, at some point trying to name a “best XI” breaks down and you find yourself actually naming a “first 15” or so, the 3 or 4 alterations being situationally dependent on a match-to-match basis…

I would also really like to see the CM partnership of Alonso and Evans restored, and I have been beating this dead horse for some time now, Having said that, I totally understand the desire to find a place for Seamon on the pitch, but, like I said, this is the folly of the “best XI” concept…

I’ve said this before, but any “best XI” idea, by rule in my opinion, excludes Noonan, Vagenas, and Marshall, and even though it is sacrilegious to say this as a supporter, Levesque is probably a marginal MLS player (despite what happened Thursday). With this in mind, I would go with the usual back 4 of Gonzo, Parke, Ianni, Riley, with Evans and Alonso and CM, Zakuani as a wide attacker, primarily on the left, Nkufo and Jacqua up top, and __________ at the wide attacking position opposite Zakuani. Call the formation what you will, but I look at it as a 4-4-2 trending to 4-2-2-2, which becomes a 4-2-3-1 since one of the strikers (Jacqua) will inevitably drop off. The rest of the 18 would certainly include Montero, Marshall, Boss, and Seamon.

...that's MISTER Keller to you!!!

by malcontentjake on Jul 17, 2010 2:06 PM PDT reply actions

Any notion of a best XI without Montero makes your argument moot

Why would you play Jaqua as a WF when that’s certainly Monteros best spot. You’re playing two forwards that are the same. There’s no need for two TFs and this team is at its best with Montero causing hell as a withdrawn striker.

CougCenter

by Brian Floyd on Jul 17, 2010 4:22 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions