// September 10th, 2011 // No Comments » // Updates
By Luke Cyphers and Doug McIntyre
Jurgen Klinsmann can’t get Stuart Holden into his lineup soon enough.
The U.S. coach, still searching for his first win following Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Belgium in Brussels, is so desperate to assess Holden’s status that he’s in tiny Leyland, England, today to see the midfielder play for Bolton’s reserves in the final step of the player’s return from a knee injury that has sidelined him for almost six months. Assuming Holden gets through the match against Rochdale unscathed, he could return to Wanderers’ first-team squad for Saturday’s visit from Manchester United — the team he got hurt against last March — and then to the U.S. fold for next month’s friendly versus Honduras in Miami.
The 26-year-old has been sorely missed by the national team — first during June’s Gold Cup, but particularly during Klinsmann’s three games in charge of the U.S. During that time, the Americans have shown improved possession, and little else. Most troubling isn’t the lack of goals — the Yanks have just one in 270 minutes — it’s that having more of the ball more isn’t leading to scoring chances. Getting Holden back may help.
As well as Jose Torres has played since Klinsmann took over, Brek Shea has been the only real revelation under the new regime. Torres’ passing and vision have been superb, but he still has a tendency to get pushed around by bigger opponents. He’s not a defensive midfielder. And despite the jersey number he wore on Tuesday, he’s not a No. 10. Even in the more technical, less physical Mexican league, he lacks the explosive, attacking instincts to be scoring threat himself. As much as Klinsmann likes his calm and cerebral game, the Pachuca man is probably better suited to a ball-moving, lead-keeping role off the bench when everyone else is healthy and available.
Don’t believe us? In addition to Holden, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan were missing from the U.S. midfield against Belgium. Bradley and Jones, two of the team’s most experienced players, will be back. Klinsmann sees Donovan as a second striker, but in practice he’s been deployed at the top of the midfield. Shea is making a serious claim to keep his attacking place on the left, and Bundesliga starter Fabian Johnson, who can play on the right or left or in the back, figures to eventually force his way into the rotation, too.
The key, however, is Holden. Used centrally by Bolton boss Owen Coyle, Holden, one of the national team’s best crossers, has mostly played on the outside for the U.S. But his intelligent passing game and tireless energy fit perfectly into the middle of Klinsmann’s system. He’s more dangerous on set pieces and far better defensively than Torres, and he’s also more effective in the final third of the field, where he can create, shoot from distance or finish off chances himself.
That’s not to say the two can’t play together, especially if Klinsmann continues with a five-man midfield. The German certainly deserves credit for quickly building up the Yanks’ depth. But for all the praise Torres has received lately, he’s still not an attacking midfielder, and he’s not helping to create goals, or even shots, for the U.S. This is where Holden comes in. For an offense in need of a lift, he can’t come back quickly enough.
(Unused substitutes: Lindegaard, Berbatov, Park, Fabio)
