As Kyle Beckerman could get a run out with the U.S. national team today, I thought it might be nice to have a word about some of the nuances of his positional responsibilities as of late, as they’ve been particularly interesting.
As our deepest midfielder, Kyle’s in a position that requires complete attention throughout the match. When attacks come deep, he mops up, and when space opens up in front of him, he runs into it. His two assists on Saturday may have not been entirely the result of his position, though the assist for Luis Gil saw him intercept just outside his positional area.
What makes the Beckerman spot in the diamond so interesting, I think, is that when we’re pushing heavily forward, he drops into the defense and the fullbacks run forward, leaving a back three — typically Borchers, Beckerman, and Olave. His ability with his head and his hard tackling support his presence in this position.
With our fullbacks moving into a midfield position, our attacking midfielder can move forward, and our formation looks more of a 3-4-3 than a 4-4-2 — one of the power of our formations (and other good ones) is the ability of the side to shift shape with will and ease. I may have my complaints about the 4-4-2 as a base formation, but in terms of flexibility and on-the-spot shifting, it’s hard to find anything that works better.
The U.S. Men’s National Team kicks off against Philadelphia Union at 7 p.m. MST on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. There’s no saying whether Beckerman will play, but given his standout season for Real Salt Lake, there should be some consideration given to him beyond just the call-up. He plays without too much complaint and is constantly working for the team, so his being picked for the side was well-deserved.
Of course, given our midfield injury crisis, most fans might be happier if Beckerman sits on the bench. With Ned Grabavoy, Javier Morales and Nelson Gonzalez out, losing another player from those positions would be a blow.
The forward line, though, has been getting healthier, with Cody Arnoux and Paulo Jr. both running out for the reserves side. With a clean bill of health up front, we’re in a particularly strong position moving forward.
Till tomorrow.
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