Inclusion of Youth Critical for USMNT in Copa America 3rd-Place Game

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 24, 2016

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After a dismal performance in the semifinal round of the Copa America Centenario on Tuesday, the United States men's national team are set to partake in the third-place match of the competition against Colombia on Saturday.

In the eyes of many, the third-place game is a meaningless exercise, especially after the Yanks' deflating 4-0 loss to Argentina. But if they approach the contest at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, correctly, they could leave the tournament with more positive takeaways.

Throughout the Copa, USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann has been criticized for not starting the younger players in the squad in order to get them acclimated to the top international stage. Doing that in the third-place game won't remedy the situation fully, but it will give the manager a glimpse into the future with CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on the horizon.



For Saturday's match against Colombia, Klinsmann must start as many young players as possible. Because of the number of veterans in his side, he will have to keep a few of the older players in the starting XI, but there is no reason to continue the strategy of using all of the teams' elder statesmen in big games.

Gaining experience in major tournaments is key for the development of players, even if that experience comes in a third-place match. So, Klinsmann must reverse course—even if that means benching top contributors like Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Geoff Cameron.

The youth approach can even be utilized in goal since 21-year-old Ethan Horvath, who has been a solid first-team player at Molde, is the third-choice keeper. Horvath has trained under Brad Guzan and Tim Howard all tournament, so why not give him an opportunity to test his mettle?

At some point in the near future, the changing of the guard will occur in goal. The Americans have a nice collection of young netminders, led by Bill Hamid, who looks like th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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