re: Including Mix Diskerud in the Starting XI

The issue is that Portugal must pressure and force the issue against us on Sunday, even with a depleted defense.

In all likelihood, we're going to be facing a situation similar to what we did against Ghana from the kickoff. Portugal need win the game and to erase goal differential.

In the absence of Jozy, we need someone who can quickly spring a counterattack with quick passing rather than lobbing up to a target man. That's why I think we should just overrun the midfield with as many possession players as possible, and give Bradley carte blanche going forward.



Bob Ball worked with Jozy outmuscling defenders and Charlie Davies pinning exploiting the space left by fullbacks who overcommitted themselves on the overlap. We don't have the personnel to play that game for another 90 minutes, because Johannsson can't play as the target and our entire attacking axis is now centered on Bradley dictating the tempo.